USS Elokomin (AO-55)

Evidence

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

1. [1]NavSource Online, USS Elokomin (AO-55) spec block (propulsion plant attribution); design-type inference from MARAD T3-S2-A1 designation [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource AO-55 page, Specifications section (propulsion, boilers)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull is a 1943 Maritime Commission T3-S2-A1 fleet oiler with a high-pressure steam plant (four Foster Wheeler 'K'-type boilers, 450 psi/750 deg F; two geared steam turbines, 13,500 shp). Steam plants of this type and era were insulated with asbestos-containing materials - boiler and steam-drum insulation, steam-line lagging, valve/flange gaskets, machinery packing, insulation felts - and auxiliary machinery (winches, windlass) carried asbestos brake linings. Wartime hulls of this class were built to emergency Maritime Commission specifications during the period when asbestos supply was reserved for shipbuilding.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1943 construction; 1943-1970 service

   Population

   Construction trades (Bethlehem Sparrows Point, 1943); Navy engine-room, boiler-room, and maintenance crew

   Limitations

   Class/design and era inference, not a hull record - no materials specification, construction drawing, or insulation schedule for MC hull 721 was located, and the NavSource spec block is a contributor compilation, not a primary document. Asbestos presence aboard this hull is era-consistent but not ship-proven. Does not establish quantity, present-day presence, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-elokomin-ao55-01

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 and emergency-construction program under which this T3-S2-A1 fleet oiler was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and merchant-type hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   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 or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-elokomin-ao55-02

3. [3]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval History Division) - Elokomin (AO-55) entry, via ibiblio/HyperWar and hazegray transcription mirrors [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS AO-55 entry (ibiblio HyperWar transcription; identical text at hazegray.org/danfs/auxil/ao55.htm). Canonical NHHC URL history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/e/elokomin.html returned 404 on 2026-09-24 (standing link rot, same as batches 01/804).

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS: Elokomin (AO-55), a Cimarron-class oiler (dp. 7,236; l. 553'; b. 75'; dr. 32'4"; s. 18.3 k.; cpl. 298; a. 1 5", 4 3"), named for a river in Washington State, was launched 19 October 1943 by Bethlehem Steel Shipyards, Sparrow's Point, Md., under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. C. M. Marcey; and commissioned 30 November 1943, Commander J. A. Ivaldi, USNR, in command. January-August 1944 she was almost constantly at sea transporting fuel oil, diesel oil, and gasoline from Gulf ports to Norfolk, New York, Argentia, and Bermuda; on 2 September she sailed with a convoy for Oran, Algeria, refueling escorts en route; reached Bermuda 14 October; made two similar voyages to Casablanca; served as station tanker at Bermuda March-April 1945. Postwar she operated from Norfolk along the east coast and on fleet exercises, alternating with 6th Fleet Mediterranean tours and NATO exercises in European waters through 1962 (the DANFS narrative ends there - the entry was written mid-service).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1943-1962

   Limitations

   Authoritative official history for identity, construction, and service outline through 1962; the printed 'transferred to the Navy 30 January 1943' is internally impossible (keel laid 9 March 1943) - treated as a misprint, see correction row. The entry predates decommissioning and contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or condition statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-elokomin-ao55-03

4. [4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - ELOKOMIN (AO-55), Ship History Detail 5898, including digitized Vessel Status Card and MA-20 Record of Ship Sales (images read directly) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 5898; status card image /cards/d16654fa-49b9-4f92-b0bd-5bc7b0eca9db.png; MA-20 sale card /cards/5898_AF.jpg

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record (Detail 5898) and its two digitized cards document: T3-S2-A1 tanker, MC hull 721, built by Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard, Baltimore, Md., completed 11-30-43; delivered to Navy Dept. by purchase at Sparrows Point, Md., 11-30-43 noon; permanently transferred (title) to the Maritime Administration at Philadelphia, Penna., 11-2-70; sold the same day for $302,500.00 to Mr. Isaac Varela, Desguaces Varela, Grao, Castellon de la Plana, Spain (scrap), under disposal PD-X-885 (advertised 10-1-70, bids opened 10-29-70; an earlier offering under PD-X-883, advertised 8-28-70, opened 9-18-70, drew no bids); physically delivered to J. H. Winchester & Co. (agents for Isaac Varela) at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 3-2-71 11:45 PM EST. Card fields: dimensions 553' x 75'; DWT 14,800; gross tons 7,470 light / 25,450 full load; draft 34'; vessel located at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard at sale. Database mission tags: World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War; fate 'Sold - Scrap'.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1943-1971

   Limitations

   Primary government custody/disposal record; the cards are the controlling source for acquisition (11-30-43), title transfer (11-2-70), sale price ($302,500.00 - NavSource's $302,000 is a transcription variant), and physical delivery (3-2-71). Mission tags appear to mark war eras during which the ship was in commission - DANFS and photographic evidence place her in Atlantic/Mediterranean service, and no theater-of-war deployment detail is documented for Korea or Vietnam. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-elokomin-ao55-04

