Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
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[1]research packet dv-packet.md (1 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-curtiss-av4-pkt-dv-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Curtiss I (AV-4) (verbatim transcription; live NHHC page returns 404 as of 2026-09-26) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, full entry text; canonical NHHC URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/curtiss-i.html (404 on 2026-09-26)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Full service chronology: commissioned 15 Nov 1940; Pearl Harbor attack 7 Dec 1941 (midget-submarine engagement, plane crash into No. 1 crane, bomb detonation at main deck in forward hangar; DANFS states 19 dead); flagship ComAirSoPac Noumea Jun-Aug 1942 and Espiritu Santo tender/repair ship through Jul 1943; ComAirCentPac flagship Funafuti then Tarawa, Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Saipan, Guam to Feb 1945; Okinawa kamikaze hit 21 Jun 1945 (35 killed, 21 wounded) and Mare Island Navy Yard overhaul; China/Formosa Strait operations to Mar 1947; AEC-recommended alterations for scientific equipment 1947; Korean War deployment Jul 1950-Jan 1951 (PBM Mariner and RAF Sunderland squadrons, Iwakuni/Kure); flagship for atomic tests Greenhouse (1951), Ivy (1952), Castle (1954), Redwing (1956); helicopter deck fitted Nov-Dec 1954; Operation Deep Freeze II to McMurdo Sound Jan-Feb 1957; out of commission in reserve 24 Sep 1957; seven WWII battle stars.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1940-1957
- Population
- Ship's company (peak documented complement 1,195); embarked flag staffs; tended squadrons
- Limitations
- Narrative history only - contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or abatement information; establishes dates and operations, nothing about hull materials. Casualty figure (19 dead) differs from the CO's own action report (20 dead, 2 unidentified) - both carried, discrepancy logged.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-curtiss-av4-01
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[3]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, 1945, Vol. III (NAVSHIPS 250-012), Auxiliaries - Seaplane Tenders (AV) table, Curtiss (AV-4) row (p. 425 and characteristics tables; shipscribe.com scan of official publication) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAVSHIPS 250-012, p. 425 (AV table row for CURTISS AV4) + characteristics tables
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official build and machinery record: keel laid 25 Apr 1938 at New York S.B. Corp., Camden NJ; launched 20 Apr 1940; first commission 15 Nov 1940. Characteristics: 527'4" oa / 508'0" wl, beam 69'3", trial speed 19.7 kn, trial displacement 12,053 t (13,475 t full); 4 Babcock & Wilcox Express boilers at 400 psi, 690 F; 2 New York Shipbuilding Parsons-type turbines, 12,000 shp; complement 160 officers + 1,035 enlisted; armament 4 x 5"/38 DP + 40-mm AA (2 twin, 3 quad).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1938-1945 data as of 1945 publication
- Population
- Construction trades (Camden, 1938-40); ship's company
- Limitations
- Specification table - no insulation or materials content listed; propulsion plant documented but asbestos content is not stated. Keel date '25 Apr 38' is the official BuShips figure and conflicts with the '25 Mar 1938' repeated in secondary compilations (NavSource, Wikipedia) - official date carried, discrepancy logged in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-curtiss-av4-02
-
[4]USS Curtiss (AV-4), Commanding Officer action report, AV4/A16-3 (071), 16 Dec 1941, 'Raid on December 7, 1941, Report of' (signed H.S. Kendall; NHHC WWII Pearl Harbor Attack action-reports collection; verbatim HyperWar transcription) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Action report AV4/A16-3 (071), chronology table + casualty section + distinguished-conduct narratives
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Ship-specific primary record of battle damage and affected spaces: moored berth X-Ray 22, material condition X-Ray, #3 boiler steaming; 0905 a crashing enemy plane hit the starboard No. 1 crane; ~0912 bomb struck the starboard side of the boat deck, passed through the carpenter shop and radio repair shop, entered the hangar and detonated at main-deck level - destroyed bulkheads, decks, equipment within ~30 ft; fires in #4 gun handling room, movie booth, radio transmitter room; after engine room evacuated space re-entered by crew to start pumps. Reported casualties: 20 dead (2 unidentified), 1 missing, 33 injured transferred to Solace and hospital, 25 injured retained aboard.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1941-12-07; report dated 1941-12-16
- Population
- Ship's company present 7 Dec 1941 (9 officers + 55 men ashore; remainder aboard)
- Limitations
- Combat casualty/damage report - names damaged compartments and equipment but identifies no insulation materials and contains no asbestos content. Casualty count (20 dead) conflicts with DANFS narrative (19 dead); both carried, discrepancy logged. Documents material-disturbance environment (burned compartments later rebuilt in Pearl Harbor Navy Yard availabilities) - not an exposure finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-curtiss-av4-03
-
[5]Homer N. Wallin, 'Pearl Harbor: Why, How, Fleet Salvage and Final Appraisal' (Naval History Division, 1968), Ch. XII sec. 8, 'U.S.S. Curtiss, Seaplane Tender' (HyperWar transcription) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Wallin Ch. XII sec. 8 (pp. 196-198 in HyperWar pagination)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official salvage history documents: fragment damage to 'the piping, electric wires, steam lines, and ammunition supply' including the after engine room; fires 'difficult to extinguish due to smoldering cork insulation and poor lighting'; Pearl Harbor Navy Yard undertook repairs to Curtiss in two availabilities - 19-27 Dec 1941, and 26 Apr-28 May 1942 after replacement parts arrived.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1941-1942
