USS Delphinus (AF-24)

Evidence

10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).

1. [1]Bowles, Oliver, 'Asbestos,' U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 403, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, 1937 (mirrored scan) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Bulletin 403, heat-insulation history section (pp. ~69-75 of the bulletin scan)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 403 documents that asbestos heat-insulation products were established decades before this hull's 1915 construction: asbestos-cement boiler covering was first tried about 1870; canvas-covered sectional magnesia pipe covering appeared in 1885; asbestos paper was used from about 1878 to protect hair-felt insulation from the heat of steam pipes. Steam-plant insulation products of the era in which this British-built steam reefer was constructed commonly contained asbestos fiber.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1870s-1937 (product history); hull 1915-1948

   Population

   WWI-era shipbuilders and engine-room crews (era context)

   Limitations

   Product-history documentation, not a hull record - does not name this vessel and does not itself describe shipboard installation aboard any specific hull; asbestos presence aboard this hull is era inference, not ship-proven. Does not establish quantity, location, present-day presence, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-delphinus-af24-01

2. [2]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 World War II - the era covering this ship's August 1942 Navy conversion at Hurley Marine Works, Oakland, CA and her 1942-46 commissioned service between San Francisco, Auckland, and South Pacific forward bases.

   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 installed or disturbed aboard this hull during her documented 1942 conversion or wartime yard periods, nor quantity, location, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-delphinus-af24-02

3. [3]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Delphinus (AF-24),' Naval History and Heritage Command [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Delphinus' entry, verbatim transcription at hazegray/losthistory mirror; canonical NHHC URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/d/delphinus.html returned 404 on 2026-09-20 (standing NHHC link rot - see search_ledger)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Delphinus (AF-24): built in 1915 as San Mateo by Workman Clark and Co., Ltd., Belfast, Ireland; acquired by the Navy 11 August 1942 and commissioned the same day as San Mateo, Lieutenant O. M. Mikkelsen, USNR, in command; assigned the name Delphinus 22 August 1942. Departing San Francisco 12 September 1942 she arrived Auckland, New Zealand, 4 October and operated from that base until the end of 1945 carrying chilled and frozen provisions to forward bases in the South Pacific and to the Society, Fiji, and Samoan Islands. After calling at Manila in January 1946 she arrived San Francisco 23 February, carried cargo along the west coast and to Pearl Harbor briefly, then sailed to New Orleans where she was decommissioned 9 May 1946 and delivered to the War Shipping Administration the same day. DANFS spec line: dp. 6,000; l. 329'; b. 44'2"; dr. 23'; s. 12 k.; cpl. 107; a. 1 4", 1 3"; cl. Delphinus.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1915-1946

   Limitations

   Authoritative operational history naming this hull throughout; contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazardous-material information whatsoever - supports no asbestos claim. Canonical NHHC URL is currently dead; text verified against public-domain DANFS transcription mirror.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-delphinus-af24-03

4. [4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - DELPHINUS (AF-24), Ship History Detail 1245; attached digitized status cards 1245_2267AF.jpg / 1245_2267AB.jpg (NDRF Mobile vessel data card) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 1245 fields + milestone table; status card images /cards/1245_2267AF.jpg (front) and /cards/1245_2267AB.jpg (reverse notes); attached DELPHINIUS.pdf document

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory database record for DELPHINUS (AF-24), Ship History Detail 1245: year built 1915; shipyard 'Workman, Clark and Company Limited'; type 'CARGO REFRIGERATED' / Naval Auxiliary AF Store Ship; length 328.0 ft, beam 44.16 ft; displacement 6,000 tons summer / 3,300 light; fate 'Sold - Scrap'; milestones Disposition 2/6/1948 (content 'ex-SAN MATEO') and Withdrawl 2/6/1948. The digitized NDRF vessel status card (Reserve Fleet Division - Vessel Data, Mobile fleet) records: name present '(ex SAN MATEO)' former 'DELPHINUS'; ownership 'Navy Operated / WSA OWNED'; where/when built 'Ireland 1915'; date entered fleet 7-25-46; fuel oil on entry 2,047 bbls (contaminated); stripping of vessel equipment '100% per letter 4/11/47, memo to ... 10-17-47'; termination port last voyage New Orleans; ships papers PJ-X410 10-31-47; 'award Pinto Island Metals Co. 1-21-48'; date withdrawn from fleet '2-6-48 2:55 PM' delivered to Operations. Card reverse notes a Kerr anticipating governor was to be removed for use on LA PERLA without cost to USMC per memo 11/20/46, re-installed by Gulf S/B 6/27/47.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1946-1948

