USS Fallon (APA-81)

Evidence

13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).

1. [1]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - transports, attack (APA) section, per-hull rows for FALLON APA-81 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 APA tables pp. 240-245 (dimensions p.240; limiting/accommodations p.241; machinery p.242; armament/cargo p.244; construction p.245 - FALLON line item 90 in the running list)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries per-hull rows for FALLON APA-81 ('ex-M.C. Hull 1874') across the APA tables: 426'0" overall / 400'0" waterline; beam 58'0"; 16.9 knots trial; 7,000 tons trial / 7,080 tons limiting displacement; 16'0" limiting draft; largest boom 15 tons; accommodations 27 officers + 293 enlisted, troop capacity 47 officers + 802 enlisted; machinery Westinghouse turboelectric, 2 propellers, 6,000 shp, with 2 Babcock & Wilcox 'D'-type boilers at 465 psi / 765 deg F; armament 1 x 5"/38 cal (D.P.) + 4 twin 40mm; cargo 85,000 cu ft non-refrigerated / 2,900 deadweight tons; builder Consolidated Steel Corp., Wilmington, Calif.; acquired 13 Feb 1945; year built 1944; first commission 14 Feb 1945.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1945

   Limitations

   Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms identity, MC hull 1874, machinery plant (incl. B&W 'D' boilers), manning, builder, acquisition (13 Feb 45), and first-commission (14 Feb 45) dates. OCR of the scanned tables is columnar and partially garbled; values cross-verified against the revised NHHC DANFS entry, NavSource, and shipscribe. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fallon-apa81-01

2. [2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Fallon (APA-81)' - revised entry by Robert J. Cressman, published 8 Jun 2016, Naval History and Heritage Command (live page returned 404 on 2026-09-25; cited via Internet Archive capture of the canonical URL, 9 Dec 2025) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC DANFS 'Fallon (APA-81)' full entry text incl. spec block, dated narrative, and commanding-officer table; canonical live URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/f/fallon.html (404)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Revised NHHC DANFS entry 'Fallon (APA-81)' (R.J. Cressman, 8 Jun 2016): namesake 'a county in Montana'; spec block 'displacement 4,247; length 426'; beam 58'; draft 16'; speed 18 knots (maximum), 13.5 (economical); complement 320; armament 1 5-inch, 8 40 millimeter, 10 20 millimeter; class Gilliam; type S4-SE2-BD1'. Laid down 28 Sep 1944 under MC contract (MC Hull No. 1874) at Wilmington, Calif., by Consolidated Steel Corporation's Shipbuilding Division; launched 14 Dec 1944, sponsored by Mrs. William H. Guild; accepted 13 Feb 1945; commissioned at Pier 58, San Pedro, 14 Feb 1945, Cmdr. William L. Phinney USNR. Fit-out 14-25 Feb 1945; shakedown San Pedro/San Diego and post-shakedown availability at Wilmington to 7 Apr; San Pedro 12 Apr via Port Hueneme to Pearl Harbor (21 Apr); garrison lifts to Eniwetok (3 May) and Saipan (6-11 May); San Francisco 28 May; embarked Army troops at Portland (8-12 Jun) for Honolulu (19 Jun); Eniwetok 4 Jul; Seattle 20 Jul + voyage repairs; Pearl Harbor 9 Aug; Amphibious Group Four with temp TransDiv 72 assignment 17 Aug; embarked 26th RCT, 5th Marine Division, at Hilo 23 Aug; TG 54.21 sailed 1 Sep via Saipan; Sasebo occupation landings 22 Sep; Magic Carpet via Okinawa/Sasebo; San Diego 29 Oct-13 Nov availability; Samar lift to Seattle arriving 24 Dec; Capt. Earl B. Patterson relieved Phinney 25 Dec 1945. Assigned Fourteenth Naval District 'special tests' 29 Dec; San Francisco 'stripping ship' from 5 Jan 1946; Pearl Harbor 23 Feb for Crossroads target preparation; Cmdr. Warren W. Sackett relieved Patterson 13 Apr; Marshalls 28 May; assigned TransDiv 91 of TU 1.2.6 (Merchant Type Unit). Moored 1,350 yards from Shot ABLE (1 Jul, 23 KT air burst); crew to Bexar (APA-237); fires observed; reboarded 2 Jul, 'Geiger Sweet' 0925, 'radiologically safe' 1723. 540 yards from Shot BAKER (25 Jul, 23 KT shallow underwater); beached 27 Jul to prevent sinking; salvage boardings through 22 Aug; Clamp (ARS-33) towed to mooring buoy 25 Aug. Decommissioned at Bikini 28 Aug 1946; towed to Kwajalein by Reclaimer (ARS-42) arriving 3 Sep; earmarked for Hunter's Point radiological/structural tests but inspection showed serious structural damage; Op-33 directed retention at Kwajalein; permission to sink granted 25 Feb 1948; sunk in deep water off Kwajalein 10 Mar 1948; stricken 5 Apr 1948. CO table: Phinney (14 Feb 1945), Patterson (25 Dec 1945), Sackett (13 Apr 1946).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1948

