Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
-
[1]research packet o-packet.md (9 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS Effingham. Hull: APA-165. Designation: attack transport (APA). Class: Haskell.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-effingham-apa165-pkt-o-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, 'Effingham (APA-165)' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (live NHHC URL returns 404 - verbatim text retrieved via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20240304224145; no ibiblio HyperWar or hazegray transcription exists for APA-165) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry body text + spec block (Wayback capture 20240304224145)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC records: namesake 'Counties in Georgia and Illinois for which APA-165 was named.' Spec block: dp. 6,720; l. 455'; b. 62'; dr. 24'; s. 18 k.; cpl. 692; a. 1 5"; cl. Haskell. 'The first Effingham (APA-165) was launched 29 September 1944 by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, Oreg., under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. J. C. Casada; transferred to the Navy 19 July 1944; and commissioned 1 November 1944, Commander C. H. McLaughlin, USNR, in command.' Sailed from San Francisco 2 January 1945; trained at Guadalcanal with the 1st Marines; staged at Ulithi for the Okinawa invasion landings 1 April; remained off the island 6 days unloading cargo and fighting off enemy air attacks; returned to San Francisco for overhaul; back at Okinawa 12 August; transported troops to Jinsen, Korea, and Taku, China, for reoccupation; October-November embarked Chinese troops at Hong Kong for transfer to Chinwangtao and Tsingtao; returned to the west coast in December bringing servicemen home; made a second 'Magic Carpet' voyage to the Far East; sailed for the east coast; decommissioned at Norfolk 17 May 1946 and returned to the Maritime Commission for disposal 3 days later. One battle star for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Limitations
- Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for service history and end-of-Navy custody. The 'transferred to the Navy 19 July 1944' date predates launch (29 Sep 1944) and is inconsistent with the MARAD status card (delivery to USMC at Astoria 31 Oct 1944) - 19 Jul 1944 is the keel-laying date per shipscribe; see correction row ev-06. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC page 404s (standing link rot, cf. BATCH-01); the Wayback capture is the verbatim NHHC text.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-effingham-apa165-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Effingham (APA-165), file 10/03/03165 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 03165.htm - specifications block, Asiatic-Pacific campaign table, occupation/China-service table, commanding-officer table, disposal entries
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline corroborates DANFS and adds detail: laid down (date unknown) as Maritime Commission type VC2-S-AP5 (MCV hull 131) at Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland, OR; launched 29 September 1944; acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission at Astoria, OR, 31 October 1944; commissioned 1 November 1944, CDR Clayton H. McLaughlin, USNR, in command; wartime assignment TransRon Eighteen (COMO J.G. Moyer USN) / TransDiv Fifty-Four (CAPT J.R. Lannom USN); Asiatic-Pacific campaign - assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1-7 April 1945; Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 2 September-11 October 1945 and 20-28 January 1946; China Service Medal (extended) periods 18-22 November 1945 and 24 January-10 February 1946; decommissioned 17 May 1946 at Norfolk, VA; returned to the Maritime Commission 20 May 1946 for lay-up in the NDRF, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA; struck from the Naval Register 5 June 1946; sold for scrapping 9 April 1973 to Union Minerals & Alloys (PD-X-956) for $111,560.00; withdrawn from the James River Reserve Fleet 27 September 1973. Spec block: 6,873 t light / 14,837 t full; 455' x 62' x 24'; 19 kt; complement 56 officers + 480 enlisted; troop accommodations 80 officers + 1,440 enlisted; cargo 2,900 DWT non-refrigerated, 150,000 cu ft; boats 2 LCM + 1 open LCPL + 1 covered LCPL (captain's gig) + 2 LCPR + 18 LCVP; armament 1 x 5"/38 DP + 1 quad 40mm + 4 twin 40mm + 10 single 20mm; fuel NSFO 7,780 bbls + diesel 970 bbls; propulsion 1 Westinghouse geared turbine, 2 Combustion Engineering header-type boilers 465 psi / 750 deg F, 3 x 300 kW 120V/240V DC ship's service generators, single propeller, 8,500 shp design. Commanding officers: CDR Clayton H. McLaughlin USNR (1 Nov 1944 - Dec 1945); CAPT Edward Keith Walker USN (Dec 1945 - 17 May 1946). NHHC photo NH 83479 (under way, c. 1945) noted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official; consistent with NHHC and the MARAD status card on all custody dates. Complement listed as 56 officers + 480 enlisted (536) vs DANFS spec block cpl. 692 - variance logged in gaps. Boiler vendor stated as Combustion Engineering; sister-ship NavSource pages and class data say Babcock & Wilcox - vendor for this hull unresolved (gaps). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-effingham-apa165-02
