Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
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[1]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'Estero' (AG-134) entry [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS 'Estero' entry; live page returned 404 on 2026-09-20 (consistent with batch-01 link-rot finding) and archive.org returned temporarily-offline during the window; verbatim text verified via the hazegray DANFS mirror (losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/ag134.htm)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry 'Estero' (AG-134): 'The second Estero (AG-134) which originally served with the Army as FS-275, was acquired by the Navy in March 1947 and commissioned on 5 July, Lieutenant (junior grade) H. E. Toponce, in command. She was employed in logistics support of the administration of the United Nations Trust Territories, calling throughout the Marshalls, Carolines, and Marianas. On 31 March 1949 she was reclassified AKL-5.' Korean War: 'fitted out for emergency ammunition carrying service, participating thereafter in the Inchon invasion (15 September 1950). Early in 1951 she was converted to carried refrigerated cargo, and in September resumed cargo duty bearing supplies to warships until the end of hostilities.' 'From 25 August to 2 September 1954 she made five trips in support of Operation "Passage to Freedom", the evacuation of refugees from North Viet-Nam.' May-July 1957: transported an Air Force team surveying habitability of prospective stations in the Sulu Sea. 'During the Formosan crisis in 1957-58, she rendered important support with emergency lifting of ammunition from Japan to Taiwan.' Shuttled supplies among Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong until decommissioned 22 January 1960; stricken 1 February 1960. 'Estero earned seven battle stars in the Korean war.' Spec block: dp. 500; l. 177'; b. 33'; dr. 10'; s. 12 k.; cpl. 26; cl. Camano. Namesake: 'An island off the coast of Florida.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1947-1960
- Population
- Navy crew (complement 26 per spec block)
- Limitations
- Official narrative history; contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation statement - supports identity, custody, and service only. Ends coverage at the 1960 striking; the merchant-phase fate is not in DANFS. The 1951 refrigerated-cargo conversion location and material scope are not stated.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-estero-ag134-01
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[2]NavSource Naval History, Service Ship Photo Archive - USS Estero (AKL-5) ex AG-134, ex USAT FS-275 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource archives/09/49/49134.htm - chronology, spec block, Korean War campaign table, CO list, NARA-photo caption (Sasebo 23 Oct 1953)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive page for USS Estero (AKL-5) ex-AG-134 ex-USAT FS-275: laid down date unknown as FS-275 for the U.S. Army at Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp., Whitestone, Long Island, N.Y.; commissioned USAV FS-275 8 November 1944 at New York, LT. H. L. Sutcliffe, USCGR, in command; departed New York 3 December 1944 for the Southwest Pacific where she operated during the war; decommissioned date unknown; acquired by the Navy March 1947; commissioned USS Estero (AG-134) 5 July 1947, LTjg H. E. Toponce; reclassified AKL-5 31 March 1949; Operation 'Passage to Freedom' 25 Aug-2 Sep 1954; decommissioned 22 January 1960; struck 1 February 1960; 'Final Disposition, fate unknown.' Korean War campaign table lists seven campaigns: North Korean Aggression (18 Sep-5 Oct 1950), Inchon Landing (14-17 Sep 1950), UN Summer-Fall Offensive (Sep-Nov 1951), Second Korean Winter (Dec 1951-Apr 1952), Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952, Third Korean Winter (Mar 1953), Korean Summer-Fall 1953. Spec block: 550 t.; 177'; 33'; 10'; 12 kts.; cpl. 42; two 500-hp GM Cleveland Division 6-278A 6-cyl diesel engines, twin propellers. CO list: Toponce (5 Jul 1947), LT Tom Watson (1950-18 Oct 1952), LT Angelo Buccini (18 Oct 1952-14 Feb 1954), LT John George Denham (1955), LT Nicholas Brown (1958). Photo: Estero underway at Sasebo, Japan, 23 Oct 1953 (cropped U.S. National Archives photo).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1960
- Population
- USCG-manned Army crew 1944-45+ (FS-275); Navy crew 1947-60 (AG-134/AKL-5)
- Limitations
- Compiled custodial/photographic record, not an official document; converges with DANFS on Navy-period dates. Lists final disposition as unknown - the Shipscribe ship note (ev-03) supplies the merchant trail. Spec-block complement (42) conflicts with DANFS (26) - flagged in ev-08. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-estero-ag134-02
