Evidence
16 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-16).
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[1]CourtListener opinion search: 'USS Firedrake' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'USS Firedrake' returned 0 results (2026-10-07)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- zero-hit search; absence of hits is not proof of no litigation
- Evidence ID
- uss-firedrake-ae14-cl-name-opinion
-
[2]CourtListener docket search: 'USS Firedrake' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'USS Firedrake' returned 6 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed; name query may match same-named vessels
- Evidence ID
- uss-firedrake-ae14-cl-name-docket
-
[3]CourtListener opinion search: 'AE-14' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'AE-14' returned 4737 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-firedrake-ae14-cl-hull-opinion
-
[4]CourtListener docket search: 'AE-14' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'AE-14' returned 198935 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-firedrake-ae14-cl-hull-docket
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[5]Bowles, Oliver, 'Asbestos,' U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 403, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, 1937 (mirrored scan) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Bulletin 403, heat-insulation history section (pp. ~69-75 of the bulletin scan)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 403 documents that asbestos heat-insulation products were established decades before this hull's 1944 construction: asbestos-cement boiler covering was first tried about 1870; canvas-covered sectional magnesia pipe covering appeared in 1885; asbestos paper was used from about 1878 to protect hair-felt insulation from the heat of steam pipes. Steam-plant insulation products of the WWII era commonly contained asbestos fiber.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1870s-1937 (product history); hull 1944-1978
- Population
- WWII-era shipbuilders and engine-room crews (era context)
- Limitations
- Product-history documentation, not a hull record - does not name this vessel and does not itself describe shipboard installation aboard any specific hull; asbestos presence aboard this hull's machinery spaces is era inference, not ship-proven. Does not establish quantity, location, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-firedrake-ae14-01
-
[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 World War II - the era covering this ship's construction (North Carolina Shipbuilding, 1944), her Navy conversion (Gibbs Gas Engine Co., Jacksonville, 1944), and her wartime operations.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- 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 installed aboard or disturbed aboard this hull during construction, conversion, or yard availabilities, nor quantity, location, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-firedrake-ae14-02
-
[7]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Firedrake (AE-14),' Naval History and Heritage Command (classic entry and extended narrative) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Firedrake' entry via ibiblio HyperWar mirror; canonical NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-09-19 (standing NHHC link rot - see search_ledger); extended public-domain DANFS text verified via reproduction at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Firedrake and navysite.de/ae/ae14.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry for Firedrake (AE-14): launched 12 May 1944 by North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, N.C., as Winged Racer; sponsored by Mrs. R.M. Kitchins; acquired by the Navy 29 June 1944; commissioned 27 December 1944, CDR A. Elb, USNR. Loaded at Earle, N.J.; sailed 16 February 1945 for Ulithi (arrived 21 March); joined the replenishment group servicing carriers off Okinawa 7 April; Kerama Retto anchorages; reloaded at Ulithi 16 May-4 June; issued explosives in Leyte Gulf until 1 November; sailed for the east coast. Recommissioned 11 October 1951; based at San Francisco for annual WestPac tours 1952-1962, the first two rearming UN ships off Korea; Tachen Islands evacuation 1955. Two battle stars WWII, four Korean War. The extended NHHC DANFS narrative (public-domain text reproduced on Wikipedia and navysite.de) adds: laid down 13 March 1944; conversion at Gibbs Gas Engine Co., Jacksonville; commissioned at Jacksonville; TG 50.8 then TG 51.1; Yorktown arrival 13 December 1945; Orange arrival 21 February 1946; out of commission in reserve 23 July 1946; fitting out at Beaumont and refresher at San Diego; TG 92.1; WestPac tour dates through 1970; record 285-short-tons-per-hour ammunition transfer with USS Princeton (CVA-37) in 1953; 1959-60 Mare Island overhaul; Richmond overhaul; home-port shift to NAD Concord 15 January 1963; 1964-65 South China Sea operations; Markab tender availability and Todd Shipyards hull cleaning; helicopter pad; 1965-70 Vietnam-era deployments and delivery tallies; in commission in reserve at Vallejo 27 November 1970; decommissioned 19 March 1971.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1944-1971
- Limitations
- Authoritative operational history naming this hull throughout; contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazardous-material information whatsoever - supports no asbestos claim. Canonical NHHC URL is currently dead; text verified against public-domain DANFS mirrors. The classic entry's 'decommissioned 21 February 1946' conflicts with the extended narrative's 'out of commission in reserve 23 July 1946' - see correction row ev-10.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-firedrake-ae14-03