-
[4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - EFFINGHAM (APA-165), Ship History Detail 1383 [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 1383 - characteristics block, mission list, milestone table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory registry record for this hull: Year Built 1944; Shipyard 'Oregon Shipbuilding Company'; General Type Naval Auxiliary; Specific Type 'APA Attack Transport'; MARAD Type VC2-S-AP5; ship length 455.00 ft; beam 62.00 ft; Fate 'Sold - Scrap'; Mission World War II. Milestones tab: Disposition 9/27/1973; Withdrawal 9/27/1973.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Limitations
- Authoritative MARAD registry; the milestone table is abbreviated (disposition/withdrawal both shown as 9/27/1973 - the sale award of 4/9/1973 appears only on the status card, ev-04). Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-effingham-apa165-03
-
[5]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory - EFFINGHAM (APA-165) digitized Vessel Status Cards (scans 1383_2545AF.jpg, 1383_2545AB.jpg, 1ZG_01.png) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1383 - 'Status Cards' tab (3 scans: 1383_2545AF.jpg front, 1383_2545AB.jpg back, 1ZG_01.png custody ledger)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The vessel's MARAD custody cards document the full chain in government hands: MCV Hull No. 131; type VC2-S-AP5; built by Oregon SB Corp. (yard '#115' as written) at Astoria, Ore.; completed 10-31-44; delivered by builder to USMC '10-31-44 7:00PM PWT @ Astoria, Ore.'; allocated to Navy Dept. (del. by USMC) same date/time at Astoria; '5-20-46 4:15PM EDT @ Lee Hall, Va. from Navy Dept.-Surplus' to W.S.A.; transferred same date/time to the Reserve Fleet (fleet: JR). Ownership field WSA; reason for lay-up 'High cost to convert for commercial use'; fuel oil at entry 1,739 bbls Bunker C + 38 diesel; termination port of last voyage NORFOLK; permanent cement ballast (undated) in #2 and #4 lower holds (39'9" long, 62'6" wide, 2' deep; secured to ship's sides and frames; no sheathing). Stamped entries: 'Repair Program 1956' - withdrawn 7 Oct 1955 12:35 hrs EST under GAA to Shepard Steamship Co. at James River; returned to Reserve Fleet (Repair Program) James River 15 Dec 1955 11:45 hrs EST; 'Sold for scrap under PD-X-956, 4-9-73 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. for $111,560'; withdrawn/delivered '0915 EDT 9-27-73'.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- NDRF James River lay-up/withdrawal crews; 1955 repair-period workers (Shepard Steamship Co. GAA, scope unrecorded); 1973 breaking-yard workers
- Limitations
- Primary custody record - handwritten/stamped status cards, manual read of scans; documents lay-up reason, the Repair Program withdrawal under Shepard Steamship GAA (Oct-Dec 1955), sale contract number PD-X-956 and price, and in-fleet modifications (cement ballast). Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. The ballast and fuel-oil notes document hull condition at entry, not hazards. Yard number '#115' is as written - see gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-effingham-apa165-04
-
[6]shipscribe.com, U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships - HASKELL (APA-117) class page: per-hull Construction, Disposition, and Notes table rows for APA-165 EFFINGHAM [other_primary]
- Locator
- APA117.html - Construction table row 165; Disposition table row 165; Notes table row '165 EFFINGHAM 131'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The class construction/disposition tables carry per-hull rows for this ship: acquired/commissioned 1 Nov 1944; keel 19 Jul 1944; launched 29 Sep 1944; builder Oregon SB. Disposition row: decommissioned 17 May 1946; struck 5 Jun 1946; to custody (disposal) 20 May 1946; fate MC/R; MARAD sale 9 Apr 1973. Notes row (MC hull 131): 'Repaired while inactive 7 Oct 55-15 Dec 55. To buyer 27 Sep 73.' Class-level type data on the same page: 6,873 t light / 12,450 t limited; 455.0' oa (436.5' pp) x 62.0' x 24.0'; 17.7 kt; 8,500 hp; complement 536 (1944); machinery 'Westinghouse, Joshua-Hendy, or Allis-Chalmers turbine, 1 screw'; armament 1x5"/38 + 1 quad 40mm + 4 twin 40mm + 10x20mm (1944-45 fit).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Limitations
- Compilation from official records (shipscribe auxiliary-ships data) naming this hull in three per-hull table rows - consistent with NHHC, NavSource, and the MARAD card on all shared dates. Its keel date of 19 Jul 1944 explains the DANFS 'transferred ... 19 July 1944' anomaly (correction row ev-06). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-effingham-apa165-05
-