   Limitations

   Authoritative ship-history source - the modern NHHC entry is a deck-log-derived revision that supersedes the compressed legacy DANFS text (see correction row ev-06 on decommission and sinking dates). Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazmat statement; supports no asbestos claim. Its radiological/structural findings concern nuclear-test contamination, not asbestos.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fallon-apa81-02

3. [3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Fallon (APA-81), file 10/03/03081 (page citing DANFS text; CO roster courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 03081 page - timeline bullets, spec block, awards display, CO roster, captioned photo index (NH 98717; 80-G-702126; 19-N-114599)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource amphibious photo archive page for USS Fallon (APA-81): Gilliam-class attack transport; call sign NKPL; laid down 28 Sep 1944 as MC type S4-SE-BD1 hull under MC contract (listed as 'MC hull 1873' - conflicts with SDB/NHHC/shipscribe 1874; see correction row), Consolidated Steel Corp., Wilmington, CA; launched 14 Dec 1944; commissioned 14 Feb 1945, CDR William L. Phinney USNR. Assignments: TransRon Twenty-Two (COMO S.P. Jenkins) / TransDiv Sixty-Six (CAPT W.G. Ludlow Jr. USN); Far East occupation service 2 Sep-14 Oct 1945; JTF-1 Task Unit 1.2.6 (Target Vessel Group - Merchant Type Units - Transport Division 91) for Operation Crossroads, Bikini Atoll, July 1946; decommissioned 20 Sep 1946 at Kwajalein Atoll (conflicts with revised NHHC 28 Aug 1946 at Bikini); struck 'date unknown' (vs 5 Apr 1948 in NHHC/shipscribe); final disposition scuttled off Kwajalein 11 Mar 1948 (vs 10 Mar in NHHC/DNA/shipscribe). Spec block: displacement 4,247 t light / 7,080 t full; 426' x 58' x 16.9'; 16.9 kts; complement 27 officers + 293 enlisted; troop capacity 47 officers + 802 enlisted; cargo 85,000 cu ft / 2,600 t; armament 1x5"/38 DP + 4 twin 40mm + 10 single 20mm; fuel 9,695 bbls NSFO + 375 diesel; propulsion two Westinghouse turbo-electric drive, two B&W boilers '450psi 750deg' (vs SDB 465/765), generators 1x250kW 450V AC + 1x150kW 450V AC + 1x100kW 120/240V DC, 2 propellers 6,000 shp. CO roster: Phinney 14 Feb 1945-25 Dec 1945; Patterson 25 Dec 1945-1 Jul 1946; Sackett 1 Jul 1946-20 Sep 1946 (Sackett relief date conflicts with NHHC 13 Apr 1946). Awards: American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, WWII Victory, Navy Occupation Service (Asia clasp). Captioned photos: NH 98717 (San Francisco Bay, late 1945/early 1946); NARA 80-G-702126 (Crossroads prospective target/support ships at Pearl Harbor, released 27 Feb 1946, Fallon among the ships present); NARA RG-19-LCM 19-N-114599 (underway Pearl Harbor 22 Mar 1946).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1948

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation - overlapping milestones (construction, launch, commission) agree with NHHC/SDB/shipscribe, but four NavSource values conflict with those sources and are not adopted: 'MC hull 1873' (SDB+NHHC+shipscribe: 1874), decommission 20 Sep 1946 (revised NHHC+shipscribe: 28 Aug), sinking 11 Mar 1948 (NHHC+DNA+shipscribe: 10 Mar), Sackett relief 1 Jul 1946 (NHHC: 13 Apr). Boiler figures (450psi/750deg vs SDB 465/765) flagged in gaps. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fallon-apa81-03