5. [5]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - USS Elokomin (AO-55), Fleet Oiler (AO) Photo Index [other_primary]

   Locator

   AO-55 page: chronology, spec block, awards, commanding-officer list, photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource contributor-compiled ship page (with dated U.S. Navy and National Archives photographs) documents: laid down 9 March 1943 as MC hull 721 (T3-S2-A1) at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Point, Md.; launched 19 October 1943; acquired and commissioned 30 November 1943; decommissioned circa 1970; stricken date unknown; title transferred to MARAD 2 November 1970 at Philadelphia; sold for scrapping to Isaac Varela/Desguaces Varela, Spain, delivered to agents J. H. Winchester & Co. 2 March 1971. Photo captions document the ship off Sparrows Point 1 December 1943 (U.S. National Archives RG-19-LCM photo 19-N-55696); in dry dock at Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Baltimore, during overhaul circa 1962-63 (U.S. Navy photo); refueling USS Power (DD-839) in the Mediterranean 7 August 1967; underway replenishment with USS Saratoga (CVA-60) 1967; refueling alongside USS Little Rock (CLG-4) in the Mediterranean 1 November 1969 (USN photo K-79305); and off San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1968. Spec block: displacement 7,236 t. light / 25,440 t. full; 553' x 73' x 32'4"; complement 20 officers + 291 enlisted; cargo 16,350 DWT (oil 123,700 bbls; gasoline 780,000 gals); propulsion as summarized in propulsion_summary. Awards listed: Navy Expeditionary Medal (2-Cuba), American Campaign Medal, EAME Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal (2), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1943-1971

   Limitations

   Contributor compilation, not a primary document - but its photo captions cite U.S. Navy/National Archives originals (RG-19-LCM 19-N-55696; USN K-79305), and its disposal line agrees with the MARAD cards. The circa-1962-63 overhaul at Maryland Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Baltimore, is a documented availability event whose work scope (including any insulation work) is not described - asbestos scope is inference only. Complement (311) conflicts with DANFS (298) - logged, not merged; beam 73' conflicts with DANFS/MARAD 75' - variants logged. Contains no asbestos statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-elokomin-ao55-05

6. [6]Rivers v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 469 (1997), CourtListener opinion 8205298; Skelly v. Laird, 317 F. Supp. 395 (S.D. Cal. 1970), CourtListener opinion 8798434; In re Skelly, 9th Cir. 1971 (appeal dismissed as moot, opinion withdrawn) [court_record]

   Locator

   CourtListener API v4 opinion searches 'Elokomin' (2 hits) and 'AO-55' (3 hits), plus docket search 'Elokomin' (2 hits, both noise); Rivers record at R. 92 (buddy statement naming U.S.S. Elokomin, Dec. 1944)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener searches by exact ship name ('Elokomin') and hull number ('AO-55') returned no qualifying asbestos litigation. The two name hits are non-asbestos: (a) Rivers v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 469 (Vet. App. 1997) - veterans-benefits appeal for a lumbar-disc condition; USS Elokomin appears only in a 1944 'buddy statement' recounting the veteran's fall from a ladder aboard the ship in December 1944; (b) Skelly v. Laird, 317 F. Supp. 395 (S.D. Cal. 1970) - habeas corpus petition by a Navy lieutenant seeking conscientious-objector discharge; the opinion names USS Elokomin (AO-55) in the petitioner's service context, and his Vietnam orders were the backdrop of the claim. On appeal, the Ninth Circuit dismissed as moot after Skelly's discharge and withdrew its 1971 opinion - no appellate adjudication on the merits. 'AO-55' hits were docket-number collisions (e.g., Fla. First Nat. Bank v. Martin, 449 So. 2d 861) and OCR noise, not the ship.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1944 event referenced; litigation 1970-1997

   Limitations

   Litigation-stage discipline applied: both opinions merely mention the ship in service-history recitals - neither concerns asbestos, exposure, or any condition aboard the hull. Skelly's merits disposition is the district court's denial of habeas; the appellate opinion was withdrawn (moot after discharge), so no appellate holding exists. These rows establish the absence of located asbestos dockets, not the absence of exposure or claims filed under other captions.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-elokomin-ao55-06

7. [7]Batch-1902 search ledger (this record): DANFS mirrors; MARAD ShipHistory 5898 + status/sale cards; NavSource; NVR; CourtListener API v4 (name + hull searches); web-wide asbestos/litigation search [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-elokomin-ao55-01 through sl-uss-elokomin-ao55-10

