USS Cowanesque (AO-79)

Evidence

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

1. [1]DANFS, 'Cowanesque (AO-79)' (NHHC online edition - canonical URL returned 404 on 2026-09-24; read via Wayback capture 2024-05-26) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC DANFS 'Cowanesque (AO-79)' entry, spec block + full narrative (Wayback 2024-05-26 capture of https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/cowanesque.html)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Cowanesque (AO-79) - NHHC online edition read via Wayback capture 2024-05-26 (canonical URL 404s). Spec block: '(AO-79: dp. 5,782; l. 520'; b. 68'; dr. 30'10"; s. 15 k.; cpl. 229; a. 1 5", 4 3"; cl. Suamico)'. 'A river in Pennsylvania.' 'Cowanesque (AO-79) was launched 11 March 1943 by Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Chester, Pa., as Fort Duguesne [sic - Duquesne], under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. M. Hitchner; acquired by the Navy 25 March 1943; and commissioned 1 May 1943, Commander L. S. McKenzie, USNR, in command.' Service narrative: gasoline shuttle Texas oil ports to east coast 15 Jun 1943-1 Mar 1944; two convoy voyages to Casablanca/Mers-el-Kebir from 4 Mar 1944; Oran/Mers-el-Kebir fueling duty 30 Jul-4 Sep; Norfolk 19 Sep 1944. Norfolk 22 Oct 1944, Pearl Harbor 28 Nov, Eniwetok/Ulithi/Hollandia, San Pedro Bay 1 Jan 1945; 'the next day' severe air attack - splashed at least two planes, single-engine fighter crashed into her port side spreading burning gasoline, unexploded bomb dumped overboard, 2 dead 2 wounded; fueled ships at Mindoro, Lingayen Gulf, San Pedro Bay to 25 Feb; Ulithi 19 Mar-4 Jul 1945 refueling 5th Fleet at sea for Iwo Jima and Okinawa; Okinawa-based convoy/occupation duty incl. fueling Yellow Sea minesweepers; San Francisco 15 Nov 1945; out of commission 30 Jan 1946, transferred to the Maritime Commission; reacquired 18 Jan 1948, Naval Transportation Service, MSTS from 18 Jul 1950 in noncommissioned status. Two battle stars.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1942-1946

   Population

   Ship's company 1943-1946; Sun Shipbuilding construction workforce (1942-43); Bethlehem Steel Key Highway conversion workforce (1943)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, construction, WWII service narrative, decommissioning, and battle stars - contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information and supports no asbestos claim. DANFS prints 'Fort Duguesne' (missing u) for the merchant name; MARAD name history and all registry sources read FORT DUQUESNE - logged in correction row. 'The next day' after the 1 Jan 1945 San Pedro Bay arrival compresses the kamikaze date - the official Navy chronology dates it 3 Jan 1945.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cowanesque-ao79-01

2. [2]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USNS Cowanesque (T-AOT-79) page (volunteer-compiled; Wayback capture 2024-12-09) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 09/19/19079 page - designation chain, campaign/awards display, spec block, CO table, photo captions, final disposition

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Online Service Ship Photo Archive page for USNS Cowanesque (T-AOT-79) ex-USS Cowanesque (AO-79), read via Wayback capture 2024-12-09 (navsource.org direct fetch failed): designation chain USS Cowanesque (AO-79) 1943-1946 / Cowanesque (AO-79) NTS 1948-1949 / USNS Cowanesque (AO-79) 1949 / USNS Cowanesque (T-AO-79) / (T-AOT-79). Lifecycle: laid down 23 Nov 1942 as Fort Duquesne (MC T2-SE-A1, Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock, Chester PA); launched 11 Mar 1943; acquired 25 Mar 1943; commissioned 1 May 1943 CAPT Lester S. McKenzie USNR; campaigns - Invasion of southern France 15 Aug-25 Sep 1944 and 5th/3d Fleet raids supporting Okinawa Gunto 20 Mar-11 Jun 1945; occupation service Far East 2 Sep-28 Oct 1945; decommissioned 30 Jan 1946 Richmond CA; struck 25 Feb 1946; to Maritime Commission NDRF Suisun Bay 30 Jun 1946; reacquired and reinstated 18 Jan 1948; NTS as Cowanesque (AO-79); to MSTS 1 Oct 1949 as USNS Cowanesque (T-AO-79); reclassified T-AOT-79 date unknown; out of service and struck, date unknown (superseded by shipscribe/NavalCoverMuseum 1 Jun 1972); two battle stars; 'Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 24 July 1972, while moored at Sasebo, Japan, to Great China Steel Enterprise, Ltd, Taiwan, under MARAD contract PD-X-941 for $275,000.00'. Spec block: 5,782 t lt / 22,380 t lim; 520' x 68' x 30'10"; 15.3 kt; officers 21 + enlisted 209; one GE turbo-electric engine, two B&W header-type boilers 450psi 730F, single screw, 8,000 hp; call sign NKHQ. CO table: CAPT McKenzie 1 May 1943-Aug 1945; LCDR Edward Allen Turpin Aug-20 Dec 1945; LT Herbert Thomas Peeler USNR 20 Dec 1945-30 Jan 1946. NHHC photo 19-N-44409 captioned 'underway near Baltimore, MD., 6 May 1943, after completing conversion for naval service there'.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1942-1972