4. [4]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Gilliam (APA-57) Class' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, BuShips/SCB design records, and MARAD files) [other_primary]

   Locator

   APA-57 class page: characteristics block, class notes (JCS/MC program history, Crossroads participation breakdown), construction table (APA-81 row), disposition table (APA-81 row), ship notes (APA-81 row, MC# 1874)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   shipscribe compilation naming this hull in the Gilliam (APA-57) class tables and ship notes: construction row - FALLON APA-81 ordered 25 May 43, Consolidated Steel, Wilmington, keel 28 Sep 44, launched 14 Dec 44, commissioned 14 Feb 45; disposition row - decommissioned 28 Aug 46, stricken 5 Apr 48, disposal 10 Mar 48, fate 'Dest.' (destroyed); ship note (MC hull 1874) - 'Scuttled in deep water off Kwajalein after being damaged in the July 1946 Bikini atomic bomb tests.' Class-level context: the 32 Gilliam-class APAs (APA-57 through APA-88) were the small combat-loaded transports built to the MC S4-SE2-BD1 design under the MC Military Program after the 8 Jan 43 JCS approval of 32 small APs and 32 small AKs; all were built by Consolidated Steel at Wilmington; all except APA-72, 76, 78, 80, and 84 went to Pearl Harbor in early 1946 for the Bikini atomic bomb tests - of the 27, two sank in the first test, twelve remained afloat but damaged and radioactive in the target array and were towed to Kwajalein for decommissioning, assessment, and subsequent sinking; class data 4,247 t light / 7,080 t limiting, 426' oa x 58' x 16' limiting, 16.9 kts, 6,000 HP Westinghouse turbo-electric 2 screws, complement 326 (1944).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1948

   Limitations

   Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register, design, and MARAD records - its 28 Aug 46 decommission, 5 Apr 48 strike, and 10 Mar 48 disposal align with the revised NHHC entry and DNA report against the legacy DANFS/NavSource dates (see correction row ev-06); its MC hull 1874 agrees with SDB and NHHC against NavSource's 1873. Class complement figure (326) is a class-level value differing from this hull's SDB accommodations (320). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fallon-apa81-04

5. [5]Defense Nuclear Agency, DNA-TR-82-05-V2, 'Analysis of Radiation Exposure for Naval Units of Operation CROSSROADS, Volume II (Appendix A) Target Ships' (Science Applications Inc., 3 Mar 1982), via OSTI (U.S. Dept. of Energy) permanent archive, OSTI ID 6354996 [other_primary]

   Locator

   DNA-TR-82-05-V2, Target Ship Participation Summary 'USS FALLON (APA-81)' (report pp. 36-37 incl. Fig. A-12 gamma-intensity curve)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   Defense Nuclear Agency technical report DNA-TR-82-05-V2 (Science Applications, Inc., 3 Mar 1982), 'Analysis of Radiation Exposure for Naval Units of Operation CROSSROADS, Volume II - Appendix A: Target Ships,' carries a dedicated participation summary for USS FALLON (APA-81): crew size 127; 'USS FALLON was a CROSSROADS target ship and arrived at Bikini prior to June 30, 1946... one of the 84 target ships for the nuclear test detonations that occurred on July 1 and July 25, 1946'; Shot ABLE 1 Jul 46 (0900) 23 KT air burst (+520 ft), Shot BAKER 25 Jul 46 (0835) 23 KT shallow underwater (-90 ft); reconstructed dose history - evacuated aboard BEXAR (APA-237) for both shots (ABLE observed from 22 miles, BAKER from 16 miles), aboard FALLON 2-17 Jul (film badge 0.006 REM) and 20-23 Jul (0.000), evacuated 24 Jul-23 Aug aboard BEXAR (0.226), total calculated dose at Bikini 0.232 REM; shipboard gamma-intensity curves documented at Fig. A-12 (topside, below decks, amidships, vs. days after BAKER); 'FINAL DISPOSITION: FALLON was towed to Kwajalein after CROSSROADS and was retained there for radiological study. On March 10, 1948 it was scuttled off Kwajalein.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1946-1948; report published 1982

