USS Chipola (AO-63)

Evidence

11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).

1. [1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (NHHC), 'Chipola' (AO-63) - page published 2015-06-30 [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC DANFS 'Chipola' page (live URL 404 on 2026-09-24; cited via Wayback capture 2025-02-01)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Chipola (AO-63): launched 21 October 1944 by Bethlehem Steel Corp., Sparrows Point, Md., sponsored by Mrs. P. C. Chubb; commissioned 30 November 1944, Commander E. G. Genthner, USNR, in command. Statistics line: 'AO-63: dp. 7,470; l. 553'; b. 45'; dr. 32'4"; s. 18 k.; cpl. 304; a. 1 5", 4 3"; cl. Cimarron' - the '45-foot beam' is a typographical error (MARAD cards and all registry data give 75 ft). Narrative: arrived Eniwetok from the east coast and Netherlands West Indies (printed '31 February 1945' - impossible date, intended 31 January); fueled ships in harbor, sailed 9 February 1945 to serve fast carrier task forces raiding Tokyo ahead of the Iwo Jima landings; operated from Ulithi 23 March-26 August supporting the Okinawa campaign and, from July, the carrier strikes and bombardments on the Japanese home islands; station tanker Tokyo Bay and Far Eastern ports from 8 September 1945; Bahrain oil runs, Sasebo station duty, and near-continuous world-wide operations 1946-1950; Mediterranean duty; placed in commission in reserve at Philadelphia 3 May 1955 and decommissioned 1 August 1955; recommissioned 29 December 1956 for Military Sea Transportation Service; out of commission in reserve 7 November 1957; recommissioned 17 December 1960 and assigned to the Pacific Fleet. Three battle stars for WWII service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1944-1973

   Limitations

   Establishes identity, construction, statistics, operational history, awards, and the 1955-1960 decommission/recommission sequence. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement; supports no asbestos claim. Two internal typographical errors noted: '31 February 1945' (impossible date) and beam '45 ft' (actual 75 ft) - see correction row.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chipola-ao63-01

2. [2]U.S. Maritime Administration, Vessel History Database - CHIPOLA (AO-63), Detail 954 [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   Vessel detail page: characteristics block, Milestones table, Imagery captions, Documents section

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory database record for CHIPOLA (AO-63), detail 954: year built 1944; shipyard 'Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard'; general type Naval Auxiliary; specific type AO Oiler; MARAD type T3-S2-A1; length 553.00 ft; beam 75.00 ft; gross tons 11,316; summer draft 31.00; fate 'Sold -NTU' (nontransportation use). Milestones: Entry 12/4/1957, Withdrawal 8/15/1960 (the NDRF Beaumont custody window). Record includes 13 digitized U.S. Navy photographs of the ship at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA, 9 March 1953, and one digitized 'Historical' document (see ev-03 limitations).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1944-1974

   Limitations

   Confirms builder, type, dimensions, and nontransportation-use sale coding plus the Beaumont NDRF custody window. Record carries no historical narrative and no asbestos or hazmat statement; the 13 photographs document a 1953 Norfolk Naval Shipyard availability but carry no materials information. Supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chipola-ao63-02

3. [3]U.S. Maritime Administration Vessel History Database, CHIPOLA (AO-63) status-card images: /cards/d593ae44-cf73-47a2-9d53-f48d8106a1db.png (Form MC-7146a), /cards/954_1732AF.jpg (Form MA-383), /cards/954_AF.jpg (Form MA-20) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   MARAD detail 954, Status Cards section; images downloaded and read this session

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD digitized status-card documents for CHIPOLA (AO-63), read by image this session: (a) Form MC-7146a Vessel Status Card - flag U.S. Navy; name CHIPOLA AO-63; type T3-S2-A1; D.W.T. 18,354; gross 11,316; speed 18; hull no. MC-729; built by 'Bethlehem Sp.Pt. S.Y. #4409 at Sparrows Point, Md.'; completed 11-30-44. Operating history: Reserve Fleet (Berthing) custody Beaumont, Tex. 12-4-57 2:15pm CST; Reserve Fleet (Permanent Transfer) title Beaumont 12-10-58 12:01am CST; Navy Department (Permanent Transfer) Beaumont 8-15-60 10:15am CST; Maritime Administration (Permanent Transfer) title Beaumont 7/15/74; Zidell Explorations, Inc. (Nontransportation Use) purchase 7/15/74; 'Physically Delivered to Zidell, at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii' 10/2/74 6:00pm Hawaii S.T. (b) Form MA-383 Reserve Fleet - Ship Particulars: entered Beaumont fleet Dec. 4, 1957, 1415 hrs CST; builder 'Beth. - Sparrow Pt.', built 1944, hull MC-729, service prior to lay-up 'Navy - Reimbursable'; withdrawn Aug. 15, 1960 1015 hrs CST, reason 'Navy - Permanent Transfer'; other data 'Group 1 - Custody, Navy ltr. 8-8-57, Marad reply 8-20-57; USMA Title - Reimbursable - See Navy letter Nov. 28, 1958, Marad reply Dec. 10, 1958.' (c) Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales: vessel CHIPOLA (AO-63) under PD-X-979; type T3-S2-A1; awarded to Zidell Explorations, Inc., dated 7-15-74, purchase price $301,789.99, contract no. MA-7462; dimensions handwritten 'LOA-553' x 75'', draft 31-1/2'; location of vessel Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; remarks: advertised under PD-X-979 dated 5-5-74, opened 7-9-74, under two conditions (1) NTU (2) SCRAP HULL-US; award under condition (1) NTU.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1944-1974

