USS Chimaera (ARL-33)

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [1]research packet bh-packet.md (5 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-chimaera-arl33-pkt-bh-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS entry 'Chimaera', NHHC - live history.navy.mil URL returns 404 as of 2026-09-26; verbatim text verified via Wayback capture 20251209121909 [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS full entry text; Wayback https://web.archive.org/web/20251209121909/https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/chimaera.html

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS (NHHC): spec line 'ARL-33: dp. 2,125; l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 14'; s. 12 k.; cpl. 253; a. 1 3"; cl. Achelous.' Namesake: 'A mythological character, symbolic of the destructive forces of nature.' Launched 1945-03-30 by Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, Ill., sponsored by Mrs. D. L. Mahoney; placed in partial commission 1945-04-11; decommissioned 1945-05-07 for conversion at Baltimore, Md.; commissioned in full 1945-08-07, Lieutenant F. E. Clerk, Jr., USNR, in command. Sailed from Norfolk 1945-09-18, arrived Green Cove Springs, Fla., 09-21 as flagship for Commander, St. John's River Reserve Group, Atlantic Fleet until 1946-03-01. Cleared 04-29 for San Pedro, arriving 05-21; local operations until 09-17, then western Pacific via Pearl Harbor, arriving Tsingtao, China, 10-23 (1946) to provide services to the 7th Fleet. Departed Tsingtao 1947-10-14 for San Pedro; placed out of commission in reserve 1948-03-08.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1945-1948

   Limitations

   Authoritative Navy history establishing identity, construction, conversion, service, and 1948 reserve decommissioning. The entry does not give a keel-laying date, the LST-1137 projected designation, the ARL-33 reclassification date, the striking date, or the post-strike disposal - those fields come from NavSource/shipscribe. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chimaera-arl33-01

3. [3]NavSource Naval History, Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Chimaera (ARL-33) page (archives/10/19/1933.htm) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Page header data block, awards/campaign ribbon table, specifications block, CO table, disposition entries

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive page for USS Chimaera (ARL-33): allocated as LST-1137; redesignated ARL-33, 1944-08-14; laid down (date unknown) as Chimaera (ARL-33) at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca IL; launched 1945-03-30; placed in reduced commission for transit to her fitting-out yard, LT. Frederick Clerk Jr. USNR in command; decommissioned 1945-05-07 at her conversion yard at Baltimore, MD; recommissioned 1945-08-07, LT. Frederick Edson Clerk Jr. in command. Ribbon/award list: China Service Medal (extended), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp; medal-eligibility window shown as 1946-01-23 to 1947-09-01. Decommissioned 1948-03-08 at San Pedro, CA; laid up Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group; struck from the Naval Register 1961-07-01; final disposition - sold 1962-03-20 to NASSCO, Terminal Island, San Pedro, CA, withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet 1962-04-13. Specs: 328' x 50' x 11'2" lim; 11.6 kts; largest boom 60 t; complement 22 officers + 233 enlisted; armament 1x3"/50 DP, 2x quad 40mm w/ Mk.51 directors, 6x twin 20mm; diesel fuel 4,715 bbls; 2x GM 12-567A diesels, single Falk reduction gear, 2 propellers 1,800 shp, twin rudders; ship's service generators 3x 100kW DC + 2x 100kW AC. CO roster: Clerk 1945-04-12/05-07; Clerk 1945-08-07/10-09; LCDR Stanley Arthur Siebenthal 1945-10-09/1946-10; LCDR Joseph George Bogdan 1947-07-10/1948-03-08. Photos include the ship underway in Baltimore harbor c. 1945 (Hughes Studio collection, Maryland Historical Society) and laid up in reserve at San Diego.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1945-1962

   Limitations

   Secondary transcription archive (Navy-compiled data + contributed photos), not a primary document; consistent with DANFS on launch, conversion at Baltimore, full commissioning, and 1948 decommissioning, and adds the disposal chain (1962 NASSCO sale) DANFS lacks. Tensions logged in ev-08: the page's 'During World War II ... assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater' framing conflicts with the DANFS narrative (CONUS flagship duty until March 1946; first Pacific transit Sept-Oct 1946); the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal on the ribbon bar is likewise not reflected in the DANFS narrative; the spec-block 3"/50 gun conflicts with the shipscribe class note deleting it from the ARL-10 group; the first CO start date (04-12) is one day after the DANFS partial-commission date (04-11). No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chimaera-arl33-02

4. [4]shipscribe.com, 'USS Coronis (ARL-10) Class' register page (usnaux.shipscribe.com/ARL/ARL10.html), compiled from BuShips Ships' Data and OpNav records [other_primary]