   Population

   Ship's company and civilian contract crews 1943-1972

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled secondary source, not an official record - carried because lifecycle dates corroborate primary records where checkable (MARAD cards verify NDRF entry 6-30-46, withdrawal 10-22-47, and the PD-X-941 sale 7-24-72; DANFS verifies the WWII spine). '$275,000.00' conflicts with the MA-20 card's $275,900.00 - card adopted, flagged in gaps. '8,000 hp' conflicts with 6,000-shp class/MC data - flagged. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cowanesque-ao79-02

3. [3]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - COWANESQUE (AO-79) Detail 1123, including scanned status cards (1123_AF.jpg reserve-fleet card; 1123_2039AF.jpg MA-20 sale card), both read verbatim from the images [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 1123 data block + milestones; cards at /cards/1123_AF.jpg and /cards/1123_2039AF.jpg; FORT DUQUESNE stub Detail 8047 (no events; fate 'Sold - Scrap')

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record (Detail 1123 'COWANESQUE (AO-79)') plus vessel status cards read verbatim from the scanned images. Data block: year built 1943, Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock, MARAD type T2-SE-A1, Naval Auxiliary/AO Oiler, 520.00 ft x 68.00 ft, gross 10,296 / net 6,154, displacement summer 22,380 t / lightweight 5,782 t, fate 'Sold - Foreign Flag Op.'; name history COWANESQUE (AO-79) <- FORT DUQUESNE; mission tag World War II. Milestones: Entry/Acquisition 6/30/1946 'ex-FORT DUQUISNE' [sic]; Disposition and Withdrawal 10/22/1947. Status card A (NAVY Reserve Fleet Division - Vessel Data): 'NAME, PRESENT COWANESQUE AO 79 / FORMER [struck:] RENAMED FORT DUQUESNE'; type T2; 'FLEET AND UNIT Sui. Tier S3' (Suisun Bay); 'WHERE AND WHEN BUILT Sun 1943'; 'DATE ENTERED FLEET 6-30-46'; 'HULL NO. 308'; 'TERMINATION PORT, LAST VOYAGE San Fran.'; 'DATE WITHDRAWN FROM FLEET 10-22-47 1050 / DELIVERED TO American Pacific S/S Co.' Status card B (Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales): 'NAME OF VESSEL COWANESQUE (AO-79)'; offering 'PD-X-941'; 'AWARDED TO Great China Steel Enterprise Co.,Ltd'; 'DATE 7-24-72'; 'PURCHASE PRICE $275,900.00'; 'CONTRACT NO. MA-6754'; 'YEAR BUILT 1943'; 'DIMENSIONS Molded-503' x 68' x 39' 3"'; gross 10,296 / net 6154; draft 31' 0 1/4"; 'LOCATION OF VESSEL Sasebo, Japan'; 'ACQUISITION Built by Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Chester, Pa.'; remarks 'Advertised under PD-X-941 dated 6-21-72 opened 7-20-72' and 'Dismantle Hull Foreign'.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1943-1972

   Population

   NDRF Suisun Bay preservation crews (1946-47); American Pacific S/S Co. contract crew (1947-48); MSTS civilian crews; Great China Steel Enterprise scrapping workforce (1972)

   Limitations

   Primary government custody and disposal record - the strongest disposition source in this file. Cards track custody, lay-up, and sale only - no asbestos, materials, insulation, or condition-survey content. The MA-20 card's $275,900.00 conflicts with NavSource's $275,000.00 - card adopted. 'Sold - Foreign Flag Op.' in the fate field reflects the foreign dismantling sale, not an operational loss description; the grounding/CTL is documented elsewhere (ev-04).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cowanesque-ao79-03

