USS Cepheus (AKA-18)

Evidence

10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).

1. [1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Cepheus (AKA-18)' - canonical NHHC page (404 on 2026-09-21, standing link-rot defect; no Wayback capture of the canonical URL exists); text verified via hazegray transcription mirror (losthistory.net) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry text via mirror https://losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/amphib/aka18.htm ; archive.org availability API returned no captures for the canonical URL

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Cepheus (AKA-18): Andromeda-class attack cargo ship (dp. 6,556; l. 459'3"; b. 63'; dr. 24'; s. 16 k.; cpl. 404; a. 1 x 5", 4 x 3"; cl. Andromeda), named for the northern constellation. Launched 1943-10-23 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J., under Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Miss J. Sharpe; transferred to the Navy 1943-12-15; commissioned 1943-12-16, Captain R. B. Hall, USCG, in command. Sailed from Staten Island 1944-02-27 in convoy for Liverpool (arrived 03-09) with cargo destined for the Normandy invasion; joined division in Scottish waters, then Oran (arrived 04-06) reporting to the Eighth Amphibious Force; training along the Algerian coast; unloaded at Naples 06-19 to 06-23; further training Palermo/Salerno; combat-loaded at Castellammare for the invasion of Southern France. Sailed with the Camel Beach Attack Group 08-13; arrived off the beaches east of Saint Raphael before dawn 08-15 and completed unloading before midnight under enemy air attack through defensive smoke screen; Naples 08-18. Four more support voyages 08-23 to 10-07 (two Naples to assault area, two Oran to Marseilles). Cleared Oran 10-25, arrived Norfolk 11-08; departed 12-18 for Pearl Harbor (arrived 1945-01-10); combat-loaded 02-26 for the Okinawa assault. In the transport area off Okinawa 04-01; sent boats to unload three other transports; under enemy air attack the next morning, fired on seven Japanese aircraft and aided in downing three; remained off Okinawa until 04-16, then replenished at Saipan. May-June voyage Marianas to New Zealand for cargo; returned to Ulithi 07-12 joining an Okinawa-bound convoy; under several air attacks at Hagushi anchorage, then unloaded at Kerama Retto; carried construction equipment from New Caledonia and the New Hebrides to the Philippines (Lingayen 09-16); two voyages Philippines to Japan with occupation supplies; cleared Hiro Wan 10-28 for Portland, Oregon. One further west coast to Far East voyage carried cargo to Tientsin, China; departed San Francisco 1946-02-15 for New York City, decommissioned 1946-05-22 and returned to the Maritime Commission. Two battle stars for World War II service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1946

   Population

   Coast Guard crew (complement 404 per DANFS) and embarked troops/cargo passengers

   Limitations

   Authoritative Navy history for identity, dates, and operations. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation statement; supports no asbestos claim. Does not state a keel-laying or striking date. Mirror text contains minor transcription artifacts that do not affect substance.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cepheus-aka18-01

2. [2]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - CEPHEUS (AK-67/AKA-18), Ship History Detail 856, incl. digitized vessel status card (front/back), Reserve Fleet Division vessel-data card, and redelivery ledger (CEPHEUS.pdf) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   Detail 856 record fields; card images /cards/17J_01.png (status card front), /cards/17J_02.png (status card back), /cards/856_1538AF.jpg (NDRF vessel-data card), and /documents/f6b56ab0-45e1-4311-ba89-8120e4212709.pdf (redelivery ledger), all read visually 2026-09-21

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record and digitized vessel cards for CEPHEUS (AK-67/AKA-18): MARCOM type C2-S-B1, MC hull no. 207, U.S. Official No. 252679, D.W.T. 7,729 (status card; NDRF card gives 7,708), built 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock, ship length 459.16 ft / beam 63 ft / displacement 14,200 t summer and 6,556 t light; web-record fate 'CTL - No Further Info.' Vessel status card custody chain: 'Basis to W.S.A. 12-15-43 4:15PM EWT @ Brooklyn, N.Y. - Purchased by the Navy'; Hudson River Reserve Fleet 9-12-46 12 Noon EDT (surplus/layup); redelivered to Navy Department at Hudson River 11-21-46 3 PM EST (layup/custody); U.S. Lines Co. (immobilized) under GAA at New York 1-17-47 11 AM EST (surplus); Maryland Drydock at Baltimore for reconversion 5-17-47 3:15 PM EDT; purchased by U.S. Lines Co. 10-24-47 2 PM EST. Handwritten card note 'RENAMED PIONEER SEA'; stamped 'Renamed "AMERICAN HUNTER" 9-56.' Card back: title to Maritime Administration at Washington, D.C. 1-11-61 12:00 Noon EST while 'on voyage,' simultaneously operated by United States Lines under BB(UCA) (bareboat charter); title to T. J. Stevenson & Co. (exchange) at New York 5-10-63 12 Mid EDST; 'Sold to Sperling Steamship & Trading Corp. 3-1-66,' 'Renamed "BROOKVILLE" 3-1-66'; 'Constructive Total Loss (Out of work 6/68).' NDRF vessel-data card (Jones Point, H.R.): entered fleet 9-12-46; 'Contract for reconversion awarded to Maryland Drydock Co. 5/2/47'; withdrawn from fleet 11-21-46 'delivered to NAVY.' Companion redelivery ledger (mistitled 'CEPHEUS (AKA-17)') lists the same custody sequence with identical timestamps.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1968

