Evidence
14 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-14).
-
[1]research packet br-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-pkt-br-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, 'Albemarle III (AV-5)' (verbatim transcription - live NHHC page returned 404 on 2026-09-26, standing NHHC link-rot issue per Batch-01) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- ibiblio/HyperWar DANFS mirror, full entry; spec block: dp 8,761; l. 527'4"; b. 69'3"; dr. 21'11"; s. 19.7 k.; cpl. 1,195; cl. Curtiss
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS 'Albemarle III (AV-5)' entry documents the full hull chronology on one hull: laid down 12 June 1939 at Camden NJ by New York Shipbuilding Corp.; launched 13 July 1940; commissioned Philadelphia Navy Yard 20 December 1940; WWII Atlantic service (Argentia advanced base 1941, Reykjavik winter 1941-42, cargo/transport runs to the Caribbean, Brazil, Casablanca, and the British Isles 1943-44, flagship Commander Air Force Atlantic Fleet February 1945, post-VE-Day repatriation and Magic Carpet Pacific voyages); Operation Crossroads Bikini 1946 (technical-group laboratory/base facilities ship) and Operation Sandstone Eniwetok 1948 (laboratory ship); decommissioned 14 August 1950; converted at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 1956-57 to tend Martin P6M Seamaster flying boats and recommissioned 21 October 1957; Seamaster program cancelled; out of commission in reserve 21 October 1960; stricken 1 September 1962 to MARAD custody James River; transferred back to Navy 7 August 1964 for floating aeronautical maintenance facility conversion; renamed Corpus Christi Bay and reclassified T-ARVH-1 on 27 March 1965; converted at Charleston Naval Shipyard (seaplane ramp removed, 50x150 ft helicopter pad, two 20-ton cranes); transferred to Military Sealift Command 11 January 1966; first CO Capt. Harry Anderson with crew of 129 plus embarked 1st Transportation Corps Battalion (Seaborne), 308 Army technicians under Lt. Col. Harry O. Davis; operated out of Cam Ranh Bay 1966; MSC declared her in excess of requirements, taken out of service and berthed in ready reserve at Corpus Christi; stricken 31 December 1974; sold 17 July 1975 to Brownsville Steel and Salvage Inc. and scrapped.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1939-1976
- Population
- Crew ~1,195 wartime (DANFS complement); construction trades Camden 1939-40; yard workers at Boston NY (1943, 1944), Norfolk NSY (1945-48), Philadelphia NSY (1956-57); Charleston NSY conversion workers (1964-66)
- Limitations
- Establishes identity, construction, service chronology, custody transfers, conversion events, and disposal for this specific hull. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or industrial-hygiene statement - supports no asbestos finding by itself.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-01
-
[3]NHHC, Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons, Volume 2, Appendix 5 (ship-name/hull milestone table and footnote for Albemarle/Corpus Christi Bay) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANAVS Vol. II Appendix 5 PDF, Albemarle row + footnote (page headed '5 Albemarle*** 20 Dec 1940 T-ARVH 1 11 Jan 1966 Stricken 31 Dec 1974')
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official NHHC publication (Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons, Vol. II, Appendix 5 - naval aviation ship table) confirms the milestone chain on one hull: Albemarle commissioned 20 Dec 1940; decommissioned 21 Oct 1960; stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 1 Sep 1962 and placed in MARAD James River Fleet custody; transferred back to the Navy 7 Aug 1964 for conversion to a floating aeronautical maintenance facility for helicopters; renamed Corpus Christi Bay and redesignated T-ARVH-1 on 27 Mar 1965; transferred to the Military Sealift Command 11 Jan 1966; stricken 31 Dec 1974.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1940-1974
- Limitations
- Official NHHC milestone corroboration consolidating AV-5 and T-ARVH-1 as one hull. No asbestos or materials content; establishes identity/dates only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-02
-
[4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - ALBEMARLE (AV-5) Detail 93 and CORPUS CHRISTI BAY (T-ARVH-1) Detail 1107 (incl. digitized status cards) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/93 and /Detail/1107 - name history links, milestone tables, status-card images
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory database carries the hull under two linked records, confirming one hull/two names: Detail 93 'ALBEMARLE (AV-5)' (built 1940, New York Shipbuilding Corp., 527.30 ft, 7,360 gross tons; milestones include MARAD custody/acquisition entry 26 Oct 1960 and a 1 Nov 1963 entry annotated '90 DAY LOAN TO ARMY' - the Project FLAT TOP evaluation loan) and Detail 1107 'CORPUS CHRISTI BAY (T-ARVH-1)' (Specific Type ARV Aircraft Repair Ship; 529 ft, 69.25 ft beam, 14,079 t summer displacement; fate 'Sold - Scrap'; milestones: MARAD acquisition 31 Jan 1975 'ex-ALBEMARLE (AV-5)', disposition/withdrawal 21 Apr 1976 'Scrap@BrnsvlSteel&Salvage').
