USS Chara (AKA-58)

Evidence

13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).

1. [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 CHARA AKA-58 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 AKA tables: machinery row (CHARA AKA58 'do [G.E. turb.] / 6,000 / 2 do [F.W. "D"] / 450 / 750'), armament row ('1 5" 38 cal. (D.P.) / 4 twin / 444,000 / 7,485 / 4,900'), characteristics row ('13,910 / 459 2 / 435 0 / 63 0 / 16.5'), designation index ('CHARA (ex-M.C. Hull 210) AKA 58'), M.C. hull cross-index ('M.C. Hull 210 (now Chara) AKA 58'); construction row partially garbled

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries per-hull rows for CHARA AKA-58: machinery row '1 | do [G.E. turb.] | 6,000 | 2 | do [F.W. "D"] | 450 | 750' (one screw, General Electric turbine, 6,000 shp, two Foster-Wheeler D-type boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F); armament/cargo row '1 5", 38 cal. (D.P.) | 4 twin | 444,000 | 7,485 | 4,900'; characteristics row 13,910 tons, 459'2" oa / 435'0" pp / 63'0", 16.5 kts; designation index 'CHARA (ex-M.C. Hull 210) AKA 58'; vessel index and M.C.-hull cross-index 'M.C. Hull 210 (now Chara) AKA 58'. The volume's index entries confirm MC hull 210 and the single-hull AKA-58 identity.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945

   Limitations

   Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms machinery plant, armament fit, dimensions, and the MC-hull-210/AKA-58 single-hull identity. PDF text-verified via pdftotext; the scanned table OCR is columnar and partially garbled - the construction-row builder cell reads 'Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc., Providence, R.I.', an OCR column misalignment contradicted by every authoritative source (DANFS, MARAD status card, ShipScribe: Federal Kearny); the builder cell was not carried. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chara-aka58-01

2. [2]DANFS, 'Chara' entry (Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships), Naval History and Heritage Command - verbatim transcription; live NHHC URL returns 404 [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry body text + spec block (hazegray/losthistory.net verbatim transcription; live history.navy.mil page https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/chara.html 404s - standing NHHC link rot, cf. BATCH-01)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS records: launched 15 Mar 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J., under Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. E. P. McHugh; acquired 16 Mar 1944; commissioned 14 Jun 1944, CDR C. B. Hamblett, USNR. Spec block: dp 6,737; l. 459'3"; b. 63'; dr. 26'4"; s. 17 k; cpl. 380; a. 1 x 5"; cl. Achernar. WWII: Leyte Gulf landings with the Southern Attack Force 20-24 Oct 1944 and resupply 18 Nov; Lingayen assault 9-10 Jan 1945 (three wounded, one fatally, by task-force AA fire during the 8 Jan kamikaze attack); San Antonio landing 26 Jan; Okinawa landings 1-6 Apr 1945; post-overhaul return to Okinawa 5 Jul; Philippines/Japan cargo operations in occupation support; returned stateside Dec 1945. NTS Far East cargo service from 1946; MSTS from 1 Oct 1949. Korea: Service Force Pacific ammunition duty; cleared San Francisco 16 Sep 1950, replenished TF 77, supported Hungnam and Wonsan evacuations; SF overhaul 26 Mar 1951; second tour 19 Jul 1951-18 May 1952 with the Mobile Logistics Support Force in the Wonsan-Songjin bomb-line triangle and Koje-do-to-Ulsan POW lifts; further at-sea ammunition replenishment. Tachen Islands evacuation Dec 1954-Jan 1955; active through 1958; out of commission in reserve at Astoria, Oreg., 21 Apr 1959. Four battle stars WWII; seven Korea.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1959

   Limitations

   Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for service history, commissioning/decommissioning, and battle-star counts. Covers only the AKA-58 period (entry predates or omits the AE-31 narrative; the 1960 strike/1965 return-to-Navy custody cycle is not in the entry). Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC page unavailable (404); the transcription mirror is verbatim DANFS text.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chara-aka58-02