4. [4]shipscribe.com, 'USS Suamico (AO-49) Class' page - U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships data compiled from NVR/BuShips records (S.S. Roberts) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipscribe AO-49 class page - construction and disposition tables (COWANESQUE rows), ship note AO-79, class notes (acquisition and USNT/MSTS mechanics)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   shipscribe.com 'U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships' AO-49 Suamico class page (S.S. Roberts compilation from Naval Vessel Register and Bureau of Ships records). Construction-table row for AO-79 COWANESQUE: acquired 25 Mar 43, Sun SB & DD, keel 23 Nov 42, launched 11 Mar 43, commissioned 1 May 43. Disposition-table row: Decomm. 1972; Strike 1 Jun 72; Disposal 24 Jul 72; Fate MA/S; MA Sale 24 Jul 72. Ship note (verbatim): 'Ex merc. FORT DUQUESNE. Converted by Bethlehem Steel Co., Key Harbor, Baltimore (completed 5 May 43). Decomm. 30 Jan 46, stk. 25 Feb 46, to MC 30 Jun 46, merc. FORT DUQUESNE (MC). Began reactivation 22 Oct 47, from MC 18 Jan 48 as USNT, to MSTS 1 Oct 49. In USN reserve 1949-50. On list 20 Mar 50. To MSTS 18 Jul 50. FRAM II overhaul 1965. Constructive total loss after grounding off Henza, Okinawa, on 23 Apr 72. To buyer 16 Aug 72 at Sasebo, Japan.' Class machinery note: '1 screw, G.E. turbo-electric (Westinghouse in AO 65, 67, 74, 75, 77)' - GE plant confirmed for this hull. Class notes document the acquisition mechanism (three more T2-SE-A1s requested 13 Feb 43 - became AO 77-79; converted in the Baltimore area) and the postwar USNT mechanics (Oct 1947 Navy request for return of 24 former naval tankers incl. class members; transfer to commercial operating agents; ownership to Navy Jan-Mar 1948; USNT ships carried in NVR as 'stricken' until SecNav reinstatement letters 20 Mar/28 Apr 1950; USNT crews ~9 officers + 39 men).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1942-1972

   Population

   Bethlehem Steel Key Highway conversion workforce (1943); American Pacific and Mathiason's Tanker Industries contract crews; FRAM II overhaul workforce (1965)

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation built from official records (NVR, BuShips correspondence) - consistent with the primary records here (MARAD cards verify NDRF entry 6-30-46, withdrawal 10-22-47 to American Pacific, and the 7-24-72 sale; DANFS verifies the spine). 'Key Harbor' is the compiler's rendering of Bethlehem Steel's Key Highway yard, Baltimore; NHHC photo 19-N-44409 caption independently corroborates a Baltimore conversion. 'To buyer 16 Aug 72' is the physical delivery; the MA-20 award is 24 Jul 72. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cowanesque-ao79-04

5. [5]Cressman, 'The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II,' 3 Jan 1945 entry (NHHC publication; HyperWar transcription); Wildenberg, 'Gray Steel and Black Oil,' Appendix D fleet-oiler table (Naval Institute Press; HyperWar transcription) [other_primary]

   Locator

   USN-Chron-1945, 3 January entry; GSBO Appendix D row AO-79 (ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/GSBO/GSBO-D.html); BBBO Appendix roster (ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/BBBO/BBBO-A.html)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official Navy WWII chronology (Cressman) entry for 3 January 1945: 'Leading groups of U.S. fleet units bound for Lingayen Gulf make daylight passage of Surigao Strait, where they come under attack from Japanese planes. Oiler Cowanesque (AO-79) is damaged by kamikaze, 08°56'N, 122°49'E.' This fixes the kamikaze hit at 3 Jan 1945 - consistent with NavSource's award entries (Combat Action Ribbon and Purple Hearts '3 Jan 45') and resolving DANFS's 'the next day' compression. Separately, Wildenberg's 'Gray Steel and Black Oil' Appendix D lists row 'AO-79 | Cowanesque | Sun SB&DD | 1943 | Suamico/T2-SE-A1 | 1-May-43' corroborating builder, type, and first commissioning; its appendix also lists Cowanesque in the fleet-oiler table under commanders McKenzie and Turpin ('Beans, Bullets and Black Oil' roster entry AO-79).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1945-01-03