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1960-1976
- Population
- MARAD/NDRF custodial personnel (1962-64, 1975-76); Brownsville Steel & Salvage shipbreakers (1975-76)
- Limitations
- Official federal custody record confirming the two designations are one hull and documenting the scrapping disposition. Milestone table wording is terse ('90 DAY LOAN TO ARMY'); the loan's purpose (FAMF evaluation at Charleston Army Depot) is supplied by the compiled ShipScribe chronology. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-03
-
[5]U.S. Army, 'Rain and High Water Didn't Stop This Crew of Shipmates from Honoring a Historic Ship at Army Depot' (AMC, 17 May 2016), army.mil [other_primary]
- Locator
- army.mil article body + photo caption 6 (AMC June 1965 'Project Flat Top' pictorial reference)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official U.S. Army (army.mil / Army Materiel Command) coverage of the 2016 USS Albemarle - USNS Corpus Christi Bay Association reunion at Corpus Christi Army Depot documents the ship's role: it served as the Army's Floating Aeronautical Maintenance Facility, a remote extension of CCAD (then ARADMAC - Army Aeronautical Depot Maintenance Center), bringing 'nearly every depot maintenance and repair process' to Vietnam's shores with an eight-day repair turnaround versus eighteen days to ARADMAC; an Army Materiel Command June 1965 pictorial archive documents 'Project Flat Top' rebuilding at Charleston Naval Shipyard.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1966-1972 (service); article 2016
- Population
- Embarked Army Transportation Corps (Seaborne) battalion technicians; MSC civilian mariners
- Limitations
- Official Army publication documenting the FAMF mission and depot-repair function aboard this hull. Contains no asbestos or materials statement; does not establish the content of repair-shop work materials.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-04
-
[6]ShipScribe (Stephen S. Roberts), 'USNS Corpus Christi Bay (ARVH 1) Class' class notes, compiled 15 May 2024 [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipscribe.com ARVH-1 class notes; construction/disposition tables; note on accommodations '129 MSTS civilians, 380 Army soldiers'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- ShipScribe ARVH-1 class page (compiled 15 May 2024 by Stephen S. Roberts from Navy/MARAD records) supplies the detailed chronology: Army FAMF request 16 Oct 1963; MARAD 90-day loan of ALBEMARLE to the Army 1 Nov 1963 (test at Charleston Army Depot); loan terminated and ship permanently transferred to Navy 7 Aug 1964; reinstated on NVR 27 Mar 1965 as Aircraft Repair Ship (Helicopter), renamed USNS CORPUS CHRISTI BAY (T-ARVH-1); undocked at Charleston Naval Shipyard 29 Jun 1965 (conversion: 24-ft-deep aft maintenance area, 50x150 ft helipad, airframe hatch + freight elevator, forward 'admin pad', ATC tower, 26 production + 16 support shops); INSURV 5 Jan 1966; MSTS transfer 11 Jan 1966; departed Corpus Christi 18 Feb 1966; Cam Ranh Bay 2 Apr 1966; Vung Tau Mar 1967 with periodic Qui Nhon/Da Nang runs; Qui Nhon (1st Cavalry) later period; back to Vung Tau 1970 near 34th General Support Group, operating ~1 mile offshore; departed Vietnam late 1972 after 6+ years; Jul-Sep 1973 helicopter support to USNS Wheeling (T-AGM-8) for Operation HULA HOOP (French nuclear-test monitoring, Mururoa), typhoon hull crack and emergency Tahiti repairs; MSC declared excess 11 Nov 1974; stricken 31 Dec 1974; MARAD custody Beaumont TX NDRF 31 Jan 1975; sold 17 Jul 1975 (title Navy->MARAD); withdrawn to buyer 21 Apr 1976.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1963-1976
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard conversion workforce (1964-66); MSC crew and rotating Army battalions (1966-72)
- Limitations
- Authoritative compiled reference (Roberts draws on Navy/MARAD archival documents) but not itself an official record - treated as compiled secondary; key custody milestones independently corroborated by MARAD ShipHistory and DANFS. Also documents that sister ship CURTISS (AV-4) had been cannibalized to support this conversion. No asbestos or materials statement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-05
-
[7]Army Aviation Magazine (AAAA), 'USNS Corpus Christi Bay Returns after Six-Year Tour in USARV' and '42 Years Ago: USNS Corpus Christi Bay' [reputable_press]
- Locator
- armyaviationmagazine.com retrospective articles (AAAA official publication)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Army Aviation Magazine (Army Aviation Association of America) documents that the ship, as the Army's only Floating Aircraft Maintenance Facility and home of the 1st Transportation Corps Battalion (Aircraft Maintenance Depot) (Seaborne), arrived at the Port of Corpus Christi 19 December 1972 after more than six years in waters off the Republic of Vietnam; the battalion repaired/overhauled approximately 300,000 aviation components (acquisition value > $22 million) and earned four Meritorious Unit Commendations.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1966-1972
- Population
- 1st/2nd Transportation Corps Battalion (Seaborne) soldiers; MSC civilian crew
