Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - cargo ships, attack (AKA) section, per-hull rows for CAPRICORNUS AKA-57 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 AKA tables (dimensions, limiting/accommodations, machinery, armament/cargo, construction rows for CAPRICORNUS AKA-57, table row no. 20; PDF pp. 131-136 of scan)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries a per-hull row for CAPRICORNUS AKA-57 (ex-Spitfire, ex-M.C. Hull 1160): 459'2" overall / 435'0" waterline; beam 63'0"; 26'4" limiting draft; 16.5 knots; 13,910 tons trial / 14,200 tons limiting displacement; accommodations 66 officers + 363 enlisted; largest boom 30 tons; machinery 1 General Electric turbine, 6,000 shp, single propeller, with 2 Foster Wheeler 'D'-type boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F; armament 1 x 5"/38 cal (D.P.) + 4 twin 40mm; cargo 444,000 cu ft non-refrigerated / 4,900 DWT; builder Moore D. D. Co., Oakland, Calif.; acquired 25 Nov 1943; year built 1943.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms identity, machinery plant, manning, builder, and acquisition. OCR of the scanned table is columnar and partially garbled; values cross-verified against DANFS, NavSource, and MARAD. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capricornus-aka57-01
-
[2]DANFS, 'Capricornus (AKA-57)' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (published 2023-12-08; live NHHC URL returns 404 - verbatim text retrieved via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20251209075445; print-edition text mirrored at hazegray/losthistory.net) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry body text (Wayback capture 20251209075445; published timestamp 2023-12-08); hazegray mirror losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/amphib/aka57.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC records: launched 14 Aug 1943 as Spitfire by Moore Drydock Co., Oakland, Calif., under Maritime Commission contract (M.C. Hull 1160); sponsored by Mrs. J. E. Mock; acquired 25 Nov 1943; partial commission same day; decommissioned 29 Nov 1943 and converted by Willamette Iron and Steel Corp., Portland, Oreg.; commissioned in full 31 May 1944, Comdr. B. F. McGuckin, USNR. Two San Pedro-Hilo cargo voyages 22 Jul-19 Aug 1944; via Eniwetok and Manus to Leyte - Southern Attack Force first landings 20 Oct, worked under enemy air attack to unload, withdrew 24 Oct; Wakde Army reinforcements; joined in splashing lone torpedo plane during 13 Nov air-raid alerts; back to Manus 19 Nov for Lingayen rehearsals. TF 79 Attack Group 'Baker' - kamikaze severely damaged Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) at sunset 8 Jan 1945; landings on schedule 9 Jan; straddled by two bombs close aboard just before sunrise 10 Jan, sprayed with shrapnel, no serious damage. Leyte Gulf 13 Jan; San Antonio landing 26 Jan; landing-craft servicing; sailed 27 Mar for Okinawa. Arrived off beaches 1 Apr 1945 laden primarily with ammunition; 8 days delivering priority cargo under near-continual air attack; cleared 9 Apr for Seattle overhaul. Sailed San Francisco 2 Jun 1945 for Eniwetok, Guam, Espiritu Santo (heard surrender word there); occupation troops into Nagasaki 23 Sep; Chinese troops from Manila and Hong Kong for Northern China reoccupation; Seattle 11 Dec. Four Far East cargo voyages 8 Feb 1946-2 Nov 1947; out of commission in reserve at Norfolk 30 Mar 1948. Recommissioned 12 Oct 1950; through 1960 Norfolk-based Chesapeake/Caribbean training plus five 6th Fleet Mediterranean deployments; rescue and salvage assistance to burning Searcher (YAGR-4) 13 Nov 1955 and difficult tow to Brooklyn; July 1958 supported landing of Marines in Lebanon. Four battle stars WWII.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1943-1970
- Population
- Wartime crew (~429 accommodations) plus embarked troops; shipyard workforces at Willamette Iron & Steel (1943-44 conversion), Seattle overhaul (Apr-Jun 1945), Norfolk (1947-48 inactivation; periodic availabilities 1950-70)
- Limitations
- Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for service history. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC page 404s (standing link rot, cf. BATCH-01); the Wayback capture is the verbatim NHHC text. The DANFS Vol. II (1977) print text (hazegray mirror) carries two defects the NHHC online version corrects: '2 June 1946' for the post-overhaul departure (impossible - she heard the surrender word at Espiritu Santo, i.e. Aug 1945; online text reads 2 June 1945) and 'July 1968' for the Lebanon landing support (Operation Blue Bat was July 1958; online text reads July 1958) - logged in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capricornus-aka57-02
