Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
-
[1]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'Elba' entry [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS 'Elba' entry; live page returned 404 on 2026-09-20 (consistent with batch-01 link-rot finding); verbatim text verified via Wayback capture 2024-05-26 (web.archive.org/web/20240526092644/...) and the hazegray DANFS mirror (losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/ag132.htm)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry 'Elba' (AG-132): 'built in 1944 by Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp., Whitestone, Long Island, N.Y., for the Army as FS-267; acquired by the Navy at Guam 14 March 1947; renamed and commissioned 3 July 1947, Lieutenant (junior grade) G. Rhys in command. She was reclassified AKL-3, 31 March 1949.' From Guam she 'steadily carried passengers, mail, cargo and Government officials among the Caroline, Mariana, Marshall, and Palau island groups' under Commander, Service Division 51, '[w]ith time out for two brief overhauls at Pearl Harbor'; decommissioned 27 July 1951 at Guam; transferred 29 January 1952 to the Department of the Interior. Spec block: dp. 520; l. 177'; b. 33'; dr. 10'; s. 13 k.; cpl. 26; cl. Camano. Namesake: 'An island off the coast of Georgia.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1952
- Population
- Navy crew (complement 26 per spec block); Trust Territory passengers/officials carried
- Limitations
- Official narrative history; contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation statement - supports identity, custody, and service only. Ends coverage at the 1952 Interior transfer; the strike date and post-Interior fate are not in DANFS.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elba-ag132-01
-
[2]NavSource Naval History, Service Ship Photo Archive - USS Elba (AKL-3) ex AG-132, FS-267 (S-1111) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource archives/09/49/49132.htm - chronology, spec block, CO list, photo captions (NHHC L45-83.03.01; Adams Apra 1951)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive page for USS Elba (AKL-3) ex-AG-132 ex-FS-267 (S-1111): laid down as FS-267 for the U.S. Army at Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp., Whitestone, Long Island, N.Y.; commissioned USAV FS-267 18 September 1944 at New York, LT E. W. Stachle, USCGR, in command; after a Davisville, R.I. trip departed New York 10 October 1944 for the Southwest Pacific (US Army Small Ship Section); decommissioned July 1945 with custody to the Navy Department in the Pacific; acquired by the Navy 14 March 1947 at Apra, Guam; commissioned USS Elba (AG-132) 3 July 1947, LTjg Glenn Rhys USN; reclassified AKL-3 31 March 1949; decommissioned 27 July 1951 at Apra; transferred to the Department of the Interior 29 January 1952. Commanding officers: Rhys (to 3 Mar 1949), LTjg M. Jackson (to 27 Apr 1950), LT Wladyslaw S. Biernat (to 27 Jul 1951). Spec block: 550 t.; 177'; 33'; 10'; 12 kts.; cpl. 42; two 500-hp GM Cleveland 6-278A diesels, twin propellers. Photographs include NHHC catalog no. L45-83.03.01 (Elba off Pearl Harbor channel, 11 Dec 1948) and Willard Adams images moored inboard of USS Camano (AKL-1) at Apra Harbor 1 July 1951.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1952
- Population
- USCG crew 1944-45 (FS-267); Navy crew 1947-51 (AG-132/AKL-3)
- Limitations
- Compiled custodial/photographic record, not an official document; converges with DANFS on Navy-period dates. Lists strike date and final disposition as unknown - the Shipscribe ship note (ev-03) supplies both. Its companion FS-267 index page (07267.htm) carries a conflicting Philippine merchant chain - see correction row ev-08. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elba-ag132-02
-
[3]Shipscribe (T. Colton / S. S. Roberts), 'USS Camano (AKL 1, FS Design 381 Part 1) Class' - class data, class notes, construction/disposition tables, ship notes [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipscribe.com/usnaux2/AKL/AKL01.html - class header, construction row AKL-3, disposition row, class notes (AG 130-141 paragraph), ship note AKL-3
