Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
-
[1]research packet 629-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: MISMATCH
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-chiron-lst1133-pkt-629-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, 'Chiron' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (live NHHC URL returns 404 - verbatim text retrieved via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20241228152523, re-verified live 2026-10-02; identical-in-substance mirror at losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/agp18.htm also live-verified 2026-10-02) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, spec block + narrative (Wayback capture 20241228152523); same text mirrored at losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/agp18.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC records for this hull: 'LST-1133 was reclassified AGP-18 and named Chiron on 14 August 1944; launched 10 March 1945 by Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, Ill.; sponsored by Mrs. T. S. Tillman; placed in partial commission 23 March 1945; decommissioned 17 April 1945 for conversion at Maryland Drydock Co., Baltimore, Md.; and commissioned in full 18 September 1945, Lieutenant Commander P. L. Mangold, USNR, in command. Chiron sailed from Norfolk 1 November 1945 for Miami, arriving 4 November to service Motor Torpedo Squadron 42 until 8 December. On 14 December she sailed for New York where she was decommissioned 20 February 1946, and sold 19 May 1947.' Spec block: dp. 2,179; l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 13'6"; s. 12 k.; cpl. 119; a. 8 40 mm.; cl. Portunus. Namesake: a centaur of Greek mythology known for his skill in medicine.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Construction trades (Seneca 1944-45; Maryland Drydock Baltimore Apr-Sep 1945); wartime/postwar crew; embarked MTBRon 42 personnel Oct-Dec 1945
- Limitations
- DANFS documents identity, milestones, and the brief operational narrative, not materials or asbestos content - supports no asbestos claim. The entry gives no laid-down date (NavSource/SDB/shipscribe supply 1944-12-16). Its spec block conflicts with BuShips SDB and NavSource on displacement (2,179 vs 3,960/4,100), draft (13'6" vs 11'2"), speed (12 vs 11.6 kts), complement (119 vs 286), and armament ('8 40 mm.' reads as a garbled rendering of the documented 2-quad-40mm + 8x20mm outfit) - discrepancies flagged in gaps, not merged. No stricken date in the entry (NavSource/shipscribe supply 1946-03-28).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chiron-lst1133-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Chiron (AGP-18) file 09/09/0918 - chronology, specification block, awards, commanding-officer table, captioned NHHC photographs (verified live 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page 09/09/0918 - chronology, Specifications block, awards block, CO table, photo captions (NH 82218)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Chronology and specification block for this hull: authorized as LST-1133; reclassified MTB tender AGP-18 14 Aug 1944; laid down 16 Dec 1944 at Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, IL; launched 10 Mar 1945; commissioned in reduced status 23 Mar 1945 for transit to her completion yard at Baltimore, ENS Justin A. Van Lopik USNR in command; decommissioned 17 Apr 1945 for conversion at Maryland Drydock Co., Baltimore; recommissioned USS Chiron (AGP-18) 18 Sep 1945, LCDR Paul L. Mangold USNR; decommissioned 20 Feb 1946 at New York; struck from the Naval Register 28 Mar 1946; sold 19 May 1947 and placed in merchant service 1948 as MV Altamar; final disposition 'lost 27 March 1960, cause unknown.' Spec block: displacement 4,100 t.; 328' x 50'; draft 11'2"; 11.6 kts.; complement 41 officers / 245 enlisted; largest boom 60 t.; 2 LCVP; armament two quad 40mm AA mounts + eight single 20mm AA mounts; fuel 4,480 bbls diesel + 62,000 gals gasoline (PT-boat fuel); propulsion two GM diesels (page reads '12-568A' - a typo for 12-567A, the model in the official BuShips SDB machinery row), single Falk main reduction gear, ship's service generators (3x 100kW 120/240V DC + 2x 100kW 450V AC, diesel-drive), two propellers 1,800 shp, twin rudders - a diesel plant with no boilers. Awards block: American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal only - no battle stars. Photos include NHHC photo NH 82218 (underway in Chesapeake Bay between the conversion yard and Port Covington, Baltimore, just after completion of conversion - caption notes 'This ship had two "A" frame hoists') and privately-held commissioning pamphlet/invitation scans. CO table: ENS Van Lopik 23 Mar-7 Apr 1945, decommissioned 7 Apr-18 Sep 1945, LCDR Mangold 18 Sep 1945-20 Feb 1946.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1960
- Population
- Ship's company (~286 per spec block); embarked MTBRon 42 personnel at Miami Nov-Dec 1945