   Limitations

   Primary custody/sale record: fixes design type T3-S2-A1, MC hull 729, builder's hull 4409, completion 11-30-44, the 1957-60 Beaumont layup window including MARAD title from 12-10-58, the 1974-07-15 Navy-to-MARAD transfer and same-day NTU sale, price, contract, and physical delivery at Pearl Harbor 1974-10-02 (NavSource gives 10/7 - logged). NTU (nontransportation use) is the award condition recorded; the card does not itself document where breaking occurred. No asbestos or materials content on any card.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chipola-ao63-03

4. [4]U.S. Navy, Naval Vessel Register (nvr.navy.mil), 'Non Active Vessels - C' quickfind page [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR SHIPSDETAIL_INACTIVE_C page, CHIPOLA AO-63 row (live nvr.navy.mil quickfind no longer serves this list; cited via Wayback capture 2016-12-02)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Naval Vessel Register quickfind inactive-vessel list records CHIPOLA AO-63 with date 07/15/1974 and status 'Disposed of by MARAD sale' - official corroboration of the MARAD transfer/sale date.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1974

   Limitations

   Confirms disposal date and mechanism only; carries no construction, service, asbestos, or condition information. No NVR per-hull detail page exists for this ship (disposed before 1987 - NVR coverage note).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chipola-ao63-04

5. [5]Defense Nuclear Agency, 'Operation DOMINIC I (1962): U.S. Atmospheric Nuclear Weapons Tests, Nuclear Test Personnel Review' (Kaman Tempo; contract DNA001-79-C-0472; report DNA 6040F; published 1983-02-01), ship activity summary and shot-position Figures 48-55 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NTPR report pp. 276-277 (ship narrative) and Figures 48-53, 55 (pp. 153-162); OSTI OpenNet accession NV0754866

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Defense Nuclear Agency Nuclear Test Personnel Review for Operation Dominic I (1962) documents this hull by name and hull number: 'USS Chipola (AO-63) - Oiler with normal complement of 304. Provided logistic support to TU 8.3.7 and TU 8.3.6, and underway replenishment, fuel, provisions, and fresh and frozen foods.' Ship-position figures place Chipola anchored off London Roads, Christmas Island, for shots MESILLA (9 May 1962, ~23 mi), MUSKEGON (11 May, ~23 nmi), SWANEE (14 May, ~23 mi), CHETCO (19 May, ~23 nmi), and NAMBE (27 May, ~23 nmi); steaming independently ~110 nmi north of surface zero for YUKON (8 May), ~114 nmi south of Christmas Island for ENCINO (12 May), ~240 nmi SSW for TANANA (25 May), ~330 nmi NNE for ALMA (8 June), ~600 mi north for TRUCKEE (9 June), ~876 nmi north for YESO (10 June), and ~120 mi south of the STARFISH PRIME (Johnston Island, 8 July) detonation.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1962 (report published 1983)

   Population

   Ship's crew (~304) during Dominic support operations, May-July 1962

   Limitations

   Ship-specific DoD record of May-July 1962 test-series participation, including distances from 13 detonations. The ship's entry records no washdown-system activation for Chipola (unlike entries for other units such as Conserver ARS-39 where washdown is noted); the report makes no statement about asbestos or shipboard materials. OCR of the scanned report is imperfect - shot names and distances were read against the position figures.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chipola-ao63-05