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[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 (special source: Miramar Ship Index) [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipscribe.com/usnaux2/AKL/AKL01.html - class header, construction row AKL-5, disposition row, class notes (AG 130-141 paragraph), ship note AKL-5
- 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: ESTERO (ex-AG 134) - acquired 22 Feb 1947, Wheeler SB (listed as 'Brooklyn'), contract 24 Apr 1943, completed 8 Nov 1944, commissioned 5 Jul 1947. Disposition table: decommissioned 22 Jan 1960; stricken 1 Feb 1960; disposal 5 Jul 1960 (Navy sale). Class notes: twelve ex-Army FS hulls classified AG 130-141 as of 27 Feb 1947 for Marianas/Marshall/Caroline services previously performed by LSMs; named 3 Apr 1947 after U.S. islands; reclassified AKL 1-14 effective 31 Mar 1949. Ship note: '(ex-AG 134 31 Mar 1949, ex-FS 275, compl. 8 Nov 1944). Relieved LSM 435 in the Marianas. On Navy sale list Feb 1960. Merc. PRESIDENTE QUIRINO 1960, finally DON JOLLY 1976, reported sold to BU Sep 1994.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1994
- Population
- Navy crew 1947-60; merchant crews 1960-1994
- Limitations
- Scholarly compilation from official records and Miramar - the most complete source for designation chronology and fate, but secondary, not a primary document. 'Acquired 22 Feb 1947' conflicts with DANFS/NavSource 'March 1947' - logged in ev-08. Builder column reads 'Wheeler SB, Brooklyn' where DANFS and the Wheeler yard table place this hull at the Whitestone plant - resolved in ev-08. Merchant trail ('reported sold to BU Sep 1994') is single-source via Miramar. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-estero-ag134-03
-
[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-estero-ag134-04
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[5]Shipscribe Camano-class data (Design 381 machinery and accommodations, this record ev-03) + NavSource spec block (ev-02) + DANFS conversion events (ev-01) + 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); DANFS narrative (1950 ammo fit-out, early-1951 refrigerated-cargo conversion); 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. Two documented mid-service yard events are this hull's most plausible asbestos-relevant events: the 1950 emergency-ammunition fit-out at the Korean War outbreak and the early-1951 conversion to refrigerated cargo (refrigerated-hold insulation work era-typically involved insulating materials of the peak-asbestos period) - the conversion's yard, scope, and materials are undocumented in the sources found. GAO HRD-80-2 documents that the Navy did not begin systematic asbestos substitution in ship construction until the early 1970s - covering both events.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1960
- Population
- Wheeler Shipbuilding construction trades (Whitestone, 1944); USCG-manned Army crew 1944-45+; Navy crew 1947-60; yard workers on the 1950-51 conversions (location undocumented); merchant crews 1960-1994
- 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 the hull was reportedly broken up in 1994 so no in-situ record is expected to emerge. The refrigerated conversion is a documented event with undocumented material scope; 'insulation work' is era-typical inference, not a documented fact for this hull. Does not establish presence, absence, or quantity of ACM aboard at any time, nor exposure or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-estero-ag134-05
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[6]Batch-632 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live + hazegray mirror); NavSource (AG-134 page; FS-275 index page unreachable); Shipscribe; shipbuildinghistory Wheeler table; MARAD ShipHistory (application error); NVR; CourtListener (429/403-blocked) + site: web-index screening; hull-name asbestos web sweeps; Atlas shipyards.json [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-estero-ag134-01 through sl-uss-estero-ag134-12
- 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-275, AG-134, AKL-5, PRESIDENTE QUIRINO, DON JOLLY) was found in the public sources searched - DANFS, NavSource, and Shipscribe contain no asbestos statement; MARAD ShipHistory returned application errors; NVR does not cover this pre-1987 disposal. CourtListener API v4 was rate-limited (HTTP 429, 'Expected available in ~35830 seconds') and the public web interface returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch during the research window; indirect web-index queries of the CourtListener corpus returned only name collisions (Estero, Florida real-estate/ADA/marine cases - Estero Island, Estero Bay, city of Estero) - no hull-named or qualifying asbestos opinion located, partial coverage only. Asbestos-marketing list pages that name 'USS Estero' attach to CVE-42, the first Estero (escort carrier, to RN as HMS Premier) - a different hull.
