USS Fairfield (AK-178)

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Fairfield II' (AK-178) entry - NHHC online edition (Wayback capture 2024-06-21; canonical NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-09-21); print-edition transcription cross-checked verbatim via the losthistory.net/hazegray mirror (transcribed by Richard H. Bouchard, Vol. 2 p. 385) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Full entry via Wayback Machine capture 20240621201647 of history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/f/fairfield-ii.html; canonical URL returned 404 (standing NHHC link rot, same as batches 01/833); print mirror https://losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/ak178.htm - text identical

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS 'Fairfield II' entry (Vol. 2, 1963, p. 385; NHHC online edition): namesake 'Towns in 14 States, and counties in three States'; stat line (AK-178: dp. 2,474; l. 338'6"; b. 50'; dr. 21'1"; s. 12 k.; cpl. 85; a. 1 3"; cl. Alamosa). 'The second Fairfield (AK-178) was launched on 6 February 1945 by Kaiser Cargo Inc., Richmond, Calif.; sponsored by Mrs. Henry W. Creeger; acquired by the Navy on a loan-charter basis from the Maritime Commission; and commissioned on 28 March 1945, Lieutenant C. R. Snyder, USNR, in command.' Service narrative: completed shakedown and fitting out before 8 May, when she arrived at San Francisco to load cargo for Manus, Samar and Calicoan Islands; in early July loaded Army cargo at Parang, Mindanao, and en route to Agusan Province on the 14th picked up six Filipino guerillas from the wreckage of their boat which had been cut in two and sunk by a submarine; continued cargo operations among the islands of the southwest Pacific through October 1945, when she was drydocked at Newcastle briefly before being assigned to carry Australian Army cargo from Sydney to Borneo, Tacloban, and Manila, P.I.; during December the Navy removed all excess gear and she steamed into Yokosuka on the 25th; on 8 January 1946 a Japanese crew came on board for training and on the 11th she was decommissioned and turned over to the War Shipping Administration for disposal.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1946

   Population

   Navy crew (cpl. 85 per DANFS stat line); Japanese crew embarked 8 Jan 1946 (training cadre)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, chronology, and operations. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazardous-material statement; the Newcastle drydocking (Oct 1945) and December gear-removal are documented as events only, with no materials scope described. Stat-line speed (12 k.) conflicts with the official BuShips data row and other sources (11.5 kts) - see correction row. DANFS ends the narrative at the 11 Jan 1946 turnover and does not record the Army/SCAJAP employment or the December 1946 loss.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fairfield-ak178-01

2. [2]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - FAIRFIELD (AK-178), Ship History Detail 7966 (status-card scan 2AE_01.png read directly) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 7966 - characteristics block and status-card scan /cards/2AE_01.png (single card; no milestones/documents posted); name-search check: Detail 330 (ADMIRAL ARTHUR P. FAIRFIELD, EC2-S-C1, 1944), Detail 2565 (JOHN FAIRFIELD, EC2-S-C1, 1943), Detail 7967 (FAIRFIELD CITY, 1921) are different hulls

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record for FAIRFIELD (AK-178), Detail 7966: MARAD type C1-M-AV1; shipyard 'Kaiser Company'; year built 1945; ship length 338.75 ft, beam 50.00 ft; gross 3,800 tons; cargo capacity field 228,000 (units labeled 'square feet' - a MARAD field-label quirk; the figure tracks the ~227,730 cu ft non-refrigerated volume documented elsewhere); fate 'CTL - No Further Info'; mission World War II; no milestones, narrative, documents, or additional imagery posted. The single digitized status card (2AE_01.png) reads: Name 'FAIRFIELD (AK-178)', flag AMER., type C1-M-AV1; 'MC Hull No. 2374'; 'Built by Kaiser Cargo, Inc.' with annotation 'R4-70' at 'Richmond, Cal.'; 'Completed 3-28-45'; 'Basis to W.S.A. 2-5-46 @ Yokohama, Japan from Navy Dept.' annotated 'Surplus'; allocation table - operator 'War Dept.', form of agreement 'BB' (bareboat), port of delivery Yokohama, delivered 2-5-46; stamped/typed line 'DECLARED C.T.L. 4-29-47'. A struck-through annotation at the left margin (partially legible, appears to refer to a previous/'pink' card) and a partially legible stamp at lower left ('PDX-' prefix with a number below) are present.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945-1947