6. [6]NavSource Naval History, USS Chipola (AO-63) archive page (navsource.net/archives/09/19/19063.htm) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Class line, milestone list, campaign tables, specification sheet, Commanding Officers roster (20 officers listed)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive page for USS Chipola (AO-63): 'Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler'; laid down 3 May 1944 as Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A3) tanker hull, MC hull 729, at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Point, MD; launched 21 October 1944; commissioned 30 November 1944, CDR Elmore G. Genthner USNR; WWII campaigns Iwo Jima (15 Feb-5 Mar 1945), Okinawa Gunto (16 Mar-13 Jun 1945), 3rd Fleet operations against Japan; Navy Occupation Service (Asia) and China Service Medal periods 1945-1948; Korean War zone service 20-22 November 1950 and 2-3 February 1951; decommissioned 1 August 1955 at Philadelphia; recommissioned 26 December 1956 for MSTS; decommissioned 7 November 1957 'at Texas'; laid up 4 December 1957 NDRF Beaumont TX; withdrawn 15 August 1960; recommissioned 17 December 1960; thirteen Vietnam campaign periods enumerated (Vietnam Advisory Campaign Sep 1964 through Vietnam Ceasefire Mar 1973); decommissioned and stricken 14 August 1973 at Pearl Harbor; title to MARAD 15 July 1974; sold to Zidell Explorations Inc. (PC-X-979 dated 5 May 1974) for $301,789.99, delivered at Pearl Harbor 7 October 1974. Specification sheet: 7,236 t light / 25,440 t full; 553 ft x 75 ft x 32 ft; 18.3 kt trial; complement 20 officers + 310 enlisted; four Foster-Wheeler K-type boilers 450 psi 730 deg F; two Bethlehem Shipbuilding geared turbines; double Falk main reduction gears; twin propellers, 13,500 shp; cargo 16,500 DWT (oil 123,700 bbls, gasoline 788,000 gal); armament 1x5"/38, 4x3"/50, 4 twin 40mm, 4 twin 20mm; call sign NXDQ. Photograph/artifact captions on the page further place the ship: Arctic Circle crossing 27 July 1951; Thule, Greenland during Operation Blue Jay (circa 1952); Norfolk Naval Shipyard 9 March 1953 (the MARAD-digitized Navy photos, ev-02); Toulon, France 12 July 1954; and refueling USS Wasp (CV-18) in late January 1945.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1944-1974

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled archive - corroborative, not authoritative; used for the keel date, campaign date tables, spec sheet, CO roster, and call sign. Three errors corrected against official records in ev-07 (type T3-S2-A3, recommission date 26 Dec 1956, delivery date 7 Oct 1974). No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chipola-ao63-06

7. [7]Cross-source reconciliation: MARAD cards MC-7146a/MA-383/MA-20 + detail 954; shipbuildinghistory.com naval AO table and T-3 tanker table; aukevisser.nl T3-S2-A1 builder table; DANFS; NavSource AO-63; HyperWar AO-63; ship-published Welcome Aboard booklet (NavSource PDF 19063b); Wikipedia infobox [other_primary]

   Locator

   MARAD cards (type, delivery); shipbuildinghistory.com/navalships/ao.htm and /merchantships/2t3tankers.htm (MC 729 row); aukevisser id921 builder table (MC 729, hull 4409); DANFS statistics line; NavSource milestones/specs

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies resolved: (a) Maritime Commission type - MARAD status cards (MC-7146a, MA-383, MA-20), the MARAD detail page, and both MC-hull registry compilations (shipbuildinghistory T-3 tanker table; aukevisser T3-S2-A1 builder table listing 'Chipola 30-nov-44, hull 4409, MC 729') all give T3-S2-A1; NavSource, HyperWar, and Wikipedia give T3-S2-A3 under 'Ashtabula class' framing (the A3 designation in the registries applies to the later Sun Ship Mispillion group, MC 2701-2705). T3-S2-A1 adopted as controlling. (b) 1956 recommission date - DANFS and the ship's own 'Welcome Aboard' CO roster agree on 29 December 1956; NavSource gives 26 December 1956 and the booklet's prose prints '29 September 1956.' 29 December adopted. (c) Complement - DANFS 304 (and the DNA NTPR report independently gives 304), NavSource 20 officers + 310 enlisted (330), HyperWar 314. (d) Physical delivery to Zidell - MARAD MC-7146a card '10/2/74 6:00pm Hawaii S.T.' vs NavSource '7 October 1974'; the card is primary. (e) DANFS internal typos: '31 February 1945' (impossible; intended 31 January - Wikipedia renders 31 January, and NavSource photo captions place her refueling USS Wasp in late January 1945) and statistics-line beam '45 ft' (all other sources 75 ft). (f) Propulsion power - NavSource 13,500 shp vs HyperWar/Wikipedia 30,400 hp; both retained, not merged.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1944-1975

   Limitations

   Resolves publication-level discrepancies among sources; none material to identity or the disposal chain. No asbestos content in any cited source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chipola-ao63-07

8. [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

   AJIM 11(3):359-373, abstract and article

   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 World War II, the industrial period and Maritime Commission program under which this T3-S2-A1 steam-turbine tanker was built at Sparrows Point in 1944. Typical applications in steam plants of the era included boiler and steam-line insulation (lagging), machinery packing, and valve/flange gaskets.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1940s era documented; article 1987