-
[8]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - FIREDRAKE (AE-14), Ship History Detail 1564 [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 1564, characteristics and milestone table; 'No documents for this vessel' notice
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory database record for Firedrake (AE-14): MARAD type C2-S-AJ1; built 1944 by North Carolina Shipbuilding Company; Naval Auxiliary / AE Ammunition Ship; 459.16 feet; milestone table shows MARAD custody entry and acquisition 21 July 1971 (National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay) and disposition/withdrawal 28 December 1977 ('CUST 1971 NDRF 1971'; 'Sold - NTU'). No historical narrative and no documents/status card are posted for this vessel.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1944-1977
- Limitations
- Authoritative for government custody milestones; contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information - supports no asbestos claim. MARAD custody date of 21 July 1971 controls over the extended DANFS narrative's looser 'transferred to Maritime Administration custody ... that same day' (19 March 1971) wording - see correction row ev-10.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-firedrake-ae14-04
-
[9]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Firedrake (AE-14), index 09/05/0514 (compiled milestones, campaigns, spec sheet, commanding officers; contributed by Al Grazevich) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource AE-14 page - milestone list, Korean/Vietnam campaign tables, specifications, CO list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Online Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Firedrake (AE-14) index 09/05/0514: laid down (date unknown) as SS Winged Racer, Maritime Commission type C2-S-AJ1, MC hull 1379, North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, N.C.; launched 12 May 1944; loaned to the Navy June 1944; commissioned 27 December 1944, CDR A. Elb USNR; permanent title transfer MC to Navy 14 January 1946; decommissioned 24 July 1946 at Orange, TX; Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group; recommissioned 11 October 1951; China service 30 January-13 February 1955; Vietnam War campaign participation; in commission in reserve 27 November 1970 at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Vallejo, CA; decommissioned 19 March 1971; custody transferred to MARAD 21 July 1971 for NDRF Suisun Bay; struck from the Naval Register 15 July 1976; permanent title transfer Navy to MARAD 16 November 1977; disposed of by MARAD sale 16 November 1977 to General Metals of Tacoma, Inc. for $121,666.81 (PD-X-1022 dated 11 August 1977); withdrawn from Suisun Bay and delivered to the buyer 28 December 1977. Awards: two battle stars WWII, four battle stars Korean War, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with six campaign stars. Spec sheet: 13,910 t (lt) / 15,295 t (fl); 459'2" x 63' x 28'3"; 16.4 kts; cargo 7,725 DWT, 400,000 cu ft non-refrigerated; largest boom 35 tons; complement 23 officers + 244 enlisted; one GE geared turbine, two B&W header-type boilers 450 psi 750 deg F, double GE main reduction gears, three 300 kW generators, single propeller 6,000 shp; NSFO 10,925 bbls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1944-1977
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of Navy/MARAD records; contains no asbestos or insulation-material information - supports no asbestos claim. Its 'decommissioned 24 July 1946' differs by one day from the extended DANFS 'out of commission in reserve 23 July 1946' - see correction row ev-10.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-firedrake-ae14-05
-
[10]HyperWar/ibiblio, 'AE-14 USS Firedrake,' Ships of the U.S. Navy 1940-1945 (compiled from NHHC Online Library material by Patrick Clancey) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AE-14 spec page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945' AE-14 page (NHHC Online Library-derived compilation): 'Wrangell class Ammunition Ship'; displacement 14,960 tons full load; 459' x 63' x 28'; 14 knots max; armament 1 5"/38 DP, 4 3"/50 DP, 2x2 40mm, 8x2 20mm; complement 267; cargo 7,700 DWT; Maritime Commission C2-S-AJ1 type; built at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, N.C., and commissioned 27 December 1944.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1944-1977
- Limitations
- Compiled spec summary consistent with DANFS/NavSource; its 'Wrangell class' designation matches the DANFS class line while NavSource and Wikipedia use 'Mount Hood class' - same class, different naming convention (see correction row ev-10). No asbestos information - supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-firedrake-ae14-06
-
[11]Naval History and Heritage Command, command operation report for USS Leonard F. Mason 1966 (PDF, NHHC archives) and USS Oriskany CVA-34 Korean War action report Jan-Mar 1953 (PDF, NHHC archives) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Leonard F. Mason 1966 command operation report, chronological log entries 2/1 and 2/3; Oriskany CVA-34 action report PDF (history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/action-reports/Korean War - Carrier Combat/PDF's/cva34c-53.pdf)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC-hosted archival command documents name this hull in replenishment operations: (a) USS Leonard F. Mason (DD-852) 1966 command operation report, Vietnam-era deck log extract - '2/1 Unreped ammunition from USS FIREDRAKE (AE-14) and fuel from USS SACRAMENTO (AOE-1)' and '2/3 ... Unreped ammunition from USS FIREDRAKE (AE-14)' during naval gunfire support operations; (b) USS Oriskany (CVA-34) action report for 29 January - March 1953 (Korean War carrier combat) - 'Replenished ammunition from the U.S.S. FIREDRAKE (AE-14). Ammunition replenishment was discontinued due to rough seas and high winds.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1953-1966