3. [3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Chara (AE-31) ex-AKA-58, file 10/02/02058 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 02058.htm - construction/timeline block, Asiatic-Pacific/Korean/Vietnam campaign tables, spec block, commanding-officer table (15 AKA COs + 5 AE COs), final-disposition entries, photo captions incl. NH 89308 Tacoma scrappers yard Feb 1973

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource timeline and spec block corroborate and add detail: MC type C2-S-B1 hull 210 at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny (laid down 'date unknown'); launched 15 Mar 1944; commissioned 14 Jun 1944. Pacific assignment: TransRon Fourteen (COMO D. L. Ryan USN) / TransDiv Forty. Campaign credit - Leyte operation (20 Oct and 18 Nov 1944); Luzon operation (Lingayen Gulf 9-10 Jan 1945); Manila Bay-Bicol (Zambales-San Antonio 26 Jan 1945); Okinawa Gunto (1-6 Apr 1945); Combat Action Ribbon 8 Jan 1945. Occupation service 4 Oct-25 Nov 1945; NTS 1946; MSTS 1 Oct 1949. Seven Korean campaign periods 1950-1953; China service 30-31 Jan and 12-13 Feb 1955. Decommissioned 21 Apr 1959; converted to ammunition ship, redesignated AE-31 1 Nov 1965; recommissioned 25 Jun 1966 CAPT Newton P. Foss; eight Vietnam campaign periods Nov 1966-Jun 1971 (incl. Yankee Station replenishment of USS Coral Sea, USCGC Hamilton UNREP 1971). Decommissioned and struck 10 Mar 1972; four battle stars WWII, seven Korea, eight campaign stars Vietnam. Spec block: 6,556 t lt / 13,900 t fl; 459'2" x 63' x 26'4"; 16.5 kts; complement 37 officers + 343 enlisted; 30-t boom; cargo 4,450 DWT / 444,000 cu ft non-refrigerated; 1x5"/38 DP + 4 twin 40mm + 18x20mm; boats 8 LCM, 1 LCP(L), 15 LCVP; NSFO 10,900 bbl; 1 G.E. turbine, 2 Foster Wheeler D-type boilers 450 psi 750 deg F, double G.E. reduction gears, 3x300kW generators, single propeller 6,000 shp. Photo captions: New York harbor 15 Jun 1944 (BuShips photo, NARA ID 70643); Hampton Roads 30 Jun 1944; AE-31 underway Jan 1967 (USN 1119650 - caption notes ammunition-ship reconfiguration 'during the early part of the Korean War' but reclassification only in 1965); ex-Chara in scrappers yard Tacoma, WA Feb 1973 (NH 89308).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1973

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official; consistent with DANFS/MARAD/ShipScribe on identity and custody. One defect logged in the correction row: 'sold for scrapping, 12 November 1972 ... withdrawn from the reserve fleet, 13 November 1972' transposes month/day against the primary MARAD sale record (award 12-11-72 = 11 Dec 1972; ShipScribe buyer delivery 12 Dec 72). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chara-aka58-03

4. [4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - CHARA (AKA-58/AE-31), Ship History Detail 5755, incl. scanned vessel status cards (MA-383 reserve-fleet card; MA-20 Record of Ship Sales) and registry photographs [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 5755 registry block and imagery; status card scans https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/cards/5755_AF.jpg (Record of Ship Sales) and https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/cards/1d17a104-f0d8-40dd-b554-e090db44ff95.jpg (Reserve Fleet - Ship Particulars) - read directly, no OCR layer