   Population

   Ship's company (2 killed, 2 wounded per DANFS); damage-control parties

   Limitations

   Official Navy historical publications - authoritative for the event date and position. The attack damaged the ship (burning gasoline spread over the deck) - a documented disturbance/repair event relevant to material disturbance, but neither source discusses materials or asbestos. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cowanesque-ao79-05

6. [6]Jaramillo v. United States, 357 F. Supp. 172 (S.D.N.Y. 1973) - CourtListener opinion 2154924, full text read [court_record]

   Locator

   357 F. Supp. 172 at *173-*176 - findings of fact 2-4 (ownership, operating agent, employment, ladder description) and conclusions of law 2-3 (no negligence/unseaworthiness; dismissal)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Docketed litigation naming this hull (NOT an asbestos case): Jaramillo v. United States, 357 F. Supp. 172 (S.D.N.Y. 1973), No. 69 Civ. 4288 - a merchant seaman's Public Vessels Act / Suits in Admiralty Act / general maritime negligence and unseaworthiness action tried to the bench 27 Dec 1972 before Judge Levet. The government's answer admitted it 'managed, operated and controlled the USNS Cowanesque by and through its operating agent, Mathiason's Tanker Industries, Inc.' as a public vessel on Navy national-defense missions, and that plaintiff Galo Jaramillo was employed aboard as a bedroom utility man under shipping articles. Findings: injury allegedly occurred 22 Oct 1968 from a fall on an exterior metal ladder between decks; the court found the testimony speculative and 'plaintiff has failed to prove that defendant was negligent in any way or that the ship was unseaworthy in any way' - judgment for the defendant, complaint dismissed with costs. The opinion documents (a) this hull in active MSTS service in October 1968, (b) Mathiason's Tanker Industries, Inc. as contract operating agent, (c) merchant-seaman crewing under shipping articles aboard a government-owned public vessel.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1968-1973

   Population

   USNS Cowanesque merchant-seaman crew (Oct 1968); Mathiason's Tanker Industries contract operation

   Limitations

   Classified per batch litigation-stage discipline: this is OTHER LITIGATION, not asbestos litigation - a personal-injury slip/fall claim resolved for the government at bench trial (a merits outcome, not exposure evidence). It establishes operator identity and ship status in 1968 only; it contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials content and supports no exposure claim. Carried because it is the only docketed opinion located naming the hull, and it corroborates the MSTS contract-operator mechanism.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cowanesque-ao79-06

7. [7]Franke, K., and Paustenbach, D., 'Government and Navy knowledge regarding health hazards of asbestos: A state of the science evaluation (1900 to 1970),' Inhalation Toxicology 23(sup3):1-20 (2011), PMID 22200078 [other_primary]

   Locator

   Inhalation Toxicology 23(sup3):1-20, era analysis blocks; equipment list per ev-02/ev-04 documented machinery and availabilities

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Class/era inference only: peer-reviewed scholarship (Franke & Paustenbach, Inhalation Toxicology 2011) documents that U.S. Navy and maritime construction of this hull's era (laid down Nov 1942, converted/commissioned Apr-May 1943, in service to 1972) era-typically used asbestos-containing insulation, lagging, gaskets, and packing. Applied to this hull's documented equipment - a steam turbo-electric plant (two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers feeding a GE turbine-generator per NavSource/shipscribe), extensive fuel-cargo piping, and accommodation spaces - era-typical asbestos applications would have been boiler and steam-line lagging, turbine casing insulation, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, accommodation insulation, and winch/windlass brake linings. Documented disturbance events that would have worked such materials aboard this hull: the Bethlehem Steel Key Highway fleet-oiler conversion at Baltimore (completed 5 May 1943 per shipscribe; NHHC photo caption corroborates Baltimore); wartime operations incl. the 3 Jan 1945 kamikaze hit and subsequent repair availability; NDRF lay-up and demilitarization (1946-47); civilian-crew reconversion (1947-48); continuous MSTS operation (1949-1972) incl. a FRAM II overhaul (1965); the 23 Apr 1972 grounding/constructive total loss; and pre-regulation foreign dismantling (1972).

