Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
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[1]DANFS, 'Wexford' entry (NHHC, published 2015-11-18). Live NHHC page returned 404 on 2026-09-20; text verified via Wayback Machine capture 2016-03-04 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Wexford' entry, full text (short projected-name entry); canonical URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/wexford.html currently 404
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Construction record: a C1-M-AV1 cargo vessel laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2174) on 12 April 1945 at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., by the Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Co.; launched 24 June 1945, sponsored by Mrs. DeForrest Colburn; completed 26 July 1945. On 25 February 1945 the Navy assigned the name Wexford and designation AK-220 to the projected ship; the acquisition contract was cancelled in August 1945 due to the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific, and the ship entered mercantile service never having borne the name Wexford.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Construction trades (Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, 1945)
- Limitations
- Official NHHC/DANFS entry; establishes builder, dates, MC hull number, and the AK-220 projection/cancellation. Entry covers construction only - no postwar service, no asbestos or insulation-material statement; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-01
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[2]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - COASTAL CRUSADER (ORV-16/T-AGM-16/AGS-36), Ship History Detail 1034, incl. digitized vessel status card and MA-383 reserve-fleet cards [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 1034: milestone table; status card images 1464_10080AB.jpg (front), c8a27c20-...png (allocation continuation), 1034_1881AF.jpg and 1034_1881BF.jpg (MA-383 cards); custody PDF /documents/97283696-6219-42de-97ca-a180a2a0759d.pdf
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD custody record (vessel status card and reserve-fleet ship particulars cards): O.N. 248679, type C1-M-AV1, MC hull 2174, completed/WSA basis 12-31-45 at Beaumont, Texas. Chain of custody: allocated to Sword Line, Inc. (GAA) at Beaumont 12-31-45; to War Department at Philadelphia 8-13-46 (card shows name change to PVT. JOE R. HASTINGS dated 8-30-46); to Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay 10-27-49 (Army retains title); declared surplus to the Commission 12-49; allocated to Coastwise Line (M.S.T.S. operation, GAA) at Suisun Bay 5-12-55 (renamed COASTAL CRUSADER 5-55); back to Reserve Fleet 11-3-55; permanent title transfer to U.S. Air Force 3-13-57, card reason 'for use as radar picket ship'; to Maritime Administration custody at Suisun Bay 2-9-70 (service prior to layup 'Navy - MSC'); sold for scrap under PD-X-1016, 4/12/77, to General Metals of Tacoma, Inc. for $56,671.00; physically delivered 5/2/77. The 1955 fleet-entry card records pre-layup service as 'GAA-Coastwise' / 'MSTS Project 572 (Arctic)'.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1977
- Population
- Merchant crews (Sword Line 1945-46; Coastwise Line 1955); Army Transport Service crew (1946-49); reserve-fleet maintenance personnel (Suisun Bay 1949-55, 1955-57, 1970-77); scrapping workers (Tacoma, 1977)
- Limitations
- Authoritative primary custody documentation for this hull. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim. Card's 'Completed 12-31-45' is the WSA basis date and conflicts with DANFS's 26 July 1945 completion; card's 8-30-46 name-change date conflicts with the Shipscribe register's 31 Oct 1947 - both flagged in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-02
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[3]Shipscribe.com, USS Alamosa (AK-156) class page - Naval Vessel Register / Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels compilation (S. S. Roberts); class notes on the C1-M-AV1 'Design AV' program and the 16 Aug 45 cancellation [other_primary]
- Locator
- AK-156 class page: construction table (AK-220 row), disposition table, class notes, and per-ship note for AK-220/WEXFORD (MC 2174)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Register compilation (official USN register data transcribed): AK-220 WEXFORD row - keel 12 Apr 45, launch 24 Jun 45, never commissioned; acquisition cancelled 27 Aug 45; MA sale 12 Apr 77. Per-ship note: 'Delivered to MC in Great Lakes 26 Jul 45 and at Beaumont, Texas, 31 Dec 45. Merc. COASTAL CRUSADER 1945. To Army 13 Aug 46 as COASTAL CRUSADER, renamed PVT. JOE R. HASTINGS 31 Oct 47, to NDRF 27 Oct 49 (Army surplus 12 Dec 49). In commercial service and renamed COASTAL CRUSADER under MSTS charter 12 May 55 to 3 Nov 55. To Air Force 13 Mar 57 as range tracking ship, on Navy list 1 Jul 64 as T-AGM-16 (q.v.). To NDRF 9 Feb 70, to buyer 2 May 77.' Class data: Nordberg TSM-6 diesel, 1 screw, 1,750 HP, 11.5 kts; C1-M-AV1 'Design AV' used diesel instead of reciprocating steam; Navy crew figure 8 officers + 67 men, Army-type civilian crew about 41. On 16 Aug 45 CNO cancelled acquisition of AK-176, 177, 196, 203, 204, and 216-220; MC completed them as merchant vessels with COASTAL names.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1977
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of official register data; corroborates the MARAD card chain and adds the 1 Jul 1964 Navy-list entry for T-AGM-16. The 31 Oct 1947 rename date conflicts with the MARAD card's 8-30-46 - flagged in gaps, not resolved. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-03
-
[4]Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum, 'Support Ships on the Eastern Range' facility page; corroborated by Shipscribe USS Sword Knot (T-AGM-13) class notes (six C1-M-AV1 'Cimavi' ORVs; Coastal Crusader Thor-Able capsule recovery dated March 1959) [museum_official]
- Locator
- Support Ships on the Eastern Range page, ORV/T-AGM timeline; Shipscribe AGM13 class notes https://www.shipscribe.com/usnaux2/AGM/AGM13.html