- 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 reported 1994 breakup 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-estero-ag134-06
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[7]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 24 (Naval Personnel - deck logs), RG 26 (U.S. Coast Guard), RG 336 (Chief of Transportation); NARA photo captioned via NavSource [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov RG guides; NavSource 49134.htm photo caption (Sasebo, 23 Oct 1953, cropped NARA photo)
- 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-134/AKL-5, 1947-1960 - this hull had an unusually long Navy career for the class and the logs would document the 1950 ammunition fit-out and 1951 refrigerated-cargo conversion locations; (b) RG 26 (U.S. Coast Guard) records for the USCG-manned USAV FS-275 period, 1944-45 - NavSource documents commissioning officer LT H. L. Sutcliffe, USCGR; (c) RG 336 (Office of the Chief of Transportation) Army FS-vessel files for FS-275 construction/operation under the 24 Apr 1943 contract; (d) RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) ShipAlt/alteration records that may document the 1951 refrigerated-cargo conversion's material scope - the single most promising asbestos-relevant lead for this hull; (e) the U.S. National Archives photograph of Estero at Sasebo, 23 Oct 1953, captioned on the NavSource page, confirms an official imagery record exists.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1994 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-estero-ag134-07
-
[8]Shipscribe construction table vs DANFS/NavSource; Wikipedia infobox; NavSource 'fate unknown' vs Shipscribe/Miramar merchant trail; shipbuildinghistory.com Wheeler Shipbuilding Whitestone yard table (hull 89 row); koreanwar.org unit page [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com Wheeler Whitestone table hull 89 (FS 275, US Army coastal freighter, 560 LDT, 176 ft, delivered 6-Nov-44, 'USCG-manned, to USN 1947 as USS Estero (AG 134), later AKL 5, struck 1960'); Shipscribe AKL01 construction/disposition/ship-note rows; Wikipedia 'USS Estero (AG-134)' infobox; koreanwar.org/html/units/navy/uss_estero.htm
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Secondary-source discrepancies resolved or logged: (a) ACQUISITION DATE - Shipscribe construction table 'acquired 22 Feb 1947' vs DANFS and NavSource 'March 1947' - unresolved minor variance (consistent with class notes: twelve hulls designated for AG classification as of 27 Feb 1947, named 3 Apr 1947); DANFS 'March 1947' carried. (b) WIKIPEDIA FATE ERROR - Wikipedia's infobox reads 'Sold commercial 1946, scrapped September 1994'; '1946' is impossible (the ship was in Navy service to Jan 1960) - treated as a typo for 1960; Shipscribe documents Navy sale 5 Jul 1960. (c) MERCHANT FATE - NavSource 'fate unknown' vs Shipscribe ship note 'merc. PRESIDENTE QUIRINO 1960, finally DON JOLLY 1976, reported sold to BU Sep 1994' (special source: Miramar Ship Index) - Shipscribe carried with 'reported' hedge; single-source. (d) COMPLEMENT - DANFS 26 vs NavSource 42 vs Shipscribe class accommodations 4 officers + 33 enlisted (37) - DANFS carried, variance unresolved. (e) DISPLACEMENT/SPEED - DANFS dp 500, 12 k. vs NavSource 550 t, 12 kts vs Shipscribe class 520 lt/940 full, 13 kt - variances unresolved. (f) 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 89 = FS-275; DANFS and NavSource both say Whitestone - Whitestone carried. (g) NAME COLLISION - asbestos-marketing list pages naming 'USS Estero' attach to CVE-42 (the first Estero, Bogue-class escort carrier transferred to the RN as HMS Premier 1943), not this hull - marketing pages excluded per source rules regardless. (h) A koreanwar.org veteran post claims FS-275 'delivered to the US Army in March 1945' - conflicts with the documented 6 Nov 1944 delivery (Wheeler yard table) and 8 Nov 1944 USAV commissioning (NavSource/Shipscribe); recollection not carried.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1994
- Limitations
- Resolves or logs publication-level conflicts among secondary/compilatory sources; does not add any asbestos information. The merchant trail rests on Shipscribe/Miramar alone and the breakup location is undocumented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-estero-ag134-08