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1942-1972

   Population

   Sun Shipbuilding construction workforce (1942-43); Bethlehem Key Highway conversion workforce (1943); ship's company (1943-46); battle-damage repair workforce (1945); NDRF preservation crews (1946-47); reconversion workforce (1947-48); civilian contract crews (1948-72); FRAM II overhaul workforce (1965); Taiwan scrapping workforce (1972)

   Limitations

   Era/program-level scholarship combined with this hull's documented steam turbo-electric plant and disturbance events - establishes that asbestos-containing materials were standard practice in this hull's construction/service era, NOT that any survey or record confirms asbestos aboard this specific hull. No quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation is established. The T2-SE-A1 was built to Maritime Commission (merchant-type) rather than Navy BuShips specs at Sun Ship - Navy-spec inference applies with that caveat.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cowanesque-ao79-07

8. [8]Lilley v. Johns-Manville Corp., 408 Pa. Super. 83, 596 A.2d 203 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1991) [court_record]

   Locator

   Published Superior Court opinion; carried in Atlas yard dataset as ev-sun-shipbuilding-chester-lilley-1991 (verified). law.justia.com returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches (bot-block, not a broken link); full reporter citation is authoritative

   Finding type

   litigation_product_id

   Finding

   Builder-yard litigation context: in Lilley v. Johns-Manville Corp., 408 Pa. Super. 83, 596 A.2d 203 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1991), a Sun Shipbuilding (Chester) pipefitter identified asbestos insulation products by brand at the yard (Unibestos, Caltemp/Pabco, Kaylo, Garlock gaskets, Raybestos; Fibreboard found liable for a share of a $250,000 verdict). This documents that Sun Ship was an asbestos-product-using yard - the yard where this hull was built 1942-43.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1959-1976 testimony window; opinion 1991

   Population

   Sun Shipbuilding trades, Chester PA (testimony window 1959-1976)

   Limitations

   Yard-level product-identification testimony covering the witness's 1959-1976 employment - postdating this hull's November 1942-May 1943 construction. It establishes that Sun Shipbuilding used asbestos products, not that any named product was installed aboard this hull; no finding about this vessel.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cowanesque-ao79-08

9. [9]Batch-1927 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live 404; Wayback capture 2024-05-26 verified); NavSource (Wayback capture 2024-12-09); MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1123 + two status-card scans (read verbatim); shipscribe AO-49 class page; Cressman USN chronology 1945; GSBO App. D; aukevisser/shipbuildinghistory T2 tables; CourtListener API v4 (authenticated shared-key tier); general web index [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-cowanesque-ao79-01 through sl-uss-cowanesque-ao79-13

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   CourtListener sweeps for this hull (authenticated API v4 via fleet helper, 2026-09-24): '"Cowanesque"' opinions - 9 hits, reviewed individually: 1 qualifying vessel hit (Jaramillo v. United States, 357 F. Supp. 172, S.D.N.Y. 1973 - seaman's negligence/unseaworthiness action, NOT asbestos, judgment for defendant - carried as ev-06); 8 name collisions (Cowanesque Lake/Tioga-Hammond dam projects: United States v. Lane Constr. Corp., Mansfield Area Citizens Group v. United States; Cowanesque-region Pennsylvania cases: Beach v. Schoff 1857, Matteson v. NYC&H RR 1907/1909, Gillet v. Roberts 1874, Yoffee v. PP&L 1956, People v. Isaacson 1978); '"AO-79"' opinions - 1 hit, collision (Area G Home & Landowners Org. v. Anchorage, Alaska 1996 - municipal zoning designation, not maritime); '"Fort Duquesne"' opinions - 24 hits, all collisions (Fort Duquesne Boulevard/Bridge, the historic fort, SCI Greene prison address, Pittsburgh-area matters; none maritime or vessel). No asbestos litigation naming the hull in opinions; docket sweep pending at write time (fleet pacing budget) - see search_ledger. No asbestos survey, abatement contract, insulation schedule, hazmat disclosure, or shipboard-materials list naming this hull was found in the other sources searched either (DANFS; NavSource; MARAD status cards inspected verbatim; shipscribe; official Navy chronology; aukevisser; shipbuildinghistory; NVR; the ship was scrapped in Taiwan in 1972, before present ACM documentation regimes).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   2026-09-24

   Limitations

   Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1942-43 emergency-program steam tanker with 29 years of service, a FRAM II overhaul, and a grounding loss is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the hull was scrapped abroad in 1972 before present ACM documentation regimes. 'Cowanesque' is a moderate-collision term (Tioga County PA river/lake/dam projects); every hit was reviewed for vessel attribution. MSTS-era asbestos claims typically name operators and product manufacturers rather than the hull, so docket-level coverage is thin. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cowanesque-ao79-09