   Limitations

   Authoritative government custody record for this hull; the card was read directly from the scan (handwritten 'R4-70' yard-hull annotation and the struck/partially legible marginal notes are disclosed as read). Confirms WSA basis and simultaneous War Department bareboat allocation at Yokohama 5 Feb 1946 and the 29 Apr 1947 CTL declaration - reconciling DANFS's 11 Jan Navy-side turnover with the 5 Feb custody paperwork. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim. The 'CTL - No Further Info' fate field means MARAD itself carries no detail beyond the declaration.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fairfield-ak178-02

3. [3]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - cargo ship (AK) section, per-hull rows for FAIRFIELD AK-178 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 AK tables - item 57 rows across dimensions, limiting/accommodations, machinery, armament/cargo, and construction tables; index entries (PDF text-verified; OCR columnar, cross-checked vs DANFS/NavSource/MARAD)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries per-hull rows for FAIRFIELD AK-178 (ex-M.C. Hull 2374), item 57 in the cargo-ship (AK) tables: dimensions row - 338'6" oa / 320'0" wl, beam 50'0", speed 11.5 kts, displacement column 7,125 t; limiting table - limiting displacement 7,450 t, tons-per-inch immersion 32, limiting draft 21'1", accommodations 15 officers + 70 enlisted, largest boom 30 t; machinery row - 1 propeller, 'Nordberg Diesel, TSM6', 1,750 [shp] (boiler columns blank - diesel plant); armament/cargo row - '1 3", 50 cal. (D.P.)' (marked as ultimate authorized armament), cargo space 227,730 cu ft non-refrigerated / 9,830 cu ft refrigerated, tonnage columns 5,070 / 3,945 (column header partially legible in OCR; 3,945 t is the cargo DWT figure carried by NavSource); construction row - 'Kaiser Cargo, Richmond, Calif.', date acquired 28 Mar 45, year built 1944, first commission 28 Mar 45. Index entries: 'Fairfield (ex-M.C. Hull 2374) .. AK178' and 'M.C. Hull 2374 (now Fairfield) .. AK178.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945

   Population

   Navy crew - documented accommodation fit of 15 officers + 70 enlisted

   Limitations

   Official Navy data sheet naming this hull - the strongest single spec source located; settles the 1,750 vs 1,700 shp question in favor of 1,750 (NavSource carries 1,700 - see correction row). Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazmat statement; supports no asbestos claim. The 7,125-t displacement figure (design/normal) and the 5,070-t cargo-table column are reproduced as printed; their exact definitions are not restated here.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fairfield-ak178-03

4. [4]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Fairfield (AK-178) page (compiled reference incl. DANFS transcription, awards table, CO list, specifications, launch-photo caption) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.net/archives/09/13/130178.htm - full page incl. specifications block, commanding-officer table, awards, photo caption, and the link to the LSM-432 rescue oral history

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Online (Service Ship Photo Archive, AK-178 page) records the same chronology as DANFS plus: call sign NEKE; ribbons American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Philippines Liberation Medal (no battle stars); 'Acquired by the US Navy, 28 March 1945, and commissioned USS Fairfield (AK-178) the same day, LT. Charles R. Snyder, USNR, in command'; decommissioned 11 January 1946 at Yokosuka; 'Returned to the Maritime Commission, 5 February 1946, custody transferred to the US Army the same day'; 'Commissioned USAT Fairfield, date unknown, manned by a Japanese crew'; struck from the Naval Register 12 April 1946; final disposition - ran aground on the north coast of Babuyan Island about 70 miles north of the north tip of Luzon, 18 December 1946, declared a total loss 29 April 1947. Specs - 2,382 t (lt) / 7,450 t (fl); 338'6" x 50' x 21'1"; 11.5 kts; complement 15 officers + 70 enlisted; largest boom 30 t; cargo 3,945 DWT incl. 9,830 cu ft refrigerated / 227,730 cu ft non-refrigerated; armament 1x3"/50 DP + 6x20mm AA; fuel 6,300 bbls diesel; propulsion one Nordberg Diesel TSM6, two diesel-drive 250 kW 120/240 V DC ship's-service generators, single propeller, 1,700 shp. Launch-photo caption: 'Christening by Mrs. Henry W. Creeger Jr., Kaiser employee from Fairfield, Ohio.' Commanding-officer table: LT Charles Robert Snyder USNR, 28 Mar 1945 - 11 Jan 1946.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1947