- Limitations
- Trade-press of the Army aviation professional association; documents the FAMF operational record and throughput. No asbestos or materials statement; 'depot-level aircraft component repair' contents are not itemized.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-06
-
[8]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J., Gade, R.L., Drinker, P., 'A Health Survey of Pipe Covering Operations in Constructing Naval Vessels,' Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology 28:9-16 (1946) [other_primary]
- Locator
- J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28:9-16 (1946): 'An important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite'
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A U.S. Navy industrial-health survey published in 1946 documents that amosite asbestos was a standard, specified material in pipe covering and felt insulation aboard U.S. Navy vessels under construction during this hull's build era (1939-40) and wartime availability era, with pipe-covering work performed both in yard shops and aboard ships under construction.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1940s construction era documented; survey published 1946
- Population
- New York Shipbuilding construction trades (1939-40); naval-shipyard pipe coverers/insulators generally
- Limitations
- Era-level Navy documentation, not a hull record - does not name Albemarle/AV-5 and establishes only the specified-material regime under which she was built and repaired. Asbestos presence aboard this hull is inference from era specification, not ship-proven. Does not establish quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-07
-
[9]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
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed history documents extensive use of asbestos as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. WWII-era shipbuilding, the program period covering this hull's wartime availabilities at Boston Navy Yard (1943, 1944) and Norfolk Naval Shipyard (1945-48).
- 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 on WWII shipbuilding; does not name this vessel and does not establish asbestos aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-08
-
[10]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- gao.gov product page; report passages via search index - gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated full-text fetches (standing block, same as Batch-01)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: thermal-insulation specifications revised toward asbestos-free materials in 1973-74, the Navy's asbestos-elimination policy issued October 1975, and asbestos-insulated new deliveries ending by May 1978 - confirming that Navy steam ships of this hull's construction and conversion era were understood program-wide to carry asbestos thermal insulation.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1973-1979 program period; report 1979
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation predating policy change; this hull left naval custody (stricken 31 Dec 1974, sold Jul 1975) essentially as the policy era began - the report does not name this hull and establishes no ship-specific fact. Full text not pulled (gao.gov 403).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-09
-
[11]CourtListener API v4 search (authenticated, fleet-paced): opinion queries 'Corpus Christi Bay', 'Corpus Christi Bay' asbestos, 'USNS Corpus Christi Bay', 'USS Albemarle', 'ARVH-1'/'T-ARVH-1', 'AV-5' asbestos, 'Albemarle' asbestos ship; docket queries 'Corpus Christi Bay', 'USNS Corpus Christi Bay', 'USS Albemarle', 'ARVH-1', 'AV-5' asbestos. Ship-named hits: CL opinions 274807 (Ryder), 334315 (Miller 1976), 351213 (Miller 1977), 351249 (USNS CCB companion) [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener search result sets; Ryder opinion 274807 full-text snippet; Miller opinions 334315/351213/351249 (bare per-curiam text)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener authenticated API v4 sweep (2026-09-26), every request via the fleet-paced helper. Opinions: 'Corpus Christi Bay' 118 hits - 3 ship-named (all non-asbestos admiralty) and the balance geographic collisions on the Texas bay; 'Corpus Christi Bay' asbestos 1 hit (Tex. App. environmental case, geographic collision); 'USNS Corpus Christi Bay' 0; 'USS Albemarle' 1 hit (Ryder v. United States, 4th Cir. filed 6 Feb 1967 - Suits in Admiralty/Public Vessels Act claim: visitor fell boarding a moored Navy seaplane during Albemarle's 12 June 1960 public open house on the Rappahannock River; affirmed denial of recovery - ship-specific but NOT asbestos); '"ARVH-1" OR "T-ARVH-1"' 0; '"AV-5" asbestos' 0; '"Albemarle" asbestos ship' 13 hits, all name collisions (Albemarle Paper Mfg., Albemarle Corp., party/geographic names) - none names the vessel. Ship-named opinions in the Corpus Christi Bay set: Miller v. U.S.N.S. Corpus Christi Bay, MSC, United States, 532 F.2d 751 (4th Cir. 1976, E.D.N.C. affirmed, No. 75-1476) and Miller v. U.S.N.S. Corpus Christi Bay, 566 F.2d 1173 (4th Cir. 1977, No. 76-2245) plus companion 'U.S.N.S. Corpus Christi Bay' 566 F.2d 1174 - bare per-curiam