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Shipscribe (Colton/Roberts) Camano-class page (AKL 1, FS Design 381): class data - Design 381 'Vessel, Supply, Diesel, Steel, 176\'', specs dated 1 Jun 1943 with eight addenda to 16 Aug 1944; 520 lt / 940 full; 177' oa; accommodations 4 officers + 33 enlisted; 13 kt; 1,000 hp geared diesel, 2 screws; all class units had Cleveland diesels. Construction table: ELBA (ex-AG 132) - acquired 14 Mar 1947, Wheeler SB (listed as 'Brooklyn'), contract 24 Apr 1943, completed 2 Oct 1944, commissioned 3 Jul 1947. Disposition table: decommissioned 27 Jul 1951; stricken 18 Jan 1952; disposal 29 Jan 1952 (transfer). Class notes: twelve ex-Army FS hulls classified AG 130-141 (AG 132 and 133 on 2 Apr 1947) and named 3 Apr 1947 after U.S. islands; reclassified AKL effective 31 Mar 1949; six loaned to Interior Jul 1951. Ship note: '(ex-AG 132 31 Mar 1949, ex-FS 267, compl. 2 Oct 1944). Relieved LSM 441 in the Marianas. Loan to Dept. of the Interior 27 Jul 1951, trf. 29 Jan 1952 as ELBA. Sold 1957, merc. TRITON 1957, MORELIA 1962. Wrecked 6 Aug 1962 near San Jose del Cabo, Baja California.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1962
- Population
- Navy crew 1947-51; Interior-era crew to 1957; merchant crews to 1962
- Limitations
- Scholarly compilation from official records and Miramar - the most complete source for designation chronology and fate, but secondary, not a primary document. Builder column reads 'Wheeler SB, Brooklyn' where DANFS and the Wheeler yard table place this hull at the Whitestone plant - resolved in ev-08. 'Completed 2 Oct 1944' conflicts with 18 Sep 1944 delivery/commissioning elsewhere - logged. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elba-ag132-03
-
[4]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 1944 Army freight-supply hull was built at Wheeler Shipbuilding, with wartime demand driving unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard government-built hulls.
- 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, this design, or the Wheeler yard, 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-elba-ag132-04
-
[5]Shipscribe Camano-class data (Design 381 machinery and accommodations, this record ev-03) + NavSource spec block (ev-02) + GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- Shipscribe AKL01 class header (machinery: geared diesel, 1,000 hp, 2 screws); NavSource spec block (2x GM Cleveland 6-278A 500 hp diesels); GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403 on prior batch attempts; product-page description used)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for a diesel-powered 1944 steel supply vessel built at the wartime asbestos-use peak: NO boilers or steam plant - the boiler-lagging and steam-line pathway does not apply to this hull (twin GM Cleveland 6-278A diesels, 2 screws). Plausible asbestos applications on this type concentrate in engine and exhaust-system insulation, gaskets and packing in the engineering spaces, electrical insulation and cable, deck coverings, accommodation-space insulation, and friction linings on winches. GAO HRD-80-2 documents that the Navy did not begin systematic asbestos substitution in ship construction until the early 1970s - decades after this hull was built and a decade after she was wrecked.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1962
- Population
- Wheeler Shipbuilding construction trades (Whitestone, 1944); USCG-manned Army crew 1944-45; Navy crew 1947-51; Interior/merchant crews 1951-1962
- Limitations
- Class/era and design inference only - no hull-level material schedule, insulation spec, survey, or photograph exists in the public record for this ship, and she was wrecked in 1962 so no in-situ record is expected to emerge. Does not establish presence, absence, or quantity of ACM aboard at any time, nor exposure or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elba-ag132-05
-
[6]Batch-630 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live + Wayback + hazegray mirror); NavSource (AG-132 and FS-267 pages); Shipscribe; shipbuildinghistory Wheeler table; MARAD ShipHistory (application error); NVR; CourtListener (429-blocked) + site: web-index screening; hull-name asbestos web sweeps; Atlas shipyards.json [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-elba-ag132-01 through sl-uss-elba-ag132-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, insulation schedule, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming this hull under any designation (FS-267, AG-132, AKL-3, TRITON, MORELIA) was found in the public sources searched - DANFS, NavSource, and Shipscribe contain no asbestos statement; MARAD ShipHistory was unreachable; NVR does not cover this pre-1987 disposal. CourtListener API v4 was rate-limited (HTTP 429, 125/day cap, ~13.5h retry window) during the research window; indirect web-index queries of the CourtListener corpus returned only name collisions (Elba Nursing & Rehabilitation, AKL Transport, Aaron Katz Law 'AKL', unrelated docket-number artifacts) - no hull-named or qualifying asbestos opinion located, partial coverage only.