   Population

   Navy crew (Mar 1945-Jan 1946); Japanese SCAJAP crew (Feb-Dec 1946)

   Limitations

   Privately compiled standard reference, not a government publication; consistent with DANFS, SDB 1945 v3, shipscribe, and the MARAD card where they overlap. Its 1,700 shp conflicts with the official SDB machinery row's 1,750 (see correction row); its 2,382-t light-displacement figure is a class-generic figure also carried on sister pages and conflicts with DANFS dp. 2,474. No asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fairfield-ak178-04

5. [5]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Alamosa (AK-156) Class' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, Auxiliary Vessels Board records, and MARAD files) [other_primary]

   Locator

   AK-156 class page: characteristics block, construction table (AK-178 row), disposition table (AK-178 row), class notes (June 1944 hull-substitution sentence; Design AV diesel/crew figures; 2 Sep 43 contract approval), ship notes (AK-178 row: SCAJAP V-201 at Yokohama; wreck 18 Dec 46; CTL 29 Apr 47)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-design compilation naming this hull in the Alamosa (AK-156) class tables and ship notes: construction row - AK-178 FAIRFIELD, acquired 28 Mar 45, builder Kaiser Cargo Richmond, keel 4 Dec 44, launched 6 Feb 45, commissioned 28 Mar 45; disposition row - decommissioned 11 Jan 46, struck 12 Apr 46, disposal 11 Jan 46, fate 'Army'; ship note for MC hull 2374 - 'Converted by builder. To WSA/Army (SCAJAP) 5 Feb 46 as FAIRFIELD (V-201) at Yokohama. (The transfer date in Navy records is 11 Jan 46.) Wrecked 18 Dec 46 north of Luzon, declared constructive total loss 29 Apr 47.' Class notes relevant to this hull: 'In June 1944 MC hulls 2374-5 and 2377 replaced hulls 2140-1 and 2207 as AK 178-9 and 181' - i.e., this hull's MC number was a mid-program reassignment; and the design history - Design AV 'used diesel instead of the requested reciprocating steam engines and provided for a Navy crew of 8 officers and 67 men or a civilian crew of about 41 men for the Army ships'; of the 50 Navy hulls '10 were to be completed by the MC as reefer ships'; MC approved contracts for 100 ships 2 Sep 43. Class data block: 2,474 t light / 7,450 t limiting; 338.5' oa x 50.0' e x 21.1' lim; complement 69 (1944); 11.5 kts; Nordberg diesel TSM6, 1,750 hp, 1 screw; original armament 1-3"/50 + 6-20mm.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1947

   Population

   Kaiser Richmond Yard No. 4 construction workforce (1944-45); wartime Navy crew; Japanese SCAJAP crew (1946)

   Limitations

   Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register, board, and MARAD records, not the underlying records themselves - used where consistent with DANFS/SDB/MARAD (all custody dates agree). 'Converted by builder' is the only fitting note for this hull - no separate conversion-yard event and no materials scope is documented for AK-178 (unlike the AK-156/158/160 ammunition-tender conversions). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fairfield-ak178-05

6. [6]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 program under which this C1-M-AV1 hull was mass-produced (Maritime Commission Design AV; contracts approved 1943-09-02 for 100 ships per shipscribe class notes) - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   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 the C1-M-AV1 type and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. Note this hull's diesel propulsion removes the steam-plant boiler-insulation inference applied to steam hulls.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fairfield-ak178-06