   Locator

   Construction table row ARL-33; Disposition table row ARL-33; Ship Notes row 'CHIMAERA'; Class Notes paragraphs

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   shipscribe.com U.S. Navy auxiliary register (S.S. Roberts, compiled from BuShips/OpNav records), Coronis (ARL-10) class page: construction table lists ARL-33 CHIMAERA reclassified 1944-08-14, builder 'Chicago Bridge, Seneca', keel 1945-01-03, launch 1945-03-30, commission 1945-08-07. Disposition table: decommissioned 1948-03-08, struck 1961-07-01, disposal 1962-04-04 'Sold' (MA Sale column blank - a Navy sale, not a Maritime Administration disposal). Ship note: 'Ex LST-1137 14 Aug 44. Ferry commission as LST-1137 11 Apr-7 May 45 (arrived at New Orleans 20 Apr 45). Converted by Bethlehem Steel, Key Highway, Baltimore, Md. In USN reserve 1946-61. To buyer 13 Apr 62.' Class notes: beginning with the ARL-10 group the LST conversion design was modified to include retention of the bow doors and operating mechanism and provision of facilities to embark and repair LVTs; forward, the after kingpost and the front end of the deckhouse were moved forward to increase repair-shop space and both kingposts raised; aft, the 3"/50 gun was deleted and the 40mm quadruple mount moved to a raised platform on the extreme stern, under which the usual LST stern anchor was restored. Program context: on 1943-06-11 the Auxiliary Vessels Board recommended further LST conversions to ARLs as the most expeditious and economical method of meeting forward-area maintenance needs; conversion documentation for the class is in NARA RG 19 Item S-15 Entry UD 1024-A Box 1.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-1962

   Limitations

   Independent authoritative register reconciling BuShips/OpNav records; supplies the keel date DANFS lacks, the ferry-commission identity (as LST-1137, arriving New Orleans 1945-04-20), the conversion yard (Bethlehem Steel, Key Highway, Baltimore), and the disposal chain. The ship note's 'in USN reserve 1946-61' conflicts with the 1948 decommissioning recorded in all sources (she was in commission at Tsingtao through Oct 1947) - the record carries 1948. shipscribe's class naming (Coronis, ARL-10 group) differs from the DANFS/NavSource 'Achelous class' umbrella; both framings carried. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chimaera-arl33-03

5. [5]NARA Catalog (catalog.archives.gov): 'Chimaera (ARL-33), 8/7/45-12/1/47' muster rolls naId 125769064 (Roll 1070); 'In Service Craft USS Chinaera, (ARL-33), 4/16/47 - 9/1/47' naId 190971680 (Roll S-5300-A) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NARA catalog search q='Chimaera' - fileUnit hits listed above; each carries Fold3/Ancestry-scanned digital objects

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Digitized ship-specific primary records exist for this hull in the National Archives catalog: (a) muster rolls 'Chimaera (ARL-33), 8/7/45-12/1/47' (naId 125769064, microfilm Roll 1070, NARA College Park, scanned under the NARA-Ancestry partnership with public digital objects); (b) a deck-log file unit cataloged under the misspelled title 'In Service Craft USS Chinaera, (ARL-33), 4/16/47 - 9/1/47' (naId 190971680, microfilm Roll S-5300-A, NARA College Park, 13 digital objects) covering part of her Tsingtao deployment. A nearby context record, 'North China Service Unit Boat Pool, 1/2/47-1/1/49' (naId 191088901), documents the Tsingtao-station small-craft establishment she served, but is not a ship record.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1945-1947 records

   Population

   Ship's complement named in muster rolls (1945-1947); deck-log period 1947-04-16 to 1947-09-01

   Limitations

   Existence and digitization verified at catalog level; individual page contents NOT reviewed (no asbestos statement is expected in muster rolls or deck logs, but unreviewed contents cannot be characterized). The deck-log file unit is cataloged under the misspelling 'Chinaera' - a discoverability defect worth noting for future retrieval. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chimaera-arl33-04

6. [6]Consolidated era inference - BuShips Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels Vol. 2 (Jan 1945) LST/ARL machinery and class data (shipscribe scan); NavSource spec block for this hull; shipbuildinghistory Chicago Bridge & Iron yard page [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB-1945 v2 LST/ARL design tables; NavSource archives/10/19/1933.htm specifications block; shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/chicagobridge.htm