   Limitations

   Authoritative government custody record - the status card is the controlling source for fleet entry (25 Jul 1946), sale award to Pinto Island Metals Co. (21 Jan 1948), and withdrawal/delivery (6 Feb 1948). Handwriting partially legible; 'memo to' addressee in field 16 not fully readable. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or condition-survey information - supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-delphinus-af24-04

5. [5]NavSource Online Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Delphinus (AF-24), index 09/06/0624 (compiled specs, milestones, NHHC and NARA RG-19-LCM photo captions, CO list) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource AF-24 page: chronology block, specifications table, photo captions (19-N-35044; NH 82182), commanding-officer list

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource AF-24 photo archive entry: Delphinus-class stores ship, built 1915 as SS San Mateo at Workman Clark and Co., Belfast, for United Fruit interests; chartered from the Maritime Commission for operation by Munargo Line, Inc. for United Fruit Co. 21 May 1942; acquired by the U.S. Navy (NavSource gives 8 August 1942) at Oakland, CA; commissioned USS San Mateo 11 August 1942, LT Olaf M. Mikkelsen USNR; renamed USS Delphinus (AF-24) 22 August 1942; assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater; decommissioned 9 May 1946 at New Orleans, returned to the Maritime Commission and delivered to Munargo Line the same day; struck from the Naval Register 5 June 1946; returned for lay-up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, AL 25 July 1946; sold for scrapping 6 February 1948 to Pinto Island Metals Co. Spec sheet: 3,300 t. light / 6,000 t. full load; 328' x 44'2" x 23'; 11.5 kts trial; complement 14 officers + 93 enlisted; cargo 2,995 DWT incl. 102,870 cu ft refrigerated; armament one 4"/50, one 3"/50 DP, six 20mm AA; NSFO 5,230 bbls; one Workman Clark vertical triple-expansion engine on three single-ended Scotch boilers (200 psi sat.), three recip-drive 35kW 110V DC generators, single screw 2,500 shp. Photo captions include BuShips/NARA RG-19-LCM photo 19-N-35044 (underway at San Francisco, 6 Sep 1942) and NHHC photo NH 82182 (San Francisco Bay, late 1945 or early 1946). Commanding officer list: LT Mikkelsen 11 Aug 1942-29 Dec 1942; LT Buckner 29 Dec 1942-4 Aug 1943; LCDR Armstrong 4 Aug 1943-1 Feb 1944; LCDR Armbrust 1 Feb 1944-Jan 1946; LCDR Kupbens Jan 1946-9 May 1946.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1915-1948

   Population

   Shipyard workers at the 1942 conversion (Hurley Marine Works, Oakland) and wartime crew (107 complement) - topside armament work documented by photo captions; below-deck scope undocumented

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation carrying primary photo captions and spec data; acquisition date '8 August 1942' conflicts with DANFS/shipscribe '11 August 1942' - flagged in correction row. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material information - supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-delphinus-af24-05

6. [6]Shipscribe, 'USS Delphinus (AF-24) Class' - compiled construction/disposition tables, class notes quoting CNO/VCNO/Auxiliary Vessels Board correspondence, ship notes [other_primary]