10. [10]Cross-source collation: DANFS AO-79 text; Cressman USN chronology 3 Jan 1945; MARAD ShipHistory 1123 + status cards; NavSource 09/19/19079; shipscribe AO-49 class page; NavalCoverMuseum COWANESQUE T-AOT 79; usmm.org MSTS tanker history; aukevisser/shipbuildinghistory T2 tables [nhhc_danfs]

    Locator

    Each cited source's statistics block / milestone lines / dated narrative as listed in rows 01-06

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies resolved/logged: (a) Build name spelling - DANFS prints 'Fort Duguesne'; MARAD name history, shipscribe, aukevisser, and shipbuildinghistory all read FORT DUQUESNE - Duquesne adopted, DANFS typo logged. (b) Kamikaze date - DANFS 'the next day' after the 1 Jan 1945 San Pedro Bay arrival (implies 2 Jan); the official Navy chronology fixes the Surigao Strait attack at 3 Jan 1945 (08°56'N, 122°49'E), matching NavSource's award entries ('3 Jan 45') - 3 Jan adopted. (c) Propulsion figures - NavSource spec block prints '8,000hp'; shipscribe class data and the MC type design give 6,000 shp (MC increased the type to 6,000 shp for 14.5 kt); 6,000 carried in propulsion_summary, variance logged. (d) Complement - DANFS 229 vs NavSource 230 (21+209) vs shipscribe class table 216 (1944) vs Wikipedia 232-251 - DANFS carried, variance logged. (e) Sale price - MA-20 sale card $275,900.00 vs NavSource '$275,000.00' - card adopted. (f) Disposition framing - Wikipedia infobox 'Sunk, 23 April 1972' vs shipscribe/usmm.org 'constructive total loss after grounding off Henza' with refloat and Sasebo lay-up - the CTL/refloat/scrap sequence adopted (the hull was sold and dismantled, not a total-loss wreck left in place). (g) Final strike date - NavSource prints 'date unknown'; shipscribe disposition table and NavalCoverMuseum give 1 Jun 1972 - adopted. (h) Conversion yard - shipscribe 'Bethlehem Steel Co., Key Harbor, Baltimore' = the Key Highway yard; NHHC photo caption corroborates Baltimore; sister Chepachet went to Maryland Drydock - yard assignments differ per hull; carried as shipscribe-attributed. (i) Tonnage/length conventions - MARAD register 503' molded x 10,296 gt/6,154 nt vs NavSource 520'/5,782 lt-22,380 lim vs Wikipedia 523'6"/21,880 t - register vs. displacement conventions, flagged not merged.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    1942-1972

    Limitations

    Resolves publication-level labeling, date, and figure discrepancies; does not affect identity or the custody spine. No asbestos content in any of the collated sources.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-cowanesque-ao79-10

11. [11]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 / RG 24 / RG 38 record-group descriptions; MARAD status-card custody references (ev-03); Independence Seaport Museum finding aid for Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company records 1916-1998 (call no. 76); Hagley Museum Sun Shipbuilding collections (SNAC) [other_primary]

    Locator

    RG 19/24/38 record-group guides (archives.gov); MARAD card custody rows; ISM_84.76 finding aid; Hagley SNAC entity 54476115

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - research-room or reproduction order required; no spend authorized): NARA RG 38 WWII war diaries/war-history file units for Cowanesque (AO-79) - the series demonstrably holds AO-hull war histories (sister USS Schuylkill AO-76's 'USS SCHUYLKILL - War History,' naId 77690979, was located and inspected the same day); NARA RG 24 deck logs 1943-1946 and RG 38 war diaries/action reports for the 3 Jan 1945 attack; NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) for the 1943 Bethlehem Key Highway conversion records and any work packages for MC hull 308; the MARAD custody correspondence and the PD-X-941/MA-6754 disposal docket file behind the status cards; Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. records at the Independence Seaport Museum (J. Welles Henderson Archives, call no. 76) and the Hagley Museum and Library (records 1890-1982; photograph collection Accession 1974.319); MSTS/MSC ship-history files for the 1948-1972 contract-operator period (American Pacific S/S Co. 1947-48, Mathiason's Tanker Industries 1968); and the Sasebo disposal/tow records for the Aug 1972 buyer delivery.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    1942-1972 records

    Limitations

    Record-group and collection 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-cowanesque-ao79-11