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Range-service record: USAFS/USNS Coastal Crusader (ORV-16/T-AGM-16) was one of the Timber Hitch-group ocean range vessels on the Air Force Eastern Test Range, used primarily for telemetry reception, weather data, and vehicle recovery. The Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum support-ships timeline records '13 June 1958 - Coastal Crusader successfully recovered a Thor missile data capsule' and '12 September 1969 - Coastal Crusader deactivated.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1957-1969
- Population
- Contract merchant crew and embarked range/technical personnel (1957-1969)
- Limitations
- Establishes operational role and the 12 Sep 1969 deactivation - which shows the 1969 AGS-36 reclassification covered essentially no operational service. Thor capsule dates diverge between sources (museum 13 Jun 1958; Shipscribe class notes Mar 1959 for a Thor-Able capsule) - possibly two events or one misdated; logged in gaps. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-04
-
[5]United States v. USAF Coastal Crusader, 210 F. Supp. 430 (D. Md. Nov. 2, 1962), Adm. No. 4432, Thomsen, C.J. [court_record]
- Locator
- 210 F. Supp. 430-434; Leagle opinion text (CourtListener opinion ID not resolved - API rate-limited at research time)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Non-asbestos litigation naming this hull: United States v. USAF Coastal Crusader, 210 F. Supp. 430 (D. Md. 1962) - possessory libel filed 29 Oct 1962 to remove unlicensed crew members who refused discharge at Baltimore after the Suwannee Steamship operating subcontract ended. The opinion documents the operating structure: since about 1957 the Air Force contracted with Pan-American World Airways for Atlantic Missile Range services including operation of Ocean Range Vessels; Pan Am subcontracted operation to Suwannee Steamship Co. (Jacksonville, FL), which 'manned, victualled, supplied and navigated' the vessel until 27 Oct 1962, succeeded by Marine Transport Lines; SIU/NMU representation dispute underlay the refusal. The opinion also documents repair work in progress aboard at Maryland Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Co., Baltimore, and describes the ship as 'a public vessel of the United States engaged exclusively as an Ocean Range Vessel in connection with the military guided missile testing program and the space exploration projects of the United States.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1962
- Population
- Unlicensed contract crew (SIU members, Suwannee Steamship) aboard Aug-Oct 1962; Maryland Dry Dock shipyard workers
- Limitations
- Labor/possessory-libel case - contains no asbestos, exposure, or materials allegations; classified as other litigation, NOT qualifying asbestos litigation. Value to this record: documents civilian contract-crew population aboard and a documented yard period at Maryland Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Co. (Baltimore) in Oct-Nov 1962.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-05
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[6]Manigault v. United States, 316 F. Supp. 688 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 26, 1970), Civ. A. No. 43553, Troutman, J. [court_record]
- Locator
- 316 F. Supp. 688-693; Leagle opinion text (CourtListener opinion ID not resolved - API rate-limited at research time)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Non-asbestos litigation naming this hull: Manigault v. United States, 316 F. Supp. 688 (E.D. Pa. 1970) - bench findings under the Suits in Admiralty Act, Public Vessels Act, and Jones Act. Plaintiff Frank Manigault, age 26, became a crew member of USNS Coastal Crusader on 9 May 1966 and was injured 18 Sep 1966 (lacerated hand on broken glass in a saloon-pantry sink); the court found the vessel unseaworthy and the defendant negligent, entering a verdict of $21,032.35 for the plaintiff.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1966-1970
- Population
- Civilian crew member (ordinary seaman) aboard USNS Coastal Crusader, 1966
- Limitations
- Personal-injury case - contains no asbestos, exposure, or materials allegations; classified as other litigation, NOT qualifying asbestos litigation. Value to this record: confirms a civilian seaman population aboard USNS Coastal Crusader in 1966 during the T-AGM-16 period.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-06
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[7]Naval Vessel Register (nvr.navy.mil), 'Ships, Both Coasts, Disposed' page (archived 2000-12-02 capture) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR disposed-ships listing, AGS section: 'AGS 36 COASTAL CRUSADER' (detail id 13881)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Naval Vessel Register disposition record: the archived NVR 'Ships, Both Coasts, Disposed' listing carries 'AGS 36 - COASTAL CRUSADER,' confirming the hull remained on the Naval Register under the AGS-36 designation through disposal. Naval Register-derived compilations give the strike date as 30 April 1976 and the survey-ship reclassification year as 1969.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1969-1976
- Limitations
- Archived NVR snapshot confirms register status under AGS-36 through disposal; the listing itself does not print the strike date - the 30 Apr 1976 strike and 1969 reclassification dates come from NVR-derived compilations (NavSource; NERI NVS vocabulary record). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-07
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[8]NASA/NTRS technical report on AFETR tracking and data systems (NTRS citation 19700010140) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NTRS 19700010140, AFETR coverage figures 38-39 (S-band telemetry coverage via Coastal Crusader ship set)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NASA range documentation names this hull in the operational telemetry chain: AFETR (Air Force Eastern Test Range) S-band telemetry coverage tables list ship-position segments 'through Coastal Crusader' and 'Coastal Crusader through Sword Knot,' documenting the ship's role as a downrange instrumentation platform during the MSTS period.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- circa 1966-1969 (document coverage period)