   Population

   USS Fallon target-period crew (127 officers and men per DNA reconstruction); Crossroads boarding/salvage parties (Preserver ARS-8, Clamp ARS-33, Reclaimer ARS-42 detachments)

   Limitations

   Official DoD Nuclear Test Personnel Review documentation naming this hull - confirms Crossroads target assignment, crew size (127, the reduced target-period crew - not the wartime complement of 320), reconstructed crew radiation doses, and final disposition (scuttled 10 Mar 1948). The documented hazard is ionizing radiation, not asbestos; the report contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials statement and supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fallon-apa81-05

6. [6]Source-discrepancy resolution: revised NHHC DANFS entry (Cressman 2016, via Wayback) vs legacy DANFS (hazegray transcription mirror) vs NavSource 03081 vs BuShips SDB 1945 v3 vs shipscribe APA-57 class page vs DNA-TR-82-05-V2; convoy cross-check vs USS Alamance action report (NavSource-hosted scan 02075a.pdf) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NHHC revised entry narrative + CO table; hazegray mirror of legacy DANFS; NavSource timeline/CO roster; SDB1945v3 construction row; shipscribe construction/disposition tables; DNA-TR-82-05-V2 Fallon summary p.36; Alamance 02075a.pdf action report

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Cross-source reconciliation of five discrepancy points for this hull: (a) Decommission - legacy DANFS ('Decommissioned 20 September 1946') and NavSource ('20 September 1946, Kwajalein Atoll') conflict with the revised NHHC DANFS entry ('Decommissioned at Bikini on 28 August 1946') and the shipscribe register-derived disposition table (28 Aug 46); 28 Aug 1946 is adopted - two independent sources including the deck-log-derived NHHC revision, and the ship's company had already departed for Kwajalein on 23 Aug. (b) Sinking - legacy DANFS/NavSource '11 March 1948' conflicts with revised NHHC ('sunk in deep water off Kwajalein on 10 March 1948'), shipscribe (disposal 10 Mar 48), and DNA-TR-82-05-V2 ('scuttled off Kwajalein' 10 Mar 1948); 10 Mar 1948 adopted (three sources), the one-day variance likely a date-line/registry-recording artifact. (c) MC hull - NavSource 'MC hull 1873' conflicts with BuShips SDB 1945 v3 ('ex-M.C. Hull 1874'), revised NHHC ('MC Hull No. 1874'), and shipscribe (MC# 1874); 1873 is Elkhart APA-80's hull number - NavSource carries a transcription slip; 1874 adopted. (d) CO succession - NavSource dates Cmdr. Sackett's relief of Capt. Patterson to 1 Jul 1946; revised NHHC states 13 Apr 1946 - NHHC adopted. (e) Complement - DANFS 'cpl. 320' = SDB accommodations 27+293; shipscribe class block 326 (1944) is a class-level figure; DNA's 127 is the reduced target-period crew - distinct quantities, not true conflicts. Cross-check: the USS Alamance (AKA-75) Sasebo occupation Action Report (serial 020, 25 Sep 1945) lists USS Fallon (APA-81) among the transports of that lift alongside USS Grafton (APA-109), USS Bowie (APA-137), and USS Karnes (APA-175) - corroborating the NHHC narrative of the 22 Sep 1945 landings.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1948

   Limitations

   Aligns each disputed date/number with the event its source actually records and adopts the value supported by the newer deck-log-derived NHHC entry plus register data. Does not affect identity, builder, service sequence, or disposal mechanism. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fallon-apa81-06

7. [7]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Fallon (APA-81)' - legacy (Vol. 2-era) entry text via hazegray DANFS transcription mirror (losthistory.net/hazegray); superseded dates flagged in correction row ev-06 [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   hazegray DANFS transcription, amphibs section, apa81.htm - full legacy entry text

