Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]research packet 370-packet.md (1 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS Dithmarschen (IX-301); German Kriegsmarine replenishment oiler; later USS Conecuh (AO-110, then AOR-110)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-dithmarschen-ix301-pkt-370-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS entry 'Conecuh' (Naval Historical Center / NHHC). Live page https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/conecuh.html returned 404 on 2026-09-29; text verified via Wayback capture 2010-12-07 of legacy URL http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c12/conecuh.htm [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Conecuh' entry, full text (Wayback capture 2010-12-07)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS (Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships) entry 'Conecuh' documents the full U.S. identity chain: built by F. Schichau, Danzig, 1938 for the German Navy as combination oiler/supply vessel Dithmarschen; taken over by British authorities at Bremerhaven at war's end; allocated to the U.S. Navy 15 January 1946 by the Inter-Allied Reparations Commission; placed in service 2 May 1946 as Dithmarschen (IX-301) under CAPT A. W. Maddox USNR; departed Bremerhaven 8 May, arrived Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 19 May for conversion; renamed Conecuh and redesignated AO-110 on 1 October 1946; placed out of service 24 October 1946; reclassified AOR-110 4 September 1952 and converted to a replenishment fleet tanker; commissioned 16 February 1953 (CDR M. B. Freeman); NATO Operation 'Mariner' from Greenock 16 Sep-20 Oct 1953; Sixth Fleet tour 5 Mar-28 May 1954; Norfolk overhaul 30 Jun 1954-4 Jan 1955; decommissioned and transferred to the Maritime Commission 3 April 1956; stricken 1 June 1960. DANFS credits her with proving the feasibility of the combination oiler-replenishment ship, leading to the AOE fast combat support ship. DANFS stat line: dp 8,820; l 584 ft; b 72 ft; dr 31 ft; s 23 k; cpl 284; a. 8 40mm.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1938-1960
- Population
- U.S. Navy crew: IX-301 in-service complement under CAPT Maddox (May-Oct 1946); AOR-110 commissioned complement 284 (1953-56)
- Limitations
- Authoritative for U.S. Navy identity and service timeline. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or condition information; supports no asbestos claim. German-service details are summary-level only. The live NHHC URL is currently unreachable (link rot) - the Wayback capture of the same official text is cited.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-01
-
[3]Shipscribe (Stephen S. Roberts), 'USS Conecuh (AO 110) Class,' compiled 18 Sep 2021 from NARA RG 19 Entry UD 1024-A Box 1 (AOR 109 and 110), RG 19 BUSHIPS General Correspondence 1953-57 boxes 161, 171, 196, RG 19 BUSHIPS Confidential Correspondence 1946-61 box 42; and Wildenberg, Gray Steel and Black Oil (1996) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AO-110 class page: data sheet, class notes, ship notes, page notes (sources)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Shipscribe USS Conecuh (AO-110) class page (compiled from NARA RG 19 Bureau of Ships records and Wildenberg, Gray Steel and Black Oil) documents: delivered to U.S. Naval Advanced Base, Weser 15 Jan 1946 after overhaul at Hamburg under U.S./British supervision; CNO 11 Apr 1946 direction to place in service as IX-301 under ex-USS EUROPA (AP-177) officer-in-charge; in service 2 May 1946; arrived Philadelphia 19 May 1946; CNO authorized prototype 'Tanker - Supply ship' conversion 27 Jun 1946 with a 15-item list (berthing/messing/sanitary/distilling upgrades to American standards, U.S.-type replenishment-at-sea gear); BUSHIPS/CINCLANT/COMSERVPAC scope dispute; conversion deferred 17 Oct 1946; renamed Conecuh and reclassified AO-110 effective 1 Oct 1946 (SECNAV approved 4 Sep 1946); out of service 24 Oct 1946, reserve status June 1948; AOR concept history (COMSERVRON TWO 1947, Nimitz disapproval, Denfeld reversal, AOR classification established 11 Dec 1950, WACCAMAW AO-109 briefly AOR-109); CONECUH designated for SCB Project No. 50 conversion 29 Oct 1951; reclassified AOR-110 4 Sep 1952; converted Sep 1952-Feb 1953; commissioned 16 Feb 1953; COMSERVLANT evaluation incl. Nov 1953 Hunter-Killer group support and Mar-May 1954 COMSERVFORSIXTHFLT evaluation supporting a receiving group incl. MIDWAY (CVA-41), NEWPORT NEWS (CA-148), four destroyers, four minesweepers and one oiler; inactivation ordered 20 Dec 1955; decommissioned 3 Apr 1956; MARAD temporary custody 4 Apr 1956; sold 23 Nov 1960 to Southeastern Rail & Steel Co. for $136,688 and BU. Data sheet: 8,820 light / 22,780 full tons; 584 ft oa x 72 ft x 31 ft; 2-40mmQ (1955); accommodations 18 officers, 266 enlisted; speed 20 kts; machinery: geared Schichau steam turbines, 2 Wagner boilers (662psi/815deg), 2 screws, 22,000 hp. Ship note adds British custody 6 Jun 1945 renamed SOUTHMARK and handover 15 Jan 1946 at Kiel.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1937-1960