- 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 1944 steel hull is era-consistent with era-standard asbestos materials, but nothing ship-specific exists to test that inference, and the hull's 1962 wreck forecloses future in-situ documentation. Does not establish that asbestos is or was not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. Litigation coverage is incomplete pending an unthrottled CourtListener pass.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elba-ag132-06
-
[7]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Naval Personnel - deck logs), RG 26 (U.S. Coast Guard), RG 336 (Chief of Transportation); NHHC photo catalog no. L45-83.03.01 (via NavSource) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov RG guides; NavSource 49132.htm photo caption for NHHC L45-83.03.01
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room work; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 Navy deck logs for AG-132/AKL-3, 1947-1951; (b) RG 26 (U.S. Coast Guard) records for the USCG-manned USAV FS-267 period, 1944-45 - NavSource documents commissioning officers by name (Stachle); (c) RG 336 (Office of the Chief of Transportation) Army FS-vessel files for FS-267 construction/operation under the 24 Apr 1943 contract; (d) Department of the Interior records behind the 1957 sale and Trust Territory operation 1952-1957. The NHHC photo catalog (L45-83.03.01, Elba off Pearl Harbor 11 Dec 1948) confirms an official imagery record exists.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1962 records
- Limitations
- Record-path 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-elba-ag132-07
-
[8]NavSource FS-267 index page (archives/30/07/07267.htm) vs Shipscribe ship note (ev-03) and shipbuildinghistory.com Wheeler Shipbuilding Whitestone yard table (hull 81 row) vs DANFS/NavSource AG-132 page [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource archives/30/07/07267.htm (conflicting chain); shipbuildinghistory.com Wheeler Whitestone table hull 81 (FS-267, 560 LDT, 176 ft, del. 18-Sep-44, 'USCG-manned, to USN 1947 as USS Elba (AG 132). later AKL 3, to Dept. of Interior 1952'); yard history notes Brooklyn vs Whitestone plants
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Secondary-source discrepancies resolved or logged: (a) FATE CONFLICT - NavSource's separate FS-267 photo-index page (archives/30/07/07267.htm) carries a Philippine merchant chain ('Sold ... to Philippines Presidents Lines, Inc., renamed MV President Quezon ... renamed MV Tacloban ... foundered in 1971') that contradicts NavSource's own AG-132 page, the Shipscribe ship note (TRITON 1957, MORELIA 1962, wrecked 6 Aug 1962 near San Jose del Cabo), the shipbuilding-history Wheeler yard table (hull 81: FS-267 'to USN 1947 as USS Elba (AG 132). later AKL 3, to Dept. of Interior 1952'), and Wikipedia; treated as a data-merge error on the FS-index page, and the Shipscribe chain is carried. (b) BUILDER SITE - Shipscribe's table reads 'Wheeler SB, Brooklyn'; shipbuildinghistory.com documents two Wheeler yards - the original Brooklyn plant (minesweepers, CG patrol craft) and the Whitestone yard that built tugs and coastal freighters incl. hull 81 = FS-267; DANFS and NavSource both say Whitestone - Whitestone carried. (c) COMPLETION - Shipscribe 'completed 2 Oct 1944' vs 18 Sep 1944 delivery (Wheeler table) and USAV commissioning (NavSource) - unresolved minor variance. (d) STRIKE DATE - Shipscribe disposition table 18 Jan 1952 vs NavSource 'unknown' - Shipscribe carried, flagged. (e) The same FS-index page is internally inconsistent on the 1944 commissioning (timeline '1 September 1944, LT H. E. Dennis' vs narrative 'commissioned ... 18 September 1944 ... Lt. E. W. Stachle') - the 18 Sep/Stachle version is corroborated by the AG-132 page.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1971
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level conflicts among secondary/compilatory sources; does not add any asbestos information. The Philippine-chain version persists in the NavSource FS-index page and may propagate elsewhere - the wheeler yard table (which ties hull 81 explicitly to Elba/AKL-3/Interior) and Shipscribe are the controlling sources here.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elba-ag132-08