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Legacy DANFS entry 'Fallon' (transcribed text): namesake 'a county in Montana'; spec block 'dp. 4,247; l. 426'; b. 58'; dr. 16'; s. 17 k.; cpl. 320; a. 1 5"; cl. Gilliam'. Launched 14 Dec 1944 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Wilmington, Calif.; sponsored by Mrs. W. H. Guild; commissioned 14 Feb 1945, CDR W. L. Phinney USNR. Sailed San Pedro 12 Apr 1945 for Pearl Harbor (base 21 Apr-22 May) on two voyages to Marshalls, Marianas, and Gilberts with garrison troops; west coast 28 May; another voyage to Honolulu and Eniwetok; Pearl Harbor 9 Aug; landed Marines at Sasebo 22 Sep for occupation duty; carried servicemen eligible for discharge Okinawa/Sasebo to San Diego 23 Sep-29 Oct 1945; another Philippines voyage to return veterans; San Francisco 5 Jan-16 Feb 1946 and Pearl Harbor - prepared as target ship for Operation Crossroads at Bikini; reached Marshalls 28 May; after the experiments towed to Kwajalein for study; 'Decommissioned 20 September 1946'; 'sunk off Kwajalein 11 March 1948.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1948

   Limitations

   The compressed legacy DANFS text - corroborates construction and service sequence but carries superseded decommission (20 Sep 1946) and sinking (11 Mar 1948) dates resolved in ev-06 toward 28 Aug 1946 and 10 Mar 1948 per the revised NHHC entry, shipscribe, and DNA report. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazmat statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fallon-apa81-07

8. [8]Consolidated era/design inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row for this hull + revised NHHC DANFS event chronology (construction, stripping, target prep, salvage, tow) + shipscribe class notes [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 machinery table, APA section (FALLON row); NHHC revised entry dated narrative; shipscribe APA-57 class page

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   The documented machinery plant of this hull - Westinghouse turboelectric drive (6,000 shp, twin screws) on two Babcock & Wilcox 'D'-type boilers at 465 psi / 765 deg F, with three ship's-service turbo-generators - is of the type whose boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, turbine and turbo-generator lagging, gaskets, packing, and accommodation insulation were commonly asbestos-containing in WWII Maritime Commission naval construction. Documented disturbance windows aboard this hull: 1944-45 construction at Consolidated Steel Corp., Wilmington (builder of all 32 Gilliam-class hulls); fitting-out and post-shakedown availability at Wilmington (Feb-Apr 1945); San Diego availability (Oct-Nov 1945); 'stripping ship' at San Francisco (Jan-Feb 1946); Pearl Harbor target-vessel preparation (Feb-May 1946); Shot BAKER blast/flood damage, emergency beaching, and salvage work at Bikini (Jul-Aug 1946); tow to Kwajalein and radiological-study lay-up (Sep 1946-Mar 1948); scuttling in deep water (10 Mar 1948).

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1948

   Population

   Consolidated Steel Wilmington construction trades (1944-45); USS ship's company (~320 wartime complement); San Francisco and Pearl Harbor target-preparation workers (1946); Bikini boarding/salvage parties (Jul-Aug 1946); Crossroads target crew (127); Kwajalein radiological-study personnel (1946-48)

   Limitations

   Inference from the documented machinery plant, construction era, and documented stripping/preparation/damage/salvage/layup events - NOT a hull record: no source located states that asbestos was installed, remained, or was disturbed aboard this specific hull. Does not establish quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. The short service life (14 months commissioned) and deep-water scuttling mean no postwar reuse, museum, or breaking phase is applicable.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-fallon-apa81-08

9. [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 Maritime Commission emergency construction program under which this S4-SE2-BD1 attack transport was built at Consolidated Steel, Wilmington, in 1944 - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type and naval hulls.

   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 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-fallon-apa81-09

10. [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, J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16

    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

    1944-1945 survey period; published Jan 1946

    Population

    Pipe-covering workers at two Navy yards and two Navy contract yards (survey population)

    Limitations

    Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; does not name this vessel, class, or builder yard (whether Consolidated Steel's Wilmington yard was among the surveyed sites is unverified) and establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-fallon-apa81-10

11. [11]Franklin v. USX Corp., 87 Cal. App. 4th 615, 105 Cal. Rptr. 2d 11 (Cal. Ct. App., 1st Dist., Div. 3, 2001), CourtListener opinion 2287235 (cluster 2287235) [court_record]

    Locator

    Opinion text - corporate-history recital (WPS/Con Cal/Columbia/Con Del chain) and disposition