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory registry record for this hull: CHARA (AKA-58/AE-31), Year Built 1943, Shipyard 'Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock', General Type Naval Auxiliary, Specific Type 'AKA Attack Cargo Ship', MARAD Type C2-S-B1, length 459.10 ft, beam 63.00 ft, displacement 13,900 t summer / 6,556 t light, fate 'Sold -NTU'; ten registry photographs captioned 'Chara (AKA-58) on March 4, 1956, at San Francisco Naval Shipyard' and radar-array details. Scanned status cards (read directly from card images): (a) MA-383 'Reserve Fleet - Ship Particulars' - Chara AKA-58, type C2-S-B1, fleet Astoria, category Mil. Aux. Cargo Attack, hull MC-210, date built 1944, service prior to lay-up Navy, entered Astoria fleet Jan 28 1960 1543 PST, title 'Temporary Custody/Reimbursable' with Navy title, withdrawn August 23 1965 0915 PDST reason 'Navy P.T.', draft on arrival fwd 12'5" aft 20'0", 'Navy preservation - cathodic preservation and misc. expenses by Marad', Navy letter Nov 17 1959 / Marad reply Nov 30 1959, pencil notes 'Title Transfer Marad 6-30-60' and 'navy title 10-15-46'; (b) MA-20 'Record of Ship Sales' - CHARA (AE-31), PD-X-951, type 'C2-S-B1' (with 'S4-SE2-BE1' struck through), awarded to Zidell Explorations, Inc., date 12-11-72, purchase price $43,000.00, contract MA-6849, year built 1943, LOA 459'2" / beam 63' / displacement light 6,126 full 12,800 / draft 26'4", location of vessel 'Vallejo, California', acquisition 'Built by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearney, N.J.', remarks 'Advertised under PD-X-947 - bids rejected; Advertised under PD-X-951 dated 11-8-72, opened 12-7-72, two conditions: (1) NTU (2) SCRAP HULL-US; Award under condition (1) NTU.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1973

   Population

   Astoria NDRF caretakers (1960-65); Suisun Bay/Vallejo NDRF caretakers (1972); Zidell Explorations scrapping workforce (1972-73)

   Limitations

   Authoritative MARAD registry + scanned primary custody documents - confirms C2-S-B1 type, MC hull 210, builder, Astoria NDRF entry 28 Jan 1960 and Navy withdrawal 23 Aug 1965, and the 11 Dec 1972 sale award to Zidell at Vallejo. Registry 'Year Built 1943' reflects keel/contract year vs the 1944 completion used elsewhere - a convention difference, not a defect. Handwritten card annotations are partially legible ('navy title 10-15-46' interpretation uncertain). Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chara-aka58-04

5. [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: class characteristics block; construction table (AKA-58 row: keel 6 Dec 43); disposition table (AKA-58 row '10 Mar 72 | 10 Mar 72 | 11 Dec 72 | MA/S | 11 Dec 72'); ship notes (AKA-58 row: 90.2% complete, Todd conversion, MSTS windows, NDRF/MA custody, Willamette AE-31 conversion, buyer 12 Dec 72)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-design compilation naming this hull: construction row - CHARA, AKA-58, Federal SB & DD Kearny, acquired 16 Mar 44, keel 6 Dec 43, launched 15 Mar 44, commissioned 14 Jun 44; disposition row - decommissioned 10 Mar 72, struck 10 Mar 72, '11 Dec 72 | MA/S | 11 Dec 72' (MARAD sale). Ship note for AKA-58: 'Delivered 90.2% complete. Converted by Todd Shipyards, Brooklyn, N.Y. Served in MSTS as a commissioned naval vessel from 1 Oct 49 to mid-1950 and from circa late 1952 to 1 Jul 54. In NDRF 28 Jan 60 to 1965. Stk. 1 Jul 60, to MA 30 Jun 60. From MA 23 Aug 65, to AE-31 1 Nov 65, converted by Willamette Iron & Steel Corp, Portland, Ore., and recomm. 25 Jun 66. To buyer 12 Dec 72.' Class data: design MC C2-S-B1; 7,132 t lt / 14,200 t lim; 459.25' oa; armament '1-5"/38 4-40mmT 18-20mm (1944-46: AKA 53-54, 57-63, 88-100)' and '4-40mmT (1957-63: AKA-54, 58, 88-90, 92-94, 96-97)'; complement 249 (1944); speed 16.5 kts; G.E. turbine 1 screw 6,000 HP.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1972

   Population

   Federal Kearny construction workforce (1943-44); Todd Shipyards Brooklyn conversion workforce (1944); Willamette Iron & Steel Portland AE-31 conversion workforce (1965-66); wartime, Korea, and Vietnam-era crews and embarked troops