   Population

   NDRF custody crews; Maryland Drydock reconversion workers (1947); merchant crews 1947-1968

   Limitations

   Primary custody/disposal record. 'Completed 12-15-43' is the delivery/basis date, not commissioning (12-16-43, DANFS). Card's 'Built by FEDERAL S.B. & D.D. Co. BROOKLYN, N.Y.' conflates builder with delivery port - the yard was Kearny, N.J. per DANFS. Redelivery ledger is mistitled 'AKA-17' (clerical error; contents match AKA-18). Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim. Handwritten entries read visually.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cepheus-aka18-02

3. [3]U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, 'Coast Guard-Manned Naval Vessels in World War II' (CGMANNEDVESSELS.PDF, hosted media.defense.gov; 20-page scanned publication read via Internet Archive Wayback capture - media.defense.gov returns 403 to scripted fetches) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Publication pp. 8-9 (scan): five CG-manned C-2-type AKAs passage; AKA combat narrative naming Cepheus; NavSource AKA-18 commanding-officer table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office publication 'Coast Guard-Manned Naval Vessels in World War II' documents that 'beginning in 1943, five of the somewhat smaller C-2 type vessels were commissioned as attack cargo ships (AKA) with Coast Guard crews,' and names them in the combat narrative: the USSs Aquarius, Centaurus, Cepheus - 'a veteran of the Southern France invasion' - Sheliak and Theenim. Consistent with DANFS (commissioning under Captain R. B. Hall, USCG) and NavSource's commanding-officer list (CAPT Hall USCG 1943-12-16; CDR Robert Clifton Sarratt Jr. USCG 1944-06-16 to 1945-06-06; CAPT Donald Edward McKay USCG 1945-06-11 to January 1946).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1946

   Population

   U.S. Coast Guard officers and crew (complement 404)

   Limitations

   Official USCG historical publication documenting Coast Guard manning of this hull; contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation statement; supports no asbestos claim. CO list is NavSource-sourced secondary detail corroborating the USCG publication.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cepheus-aka18-03

4. [4]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 emergency Maritime Commission construction program under which this 1943 hull was built.

   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 scholarship on WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or the Federal Kearny yard specifically 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-cepheus-aka18-04

5. [5]ShipScribe U.S. Naval Auxiliary records, USS Andromeda (AKA-15) class listing (shipscribe.com/usnaux/AKA/AKA15.html); HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945 - Maritime Commission Types' C2-S-B1 entry (ibiblio.org mirror of USN data) [other_primary]

   Locator

   ShipScribe class table machinery line ('G.E. turbine, 1 screw / Propulsion (HP): 6,000') and CEPHEUS construction row; HyperWar ships-mc.html C2-S-B1 section ('Turbine engines, 6,000 HP, 15.5 knots')

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Class-level machinery and construction specification for the Andromeda (AKA-15) class, MC design C2-S-B1: General Electric turbine, one screw, 6,000 HP; 16.5 knots per ShipScribe class listing (the USMC type table lists 15.5 knots design speed; DANFS's 16 is the trial/characteristic figure); 7,132 t light / 14,200 t limiting; 459.25' oa x 63' x 26.3' lim; complement 249 (1944 figure). Construction table confirms CEPHEUS (AKA-18): Federal SB & DD Kearny, keel 1943-07-26, launch 1943-10-27 (conflicts with DANFS 10-23 - see correction row), acquired 1943-12-15, commissioned 1943-12-16. A steam plant of this design and era is consistent with asbestos-containing boiler insulation, steam-line lagging, gaskets, and packing as documented for WWII-era U.S. construction generally.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1968

   Population

   Federal Kearny construction trades (1943); engine/boiler-room crew

   Limitations

   Class/design specification from secondary reference compilations, not a hull record - does not state 'asbestos' content and does not prove materials aboard this hull; asbestos presence is era/design inference, not ship-proven. Complement figure (249, 1944) predates this hull's wartime fit - DANFS's 404 adopted for this vessel. Does not establish quantity, present-day presence, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cepheus-aka18-05