- Population
- Pearl Harbor Navy Yard repair parties (Dec 1941, Apr-May 1942); ship's company damage-control crews
- Limitations
- Names cork insulation aboard this hull - the only insulation material identified by name in any located source - and does NOT identify asbestos. Yard repair availabilities are documented, meaning work parties disturbed burned/damaged interior materials; whether any disturbed material contained asbestos is not stated. Does not establish exposure or quantities.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-curtiss-av4-04
-
[6]MARAD ShipHistory database, CURTISS (AV-4) Detail 1159 (vessel record + digitized NDRF status card) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- Detail page milestones (Entry 10/31/1962; Acquisition 7/1/1963; Withdrawal 4/1/1972 'Scrap sale') + status card scan
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Federal custody/disposal chain: built 1940 by New York Shipbuilding; Navy delivered hull to Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, 31 Oct 1962 (status card); Maritime Administration permanent custody 1 Jul 1963 (stricken same date per NHHC roster); withdrawn from reserve fleet by scrap sale 1 Apr 1972; fate 'Sold -NTU' (non-transportation use).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1962-1972
- Population
- NDRF custodial personnel; scrapping-yard workforce (unidentified)
- Limitations
- Disposal record only - no hazmat, survey, or materials content. Scrap buyer/scrapping yard are not named in MARAD fields; secondary compilations (NavSource) name Union Minerals & Alloys (Kearny NJ) with delivery to Zidell Explorations - unverified against authoritative source, carried in gaps not in this row.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-curtiss-av4-05
-
[7]NHHC, Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons, Vol. 2, Appendix 5 - Seaplane Tenders (AV) roster [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANAS Vol. 2 Appendix 5, Seaplane Tenders table
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official roster confirms class composition and registry dates: 'Curtiss Class 2 ships, AV 4 and 5'; '4 Curtiss 15 Nov 1940 ... Stricken 1 Jul 1963'; sister Albemarle (AV-5) commissioned 20 Dec 1940, later T-ARVH-1, stricken 31 Dec 1974.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- compiled data to 2000 (publication)
- Limitations
- Roster tabulation only - no materials content. PDF not retrievable by automated fetch (history.navy.mil blocks non-browser requests); content confirmed via indexed search text of the official PDF.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-curtiss-av4-06
-
[8]U.S. Maritime Commission, Report to Congress (1944) documenting known asbestos risks in shipbuilding; corroborated by GAO HRD-80-2, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure' (18 Oct 1979, product page https://www.gao.gov/products/hrd-80-2) [other_primary]
- Locator
- FMC-hosted USMC 1944 report PDF; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Federal documentation establishes that asbestos hazards in ship construction were officially recognized by 1944 and that WWII-era Navy ships were built with extensive asbestos insulation (thermal/fireproofing, steam-plant lagging, gaskets, packing). Curtiss was built 1938-40 under Navy contract during this documented era, and her documented steam plant (4 boilers, 400 psi/690 F superheat, 12,000 shp) is of the type period specifications insulated with asbestos-containing materials.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944; 1979
- Population
- Shipbuilding and shipyard workers (era); Navy crews (era)
- Limitations
- Era/program-level documentation - neither source names this hull or class. Asbestos aboard Curtiss is inference from build era + documented plant type + yard product records, not a ship-proven fact. GAO full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403) - content via product-page description per Batch-01 precedent.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-curtiss-av4-07
-
[9]shipyard-exposure-map shipyards.json, yard_id 'new-york-shipbuilding' (Atlas yard record; underlying sources include PMC6280925, PMC6310930, PMCID 7342758, 1944 USMC report to Congress, and yard-specific product litigation records) [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipyards.json entry new-york-shipbuilding, asbestos_products_documented + evidence arrays
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The builder yard's Atlas record documents asbestos products in use at New York Shipbuilding during the period this hull was built (1938-40): Pabco Six-Ply Super Caltemp Block (15% chrysotile), Ehret Magnesia 85% magnesia insulation, Bakelite panels (30-40% asbestos), circuit-breaker arc chutes (36% chrysotile), Johns-Manville Transite (10-30%), asbestos gaskets, packing, asbestos-coated welding rods (5-15%), ebonized asbestos lumber, wire insulation (75-85% chrysotile), felt insulation (5-50%).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1938-1940 (build period)
- Population
- New York Shipbuilding workforce (1938-40 construction period)
- Limitations
- Yard-level product documentation - establishes what materials were in documented use at the builder's yard, not installation aboard this specific hull. No hull-specific bill of materials, outfitting spec, or survey located. Not evidence of exposure aboard Curtiss.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-curtiss-av4-08
-