   Locator

   AF-24 class page: class notes, construction/disposition tables, ship notes (Hurley Marine Works conversion; Pinto Island sale)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Shipscribe AF-24 class compilation (S.S. Roberts, from Navy Ship's Data / NavData records): ex-merchant San Mateo (completed Jul 1915); class DELPHINUS (AF-24), design 'Refrig. Cargo, 1915'; displacement 5,233 full load; 329.0' oa / 315.0' wl x 44.2' e x 23.0' full; armament 1-4"/50, 1-3"/50, 6-20mm (1942); complement 107 (1944); speed 11.5 kts; machinery Workman, Clark vertical triple expansion, 1 screw, 2,500 HP; acquired and commissioned 11 Aug 1942; decommissioned 9 May 1946, stricken 5 Jun 1946, disposal 9 May 1946, fate RTO (returned to owner), MA sale 21 Jan 1948. Ship notes: converted by Hurley Marine Works, Oakland, Cal.; traded in by owner in part payment for new ships, to NDRF as SAN MATEO 25 Jul 1946; sold by MC as DELPHINUS to buyer 6 Feb 1948, scrapped by 10 Aug 1948. Class notes: one of seven United Fruit freighters ordered 1913 (4) and 1920 (3); sister SAN BRUNO initially selected for conversion but replaced by SAN MATEO 28 Jul 1942; the 9 Jul 1942 CNO directive sought 'three AKs with approximately 100,000 cubic feet of refrigerator space and 26,000 cubic feet of general cargo space' for urgent supply of South Pacific island bases by 1 Oct 1942; Auxiliary Vessels Board endorsed 21 Jul; on 1 Aug VCNO named SAN BRUNO, LA PERLA, and SAN BENITO as best fits - the three 'small' ships became AF-23/24/25; the ship's own history described her mission as 'to transport and issue chilled and frozen food provisions to the fleet and advanced bases with maximum efficiency and service.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1915-1948

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation of primary Navy/merchant records; quotes the acquisition directive verbatim but the documented conversion scope contains no insulation-material itemization and no asbestos information - supports no asbestos claim. 'Scrapped by 10 Aug 48' is a single-source detail not corroborated by MARAD (which records only the 6 Feb 1948 withdrawal) - carried with flag.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-delphinus-af24-06

7. [7]NARA record-group guides RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 24 (deck logs), RG 38 (war diaries), RG 178 (Maritime Commission); Workman Clark archival holdings reference (PRONI Belfast) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NARA RG 19/24/38/178 guides; shipscribe-quoted CNO/VCNO 1942 correspondence as the BuShips-file lead

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) records may hold the August 1942 conversion file for San Mateo/Delphinus - the CNO 9 Jul 1942 directive and VCNO-BuShips correspondence quoted by shipscribe imply a BuShips work file, and BuShips photo 19-N-35044 (RG-19-LCM series) documents the ship post-conversion; (b) WWII deck logs (RG 24) and war diaries (RG 38) for AF-24 covering her 1942-46 Auckland-based operations; (c) RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) may hold the May 1942 Munargo charter and the 1946 trade-in/part-payment custody records; (d) builder's records for the Workman, Clark hull (Belfast, 1915) would reside in UK archives (PRONI Belfast holds Workman Clark material) - existence for this specific hull unverified.

   Verification

   unverified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1915-1948 records

   Limitations

   Record-group 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-delphinus-af24-07

8. [8]Batch-523 search ledger (this record): DANFS via hazegray transcription (NHHC canonical 404); shipscribe AF-24; NavSource 09/06/0624; MARAD ShipHistory 1245 + status cards; CourtListener API v4 name searches; LOC/HAER; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-delphinus-af24-01 through sl-uss-delphinus-af24-10

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, specification itemization, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Delphinus (AF-24) or the merchant San Mateo was found in the public sources searched; the hull was scrapped in 1948, decades before asbestos survey regimes, so no present-day hull survey can exist. CourtListener searches: "Delphinus" returned 20 opinions, all name collisions (Delphinus Maritima S.A. as vessel owner in a 1981 S.D.N.Y. limitation-of-liability case re M/V Mari Boeing, 523 F. Supp. 583; dolphin-species and corporate/party matches; no AF-24 reference identified); "San Mateo" + "United Fruit" returned 5 opinions, all collisions or non-asbestos other-litigation including the vessel-named United Fruit Co. v. Pillsbury (see ev-09); the combined "Delphinus" + "AF-24" query and further refined queries were rate-limited (HTTP 429, 125/day shared throttle) and are owed (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 1915 steam hull insulated to era practice is era-consistent with asbestos-containing machinery-space materials, and her 1942 U.S. conversion falls inside documented WWII-era shipyard asbestos use. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-delphinus-af24-08