6. [6]Owens-Illinois, Inc., Industrial Health Survey of Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, NJ (Aug. 30-Sep. 2, 1944); Owens-Illinois interrogatory exhibit #20 in Heathman v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., Brazoria County TX (1990) - scan via Toxic Documents archive [other_primary]

   Locator

   Survey document (toxicdocs.org scan); Atlas shipyards.json entry federal-shipbuilding-kearny flagship evidence ev-federal-kearny-ihs-1944 (verified in batch-974)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Owens-Illinois conducted an Industrial Health Survey of Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, NJ, August 30-September 2, 1944 - about ten months after this hull was completed and delivered from the same yard (launched October 1943, delivered to the Navy December 15, 1943). The survey documented insulator work with asbestos pipe covering (Johns-Manville Superex) and boiler insulation in confined shipyard spaces, with dust counts measured during cutting and fitting operations, during the same wartime construction program at the same yard. The survey was later introduced as Owens-Illinois interrogatory exhibit #20 in asbestos litigation (Heathman v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., Brazoria County TX, 1990).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944 (survey conducted Aug. 30-Sep. 2, 1944)

   Population

   Shipyard insulators and pipefitters at Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, NJ (1944 survey)

   Limitations

   Builder-yard documentation, not a hull record - documents asbestos products in use at the Kearny yard during the same wartime program period but POSTDATES this hull's completion by about ten months (weaker temporal link than for later-built sisters); does not name this vessel, does not establish that these products went aboard this specific hull, and establishes nothing about quantity, location, or exposure. Survey conducted by Owens-Illinois, a manufacturer with commercial interest in the findings.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cepheus-aka18-06

7. [7]United States v. S.S. American Hunter, 192 F. Supp. 447 (S.D.N.Y. 1961), CourtListener opinion 8749727; United States v. The Steamship American Hunter, 199 F. Supp. 531 (S.D.N.Y. 1961), CourtListener opinion 8751366 [court_record]

   Locator

   CourtListener opinion pages 8749727 and 8751366; opinion text verified via vLex transcription (192 F. Supp. 447: 'the Government seeks damages and penalties for the sinking of Ambrose Channel Lighted Whistle Buoy No. 17 on July 29, 1959 by the S. S. American Hunter') and exa.ai transcription (199 F. Supp. 531: reargument granted 1961-04-15, prior holding adhered to)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Litigation naming this hull under its merchant name (other litigation - not asbestos): United States v. S.S. American Hunter, 192 F. Supp. 447 (S.D.N.Y. 1961-03-08), an in-rem admiralty suit in which the Government sought $7,296.87 damages and penalties for the sinking of Ambrose Channel Lighted Whistle Buoy No. 17 on 1959-07-29 by the S.S. American Hunter - the merchant identity of this hull from September 1956 (MARAD card; title then held by United States Lines Co., which had purchased the ship 1947-10-24). The published opinion overruled the respondent vessel's exceptions to the Government's second claim, holding that 33 U.S.C. Sec. 408 covers buoys erected, owned and maintained by the United States regardless of which department (Army Corps of Engineers vs. Coast Guard) has jurisdiction - a statutory-scope ruling on a pleading exception, not a merits finding on the negligence claim. United States v. The Steamship American Hunter, 199 F. Supp. 531 (S.D.N.Y. 1961-08-04), decided the vessel's reargument motion (granted 1961-04-15) and adhered to the prior holding. No exposure, injury, or asbestos allegation appears in either published opinion; the litigation record for this hull is a pre-merits statutory ruling in a navigational-aid property case.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1959 (incident); 1961 (opinions)

   Population

   Merchant crew of American Hunter at the 1959-07-29 incident; none claimed injured in the published opinions

   Limitations

   Classified OTHER LITIGATION, not qualifying asbestos litigation - the published rulings decide only the statutory scope of 33 U.S.C. Sec. 408 on a pleading exception (and its reargument); they contain no exposure finding, no product identification, and no merits adjudication of the negligence claim. Names the merchant hull (American Hunter, 1956-1966), not the Navy designation. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cepheus-aka18-07

8. [8]MARAD ShipHistory 856 status cards and redelivery ledger (controlling); DANFS entry text; ShipScribe class table; NavSource AKA-18 page; shipbuildinghistory Federal yard table; ianewatts United States Lines fleet list; HyperWar ships-aka index; asbestos-ships.com (excluded source, errors logged only) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   Card images /cards/17J_01.png, /cards/17J_02.png, /cards/856_1538AF.jpg, CEPHEUS.pdf; shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net/us-comm-large/federal/ (hull 249 row); ianewatts.org/usl-fleet1921-1960/; ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/ships-aka.html