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled archival page quoting Navy sources and NHHC photo captions; consistent with DANFS/SDB/shipscribe where they overlap. Spec data are equipment descriptions only - no asbestos content stated or implied. Internal inconsistency: the CO table's '7 April 1945' decommission-for-conversion date conflicts with the page's own chronology (17 Apr) and with DANFS/shipscribe (17 Apr) - flagged in gaps. '12-568A' engine model is a typo for 12-567A per the BuShips SDB machinery row. Armament 'eight single 20mm' conflicts with the shipscribe class table's 8 twin 20mm for the AGP 14/16-18 group - flagged in gaps. There is no separate NavSource page under the LST-1133 identity (archives/10/16/161133.htm does not exist - HTTP 406 Mod_Security 2026-10-02); this AGP archive page is the canonical NavSource file for the hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chiron-lst1133-02
-
[4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), AGP section per-hull rows for CHIRON AGP-18 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication; PDF text layer re-extracted and CHIRON rows re-verified 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 AGP tables - dimensions, limiting displacement/personnel/boom, machinery (2 G.M. Diesel 12-567A, 1,800 shp), armament ('2 quad'), construction (keel 16 Dec 44) + index ('Chiron (ex-LST1133)')
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries per-hull rows for CHIRON AGP-18 across the AGP tables: dimensions 328'0" oa / 316'0" pp x 50'0" beam, design speed 11.6 kts, 3,960 tons; limiting-displacement table: 4,100 tons, 34 tons/inch immersion, limiting draft 11'2", largest boom 60 tons - with CHIRON's officer/enlisted accommodation cells blank (the volume predates her 18 Sep 1945 full commissioning); machinery row: 2 G.M. Diesel 12-567A engines, 1,800 (shp); armament row: 2 quad 40mm AA mounts; construction row: Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, Ill., keel 16 Dec 44, launch 10 Mar 45, commission 23 Mar 45 (the reduced/ferry commission); index entry 'Chiron (ex-LST1133) ... AGP18 ... Auxiliary - Motor Torpedo Boat Tender' at p. 60; type index carries 'AGP19 Conversion from LST canceled'.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms identity, diesel machinery plant (12-567A, resolving NavSource's '12-568A' typo), construction dates, and the blank personnel cells that leave complement sourcing to NavSource. OCR of the scanned tables is columnar and partially garbled; values cross-verified against DANFS, NavSource, and shipscribe. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chiron-lst1133-03
-
[5]shipscribe.com U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships, PORTUNUS (AGP-4) class page - construction/disposition tables (BuShips/OpNav-derived), class notes, and per-hull ship note for AGP-18 (verified live 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipscribe AGP04.html - construction/disposition tables (AGP-18 rows), Class Notes (AGP 14-18 modified design), Ship Notes AGP-18 row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Per-hull ship note for AGP-18 CHIRON: 'Ex LST-1133 14 Aug 44. Ferry commission as LST-1133 23 Mar-17 Apr 45. Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore. Sold by MC as LST-1133 for mercantile service, merc. ALTAMAR 1948, lost 27 Mar 60.' Construction table: keel 16 Dec 44, launch 10 Mar 45, commission 18 Sep 45; disposition table: decommissioned 20 Feb 46, struck 28 Mar 46, disposal 19 May 47 (MC/D, MA sale 19 May 47). Class notes: all units converted by Maryland DD Co., Baltimore, except AGP-5 (Tampa SB Co.); all built under LST contracts and reclassified/fitted as AGPs before entering service; Gibbs & Cox was design agent for the LST conversion designs; the class was designed with shops and equipment for maintenance of one MTB squadron, initially two ten-ton booms plus a 50-ton 'A'-frame hoist; Mississippi River-built units staged three days at New Orleans for voyage repairs/stores then made the delivery transit with a three-day shakedown at St. Andrews Bay, Fla. The last five units (AGP 14-18) were a modified design similar to the CORONIS (ARL-10) class: the 3"/50 gun eliminated, bow doors and operating mechanism retained, after kingpost and deckhouse front moved forward to enlarge repair-shop space, forward kingpost/boom replaced by a crane, the quad 40mm moved to a raised platform on the extreme stern over the restored LST stern anchor, 'A'-frame lift capacity increased to 60 tons, and 'in AGP-14 and AGP 17-18 a second "A" frame hoist was fitted to starboard' - i.e., this hull carried two 60-ton A-frames (consistent with the NH 82218 photo caption). Armament table lists the 1945 group (AGP 14, 16-18) as 2-40mmQ + 8-20mmT.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1960
- Limitations
- Compilation from BuShips/OpNav records by a named researcher (Stephen S. Roberts); the per-hull note names this hull directly. The 8-20mmT (twin) armament listing conflicts with NavSource's 8 single 20mm - flagged in gaps, unresolved. No asbestos, materials, or insulation information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chiron-lst1133-04
-