   Limitations

   Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register, design, and MARAD records, not the registers themselves; used where consistent with DANFS/SDB/MARAD status card (the 23 Aug 1965 NDRF withdrawal and Dec 1972 sale match the card exactly; the 1 Jul 1960 strike and 30 Jun 1960 MARAD title are not in DANFS but fit the card's 'Title Transfer Marad 6-30-60' pencil note). Sole source for the keel date, the 90.2%-complete delivery, and the Todd Brooklyn completion-conversion. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chara-aka58-05

6. [6]MARAD MA-20 Record of Ship Sales (award 12-11-72, PD-X-951) + ShipScribe disposition/ship-note rows ('11 Dec 72', 'to buyer 12 Dec 72', keel 6 Dec 43, 'AE-31 ... converted by Willamette Iron & Steel Corp') vs NavSource 02058 / Wikipedia / NavalCoverMuseum / hullnumber.com ('12 November 1972'); DANFS spec block ('cl. Achernar') vs DANFS Achernar entry and NavSource ('Andromeda'); SDB1945v3 construction-row OCR artifact [other_primary]

   Locator

   MARAD status card image 5755_AF.jpg (Record of Ship Sales remarks block); https://shipscribe.com/usnaux/AKA/AKA15.html disposition table and AKA-58 ship note; https://www.navsource.net/archives/10/02/02058.htm final-disposition block; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Chara_(AKA-58) fate field; DANFS aka58 spec block vs https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/AKA/aka53-hist.html

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies resolved or held open against primary sources: (a) Sale date - NavSource ('sold for scrapping, 12 November 1972'), Wikipedia ('sold for scrap, 12 November 1972'), NavalCoverMuseum ('Sold November 12 1972'), and hullnumber.com repeat '12 November 1972'; the primary MARAD Record of Ship Sales shows award 12-11-72 to Zidell Explorations after bids opened 12-7-72, and ShipScribe's disposition row reads '11 Dec 72' with buyer delivery '12 Dec 72'. 'November 12' is a month/day transposition of 12-11-72 and is impossible on the face of the record (award preceded bid opening); 11 Dec 1972 award / 12 Dec 1972 delivery adopted. NavSource's companion 'withdrawn from the reserve fleet, 13 November 1972' is likewise inconsistent with a December sale and is flagged. (b) Class designation - DANFS spec block for this hull lists 'cl. Achernar' while NavSource, Wikipedia, and hullnumber.com say Andromeda class; DANFS's own Achernar (AKA-53) entry states 'Achernar (AKA-53) was a ship in the U.S. Navy's Andromeda Class' - the Federal-built AKA-53+ subgroup is sometimes styled Achernar class; 'Andromeda class' adopted with the variant noted. (c) Keel date - NavSource 'laid down, date unknown'; ShipScribe construction row gives 6 Dec 43 - adopted as sole-source value. (d) MARAD registry 'Year Built 1943' vs 1944 launch/commission - keel-year convention, not a defect. (e) SDB 1945 construction-row builder cell OCR-reads 'Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc., Providence, R.I.' - columnar misalignment contradicted by DANFS/MARAD/ShipScribe (Federal Kearny); not carried.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1973

   Limitations

   Resolves publication-level discrepancies against primary custody documents; the '12 November 1972' scrap-date propagated through the secondary layer is corrected to the 11-12 Dec 1972 award/delivery documented by MARAD and ShipScribe. Does not affect identity or the service timeline materially. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chara-aka58-06