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Capricornus (LKA-57) ex USS Capricornus (AKA-57), file 10/02/02057 (contributed by Al Grazevich) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 02057.htm - specifications block, campaign tables, occupation/China-service tables, awards list, disposal timeline, photo captions (incl. BuShips photo 19-N-69075 at Willamette, 10 Jun 1944)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline corroborates DANFS and adds detail: laid down as SS Spitfire, MC type C2-S-B1, MC hull 1160, Moore Drydock Co., Oakland; acquired on a loan basis; TransRon Fourteen (COMO D.L. Ryan) / TransDiv Forty; campaigns - Leyte landings 20 Oct and 14 Nov 1944, Lingayen Gulf landings 9 Jan 1945, Zambales-Subic Bay (San Antonio) 29-31 Jan 1945, Okinawa Gunto 1-9 Apr 1945; Navy Occupation Service periods incl. Nagasaki-area service; China Service Medal (extended) periods through May 1947; title transfer Maritime Commission to US Navy 15 Oct 1946; decommissioned 30 Mar 1948 Norfolk; recommissioned 12 Oct 1950; European-waters Navy Occupation Service Medal 26 Jun-20 Sep 1951; redesignated LKA-57 1 Jan 1969; decommissioned 10 Feb 1970; custody to MARAD 12 Aug 1970 for NDRF James River Group, Lee Hall, VA; title transfer USN to MARAD 1 Sep 1971; struck 1 Jan 1977; withdrawn for Navy stripping 29 Jun 1983; MARAD Ship Exchange Program 17 Sep 1983 to Connecticut Transport Inc. (c/o Ogden Marine Inc.), resold Fila Oil N.V. Netherlands Antilles; final disposition scrapping completed 16 May 1985 in Spain. Spec block: 6,556 t light / 14,200 t limiting; 459'2" x 63' x 26'4"; 16.5 kt trial; 65 off + 363 enl; boom 30 t; cargo 3,900 DWT / 444,000 cu ft non-refrig; armament 1x5"/38 DP + 4 twin 40mm + 18x20mm; boats 8 LCM + 1 LCP(L) + 15 LCVP; propulsion 1 GE turbine (hp+lp), 2 Foster Wheeler 'D'-type boilers 450 psi/750 deg F, double GE main reduction gears, 3 ship's-service 300 kW generators, single screw 6,000 shp; fuel 10,990 bbls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1943-1985
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official; consistent with NHHC/MARAD on the main chain. Minor variances logged in gaps: 65 officers (vs SDB/DANFS 66/429 total) and 3,900 DWT cargo (vs SDB 4,900 DWT). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capricornus-aka57-03
-
[4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - CAPRICORNUS (LKA-57), Ship History Detail 809, incl. scanned vessel status cards (809_1437AF.jpg, 809_1437AB.jpg, 809_AF.jpg, 14V_01.png) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 809 registry block, milestone table, status-card image list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory registry record for this hull: Year Built 1943; Shipyard 'Moore Shipbuilding Company'; General Type Naval Auxiliary; Specific Type 'AKA Attack Cargo Ship'; MARAD Type C2-S-B1; length 459.16 ft; beam 63.00 ft; gross 6,100 tons; fate 'Sold - Foreign Flag Op.'; WWII mission tag. Milestones: Entry 12 Aug 1970; Acquisition 12 Aug 1970; Disposition 29 Jun 1983 'NAVY STRIPPING'; Withdrawal 29 Jun 1983 - consistent with NavSource's custody timeline (NDRF James River layup 12 Aug 1970, withdrawal for stripping 29 Jun 1983, exchange-program sale 17 Sep 1983).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1943-1985
- Population
- NDRF James River Reserve Fleet caretakers (1970-1983); 1983 stripping crews; Spanish scrapping workforce (1983-1985)
- Limitations
- Authoritative MARAD registry; the milestone table ends at the 1983 withdrawal and does not itself carry the resale chain or the 16 May 1985 Spain scrapping-completion date (those rest on NavSource/shipscribe compilations of the MARAD record - the status-card scans are images whose handwritten content was not fully legible to automated reading). Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capricornus-aka57-04
-
[5]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Andromeda (AKA-15) Class' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, BuShips/SCB design records, and MARAD files) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AKA-15 class page: characteristics block, armament table, construction table (AKA-57 row), disposition table (AKA-57 row), class notes (MC hull 1160 entry)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Ship-design compilation naming this hull in the class tables: CAPRICORNUS AKA-57 acquired 25 Nov 43, builder Moore DD Oakland, keel 5 May 43, launched 14 Aug 43, commissioned 31 May 44; disposition row - decommissioned 10 Feb 70, strike 1 Jan 77, disposal 1 Sep 71 (MA/T title transfer), MA Sale 17 Sep 83. Class notes record: MC hull 1160, ex merc. SPITFIRE; ferry commission 25-30 Nov 43; converted by Willamette Iron & Steel, Portland, Ore.; in USN reserve 1947-50; in NDRF 12 Aug 70 to 1983; scrapped by 16 May 85. Class-level context: all ships of the class built to the MC C2-S-B1 design; armament tables list AKA-57 configurations over time (1-5"/38 + 2-40mmT + 18>10-20mm in 1944-47; 4-40mmT + 18-20mm in 1944-46 group; later 4-40mmT by 1957-61).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1943-1985