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference for a diesel-powered LST-hull auxiliary: the ship had no boilers (2x GM 12-567A diesels, 1,800 shp). Asbestos-relevant applications typical of the type and era: diesel exhaust lagging and manifold gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation-space insulation, machinery packing - plus ARL-specific repair-shop outfit (machine, welding, and fitting shops built into the converted tank deck) contemporaneously stocked with asbestos-containing consumables such as welding blankets, insulation cement, and gasket sheet stock. The construction (Chicago Bridge & Iron 'Prairie Shipyard', Seneca IL, Jan-Mar 1945) and conversion (Bethlehem Steel Key Highway, Baltimore, May-Aug 1945) periods fell inside the window when the federal government had reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1945-1962

   Population

   Construction workforce (Chicago Bridge & Iron, Seneca IL, 1945); conversion workforce (Bethlehem Steel, Key Highway, Baltimore, 1945); wartime/postwar crew and serviced landing-craft crews; Pacific Reserve Fleet lay-up personnel; NASSCO breaking workforce (1962)

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no document names this hull's materials. Diesel plant means no boiler insulation (the largest asbestos mass on steam ships); listed applications are era-typical, not ship-proven. Does not establish quantity, location, present-day presence (hull scrapped 1962), individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chimaera-arl33-05

7. [7]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 fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and program under which this LST-hull conversion was built and fitted - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and merchant-type hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1940s era documented; article 1987

   Population

   WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarship; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chimaera-arl33-06

8. [8]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

   2026-09-26

   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/conversion yard (whether Chicago Bridge's Seneca 'Prairie Shipyard' or Bethlehem's Key Highway yard was among the surveyed 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-chimaera-arl33-07

9. [9]Cross-source reconciliation: NHHC DANFS entry (via Wayback 20251209121909); NavSource archives/10/19/1933.htm; shipscribe usnaux ARL-10 class register; shipbuildinghistory repair-ships table and Chicago Bridge yard page; NavalCoverMuseum wiki page [other_primary]

   Locator

   As cited in ev-01/-02/-03 locators; shipbuildinghistory http://shipbuildinghistory.com/navalships/ar.htm and /shipyards/emergencylarge/chicagobridge.htm; navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/CHIMAERA_ARL_33

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies resolved/logged: (a) Disposal - NavSource records sold 1962-03-20 to NASSCO, Terminal Island, San Pedro, CA, withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet 1962-04-13; shipscribe records disposal 1962-04-04 'Sold' and 'to buyer 13 Apr 62' (a Navy sale - MA Sale column blank); shipbuildinghistory reads 'scrapped 1961'; the Wikipedia infobox reads 'sold March 1964' - a probable error for 1962. Carried: strike 1961-07-01, Navy sale to NASSCO Mar-Apr 1962, scrapped. (b) Reclassification date - 1944-08-14 (NavSource, shipscribe, Wikipedia) vs 1944-08-13 (NavalCoverMuseum). (c) Ferry-commission identity - 'ferry commission as LST-1137' 11 Apr-7 May 45 (shipscribe, consistent with its class-note convention that hulls transited as LSTs and assumed ARL designations at the conversion yard) vs 'placed in reduced commission as USS Chimaera (ARL-33)' (NavSource); DANFS records only 'partial commission' without a designation. (d) First CO start - 1945-04-12 (NavSource roster) vs partial commission 1945-04-11 (DANFS). (e) Armament - DANFS spec line and the NavSource spec block carry 1x3"/50, but the shipscribe ARL-10-group class note documents the 3"/50 deleted and the quad 40mm relocated to a raised stern platform for this design group. (f) Complement - 253 (DANFS, shipscribe) vs 255 (NavSource 22+233). (g) Displacement/draft/speed - DANFS 2,125 t and 14' draft and 12 kts vs shipscribe 2,125 lt/4,100 lim, 11.2' lim draft, 11.6 kts vs Wikipedia 2,220 lt. (h) WWII theater assignment - NavSource's 'During World War II USS Chimaera was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater' framing and its Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon conflict with the DANFS narrative (CONUS reserve-group flagship duty to 1946-03; first Pacific transit 1946-09/10). (i) Reserve period - shipscribe ship note 'In USN reserve 1946-61' vs decommissioned 1948-03-08 in all sources; carried 1948. (j) IMO 7431507 in the Wikipedia infobox - IMO numbers postdate this hull's naval service and the number could not be verified against a registry; excluded.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-1962

   Population

   NASSCO Terminal Island breaking workforce (1962, unquantified)