7. [7]shipbuildinghistory.com - Kaiser Richmond No. 4 yard page (compiled yard table and history) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Kaiser Richmond No. 4 page - yard history paragraph and row for hull 70 / MC 2374

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Builder-yard context: Kaiser Richmond Yard No. 4 was an emergency yard developed by Kaiser Cargo, Inc., with three ways in the fifth wave of shipbuilding expansion; originally intended as an expansion of Richmond #3 (designated Richmond #3A), it was assigned separate management, renamed Richmond #4, located on the south side of the inner end of the channel at Wharf Street, and closed at the end of the war. The yard table carries this hull as yard hull no. 70, original name FAIRFIELD, type C1-M-AV1, MC no. 2374, delivered Mar-45, disposition 'To USN as AK 178, to Japan 1946 as Yokosuka' (the table's shorthand for the 1946 Yokohama/Yokosuka-area Army/SCAJAP transfer).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1945

   Population

   Kaiser Richmond Yard No. 4 construction workforce (1944-45)

   Limitations

   Yard-level context for the builder of this hull; documents the facility's emergency-yard nature and corroborates the hull's yard number (70) carried on the MARAD card ('R4-70'), but contains no asbestos or materials information and establishes nothing about materials aboard this hull. The Atlas shipyards.json slug 'kaiser-shipyards' covers the Richmond complex generally, not Yard No. 4 specifically.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fairfield-ak178-07

8. [8]NavSource-hosted oral history, 'A History by CAPT. Douglas Stahl USN - Rescue of USAT Fairfield and USS LSM-432 Crews' (USS LSM-432 archive page) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.net/archives/10/14/14432a.htm - full oral-history text; linked from the AK-178 page

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Participant oral history (CAPT Douglas Stahl, USN, then an Ensign aboard USS LSM-432; contributed to NavSource by Wade Armstrong): USAT Fairfield 'was a C1-M-AV1 type cargo ship. Commissioned in March 1945 as USS Fairfield (AK-178). She was decommissioned and turned over to the Army in January 1946. She was manned with a Japanese crew reportedly used to return Japanese soldiers from Pacific islands back to Japan.' She ran aground on the north coast of Babuyan Island on 18 December 1946; LSM-432, based at Subic Bay, was sent to rescue the crew and investigate; weather prevented a close survey but a lifeboat with the ship's crew was recovered and the Japanese crew was transported to Manila; on the second survey attempt the embarked banca boats were destroyed by rough seas 6 January 1947, and during highline operations LSM-432 drifted onto rocks, impaling her engine room - her crew reached shore by highline and was rescued by USS LST-844 after about five days. 'The two US wrecks on the north coast of Babuyan Island are roughly located at 19-33N 121-56E.'

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1946-12 to 1947-01

   Population

   Japanese SCAJAP crew (rescued); USS LSM-432 crew (second wreck); USS LST-844 (rescue)

   Limitations

   Participant recollection hosted on a compiled reference site - ship-specific and consistent with the MARAD/shipscribe loss record, but a single-source narrative: the repatriation-duty characterization is reported ('reportedly'), the wreck coordinates are stated as approximate ('roughly located'), and the contributor himself flags that 'the date of grounding differs from the Navy records' (he supports 18 Dec via a personal journal). No asbestos, materials, or condition-survey content. Does not establish the wreck's present condition or any salvage/stripping.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fairfield-ak178-08

9. [9]NavalCoverMuseum (navalcovermuseum.org), FAIRFIELD AK 178 wiki page - name/designation history [other_primary]

   Locator

   FAIRFIELD AK 178 page - 'Ship Name and Designation History' table and namesake line

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavalCoverMuseum FAIRFIELD AK-178 page records the designation history: USS FAIRFIELD AK-178 commissioned 28 March 1945 - decommissioned 11 January 1946; 'Returned to Maritime Commission February 5 1946'; 'Transferred to U.S. Army February 5 1946'; 'Struck from Naval Register (Date unknown)'; 'Declared total loss April 29 1947'. Namesake line: 'Towns in 14 states, and counties in three states.' Awards block matches NavSource (American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific, WWII Victory, Philippines Liberation).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945-1947