9. [9]United Fruit Co. v. Pillsbury, 55 F.2d 369 (N.D. Cal. 1932), CourtListener opinion 6952018 [court_record]

   Locator

   Opinion text, facts paragraph (vessel named as 'steamship San Mateo'); full text verified via syfert.com mirror of the F.2d pagination

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Other litigation (non-asbestos) naming this hull under her merchant identity: United Fruit Co. v. Pillsbury, 55 F.2d 369 (N.D. Cal. 1932) - the opinion recites that Bert King, employed by United Fruit Company, was injured 2 September 1930 'while performing stevedoring services for said employer on board the steamship San Mateo, then afloat upon navigable waters of the United States' at San Francisco Harbor; the case interprets section 22 of the Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (33 U.S.C. 922) on review of a deputy commissioner's compensation order.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1930-1932

   Population

   Stevedores working United Fruit vessels (San Francisco Harbor, 1930)

   Limitations

   Classified OTHER LITIGATION, not qualifying asbestos litigation: a 1932 workers'-compensation jurisdiction opinion arising from a 1930 stevedore injury - it predates asbestos litigation and contains no asbestos, disease, or exposure content. Carried to document that the hull appears in the federal reporter under her merchant name; it establishes only that stevedoring occurred aboard in 1930, not any condition of the ship.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-delphinus-af24-09

10. [10]DANFS via hazegray transcription; NavSource 09/06/0624; shipscribe AF-24 class page; MARAD ShipHistory 1245 status card; Wikipedia (discrepancy noted, not used as evidence) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Per-source date/figure fields as quoted in ev-03 through ev-06

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies noted and resolved: (a) acquisition date - DANFS reads 'acquired by the Navy 11 August 1942; and commissioned the same day'; NavSource gives 'acquired 8 August 1942 at Oakland, CA' while agreeing the ship commissioned 11 August; shipscribe's construction table gives acquired/commissioned 11 Aug 1942. The 11 Aug 1942 acquisition is adopted (DANFS + shipscribe); NavSource's 8 Aug may reflect a delivery/transfer step - flagged, not adjudicated. (b) decommissioning - DANFS, NavSource, and shipscribe give 9 May 1946 at New Orleans; Wikipedia's infobox and body give 8 May 1946 - a tertiary-source error; 9 May adopted. (c) disposal milestones - the NDRF status card records 'award Pinto Island Metals Co. 1-21-48' and 'withdrawn from fleet 2-6-48 2:55 PM delivered to Operations'; shipscribe's disposition table gives 'MA Sale 21 Jan 48' while its ship notes give 'sold by MC as DELPHINUS, to buyer 6 Feb 48, scrapped by 10 Aug 48'; NavSource gives 'sold for scrapping 6 February 1948 to Pinto Island Metals Co.'; MARAD milestones show Disposition and Withdrawl both 2/6/1948. Reconciled: sale award 21 Jan 1948, withdrawal/delivery 6 Feb 1948, scrapping complete by 10 Aug 1948 (single-source). (d) figures vary by source - displacement 6,000 fl (DANFS/MARAD) vs 5,230/5,233 fl (HyperWar/shipscribe); draft 23' (DANFS/NavSource/shipscribe) vs 21' (HyperWar); speed 12 k (DANFS) vs 12.5 max (HyperWar) vs 11.5 trial (shipscribe/NavSource); length 328' (MARAD/NavSource) vs 329' oa (DANFS/shipscribe). Carried per source; not adjudicated. (e) NavSource prints 'Manargo Line' twice - typo for Munargo Line, Inc. (f) NavSource says 'returned to the Maritime Administration' 25 Jul 1946 - the Maritime Commission is the era-correct agency name (MARAD did not exist until 1950).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-20

    Study period

    1915-1948

    Limitations

    Resolves publication-level discrepancies in secondary framings; does not affect identity or the service/disposal timeline materially. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-delphinus-af24-10