   Limitations

   Resolves publication-level discrepancies by recording each source's exact statement rather than merging. The NavSource buyer identification (NASSCO) and withdrawal date are carried as the disposal record; shipscribe's 4 Apr 62 disposal date is consistent with the same transaction window. The 3"/50 armament conflict favors the shipscribe class note (design-level change documented for ARL 10-35, 37-39) but both framings are recorded. No asbestos content in any source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chimaera-arl33-08

10. [10]CourtListener API v4 - authenticated sweeps via cl-auth-search.py (opinion index: 'Chimaera' 9 collision hits; 'ARL-33' 0; 'LST-1137' 0; RECAP: 'Chimaera' 73 collision hits); supplementary indexed-web and BVA litigation checks [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-chimaera-arl33-06 through sl-uss-chimaera-arl33-11

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    CourtListener sweeps executed 2026-09-26 via the authenticated helper (cl-auth-search.py): '"Chimaera"' (type=o) returned 9 hits, all name collisions - the dominant family is Mycobacterium chimaera heater-cooler litigation (Sorin/LivaNova MDL-2816 lineage: Warman v. LivaNova Deutschland, In re Sorin 3T Heater-Cooler Sys. Prods. Liab. Litig. (No. II), Napier v. TriHealth, plus 'Chimaera, Inc.' bankruptcy dockets, a 'Chimaera-El' litigant surname, and common-noun usages); no hit names the naval vessel. '"ARL-33"' (type=o) returned 0 hits. '"LST-1137"' (type=o) returned 0 hits. '"Chimaera"' (type=r, RECAP dockets) returned 73 hits, all collisions in the same families (heater-cooler dockets, Chimaera Inc., Chimaera-El). The qualified '"USS Chimaera"' opinion query was attempted twice and blocked by the fleet-wide pacing budget both times - logged as an incomplete query, not a negative. Supplementary coverage completed: an indexed-web litigation search ('"Chimaera" OR "ARL-33" OR "LST-1137" asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit Navy') returned no ship-named claim, and a VA Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions search surfaced no Chimaera-named claim.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    2026-09-26

    Limitations

    Completed negative finding for the vessel name and both hull numbers on the opinion index and for the name on the docket index - every returned hit was classified a name collision (M. chimaera biotech litigation, a Connecticut corporation, a litigant surname, common-noun usage); none named the naval vessel. Residual incompleteness: the '"USS Chimaera"' qualifier query and hull-number docket queries were not completed (fleet pacing); docket corpora rarely index hull numbers, so name-sweep coverage governs. No qualifying asbestos litigation naming the hull was located.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-chimaera-arl33-09

11. [11]Batch-2625 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via Wayback; NavSource 10/19/1933; shipscribe Coronis-class register; shipbuildinghistory ar.htm + chicagobridge.htm; NavalCoverMuseum; NARA catalog (2+ digitized file units); CourtListener sweeps; indexed-web and BVA litigation checks [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-chimaera-arl33-01 through sl-uss-chimaera-arl33-15

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Chimaera / ARL-33 / LST-1137 was found in the public sources searched - DANFS, NavSource, shipscribe, shipbuildinghistory, NavalCoverMuseum, the NARA catalog (muster rolls and deck-log file unit, existence verified, contents unreviewed), the CourtListener sweeps (completed except one blocked qualifier query), and the indexed-web/BVA litigation checks (see search_ledger).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    2026-09-26

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1945-built amphibious auxiliary is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the 1962 NASSCO breaking is an unexamined disturbance phase. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-chimaera-arl33-10

12. [12]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Bureau of Ships); shipscribe ARL-10 class notes citing NARA RG 19 Item S-15 Entry UD 1024-A Box 1; NARA catalog records naId 125769064 / 190971680 [other_primary]

    Locator

    RG 19 guide; shipscribe usnaux.shipscribe.com/ARL/ARL10.html class notes; catalog.archives.gov file units

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized): NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) holds conversion plans/specifications for the LST-to-ARL program - the shipscribe register cites NARA RG 19 Item S-15 Entry UD 1024-A Box 1 for the ARL-10-group design documentation, and Gibbs & Cox was design agent for LST conversions; Bethlehem Steel Key Highway conversion work orders are the likeliest hull-specific materials records. Digitized but unreviewed: the muster rolls (naId 125769064) and the deck-log file unit (naId 190971680, cataloged under the misspelling 'Chinaera'). Post-Navy documentation - the 1962 Navy-to-NASSCO sale file and any NASSCO breaking/survey records - is the unexplored track for the hull's end-of-life material condition.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1945-1962 records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed. Whether any asbestos-specific document exists for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-chimaera-arl33-11