   Limitations

   Independent compiled reference agreeing with DANFS/NavSource/MARAD on the custody chain (decommission 11 Jan 46; MC return and Army transfer 5 Feb 46; total loss 29 Apr 47); it does not carry a strike date ('date unknown') where NavSource/shipscribe carry 12 Apr 46 - variance logged in the correction row. No asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fairfield-ak178-09

10. [10]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS Vol. 2 (Wayback + hazegray); NavSource AK-178 page; MARAD Detail 7966 status card; shipscribe AK-156 class page; BuShips SDB 1945 v3 rows; NavalCoverMuseum FAIRFIELD AK 178; Wikipedia ship page (secondary, disclaimed) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Per-item: spec blocks (DANFS vs SDB machinery/accommodations rows vs NavSource); strike-date fields; turnover dates (DANFS vs MARAD card 'Basis to W.S.A. 2-5-46' / 'War Dept. BB 2-5-46'); shipscribe class notes; Wikipedia infobox

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies logged, not merged: (a) Complement - DANFS cpl. 85, NavSource 15 officers + 70 enlisted (=85), and the SDB 1945 v3 accommodations row (15+70) agree; shipscribe class register carries 69 (1944) and the MC Design AV intent was 8 officers + 67 men (75) - DANFS adopted. (b) Rated power - SDB 1945 v3 per-hull machinery row and shipscribe class register carry 1,750 shp; NavSource carries 1,700 shp - official BuShips row adopted. (c) Speed - DANFS stat line 12 k. vs 11.5 kts in SDB, NavSource, and shipscribe - 11.5 adopted as the operating figure; DANFS's 12 likely reflects the design speed. (d) Displacement - DANFS dp. 2,474 (light) and shipscribe 2,474 light / 7,450 limiting agree with SDB's 7,450 limiting and 7,125 table figure; NavSource's 2,382 lt is a class-generic figure conflicting with DANFS - DANFS/SDB adopted. (e) Length - authoritative sources agree at ~338.5 ft (DANFS 338'6"; SDB 338'6" oa; shipscribe 338.5' oa; MARAD register 338.75 ft); Wikipedia's infobox carries 388 ft 8 in - erroneous, not carried (same class-wide Wikipedia error logged in batch-849). (f) Turnover dates - DANFS records decommissioning and turnover to WSA 11 Jan 1946 (Navy-side event; shipscribe notes 'the transfer date in Navy records is 11 Jan 46'); the MARAD card, NavSource, and NavalCoverMuseum record WSA basis and simultaneous War Department delivery 5 Feb 1946 at Yokohama - treated as the Navy-side transfer vs the MC/WSA-side custody paperwork, not a conflict. (g) Wreck date - all sources carry 18 Dec 1946; the Stahl oral history notes 'the date of grounding differs from the Navy records' but supports 18 Dec by a personal journal - carried as documented-with-flag. (h) Strike date - NavSource and shipscribe carry 12 Apr 1946; NavalCoverMuseum lists it as unknown - 12 Apr adopted, variant disclosed. (i) Namesake - DANFS 'towns in 14 States, and counties in three States' is controlling; Wikipedia's 'Fairfield County, Connecticut, Fairfield County, Ohio, and Fairfield County, South Carolina' is a secondary narrowing consistent with the counties clause only. (j) Year built - SDB '1944' (keel year) vs MARAD register '1945' (completion year) - both carried with labels.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1944-1947 (dates reconciled 2026-09-21)

    Limitations

    Resolves nothing by fiat - records which source says what so downstream consumers inherit the conflicts honestly. Where a primary record and a compiled reference disagree, the primary/official record (MARAD card, DANFS, SDB) is adopted and the variant disclosed. No asbestos content in any reconciled source.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-fairfield-ak178-10