[7]NHHC DANFS 'Effingham (APA-165)' (Wayback capture 20240304224145) vs MARAD status card 1ZG_01, NavSource 03165, shipscribe APA117 tables, navypedia us_aws_haskell member table, Wikipedia 'USS Effingham (APA-165)' [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC body text; MARAD card 1ZG_01 delivery lines; navsource.net 03165 spec block; shipscribe APA117.html construction row 165; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Effingham_(APA-165)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies resolved: (a) Navy-transfer date - DANFS states 'transferred to the Navy 19 July 1944', which predates launch (29 Sep 1944) and cannot be a delivery event; shipscribe records the keel date as 19 Jul 1944 and the MARAD status card records delivery by the builder to USMC at Astoria, Ore., 31 Oct 1944 7:00 PM PWT, with Navy Dept. allocation the same evening (NavSource: acquired 31 October 1944 at Astoria) - the DANFS 'transferred' figure is the keel-laying date, and actual Navy acquisition was 31 Oct-1 Nov 1944. (b) Complement - DANFS spec block cpl. 692 vs NavSource '56 officers + 480 enlisted' (536) plus 1,520 troop accommodations vs shipscribe class figure 536: all carried, unresolved (gaps). (c) Boiler vendor - NavSource's Effingham spec block says 'two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers'; sister-ship NavSource spec blocks (e.g., APA-162) and secondary class data say Babcock & Wilcox; the BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v3 per-hull row that would settle it is unreachable (PDF 404) - vendor unresolved (gaps). (d) Speed - DANFS spec block 18 kt vs NavSource 19 kt vs shipscribe class 17.7 kt: not adjudicated, treated as source-level variance.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Limitations
- Resolves the DANFS transfer-date anomaly against the MARAD primary custody record and shipscribe keel date; none of the compared sources contains asbestos information; this row supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-effingham-apa165-06
-
[8]Consolidated era/design inference - documented VC2-S-AP5 geared-steam plant (NavSource 03165 spec block; shipscribe class data; MARAD type registry) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 03165 spec block (machinery line); shipscribe APA117 class type data; MARAD Detail 1383 registry + status cards
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: this hull carried a single-screw geared-steam plant (one Westinghouse turbine, two header-type boilers at 465 psi/750 deg F; 8,500 shp) built at the peak of WWII asbestos usage - the machinery configuration for which boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, turbine lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and accommodation joiner insulation of the period were commonly asbestos-containing. Troop-space outfitting (accommodations for 80 officers + 1,440 enlisted per NavSource) added interior insulation scope. Post-Navy custody is the documented disturbance pathway for this hull: ~27 years NDRF lay-up at James River/Lee Hall (1946-1973), the Repair Program withdrawal under Shepard Steamship GAA (7 Oct-15 Dec 1955, scope unrecorded), and the 1973 breaking under PD-X-956 (Union Minerals & Alloys Corp., location not stated).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- Construction trades at Oregon SB, Portland (1944); wartime crew and embarked troops; NDRF lay-up/repair and 1973 breaking-yard workers
- Limitations
- Inference from the documented machinery plant and construction era - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming APA-165 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-effingham-apa165-07
-
[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
- 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 WWII - the era and emergency construction program under which this VC2-S-AP5 attack transport was mass-produced - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in shipbuilding.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- 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 or class and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-effingham-apa165-08
-
[10]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030 [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed record PMID 21016030; article pp. 9-16 (pipe covering material section)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned industrial-hygiene survey of WWII pipe-covering operations at two Navy yards and two Navy contract yards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite' - i.e., asbestos insulation was standard material in wartime naval-vessel construction of exactly this hull's era and type.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- survey ~1944-45; published 1946
- Population
- WWII pipe coverers and insulators at Navy and contract yards (era context)
- Limitations
- Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; does not name this vessel, class, or builder yard and establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure. (The study's exculpatory 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion has since been heavily criticized - see the 2026 critique at DOI 10.1177/10482911261446696.)