- Limitations
- Official NASA range documentation naming the vessel in service; establishes the instrumentation-ship mission but contains no crew, materials, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-08
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[9]NavSource Online Service Ship Photo Archive, Coastal Crusader (AGS-36) page (09/53/5316) - hosting official USAF Missile Test Center and US Navy photo captions [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 09/53/5316 photo captions (RVX-2 recovery, 1960; Norfolk Shipbuilding yard photo, c. 1967-68). Page content retrieved via search index - direct fetch failed (navsource.org DNS SERVFAIL at research time)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official-caption photo record (NavSource-hosted): a U.S. Air Force Missile Test Center caption documents recovery of the Atlas RVX-2 reentry nose cone - which carried three mice in a sealed capsule - towed to USAFS Coastal Crusader after splashdown near Ascension Island, 5,000 miles downrange from Cape Canaveral, following the 13 Oct 1960 launch; a US Navy photo (no. 1572-005-075) places USNS Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) at Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp. shipyard circa 1967-68.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1960; 1967-1968
- Population
- Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock workers (c. 1967-68); range crew (1960)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer photo archive; the underlying captions are official USAF/Navy release text, but retrieval was via search-index snippets rather than direct fetch, so the record is marked partial. The yard photo documents a c.1967-68 availability at Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock (private yard, not the naval shipyard); asbestos scope of any work there is undocumented. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-09
-
[10]Congressional Medal of Honor Society, recipient record for Joe R. Hastings (cmohs.org) [museum_official]
- Locator
- CMOHS recipient page - action 1945-04-12, Drabenderhohe, Germany; unit Co. C, 386th Inf., 97th Inf. Div.
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Namesake record: the Army-transport name Pvt. Joe R. Hastings honors Pfc. Joe Ray Hastings, Company C, 386th Infantry Regiment, 97th Infantry Division - posthumous Medal of Honor for actions 12 April 1945 at Drabenderhohe, Germany (killed in action 16 April 1945; medal awarded 8 November 1945). Army practice named transport hulls for decorated soldiers; the MARAD card documents this hull bearing his name 1946-49.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1949
- Limitations
- CMOHS verifies the namesake's identity and award; the hull-name linkage itself is documented by the MARAD status card (ev-02). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-10
-
[11]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and Maritime Commission program under which this C1-M-AV1 hull was built (laid down April 1945, wartime Great Lakes yard) - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in American shipyards.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- 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 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-coastal-crusader-ags36-11
-
[12]Batch-771 search ledger (this record): DANFS via Wayback; MARAD ShipHistory + status cards; Shipscribe register compilations; Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum; archived NVR listing; NASA NTRS; NavSource captions via search index; web-indexed litigation sweep; CourtListener API (blocked) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-01 through sl-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming this hull was found in the authoritative public sources searched. The only litigation naming the hull is non-asbestos (210 F. Supp. 430, possessory libel, 1962; 316 F. Supp. 688, Jones Act injury, 1970). The ship appears on a law-firm marketing listicle (freeasbestostesting.com auxiliary-ships page, under both T-AGM-16 and AGS-36) - excluded per source rules and non-qualifying. The CourtListener API was rate-limited (HTTP 429, daily quota exhausted) at research time, so the docket-level check is incomplete rather than negative (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1945 hull converted in 1957 and yarded through at least 1968 is era-consistent with installed asbestos-containing materials. The litigation surface is under-checked: CourtListener's opinion/docket APIs were rate-limited, so a qualifying docketed case cannot be ruled out. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-12
-
[13]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 178 (US Maritime Commission) and BUPERS logbook series; MARAD reserve-fleet records [other_primary]
- Locator
- RG 178 Construction Division records; NARA logbook guidance for USNS/MSTS vessels; no box-level retrieval performed
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - catalog-level mapping only): (a) NARA Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations' - deck logs for T-AGM-16 covering the 1964-1969 MSTS period, National Archives at College Park; (b) NARA RG 178 (Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission) - construction/contract records for MC hull 2174 and the C1-M-AV1 program outfitting specifications; (c) Air Force ORV program records (Eastern Test Range) covering the 1957 conversion and instrumentation fit; (d) MARAD Suisun Bay reserve-fleet preservation/layup files for the 1949-55, 1955-57, and 1970-77 layup periods.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1977 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no retrieval performed; whether these series hold asbestos-specific documents for MC hull 2174 / T-AGM-16 is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-coastal-crusader-ags36-13