- Population
- Moore Dry Dock construction workforce (1943); Willamette Iron & Steel conversion workforce (1943-44); wartime crew and embarked troops
- Limitations
- Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register, design, and MARAD records, not the registers themselves; figures used where consistent with NHHC/SDB/MARAD. The keel date 5 May 43 appears only here (DANFS does not give one). Its 'in USN reserve 1947-50' brackets the DANFS 30 Mar 1948 decommissioning loosely (she arrived Norfolk Nov 1947; formal decommission Mar 1948). Class-level complement (249, 1944) conflicts with SDB/DANFS 429 - discrepancy logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capricornus-aka57-05
-
[6]United States v. The SS Washington, 241 F.2d 819 (4th Cir. 1957), affirming in part/reversing in part The Ruchamkin, 141 F. Supp. 97 (E.D. Va. 1956) [court_record]
- Locator
- 241 F.2d 819 (4th Cir. 1957), formation-description passage; district opinion 141 F. Supp. 97 (E.D. Va. 1956)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Federal appellate opinion naming this hull: in the early morning of 14 Nov 1952, during the Operation Seascape mock amphibious attack on Camp Pendleton, the tanker SS Washington (Texaco) collided with USS Ruchamkin (APD-89) about 55 miles off the Virginia Capes, killing soldiers aboard Ruchamkin. The published opinion places 'the Capricornus' as 'the northernmost of the heavy ships' in the flotilla's main body (flagship Fremont center; destroyer screen Corry, Lloyd, Hollis, O'Hare). The district court found Ruchamkin negligent and exonerated Washington; the Fourth Circuit held Washington also at fault - reciprocal fault finding, wrongful-death libels dismissed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1952-1957
- Population
- Ship's company during Operation Seascape (Nov 1952); flotilla crews
- Limitations
- Qualifying 'other litigation', NOT asbestos litigation - an admiralty collision case in which Capricornus was a named formation member, not a party or a casualty. Documents an operational event in the ship's career (and the era's amphibious exercise tempo off Norfolk); establishes nothing about shipboard materials, exposure, or any individual aboard. Opinion text via Justia F.2d mirror; reporter cite 241 F.2d 819 verified.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capricornus-aka57-06
-
[7]Consolidated era/design inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row for this hull + MC C2-S-B1 type data (MARAD registry; shipscribe AKA-15 class page) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 machinery table, AKA section (CAPRICORNUS row); MARAD Detail 809 (C2-S-B1 type); shipscribe AKA-15 class page; DANFS repair/layup narrative
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: this hull carried a geared-turbine steam plant (one General Electric turbine, double reduction gears, single screw; two Foster Wheeler 'D'-type boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F, plus three 300 kW ship's-service generators) built and converted at the peak of WWII asbestos usage at a Maritime Commission program yard - the machinery configuration for which boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, turbine and turbo-generator lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and accommodation/joiner insulation of the period were commonly asbestos-containing. Five cargo holds, troop accommodations (66+363 ship's company plus embarked troops), and cargo winches/windlass added insulation and brake-lining scope. Documented disturbance-phase events for this hull: 1943 construction at Moore Dry Dock Oakland; Nov 1943-May 1944 AKA conversion at Willamette Iron & Steel Portland; Apr-Jun 1945 Seattle overhaul; 1947-48 Norfolk inactivation; 1950 Korean-era reactivation; two decades of Atlantic Fleet availabilities from Norfolk (1950-1970); 1970-1983 James River NDRF layup; Jun 1983 Navy stripping; 1983-85 Spanish scrapping.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1943-1985
- Population
- Construction and conversion trades at Moore Dry Dock Oakland (1943) and Willamette Iron & Steel Portland (1943-44); Seattle overhaul workforce (1945); Norfolk yard/inactivation workers (1947-48, periodic availabilities 1950-70); wartime crew and embarked troops; NDRF caretakers (1970-83); 1983 stripping crews; Spanish scrapping workers (1983-85)
- Limitations
- Inference from the documented machinery plant, construction era, and documented repair/layup events - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming AKA-57 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capricornus-aka57-07