   Population

   Shipyard construction workers (Bethlehem-Sparrows Point, 1944); Navy engine-room and maintenance crews 1944-1973 (era context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarship on WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or the T3-S2-A1 type and does not establish that asbestos was aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chipola-ao63-08

9. [9]USS Chipola (AO-63) 'Welcome Aboard' booklet, circa 1971-73 (ship-published; NavSource PDF archive 19063b.pdf) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Welcome Aboard booklet pp. 1-4: HISTORY narrative, COMMANDING OFFICERS roster, MEASUREMENTS AND CAPACITIES table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-published 'Welcome Aboard' booklet (circa 1971-73, digitized in the NavSource archive, contributed by the ship's last Command Master Chief): records the 17 December 1960 recommissioning at Baltimore and arrival at new homeport Pearl Harbor 10 March 1961; 'seven cruises with the Seventh Fleet' since 1961; three Meritorious Unit Commendations; presence in Tokyo Bay for the September 1945 surrender signing; about twenty postwar voyages around the world; measurements page gives full-load displacement 24,800 tons, 75-ft beam, 32-ft loaded draft, 18 knots, maximum cargo load 4,901,400 gallons, maximum pumping rate 13,400 gal/min; CO roster includes CDR Terry G. Caston from 9 October 1971.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1944-1973

   Limitations

   Ship-published orientation document - close to a primary record but not audited; prose prints the 1956 recommissioning as '29 September 1956' while its own CO roster gives 29 December (DANFS agrees with the roster - logged in ev-07). Contains no asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chipola-ao63-09

10. [10]Batch-1911 search ledger (this record): DANFS, MARAD ShipHistory detail 954 + status cards, NVR inactive list, NavSource + ship booklet, HyperWar, DNA NTPR report, MC-hull registries, CourtListener opinion + docket searches [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger sl-uss-chipola-ao63-01 through -16

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for AO-63: no Navy or MARAD asbestos survey, no abatement contract, no hazmat disclosure, no published opinion naming the hull, and no regulatory record. CourtListener authenticated searches 2026-09-24 (search_ledger sl-10 through sl-13): "Chipola" opinions 85 hits all name collisions (Chipola College/river-region Florida litigation, persons named Chipola); "USS Chipola" opinions 0; "Chipola" + asbestos opinions 0; "AO-63" opinions 1 hit, OCR artifact in a Texas habeas writ; "Chipola" RECAP dockets 128 hits all name collisions. Zero qualifying hits. The hull was delivered to Zidell Explorations for nontransportation use in October 1974 - after OSHA's first asbestos standard but before the survey/disclosure regimes attached to later ship-disposal programs - so absence of an abatement record is expected rather than probative of a clean hull.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    2026-09-24

    Limitations

    Records a negative result, not proof of absence: a 1944 steam-turbine oiler scrapped in 1974-75 is era-consistent with substantial asbestos content, and pre-disclosure-regime scrapping leaves no expected paper trail. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-chipola-ao63-10

11. [11]National Archives record-group guides (RG 24 deck logs; RG 19 Bureau of Ships; RG 178 U.S. Maritime Commission); MARAD MA-383 card correspondence references; NHHC Vietnam command-operation-reports collection (Henderson 1971); DANFS 'Sphinx' entry [other_primary]

    Locator

    archives.gov RG 24 guide; RG 19 and RG 178 guides; MARAD card correspondence block; history.navy.mil Henderson 1971 PDF (UNREP table); DANFS Sphinx entry (Tow to Sasebo, 2 Jan 1971)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads for hull-level material records (not retrieved - no box-level pull performed, no paid reproduction authorized): Chipola deck logs and war diaries are held in NARA RG 24 (WWII-era deck logs for this hull fall within the digitized series in the NARA catalog); Bureau of Ships construction/maintenance records (RG 19) and Maritime Commission construction files for MC hull 729 (RG 178) are the likeliest repositories for any original insulation/material specification; the Beaumont NDRF layup file (custody entries on the MA-383 card cite Navy letters of 8-8-57 and 11-28-58 and MARAD replies of 8-20-57 and 12-10-58) may hold preservation/material-stripping documentation for the 1957-60 layup. NHHC's online FOIA/command-history collection did not surface a dedicated Chipola command history this pass; other ships' command histories do record her underway-replenishment service (e.g., Henderson DD-785 1971 report lists UNREP from USS Chipola 23 February 1971), and the DANFS Sphinx entry records Chipola towing the disabled ARL-24 to Sasebo 2 January 1971.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    1944-1974

    Limitations

    Lead only - no hull-level construction specification, insulation schedule, deck-log text, or layup-file text was pulled and verified this session. Presence of records is plausible, not confirmed; nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-chipola-ao63-11