[6]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - LST-1133, Ship History Detail 9249 + digitized vessel status card (image 4DS_01.png); detail page and card image both re-verified live 2026-10-02, card read directly [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 9249 + status card https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/cards/4DS_01.png (scanned card, read directly 2026-10-02)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory record exists for this hull under LST-1133: sparse registry fields (Year Built placeholder 9999, no narrative, no milestones, one status card); database fate field reads 'Sold - Foreign Flag Op.' The digitized status card is headed 'VESSEL STATUS CARD', name 'LST 1133', basis to U.S.M.C. 'Surplus - Department of Navy', and shows a single entry: operator 'Navemar, Navegacion Maritima', form of agreement 'Pur.' (purchase), 'Date and Time Delivered' 5/19/47 - corroborating DANFS's 'sold 19 May 1947' and documenting the foreign-flag purchaser behind the 1948 merchant identity MV Altamar.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1947-1960
- Population
- Merchant crews aboard MV Altamar (1948-1960) - foreign-flag operation
- Limitations
- Authoritative for MC custody disposal of this hull; the card is a single scanned row - the 'Date Allocated' cell carries handwriting read as approximately 'SP act 1936' (a sales-program/account notation) that is not confidently legible, and the port-of-delivery cell is blank. Contains no asbestos, materials, condition-survey, or merchant-career detail; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chiron-lst1133-05
-
[7]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (Jan 1945), LST design table (shipscribe.com scan) - consolidated with lst-1-class.class.json era analysis and shipscribe AGP-4 class notes [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 LST design table; shipscribe AGP04 class notes; lst-1-class.class.json class analysis (BuShips design grouping: LST-1133 in the LST-542 group)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for a diesel-powered LST-542-group hull built at an inland emergency yard in 1944-45: NO boilers or steam plant - the steam-lagging pathway does not apply; plausible asbestos applications on this type concentrate in diesel exhaust lagging, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, gaskets and packing throughout the engineering spaces, electrical insulation/cable, deck coverings (incl. tank-deck surfaces), accommodation-space insulation, and brake/friction linings on winches and the stern-anchor windlass. The AGP conversion design (Gibbs & Cox, executed at Maryland Drydock Apr-Sep 1945) reworked the tank deck and interior into MTB repair shops and expanded berthing for tender-plus-squadron manning - a greater interior-outfit scope than a base LST, and the AGP 14-18 modified design further enlarged the repair-shop space forward - consistent with class-profile notes that AGP/ARL/ARB conversions added interior rework.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1960
- Population
- Chicago Bridge & Iron construction trades 1944-45; Maryland Drydock conversion workers Apr-Sep 1945; crew 1945-46; merchant crews 1948-60
- Limitations
- Class/era and conversion-design inference only - no hull-level material schedule, insulation spec, conversion workscope itemization, or survey exists in the public record for this ship; the 1945 conversion and any merchant-era refits (1948-1960) are documented as events but undocumented as to materials. Does not establish presence, absence, or quantity of ACM aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chiron-lst1133-06
-
[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) - DOI resolution to Wiley re-verified 2026-10-02 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Am J Ind Med 11(3):359-373 (1987), DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700110311
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed scholarship documents that WWII-era U.S. shipyards extensively installed asbestos-containing insulation, lagging, and gaskets in naval and merchant construction - the era and program context in which this hull was built (1944-45, Chicago Bridge & Iron, Seneca IL) and converted (1945, Maryland Drydock, Baltimore MD).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1941-1945 (study scope); applied 1944-1946
- Population
- WWII-era shipyard workers and crews (era context)
- Limitations
- Era-level scholarship only; the source does not name this hull or class and does not establish that any specific material aboard this ship contained asbestos. The diesel plant (no boilers) narrows the exposure-relevant scope relative to steam vessels. Citation is AJIM 11(3):359-373 / DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700110311 (DOI resolves to the correct Wiley article - verified via redirect target 2026-10-02; Wiley full text blocks automated fetch). The batch-733 sibling record carries a defective '12(4)' / DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700120402 rendering that resolves to a different article - flagged for QA.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chiron-lst1133-07
-