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, condition report, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Elokomin (AO-55) / MC hull 721 was found in the public sources searched (DANFS, MARAD ShipHistory incl. both digitized cards, NavSource, NVR, CourtListener, web-wide litigation/name search - see search_ledger). The hull was sold foreign for dismantling (Spain, 1970-71) - predating the Navy's late-1970s asbestos-control programs and NESHAP demolition documentation - so no U.S.-regulated abatement record was ever expected to exist for this hull. The ship does appear on bulk law-firm marketing lists of Navy hulls (e.g., mesotheliomabook.com oiler/tanker list; hartyjewell.com Norfolk Naval Shipyard page, which even mislabels her 'DD-774') - those lists enumerate every Navy ship and carry no ship-specific evidence; classified non-qualifying and not cited as sources.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   2026-09-24

   Limitations

   Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943 T3-S2-A1 steam oiler is era-consistent with asbestos-containing construction materials, and a foreign-scrapped hull leaves no surviving-fabric evidence to test. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-elokomin-ao55-07

8. [8]DANFS AO-55 entry vs MARAD vessel status card and MA-20 sale card (Detail 5898) vs NavSource AO-55 page vs secondary compilations [other_primary]

   Locator

   MARAD status card (Navy Dept. delivery 11-30-43 Noon, Sparrows Pt., Md.); MA-20 card (price field); DANFS entry text; NavSource chronology

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies resolved or logged: (a) Acquisition date - DANFS prints 'transferred to the Navy 30 January 1943,' an impossible date (keel laid 9 March 1943; launched October 1943). The MARAD vessel status card records Navy Dept. purchase/delivery at Sparrows Point, Md., 11-30-43 noon - the commissioning date - and NavSource records acquisition 30 November 1943. '30 January 1943' is treated as a DANFS misprint; 30 November 1943 adopted. (b) Sale price - MARAD MA-20 Record of Ship Sales records $302,500.00; NavSource transcribes $302,000.00. The MARAD card is the primary document; $302,500.00 adopted. (c) Beam - NavSource 73' vs DANFS and MARAD card 75'; variants logged, not merged. (d) Decommissioning date - 'circa 1970' (NavSource) vs 17 March 1970 (secondary compilations: NavalCoverMuseum, Wikipedia infobox); no primary source located - carried as unverified. (e) Stricken date - not located in any source (NavSource explicitly 'date unknown').

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1943-1971

   Limitations

   Resolves publication-level discrepancies against the primary custody record; does not materially affect identity or service timeline. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-elokomin-ao55-08

9. [9]Delco Times (Delaware County Daily Times), 'Fred Borda' profile, 2009-01-20 [reputable_press]

   Locator

   Article text: assignment aboard Elokomin, maintenance duties, convoy description, Schuylkill River sighting

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Published veteran account (reputable regional press): Delco Times (Delaware County, Pa.) 20 January 2009 profile of former crewman Fred Borda documents service aboard USS Elokomin (AO-55) during WWII - assignment to a maintenance detail, chipping paint and scraping rust, and transatlantic convoy fuel-shuttle duty consistent with the DANFS narrative; the article describes the ship's capacity (~125,000 barrels of fuel, consistent with the NavSource spec block) and records Borda sighting the laid-up ship in the Schuylkill River (Philadelphia) nearly 30 years after his Navy service - consistent with the MARAD-recorded disposal location at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1943-1945 service; article 2009

   Population

   One named WWII crewman (maintenance detail)

   Limitations

   A veteran's recollection published 60+ years after service - corroborates crew presence and maintenance-activity narrative only. The account misstates the commissioning location ('commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard' - the MARAD card records delivery at Sparrows Point, Md.) and asserts the ship 'was leased to civilians for a while' before disposal - no record supports a civilian lease; flagged as recollection error. Contains no asbestos statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-elokomin-ao55-09

10. [10]NARA record-group guidance (RG 19 Bureau of Ships; RG 24 deck logs; RG 178 U.S. Maritime Commission) and NHHC holdings - mapped leads only [other_primary]

    Locator

    RG 19-LCM photo index (19-N-55696 cited via NavSource caption); RG 24 deck logs; RG 178 MC contract records

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 19-LCM holds launch-day photo 19-N-55696 (off Sparrows Point, 1 December 1943) - the photo series may include construction/outfitting views; (b) WWII and postwar deck logs (RG 24, NARA College Park) document operation locations and could corroborate the undocumented 1962-1970 period (DANFS narrative ends at 1962); (c) Maritime Commission contract and construction records for MC hull 721 (RG 178) may hold outfitting/insulation specifications; (d) Philadelphia Naval Shipyard disposal/inactivation records for the 1970 decommissioning and pre-sale preparation; (e) command histories and the ship's Booklet of General Plans, if surviving (NARA RG 19 / NHHC).

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    1943-1971 records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for MC hull 721 is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-elokomin-ao55-10