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-effingham-apa165-09
-
[11]Pruitt v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., C.A. No. 18-1101-MN-SRF (D. Del., In re Asbestos Litigation / MDL-875 track) - Report and Recommendation (2020-07-30) and Memorandum Opinion, verified via ded.uscourts.gov opinion PDFs (carried from prior Haskell-class batch litigation-surface checks) [court_record]
- Locator
- Report & Recommendation, Facts section (plaintiff's ship assignments); CourtListener API v4 opinion and RECAP search results 2026-09-25
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- The located attack-transport asbestos docket resolves to other classes: plaintiff John W. Pruitt Sr. alleged mesothelioma from asbestos exposure as a machinist mate stationed in 1958 on 'the USS Bayfield, an attack transport' (APA-33, Bayfield class) and in 1959 on USS Tolovana (AO-64, Cimarron-class oiler). CourtListener sweeps for this hull ran clean on 2026-09-25: exact query '"USS Effingham"' returned zero opinions; '"APA-165"' returned 5 opinions and 20 RECAP dockets, all Administrative Procedure Act / asset-purchase-agreement / association-name collisions; '"Effingham" asbestos' returned 15 opinions and 175 RECAP dockets, all Effingham County (GA/IL) name collisions - county government, school district, municipal, and product-liability dockets with no maritime or naval-vessel reference. No docketed asbestos opinion or filing naming USS Effingham or APA-165 was located in indexed sources.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- opinions 2020; service 1958-1963; searches 2026-09-25
- Population
- Navy veterans of APA-type auxiliaries (type context)
- Limitations
- Different hulls and classes - carried only to document that the APA-type litigation surface exists while no Effingham/Haskell-specific docket was found. Deposition-stage exposure descriptions in that docket are allegations, not findings. RECAP indexing covers only fetched dockets/documents; county-name sweeps under-cover filings that name the ship without 'asbestos' on the docket text - residual risk noted.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-effingham-apa165-10
-
[12]Batch-2238 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via Wayback; NavSource 03165; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1383 incl. status-card scans; shipscribe APA-117 class tables; CourtListener opinion and RECAP sweeps; indexed-web litigation checks; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-effingham-apa165-01 through sl-uss-effingham-apa165-14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Effingham / APA-165 / M.C.V. Hull 131 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The MARAD status cards - the fullest primary custody record located - mention no asbestos or insulation material anywhere (their only materials note is cement ballast in the #2 and #4 lower holds). Law-firm marketing pages do carry dedicated 'USS Effingham asbestos' content (e.g., asbestos-ships.com) but are boilerplate ship-list pages containing no documentation - excluded per sourcing rules.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944 geared-steam transport is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and her ~27 years in NDRF custody, the Oct-Dec 1955 repair withdrawal, and the 1973 breaking are undocumented disturbance phases at the materials level. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-effingham-apa165-11
-
[13]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel - Navy deck logs), RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357 (Records of the Maritime Administration) [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Effingham Nov 1944-May 1946 (RG 24, NARA College Park); BuShips records incl. VC2-S-AP5 contract plans and Booklets of General Plans (RG 19); USMC construction-contract records for M.C.V. Hull 131 at Oregon Shipbuilding (RG 178); MARAD/NDRF custody files covering the 1946-1973 lay-up, the 1955 Repair Program withdrawal to Shepard Steamship Co., and the 1973 PD-X-956 sale file (RG 357). The MARAD ShipHistory status-card scans for this hull WERE retrieved (ev-04); deeper document-level holdings (repair scope, condition surveys) remain unexamined.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973 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-effingham-apa165-12