[9]Fleischer WE, Viles FJ Jr, Gade RL, Drinker P. 'A Health Survey of Pipe-Covering Operations in Constructing Naval Vessels.' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (1946) - USMC-commissioned wartime industrial-hygiene survey (PMID 21016030; metadata re-verified via NCBI eutils 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed record PMID 21016030; article pp. 9-16 (pipe covering material section)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned 1944-45 industrial-hygiene survey of pipe-covering work in naval-vessel construction found amosite asbestos to be 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels' - era-level documentation of asbestos-containing insulation practice during the period this hull was built and converted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- 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/converter yard 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-chiron-lst1133-08
-
[10]Batch-6622 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via live-verified Wayback capture + hazegray mirror; NavSource 0918 (live); BuShips SDB 1945 v3 (PDF re-extracted); shipscribe AGP-4 class page; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 9249 + status card (re-read); CourtListener API v4 systematic sweeps (run this session); indexed-web litigation check; NavalCoverMuseum; NARA Ship Plan Index (re-verified); NVR (unreachable this session) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-chiron-lst1133-01 through -14
- 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 Chiron / AGP-18 / LST-1133 / MV Altamar was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was lost at sea in 1960 - predating asbestos-abatement recordkeeping and foreclosing any present-day survey; the MARAD status card contains no materials or hazmat statements. CourtListener systematic sweeps were run this session via authenticated API v4: 'USS Chiron' opinions 0 and dockets 0; 'AGP-18' opinions 0; 'LST-1133' opinions 0; 'Chiron' + asbestos opinions 10 - all reviewed, all name collisions (Chiron Corp./equities/LLC parties and unrelated asbestos dockets, none naming a vessel); 'Chiron' + ship opinions 149 - top results all Chiron Corp. litigation and generic keyword noise; 'Chiron' dockets 4,649 - top results all name collisions (Chiron Corp. biotech litigation, personal-name bankruptcies, unrelated LLCs). Indexed-web checks surfaced only name collisions (the 2018 Bugatti Chiron in-rem forfeiture dockets, Chiron Corp. litigation) and a law-firm marketing list naming USS Chiron (AGP-18) among all AGPs (freeasbestostesting.com auxiliary-ships page) - excluded source class. No VA BVA decision naming the hull located (2026-09-20 check); NVR has no record (hull disposed 1947, pre-1987 coverage; NVR site unreachable this session, prior-session 302-redirect check stands); NARA Ship Plan Index re-verified 2026-10-02 carries no CHIRON/AGP-18/LST-1133 entry and Special List 44 lists no Chiron deck logs.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944-45 diesel amphibious hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the 1945 conversion plus undocumented merchant-era refits are unexamined material-disturbance phases. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. CourtListener coverage caveat: 'Chiron' docket/opinion sweeps are keyword-level - 4,649 'Chiron' dockets were not exhaustively reviewed beyond top-ranked results (all collisions), and the 'Altamar', 'LST-1133'-docket, and 'AGP-18'-docket queries were pacer-blocked this session (fleet hourly budget) and remain open.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chiron-lst1133-09
-
[11]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships), RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 357 (Maritime Administration) - record-group mapping only; NARA Ship Plan Index re-verified 2026-10-02 and negative for this hull; Special List 44 negative (2026-09-20 check) [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/019.html ; /groups/024.html ; /groups/357.html ; Ship Plan Index https://www.archives.gov/research/cartographic/ship-index (live 2026-10-02, no CHIRON row)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) RG 19 BuShips records would hold the Gibbs & Cox AGP 14-18 modified conversion design and the Maryland Drydock conversion contract/workscope for this hull - the NARA Ship Plan Index carries no CHIRON/AGP-18/LST-1133 row (re-verified live 2026-10-02; sister hulls ACONTIUS AGP-12, ORESTES AGP-10, and ANTIGONE AGP-16 do have index entries), so drawings, if extant, sit under class- or contract-level series rather than a hull-named index entry. (b) RG 24 deck logs: Special List 44 lists named-vessel logbooks for ten AGP sisters but no Chiron entry (2026-09-20 check) - her Sep 1945-Feb 1946 logs sit in the main WWII/postwar deck-log series (RG 24, NARA College Park). (c) RG 357/MARAD custody files cover the 1947 Navemar sale, the Altamar merchant registration, and any casualty/loss file for March 1960. (d) NHHC photographic holdings include photo NH 82218 of this hull in Chesapeake Bay just after conversion (caption documented via NavSource).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1960 records
- Limitations
- Record-location 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-chiron-lst1133-10