11. [11]Batch-854 search ledger (this record): DANFS Wayback + hazegray; MARAD ShipHistory 7966 + status card; NavSource incl. Stahl oral history; shipscribe AK-156 class page; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; shipbuildinghistory Kaiser Richmond #4; NavalCoverMuseum; NVR hull check; CourtListener authenticated API (opinions + RECAP); web-wide litigation search; NARA record-group guidance [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-fairfield-ak178-01 through sl-uss-fairfield-ak178-15

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming USS Fairfield / AK-178 / MC hull 2374 / V-201 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener (authenticated API, 2026-09-21): 'USS Fairfield' 0 opinions; 'USAT Fairfield' 0; 'Fairfield' + SCAJAP 0; 'Fairfield' + 'AK-178' 0; 'AK-178' produced 1 opinion (Chesser v. Dougherty, Fla. DCA 1982 - a hospital-regulation case; 'AK-178' does not appear in the extracted opinion text - citation/OCR artifact, name collision) and 4 RECAP dockets (Reed v. Friedman Mgt. Corp., S.D.N.Y. - pro-se filer's Ghana postal box 'P.O. Box AK 178 Akosombo'; Kakeh v. United Planning Org., D.D.C. - exhibit list; United States v. Kingsep, D. Alaska - exhibit labels) - all name collisions; 'USS Fairfield' RECAP hits (4) are likewise collisions ('USS' = United States Steel; 'Fairfield So. Co.' railroad; bankruptcy docket). The 166-opinion 'Fairfield' + asbestos result set is a name-collision pool - Fairfield County/Connecticut premises litigation and party names (Fairfield Tractor Co., Fairfield Gloves) - with no vessel-naming opinion located. The hull grounded 18 Dec 1946 and was declared a constructive total loss 29 Apr 1947 in Philippine waters - a total loss predating the Navy's late-1970s asbestos-control programs and NESHAP demolition rules, so no U.S.-regulated abatement record was ever expected to exist. The ship appears on bulk law-firm marketing lists of Navy hulls (freeasbestostesting.com, mesotheliomaasbestoshelpcenter.com); those lists enumerate every Navy ship and carry no ship-specific evidence - classified non-qualifying and not cited.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    2026-09-21

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944-45 Maritime Commission hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials in construction. The loss narrative means no abatement/survey record was expected, so this negative finding is structurally stronger than for surviving hulls; it still does not establish that asbestos was or was not aboard, nor does it establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. The CourtListener sweep was authenticated and complete for the tested queries, but coverage is limited to CourtListener's index - state-court filings naming the hull outside that index cannot be ruled out.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-fairfield-ak178-11

12. [12]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 deck logs (post-1941 at Archives II, College Park); RG 38 (CNO war diaries); RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) Construction Division records; RG 336 (Transportation Corps); RG 248 (War Shipping Administration) [other_primary]

    Locator

    archives.gov/research/military/logbooks (post-1941 Navy deck logs at College Park); archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/038.html, /178.html, /248.html, /336.html; catalog.archives.gov returned only its JS application shell to automated query on 2026-09-21 - no digitized AK-178 log confirmed

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction orders; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for AK-178 (Mar 1945-Jan 1946 commission period) at Archives II, College Park - would log the fitting-out, the southwest-Pacific cargo runs, the Newcastle drydocking, and the December 1945 Yokosuka turnover. (b) NARA RG 38 war-diary series - a war-diary scan was located for sister ship Claiborne (AK-171) via NavSource; no AK-178 submission was located in digitized form, but the series is the likeliest Navy-side operational narrative if one was filed. (c) NARA RG 336 (Transportation Corps) and SCAJAP vessel records for the War Department period - the V-201 employment, the 18 Dec 1946 grounding, and the survey behind the 29 Apr 1947 CTL declaration; the Army/WSA casualty survey is the likeliest surviving document describing the wreck's material condition. (d) NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) Construction Division records may hold the MC hull 2374 contract and C1-M-AV1 outfitting specifications for Kaiser Richmond Yard No. 4 hull 70 - the likeliest materials itemization. (e) WSA/RG 248 vessel files for the 5 Feb 1946 custody transfer at Yokohama.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1944-1947 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-fairfield-ak178-12