affirmances; admiralty actions naming the vessel, underlying claim type not stated in published text (pre-PACER E.D.N.C. docket unretrieved); classified OTHER LITIGATION, non-asbestos. Dockets: 'Corpus Christi Bay' 52 hits, all geographic/document-text collisions - one unrelated civil-rights docket (Hodge v. Alabama Power, M.D. Ala. 2005) carries an enlisted man's letterhead exhibit 'Co A, 1st TC Bn (AMD)(SBN), USNS CORPUS CHRISTI BAY (T-ARVH-1), FPO San Francisco'; 'USNS Corpus Christi Bay' 1 hit (the same Hodge docket); 'USS Albemarle' 0; 'ARVH-1' 0; '"AV-5" asbestos' 35 hits all non-ship collisions (one asbestos PI docket - Hutchison v. A.W. Chesterton, N.D. Cal. filed 2007-05-31 - matched on the bare string 'AV-5', a part/exhibit-style designation not linked to the vessel; ship-name queries produce nothing for that case). QUALIFYING ASBESTOS LITIGATION NAMING THIS HULL: none located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1960-2026 litigation record; sweep run 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Coverage limited to CourtListener's indexed corpus; state-court and non-digitized federal dockets are outside coverage. The Miller dispositions are bare per-curiam affirmances - the claim type (presumptively admiralty personal-injury or contract) cannot be confirmed from the published text and the E.D.N.C. docket predates PACER/RECAP; classified down as non-asbestos other litigation on the face of the records. No qualifying asbestos litigation located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-10
-
[12]U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions 0125016 and 0316167 (va.gov decision texts) [other_primary]
- Locator
- va.gov/vetapp01/files03/0125016.txt and va.gov/vetapp03/files/0316167.txt (full decision texts)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- VA Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions naming USS Albemarle (AV-5) located via va.gov are ionizing-radiation claims arising from the ship's Operation Crossroads participation, not asbestos: BVA Citation 0125016 (veteran aboard at Bikini 1946, skin-cancer service-connection claim) and BVA Citation 0316167 (decided 16 Jul 2003, docket 00-22 632A - Navy Nuclear Test Personnel Review reported the ship departed Bikini lagoon four hours after Test Baker and a zero-rem gamma dose was calculated for the unit; claim denied). No asbestos-related VA/BVA adjudication naming this hull was located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1946 exposure period; decisions 2001/2003
- Population
- USS Albemarle crewmembers participating in Operation Crossroads (1946)
- Limitations
- Administrative adjudications, not court litigation; they name the hull only for Operation Crossroads radiation exposure (both denied). Search of va.gov decision index is not exhaustive - other BVA decisions may name the ship. The zero-rem finding addresses ionizing radiation only and says nothing about asbestos.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-11
-
[13]Batch-2698 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS live+mirror; NHHC DANAVS-II App.5; MARAD ShipHistory 93/1107; CourtListener opinion+docket sweeps; va.gov BVA index; army.mil; AAAA; ShipScribe; NavSource (consulted); VPNAVY forum (excluded) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-01 through -13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement or removal contract, hazmat disclosure, museum/environmental filing, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Albemarle, AV-5, USNS Corpus Christi Bay, or ARVH-1/T-ARVH-1 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was scrapped 1975-76, predating asbestos-survey practice; no abatement-era documentation was expected or found.
- 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 1940 steam auxiliary with two major conversions is era-consistent with asbestos materials. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-12
-
[14]NARA RG 24; Charleston Naval Shipyard records (NARA Southeast/yard records); MSC/USFF archives; AMC Project FLAT TOP file; E.D.N.C. docket for Miller v. USNS Corpus Christi Bay (c. 1974-75) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Lead list compiled from DANFS footer conventions, NavSource caption 09410544, army.mil photo caption 6
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Unretrieved archival leads that could hold ship-specific materials data: NARA RG 24 deck logs and command histories (commissioned periods 1940-60); Charleston Naval Shipyard Project FLAT TOP work packages (1964-66 conversion) and the yard-newspaper item on her 19 July 1965 boiler light-off referenced in a NavSource photo caption; MSTS/MSC ship characteristic and maintenance records; the Army Materiel Command 'Project FLAT TOP' pictorial file (June 1965, per army.mil caption); the E.D.N.C. docket underlying the 1976-77 Miller appeals (pre-PACER).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1940-1976 record scope
- Limitations
- Leads indexed, not retrieved - no spend authorized this session. Existence of asbestos-relevant content in any of these repositories is unknown.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-corpus-christi-bay-arvh1-13