- Population
- Conversion-period yard workforce (1952-53); commissioned complement 18 officers + 266 enlisted
- Limitations
- Transcription/compilation of official U.S. Navy documents by a recognized naval-records archive; underlying NARA boxes identified but not pulled. Contains no asbestos statement; the 1952-53 conversion scope is documented as an event - asbestos content is not established. The data-sheet machinery line (geared turbines + Wagner boilers) conflicts with German-era references (MAN diesels) - see correction row; neither is asserted as authoritative for the other.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-02
-
[4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - CONECUH (AOR-110), Ship History Detail 1081 [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 1081, vessel data + milestone table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory database record for CONECUH (AOR-110), Detail 1081: Year Built 1939; shipyard Schichau GmbH Abt. Schiffswerft; general type Naval Auxiliary, specific type AOR Replenishment Oiler; MARAD type Foreign; length 584 ft, beam 72 ft, gross tons 12,000; fate 'Sold - Scrap'; milestones: Entry 4/4/1956, Acquisition 4/4/1956, Disposition 11/23/1960, Withdrawal 11/23/1960. Status-card scans exist (1081_1964AF.jpg, 1081_1964AB.jpg, 1JJ_01.png, 1081_AF.jpg) plus a CONECUH.pdf document.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1939-1960
- Limitations
- Authoritative for MARAD custody milestones (4 Apr 1956 entry/acquisition; 23 Nov 1960 disposition/withdrawal) and sale-for-scrap fate. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition information; supports no asbestos claim. Status-card scans and CONECUH.pdf are image-only files - not text-readable through available tooling, so card contents (which occasionally carry remarks) are unreviewed; logged in search_ledger.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-03
-
[5]NavSource Naval History (Gary P. Priolo, ed.), Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Conecuh (AOR-110) page (archives/09/19/19110) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource AOR-110 page: chronology, specifications, awards, commanding-officer table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive page for USS Conecuh (AOR-110) ex AO-110 ex Dithmarschen (IX-301) records: built 1938 as Dithmarschen for the German Navy by F. Schichau, Danzig; transferred to U.S. Navy 15 January 1946; in service as IX-301 2 May 1946 CAPT A. W. Maddox USNR; renamed Conecuh / reclassified Fleet Oiler AO-110 1 Oct 1946; out of service 24 Oct 1946 Philadelphia; reclassified Replenishment Fleet Tanker 4 Sep 1952; commissioned 16 Feb 1953 CDR M. B. Freeman; decommissioned 3 Apr 1956 Norfolk; transferred to Maritime Commission 4 Apr 1956 for NDRF James River, Lee Hall VA; stricken 1 Jun 1960; sold 1 Nov 1960 for scrapping to Southeastern Rail & Steel Co. $136,688 (PD-X-591 dated 7 Oct 1960), withdrawn 23 Nov 1960. Awards: World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal. Specs: 8,820 t, 584 ft, 72 ft, 31 ft, 23 kts, complement 284, eight 40mm AA. Commanding officer list: Maddox (in-service IX-301, 2 May-24 Oct 1946); CDR Freeman (16 Feb-3 Jun 1953); CAPT Hay (3 Jun 1953-10 Jan 1956); LCDR Hostinsky (10 Jan-3 Mar 1956). NARA photo numbers 80-G-678091 et al. credited.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1938-1960
- Population
- Commissioned complement 284
- Limitations
- Volunteer-maintained photo/statistical archive drawing on official sources - secondary in character, consistent with DANFS on the identity chain. Two transcription-level defects noted and not adopted: 'Taken over by United Kingdom forces 1944' (should be 1945, war's end) and a 23-kt speed figure vs Shipscribe's 20-kt U.S. rating. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-04
-
[6]german-navy.de (Michael Emmerich), 'Dithmarschen - Trobsschiff 1939-1960' technical-data and history pages; World War II Database (ww2db.com) 'Auxiliary Dithmarschen' ship spec [other_primary]
- Locator
- german-navy.de Dithmarschen tech/history pages; ww2db.com ship_id=1052 spec table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- German-era references document the hull's Kriegsmarine technical data and construction dates: laid down 6 June 1936 at F. Schichau, Danzig; launched 12 June 1937; commissioned July 1939 (ww2db: 20 Jul 1939); lead ship of the Dithmarschen class (german-navy.de: nine ordered, five commissioned); class role - combined tanker/repair/ammunition/dry-cargo/hospital functions; payload about 7,933 t fuel, 972 t ammunition, 790 t supplies, 100 t spares; machinery listed as four MAN 9-cylinder diesels, two shafts, 22,000 shp, 21.1 kn, 12,500 nm at 15 kn; German-service complement 94-208.