7. [7]Consolidated era/design inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row for this hull + ShipScribe AKA-15 class data and ship note + DANFS documented yard/overhaul events + MARAD/NHHC disposal chain [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 machinery table, AKA section (CHARA row); https://shipscribe.com/usnaux/AKA/AKA15.html class data and AKA-58 ship note; DANFS body (1945 stateside overhaul; Mar 1951 San Francisco overhaul; ammunition duty from 1950); MARAD status cards (Astoria 1960-65; Vallejo 1972); NavSource 02058 (NH 89308 Tacoma scrappers yard Feb 1973)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull carried a single-screw geared-turbine steam plant - two Foster-Wheeler 'D' boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F feeding one G.E. turbine (BuShips SDB 1945 machinery row) - built December 1943-March 1944 at the peak of WWII asbestos usage at a Maritime Commission contract yard (Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock, Kearny) and delivered 90.2% complete for attack-cargo completion at a second wartime yard (Todd Shipyards, Brooklyn) - the machinery configuration for which boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, turbine and reduction-gear lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and accommodation joiner insulation of the period were commonly asbestos-containing. Troop and landing-craft outfitting added interior insulation scope. Documented disturbance-phase events for this hull: the 1944 Todd Brooklyn completion-conversion; the mid-1945 stateside overhaul (yard not named in DANFS); the 1950 reconfiguration for ammunition duty and the March 1951 San Francisco overhaul (yard not named; the only naval shipyard in San Francisco was Hunter's Point - inference); ~6 years Astoria/NDRF lay-up (1959-65); the 1965-66 Willamette Iron & Steel AE-31 conversion in Portland; Vietnam-era operations to 1971; and 1972-73 disposal/scrapping (Vallejo custody; scrappers yard at Tacoma, WA) - documented events whose asbestos scope is inference, not record.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1973

   Population

   Federal Kearny construction workforce (1943-44); Todd Brooklyn conversion workforce (1944); unnamed 1945 and 1951 overhaul-yard workforces; Astoria NDRF caretakers (1960-65); Willamette Iron & Steel conversion workforce (1965-66); wartime/Korea/Vietnam crews and embarked troops; Suisun Bay caretakers (1972); Tacoma/Portland scrapping workforce (1972-73)

   Limitations

   Inference from the documented machinery plant, construction era, and builders - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, material schedule, or abatement contract naming AKA-58/AE-31 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. Every listed yard period is a documented event; what was removed, installed, or retained aboard during each is undocumented. The mid-1945 and March 1951 overhaul yards are unnamed in the sources; Hunter's Point attribution for 1951 is inference.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chara-aka58-07

8. [8]Owens-Illinois, Inc., Industrial Health Survey of Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, NJ (Aug. 30-Sep. 2, 1944); introduced as Owens-Illinois interrogatory exhibit #20 in Heathman v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., Brazoria County TX (1990) - via Atlas shipyards.json record federal-shipbuilding-kearny flagship row ev-federal-kearny-ihs-1944 [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipyard-exposure-map shipyards.json record federal-shipbuilding-kearny (tier 2 flagship row; toxicdocs.org document mirror)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   Builder-yard documentation: an Owens-Illinois Industrial Health Survey of Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, NJ (30 August-2 September 1944 - the year and wartime program of this hull's construction and completion at that yard) documented insulator work with asbestos pipe covering (Johns-Manville Superex) and boiler insulation, with dust counts measured during cutting and fitting operations in confined shipyard spaces. The survey was later introduced as an interrogatory exhibit in asbestos litigation.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   survey 1944-08-30 to 1944-09-02; hull construction 1943-12-06 to 1944-06-14

   Population

   Federal Kearny insulators and pipefitters (surveyed Aug-Sep 1944); this hull's construction workforce overlapped the same wartime program (keel Dec 1943-delivery Jun 1944)

   Limitations

   Builder-yard documentation, not a hull record - the survey postdates this hull's 14 Jun 1944 commissioning by ~2.5 months (she was under construction/outfitting at the yard through mid-1944) and establishes the yard's documented asbestos-product environment during her build program, not that asbestos went aboard AKA-58, nor quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. Survey was conducted by a product manufacturer with commercial interest; dust counts in mppcf (pre-fiber-count era).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chara-aka58-08

9. [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) - citation verified via sibling batch-1034 record against NCBI

   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 Federal Kearny was among the surveyed contract yards 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-chara-aka58-09

10. [10]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; bibliographic record verified via sibling batch-1034 record (Crossref)

    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 emergency construction program under which this C2-S-B1 hull was built - 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-chara-aka58-10