-
[8]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and Maritime Commission construction/conversion program under which this C2-S-B1 attack cargo ship was built and converted - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in shipbuilding.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or class and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capricornus-aka57-08
-
[9]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030 [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed record PMID 21016030; article pp. 9-16 (pipe covering material section)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned industrial-hygiene survey of WWII pipe-covering operations at two Navy yards and two Navy contract yards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite' - i.e., asbestos insulation was standard material in wartime naval-vessel construction of exactly this hull's era and type.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- survey ~1944-45; published 1946
- Population
- WWII pipe coverers and insulators at Navy and contract yards (era context)
- Limitations
- Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; does not name this vessel, class, or builder yard (whether Moore Dry Dock Oakland or Willamette Iron & Steel Portland was among the surveyed sites is unverified) and establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure. (The study's exculpatory 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion has since been heavily criticized - see the 2026 critique at DOI 10.1177/10482911261446696.)
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capricornus-aka57-09
-
[10]Batch-1037 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via Wayback; hazegray DANFS mirror; NavSource 02057; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 809 + status-card scans; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; shipscribe AKA-15 class page; CourtListener (blocked, then retried); indexed-web litigation checks; VA BVA index; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-capricornus-aka57-01 through sl-uss-capricornus-aka57-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Capricornus / AKA-57 / LKA-57 / MC hull 1160 / Spitfire was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The sole litigation naming the hull is the 1952-57 Ruchamkin/Washington admiralty collision litigation (141 F. Supp. 97; 241 F.2d 819) - qualifying other litigation, not asbestos (see ev-06). VA BVA index checks returned no decision naming the ship. Law-firm marketing pages (asbestos-ships.com dedicated hull page; bellucklaw.com, simmonsfirm.com, asbx.org, mesotheliomasymptoms.com navy/cargo-ship lists) assert era-typical asbestos content for this hull without primary support - excluded as a source per the no-law-firm-sources rule and logged in the batch report.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 2026-09-21
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943-44 geared-turbine steam auxiliary is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the documented conversion, overhaul, layup, stripping, and scrapping phases are undocumented disturbance windows. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. CourtListener API sweep status recorded in search_ledger sl-06/sl-07 (authenticated quota exhausted 2026-09-21; retried after backoff window).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capricornus-aka57-10
-
[11]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel - Navy deck logs), RG 38 (Office of the Chief of Naval Operations - war diaries), RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357 (Records of the Maritime Administration); MARAD ShipHistory status-card scans for this hull [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/038.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html ; https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/809 (status-card scans)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Capricornus 1944-1970 (RG 24, NARA College Park); the ship's WWII war diaries (RG 38); BuShips records incl. C2-S-B1 contract plans and the Willamette Iron & Steel AKA-conversion specifications (RG 19); USMC construction-contract records for MC hull 1160 at Moore Dry Dock (RG 178); MARAD/NDRF custody files covering the 1970-1983 James River layup, the Jun 1983 Navy stripping, and the Sep 1983 exchange sale plus Spanish disposal (RG 357) - the stripping file and disposal documentation are the most promising disturbance-era leads; the MARAD Detail 809 status-card scans (809_1437AF.jpg, 809_1437AB.jpg, 809_AF.jpg, 14V_01.png) may carry additional custody entries beyond the milestone table.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1943-1985 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capricornus-aka57-11