- Verification
- disputed
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1936-1945
- Population
- German-service complement 94-208
- Limitations
- Secondary naval-history references, not official sources - used to document German-service construction dates and machinery only. They conflict with the U.S. Navy data sheet on machinery (MAN diesels vs geared Schichau turbines + Wagner boilers) and with each other on commissioning year (1939 vs Shipscribe's 20 Jul 1938) - carried as disputed, resolved only as far as 'the sources disagree'; see correction row. No asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-05
-
[7]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS 'Conecuh'; Shipscribe AO-110 page; MARAD Detail 1081; NavSource AOR-110 page; german-navy.de Dithmarschen pages; ww2db spec table [other_primary]
- Locator
- see per-item rows ev-01 through ev-05
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies cataloged and resolved where possible: (a) Build year - DANFS and NavSource say 'built 1938'; MARAD says 'Year Built 1939'; launch is 12 Jun 1937 in both Shipscribe and German references; German commissioning is Jul 1939 in German references vs '20 Jul 1938' in the Shipscribe ship note (probable one-year transposition error). Year_built carries '1938' per DANFS. (b) Machinery - German-era references list four MAN diesels; the Shipscribe-transcribed U.S. Navy data sheet lists geared Schichau steam turbines + 2 Wagner boilers; no repowering appears in the conversion record, so one source misattributes the plant (sister NORDMARK is documented with Wagner geared turbines - possible cross-ship transposition in the U.S. data sheet, unproven either way). (c) Handover - allocated 15 Jan 1946 consistently; Shipscribe's own notes place delivery at Kiel (ship note) vs the Weser base (class note). (d) Disposition - sale contract PD-X-591 dated 7 Oct 1960; NavSource gives 'sold 1 Nov 1960'; Shipscribe and MARAD give withdrawal/disposition 23 Nov 1960 - adopted: sale instrument Oct/Nov 1960, physical withdrawal 23 Nov 1960. (e) 'Taken over by UK forces 1944' on NavSource is a transcription defect for 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1936-1960
- Limitations
- Documents that secondary compilations conflict on construction dates, machinery, and handover detail; the record carries adopted values with the conflicts preserved rather than silently merged. The machinery conflict is material to any asbestos inference (boiler/turbine vs diesel plant) and is left unresolved - no ship-specific plant inventory was located. No asbestos content in any source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-06
-
[8]Fleischer, W. E., Viles, F. J., Gade, R. L., et al., 'A Health Survey of Pipe Covering Operations in Constructing Naval Vessels,' Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology 28:9-16 (January 1946) [other_primary]
- Locator
- 1946 study cited and described in the 2026 AJIM review 'When errors become etched in stone' (doi:10.1177/10482911261446696)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A contemporaneous 1946 U.S. Navy-commissioned industrial hygiene study documents asbestos-containing pipe covering used in constructing naval vessels in the mid-1940s - the same era in which this hull entered U.S. service and during which U.S.-type conversion work was scoped and later (1952-53) executed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1940s era; study published 1946
- Population
- U.S. naval-vessel construction workforce (era context)
- Limitations
- Era-level documentation that asbestos pipe covering was standard in U.S. naval-vessel construction in the mid-1940s; does not name this hull and does not establish that asbestos was or remained aboard it. The 1946 study's 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion was later shown deeply flawed (per the 2026 review) - cited here only for the material fact that asbestos pipe covering was in use. No quantity, location, exposure, or causation is established for this hull. The hull's German construction (1936-39) predates documented U.S. wartime asbestos policy.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-07
-
[9]U.S. General Accounting Office, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure,' HRD-80-2 (1979) [gao]
- Locator
- HRD-80-2, response letter text on asbestos applications aboard Navy ships
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- GAO HRD-80-2 (Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure) documents, at program level, the Navy's then-standard shipboard asbestos applications: thermal insulation for machinery, equipment and piping systems as 'the major application'; plus piping-system gaskets and packing, deck tiling, galley-range and electrical-cable insulation - the application categories from which era-typical product lists for naval auxiliaries are drawn.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1970s program context