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Franklin v. USX Corp., 87 Cal. App. 4th 615, 105 Cal. Rptr. 2d 11 (Cal. Ct. App. 2001): plaintiffs alleged Jeannette Franklin contracted mesothelioma from childhood take-home exposure to asbestos carried home by her parents, who worked at the Western Pipe & Steel shipyard (WPS), South San Francisco, during WWII. The appellate opinion's corporate-history recital documents the builder family that built this hull: 'In December 1945, the assets of WPS were purchased by Consolidated Steel Corporation of California (Con Cal) for over $6.2 million in cash'; on 14 Dec 1946 Con Cal and affiliates agreed to sell assets to Columbia Steel Company, a U.S. Steel division; in Aug 1948 Columbia assigned rights to newly formed Consolidated Western Steel Corporation of Delaware (Con Del), which bought the assets for over $17 million and was later merged into U.S. Steel/USX; Con Cal renamed Consolidated Liquidating Corp. and dissolved 29 Feb 1952. Disposition: trial court found USX the successor in interest to WPS and a jury returned a verdict exceeding $5 million; the court of appeal HELD THE TRIAL COURT ERRED on successor liability and did not reach the verdict issues - an appellate reversal on a non-exposure (corporate-law) ground, leaving the exposure record at the trial stage as pleaded.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1940s-2001

    Population

    Western Pipe & Steel workers' household contacts (WWII-era documented exposure); Consolidated Steel corporate family successors

    Limitations

    Builder-family corporate-succession context only - the documented exposure site is Western Pipe & Steel, South San Francisco (a different yard that Con Cal acquired in Dec 1945), NOT the Consolidated Steel Wilmington yard that built this hull; no vessel is named. The appellate reversal was on successor-liability grounds - per batch discipline the exposure allegation stays at the least-final stage (pleaded case, unreviewed on the merits). Establishes the corporate chain relevant to successor questions for Consolidated Steel-built hulls but nothing about this hull's materials or any individual exposure.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-fallon-apa81-11

12. [12]Batch-2380 search ledger (this record): NHHC revised DANFS entry + legacy DANFS (hazegray mirror); BuShips SDB 1945 v3; NavSource 03081; shipscribe APA-57 class page; DNA-TR-82-05-V2 via OSTI; MARAD ShipHistory public search; NVR; CourtListener API v4 authenticated sweeps; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-fallon-apa81-01 through sl-uss-fallon-apa81-13

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, material schedule, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Fallon / APA-81 / MC hull 1874 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener authenticated sweeps (2026-09-25): '"USS Fallon"' 0 opinions; '"APA-81"' 8 hits - all Administrative Procedure Act citation fragments (collisions); 'Fallon asbestos ship' 38 hits - all surname collisions (U.S. Magistrate Judge Sherry R. Fallon, D. Del.; law-firm names Weston, Hurd, Fallon, Paisley & Howley and Kierr, Gainsburgh, Benjamin, Fallon & Lewis); builder-yard sweep '"Consolidated Steel" asbestos' returned Franklin v. USX (context row ev-11 - different yard) and Johns-Manville Corp. v. United States, 13 Cl. Ct. 72 (1987) - an insurer-recovery omnibus in which 'Consolidated Steel' is incidental on the indexed text (non-qualifying). No ship-specific asbestos statement appears in the NHHC revised entry, legacy DANFS, SDB 1945 v3, NavSource, shipscribe, or DNA-TR-82-05-V2.

    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 turboelectric steam auxiliary built under the wartime MC program is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the documented stripping, target-preparation, salvage, and lay-up phases are undocumented disturbance windows. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-fallon-apa81-12

13. [13]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 38 (CNO war diaries), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 374 (Defense Threat Reduction Agency lineage - AFSWP/JTF-1) [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/038.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/374.html

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction orders; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Fallon 1945-1946 (RG 24, NARA College Park) - the likeliest primary source for the Jan-Feb 1946 'stripping ship' scope at San Francisco and the Pearl Harbor target-preparation work; war diaries/action reports (RG 38); BuShips records incl. S4-SE2-BD1 contract and outfitting plans and the post-BAKER structural/radiological inspection reports cited by the NHHC entry (ComServPac/Op-33 correspondence re: towing to Hunter's Point) (RG 19); Maritime Commission construction-contract records for MC hull 1874 at Consolidated Steel, Wilmington (RG 178); Joint Task Force One / Armed Forces Special Weapons Project Operation Crossroads records incl. target-vessel boarding and radiological-survey reports for this hull (RG 374, NARA).

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1944-1948 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-fallon-apa81-13