[10]MARAD ShipHistory database, CURTISS (T-AVB-4) Detail 1158 - name-history record (Mormacsky 1969-70; Great Republic 1970-87; Curtiss 1987-); navy.mil T-AVB fact file [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- MARAD Detail 1158 vessel-name-history; navy.mil 'Aviation Logistics Support Ships - T-AVB' fact file
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Disambiguation: the name 'Curtiss' also rides on a different, later hull - SS Curtiss (T-AVB-4), built 1968-69 by Ingalls Shipbuilding (Pascagoula) as breakbulk/container ship SS Mormacsky (ON 521302), renamed Great Republic (1970), converted by Todd Shipyards Galveston and renamed SS Curtiss (T-AVB-4) in 1986-87, Wright-class aviation logistics support ship assigned to MSC Ready Reserve Force. It is not AV-4 and has a wholly separate construction history.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1968-present (other hull)
- Limitations
- Different hull, different builder, different era - included solely to prevent identity collision in name/hull searches and downstream records. Nothing in this row bears on AV-4.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-curtiss-av4-09
-
[11]Batch-3041 search ledger (this record): DANFS, Ships' Data 1945 Vol. III, CO action report 16 Dec 1941, Wallin salvage history, MARAD Detail 1159 + status card, NHHC DANAS App. 5, NHHC Online Library photo index, CourtListener opinion and docket searches, HyperWar WDR index, NARA record-group guidance [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-curtiss-av4-01 through sl-uss-curtiss-av4-14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or museum record exists for this hull (scrapped 1972 - no surviving hull to survey), and no opinion or adjudicated finding names this vessel. The one litigation hit located (Yates, ev-uss-curtiss-av4-11) is a pleading-stage name mention inside an asbestos docket - an allegation, not a finding. CourtListener opinion searches '"USS Curtiss"' and '"Curtiss" "AV-4"' both returned zero results; broad 'Curtiss' asbestos hits are Curtiss-Wright Corporation product litigation and personal-name plaintiffs - name collisions, none naming this vessel. Law-firm marketing pages that claim AV-4 asbestos are excluded per source rules (see report).
- 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 1938-40 steam plant at a documented asbestos-product yard is era-consistent with installed ACM. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. The broad Curtiss-asbestos opinion query and docket-entry-level retrieval were pacing-limited at research time; logged pending in search_ledger.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-curtiss-av4-10
-
[12]Yates v. Air & Liquid Systems Corporation, Inc., No. 5:12-cv-00752-FL (E.D.N.C., filed 2012-11-16, terminated 2015-12-18), CourtListener RECAP docket 5608234; cause '28:1332 Diversity-Asbestos Litigation'; nature of suit 368 P.I.: Asbestos [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener RECAP docket 5608234; E.D.N.C. 5:12-cv-00752; corroborating published orders (e.g., DE 396, DE 483, 2015 dispositive orders)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search for '"USS Curtiss"' matched this asbestos personal-injury docket: the string appears in filed documents indexed under it (RECAP corpus). Plaintiff Graham Yates (deceased during pendency) alleged mesothelioma from occupational asbestos exposure; multiple product defendants were named, and the claims that survived to trial posture were automotive brake-pad claims against Ford and Honeywell - dismissed on summary judgment/Daubert grounds in 2015.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2012-2015 litigation; alleged exposure period unverified
- Population
- Graham Yates (plaintiff, mesothelioma decedent); shipboard-service allegation context unverified
- Limitations
- PLEADING-STAGE AT MOST: a vessel name inside an asbestos complaint's exposure/vessel list is an allegation, not a finding - no court adjudicated any exposure aboard this hull, and the case's surviving claims concerned brake pads, not shipboard exposure. The specific filed document containing 'USS Curtiss' was not retrieved (fleet pacing limited API calls); whether the mention denotes claimed shipboard service, an exhibit, or another context is unverified. Does not establish asbestos aboard this hull or any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-curtiss-av4-11
-
[13]NARA logbook guidance (RG 24 Entry 118, 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations 1941-1992', NAID 581208) + HyperWar War Damage Report index (WDR No. 11 for AV-4 indexed, not digitized) + Pearl Harbor Navy Yard / Mare Island availability records + New York Shipbuilding corporate records (yard closed 1967; collection at Independence Seaport Museum/NHHC holdings) [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy ; https://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/rep/WDR/index.html (No. 11)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized): (1) BuShips War Damage Report No. 11 'USS Curtiss (AV-4) Bomb Damage: Pearl Harbor, 7Dec41' - indexed in the BuShips WDR series, not digitized on HyperWar; (2) Curtiss deck logs 1941-1957, NARA RG 24 Entry 118 - WWII-era logs partially digitized in the National Archives Catalog; (3) Pearl Harbor Navy Yard work-order/repair files for the documented 19-27 Dec 1941 and 26 Apr-28 May 1942 availabilities; (4) Mare Island Navy Yard records for the 1945 post-kamikaze overhaul; (5) New York Shipbuilding construction/outfitting records for the hull (corporate collection at Independence Seaport Museum).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1938-1972 records
- Limitations
- Record-group/collection mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; whether any such file contains asbestos-specific statements is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-curtiss-av4-12