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers and ship crews (program-level context)
- Limitations
- Program-level 1979 report describing applications on ships delivered since 1973 - postdates this hull's 1960 scrapping by nearly two decades and names no hulls as containing asbestos. Used only to describe era-typical Navy asbestos application categories. Does not establish presence, quantity, condition, exposure, or causation aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-08
-
[10]Batch-4795 search ledger (this record): DANFS (Wayback capture), Shipscribe AO-110 page, MARAD Detail 1081 + status-card/PDF image scans, NavSource AOR-110 page, NARA asbestos-research guide, german-navy.de/ww2db construction references, CourtListener sweeps [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-01 through sl-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, donation-condition document, or docketed case naming this hull under any designation (Dithmarschen, IX-301, Conecuh, AO-110, AOR-110, SOUTHMARK) was found in the public sources searched. DANFS, the MARAD ShipHistory record, and the NavSource archive page contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement; MARAD status-card scans are image-only (contents unreviewed). CourtListener ship-name and hull-number opinion sweeps are logged in search_ledger.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1936-39-built steam/diesel-era auxiliary that underwent a 1952-53 U.S. Navy conversion is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the conversion work-packages in RG 19 have not been pulled. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-09
-
[11]NARA, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' (archives.gov guided topic) + NARA 'Logbooks of the US Navy' page; NARA box references per Shipscribe AO-110 page notes [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA asbestos guide (RG 19 correspondence entries, GIBs, InSurv, spec files); https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy.html ; Shipscribe page notes
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room work; no spend authorized): NARA's published asbestos-research guide for U.S. naval vessels through 1961 maps the path - RG 19 BUSHIPS correspondence filed by hull designation (this hull: IX301, AO110, AOR110; shipyard files under NY / QM codes for Philadelphia NSY and the unlocated 1952-53 conversion yard); Auxiliary Vessel General Information Books (RG 19 Entry P 5, 1909-1964); Auxiliary and Yardcraft InSurv material inspection reports (RG 38 Entry P 1-I); specifications files (RG 19 Entries UD 1027-*, P 45-*, UD 1025-*, UD 1036-*); deck logs in RG 24 (post-1941 logs at Archives II; the 1946 IX-301 log falls under Special List #44, 1801-1947). Shipscribe's page notes confirm ship-specific files exist: RG 19 Entry UD 1024-A Box 1 (AOR 109 and 110), BUSHIPS General Correspondence 1953-57 boxes 161/171/196, Confidential Correspondence 1946-61 box 42.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1946-1960 records
- Limitations
- Record-group and entry-level mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-10
-
[12]CourtListener API v4, search type=opinion, query 'Dithmarschen' [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger row sl-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-09
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener API v4 opinion sweeps (authenticated queries via batch helper, 2026-09-29): 'Dithmarschen' returned 0 results; 'Conecuh' returned 775 results, all name collisions on the Alabama county/river/timber namesakes - none of the returned opinions reference a vessel, the Navy, or asbestos (top-20 reviewed for vessel terms). No qualifying asbestos-litigation opinion naming the hull located. Hull-number sweeps (IX-301, AO-110, AOR-110) and the exact-phrase 'USS Conecuh' sweep remained fleet-throttled at record completion - logged pending in the ledger.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- The 'Conecuh' collision set is large (775) - Alabama Conecuh County/River/Timber litigation; only the top 20 were term-screened, but none are vessel cases and BM25-ranked recall favors relevant hits first. 'USS Conecuh' exact phrase and hull-number sweeps stayed throttled - a residual possibility of an uncollided ship-naming opinion remains; not a merits finding. A name-match absence also does not rule out unindexed dockets, shipyard/manufacturer-defendant cases, or unlitigated VA/administrative claims.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dithmarschen-ix301-11