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Cross-source reconciliation: (a) Launch date - DANFS and NavSource give 1943-10-23; ShipScribe class table gives 1943-10-27 (likely a digit transposition): DANFS adopted. (b) Merchant rename sequence - NavSource compresses the history to 'sold ... 8 October 1947, renamed SS American Hunter,' but the MARAD status card's handwritten 'RENAMED PIONEER SEA' plus stamped 'Renamed "AMERICAN HUNTER" 9-56,' corroborated by the shipbuildinghistory yard table ('Pioneer Sea 1947, American Hunter 1956, Brookville 1966') and the United States Lines fleet list, show three distinct names: Pioneer Sea (~1947-1956), American Hunter (1956-09 to 1966-03), Brookville (1966-03 to loss). (c) Maryland Drydock delivery - NavSource 'delivered 5 May 1947' vs status card '5-17-47 3:15 PM EDT' (with NDRF card 'contract for reconversion awarded ... 5/2/47'): card controls. (d) U.S. Lines purchase - NavSource 'sold ... 8 October 1947' vs status card purchase/delivery 10-24-47 2 PM EST: card controls. (e) MARAD status card 'Built by FEDERAL S.B. & D.D. Co. BROOKLYN, N.Y.' conflates builder with delivery port - DANFS controls (Kearny, N.J.; Brooklyn was the 12-15-43 delivery point). (f) MARAD redelivery ledger is mistitled 'CEPHEUS (AKA-17)' - clerical error on the primary document; contents match AKA-18. (g) asbestos-ships.com (law-firm marketing, excluded) gives 'decommissioned May 22, 1943' - erroneous (decommissioned 1946-05-22 per DANFS). (h) Grounding location 'reef off Honduras' (NavSource, Wikipedia) vs 'off Belize' (United States Lines fleet list): both carried as unresolved. (i) HyperWar ships-aka index lists Cepheus 'Comm. 1944' - erroneous (commissioned 1943-12-16).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1968

   Limitations

   Resolves publication-level discrepancies across secondary compilations and one clerical error on a primary card; primary custody documents control where they conflict with transcriptions. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cepheus-aka18-08

9. [9]Batch-994 search ledger (this record): DANFS (canonical 404 + hazegray mirror); MARAD ShipHistory 856 + status cards + redelivery ledger; USCG Historian's Office publication; ShipScribe class table; HyperWar USMC type table; CourtListener site-index + API v4; NVR [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-cepheus-aka18-01 through sl-uss-cepheus-aka18-14

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming the Cepheus (AKA-18) hull was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener site-index fallback (Google site:courtlistener.com) surfaced (i) name collisions - The Cepheus, 24 F. 507 (S.D.N.Y. 1885, an earlier vessel); Alpha Cepheus LLC v. Chu (D.N.J. RICO); Cephea Valve Technologies v. Abbott (D. Del. contract/fraud); a crypto-entity 'Cepheus' in SEC/Binance litigation; and (ii) two admiralty opinions naming this hull's merchant identity American Hunter (192 F. Supp. 447; 199 F. Supp. 531 - classified other litigation, ev-07). The authenticated CourtListener API v4 sweep ('USS Cepheus', 'Cepheus', 'AKA-18', opinions + RECAP dockets) remained blocked at commit time under the shared 2800/day quota (HTTP 429 on every attempt; shared quota re-exhausted between attempts, reset window ~2 h on the last check). NVR carries no entry (ships disposed before 1987 not yet digitized).

   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 steam-powered MC hull built at a yard with documented asbestos-product use is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. The CourtListener API sweep is a residual gap - exact-name and hull-number API queries could not be completed this session (logged blocked); the site-index fallback found collisions and non-asbestos admiralty opinions only.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cepheus-aka18-09

10. [10]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), NARA Navy deck-log guidance (College Park); U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office cutter/vessel list page noting Historian's Office files on CG-manned vessels [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/178.html ; /groups/019.html ; https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-ships.html ; USCG Historian's Office vessel-list page (web.archive.org capture 2008-04-23, 'The Historian's Office maintains a file on most of the following vessels')

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) NARA logbooks of U.S. Navy ships and stations (Bureau of Naval Personnel records, College Park) - WWII deck logs for this hull (1943-1946) should sit in that series; the catalog interface blocked scripted enumeration this session; (b) NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) construction/contract files for MC hull 207 at Federal Kearny; (c) NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) machinery records - would resolve the unverified boiler-manufacturer question (NavSource ship-page spec: two Foster Wheeler D-type boilers 465 psi/765 deg F; NavSource class spec elsewhere: Combustion Engineering D-type); (d) U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office vessel files - the office states it maintains files on CG-manned vessels including WWII USCG-manned Navy ships; (e) Maryland Drydock Co. reconversion contract file (awarded 1947-05-02 per NDRF card) - era reconversion work routinely disturbed original insulation; (f) Sperling Steamship & Trading Corp. / MARAD disposition file for the 1968 constructive total loss and any salvage or stripping documentation.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1943-1968 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-cepheus-aka18-10