11. [11]Lineaweaver v. Plant Insulation Co., 31 Cal. App. 4th 1409, 37 Cal. Rptr. 2d 902 (1995) - via Atlas shipyards.json record willamette-iron-steel flagship row ev-willamette-01 [court_record]

    Locator

    31 Cal. App. 4th 1409 ('Likewise, Pabco was used only as fill-in at Willamette in the 1960s and 1970s'); shipyard-exposure-map shipyards.json record willamette-iron-steel

    Finding type

    litigation_product_id

    Finding

    Conversion-yard litigation context: a published California appellate opinion records that 'Pabco was used only as fill-in at Willamette in the 1960s and 1970s' - asbestos insulation product identification at the yard name matching the facility (Willamette Iron & Steel Corp., Portland) where this hull's 1965-66 AE-31 conversion is documented by ShipScribe and secondary sources.

    Verification

    disputed

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    opinion 1995; documented period 1960s-1970s; hull conversion 1965-66

    Population

    Willamette Portland shipyard insulators (1960s-70s, if yard identification correct); this hull's AE-31 conversion workforce (1965-66)

    Limitations

    Double inference, held at context level: (a) the opinion names only 'Willamette Shipyard' - identification as Willamette Iron & Steel Corp., Portland is itself an inference flagged 'disputed' in the Atlas yard record; (b) even if the yard is correct, the opinion establishes product use at the yard in the 1960s-70s, not that Pabco or any asbestos went aboard AKA-58/AE-31 during her conversion there. Establishes nothing about this hull's materials, exposure, or causation.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-chara-aka58-11

12. [12]Batch-1038 search ledger (this record): DANFS via hazegray mirror; NavSource 02058; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 5755 + status cards; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; ShipScribe AKA-15 class page; Atlas shipyards.json yard records; CourtListener API v4 (blocked); indexed-web litigation checks; VA BVA index; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-chara-aka58-01 through sl-uss-chara-aka58-10

    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 Chara, AKA-58, AE-31, or MC hull 210 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener API v4 was rate-limit blocked this session (HTTP 429, 'Rate limit exceeded: 2800/day', retry-after ~2,500-3,000 s at each attempt - shared daily quota exhausted by prior batch work on this machine); residual litigation surface was assessed via indexed-web checking, which surfaced no case naming the hull - only law-firm marketing ship lists (asbestos-ships.com 'USS Chara (AKA-58) and Asbestos Exposure' page; mesotheliomaveterans.org amphibious-warship list) asserting era-typical asbestos content without primary support, an excluded source class logged in the batch report. The VA BVA index surfaced no decision naming the ship (hits were other-hull decisions).

    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 steam auxiliary built at a wartime yard with documented asbestos-product use is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and her 1944 conversion, overhauls, 1965-66 ammunition-ship conversion, lay-ups, and 1972-73 scrapping are undocumented disturbance phases. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. Litigation negative coverage is weaker than a clean API sweep: the CourtListener API was quota-blocked and only indexed-web checking was run - dockets indexed only in RECAP and unindexed opinions could have been missed.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-chara-aka58-12

13. [13]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Bureau of Navigation deck logs), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission); MARAD sale-file references from the MA-20 Record of Ship Sales remarks block (PD-X-947, PD-X-951) [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/019.html ; https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/178.html ; MARAD status card 5755_AF.jpg remarks

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs for AKA-58 (1944-59) and AE-31 (1966-72) - voyage-level operational record incl. yard periods; (b) NARA RG 19 Bureau of Ships records - conversion/work-package files for the 1944 Todd Brooklyn completion and the 1965-66 AE-31 conversion (the likeliest documentary path to any materials/abatement content); (c) NARA RG 178 U.S. Maritime Commission records - contract file MA-6849 / MC hull 210 at Federal Kearny incl. outfitting specifications; (d) MARAD sale files PD-X-947 (rejected bids) and PD-X-951 (awarded sale) - disposal-era condition documentation, the most promising hazmat-era lead since NTU/scrap sales carried hull-condition terms.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1943-1973 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-chara-aka58-13