- Population
- Crews conducting underway replenishment (1953, 1966)
- Limitations
- Primary NHHC-hosted documents confirming underway ammunition replenishment to combatants in 1953 and 1966; contain no asbestos or insulation-material information - supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-firedrake-ae14-07
-
[12]McMann v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., No. C13-5721 BHS, Order Granting Motion to Remand (W.D. Wash. Oct. 22, 2013), Dkt. 55; CourtListener docket 5210686 (3:13-cv-05721); 9th Cir. appeal 13-36107 mandate [court_record]
- Locator
- Order Granting Motion to Remand, p. 4 (causal-nexus discussion naming USS Firedrake and 1961-1965 service window); CourtListener docket entries 59-62 (appeal and mandate)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- McMann v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., No. C13-5721 BHS (W.D. Wash.): Alan and Donna McMann sued numerous defendants in Pierce County Superior Court (filed 16 July 2013) alleging Mr. McMann developed mesothelioma from exposure to defendants' asbestos-containing products, including naval asbestos products; Crane Co. removed under the federal officer removal statute, 28 U.S.C. 1442(a)(1). The court's 22 October 2013 order granting remand states that Crane 'failed to allege any actual interaction regarding any actual product that Mr. McMann would have actually been exposed to during his service aboard the USS Firedrake from 1961-1965' - establishing the ship-naming and the service window in a court record. Crane appealed the remand (9th Cir. No. 13-36107); the appeal was voluntarily dismissed by stipulation 15 October 2014.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 2013-2014 litigation; alleged exposure 1961-1965 aboard
- Population
- Alan McMann (Navy veteran aboard USS Firedrake 1961-1965, later mesothelioma decedent); asbestos-product defendants
- Limitations
- Pleading/procedural-stage record: the order names the hull and service window while deciding jurisdiction only - it makes no finding on asbestos presence, exposure, or causation. The exposure allegations are complaint-stage claims, not adjudicated facts. Verified against the signed order PDF retrieved from RECAP storage.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-firedrake-ae14-08
-
[13]McMann v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., No. C14-5429 BHS, order granting SB Decking Inc.'s motion for summary judgment (W.D. Wash. Mar. 3, 2015); verbatim text located via Goldberg Segalla case summary (defense-side publication, lead source); docketed case confirmed via UniCourt/Law360 case records (3:14-cv-05429, filed 2014-05-27, Product Liability - Asbestos) [court_record]
- Locator
- Order of Mar. 3, 2015 (Dkt. references 66 Ex. B at 24 and 117 in quoted text); CourtListener API rate-limited during this pass - PACER/RECAP retrieval of the order PDF remains owed (see search_ledger)
- Finding type
- litigation_product_id
- Finding
- McMann v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., No. C14-5429 BHS (W.D. Wash., filed 27 May 2014): in the 3 March 2015 order granting summary judgment to defendant SB Decking Inc., the court's recitation of the evidentiary record states: 'The non-skid that SB Decking supplied that actually contained asbestos is only shown to have occupied a part of the ship which Mr. McMann never entered' (Dkt. 66, Ex. B at 24), while McMann 'fails to provide evidence showing that this particular non-skid contained asbestos' as to the main-deck non-skid he asserted he was exposed to during a dry-dock replacement (Dkt. 117). The court granted summary judgment for SB Decking - McMann 'has not shown any exposure to asbestos from SB Decking's products, nor did McMann show that any of SB Decking's products were a substantial factor in causing his illness.' This is a discovery-stage evidentiary product identification of asbestos-containing non-skid deck material aboard the hull.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 2014-2015 litigation; alleged exposure during 1961-1965 service
- Population
- Alan McMann; SB Decking Inc. (non-skid deck material supplier); dry-dock deck-replacement workers (period of his 1961-1965 service)
- Limitations
- Discovery-stage record, not a trial finding: the product identification rests on the evidentiary record recited at summary judgment, and the disposition is a merits-level negative for this plaintiff - the court found no proof that the specific material he was exposed to contained asbestos or that it substantially caused his illness. Does not establish that any other product aboard contained asbestos, nor individual exposure or causation for any claimant. Underlying order PDF not retrieved this pass (CourtListener API throttled; text verified via verbatim quotation in a defense-side publication, which is a lead source only).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-firedrake-ae14-09
-
[14]Classic vs. extended DANFS texts (ibiblio mirror; Wikipedia/navysite reproductions); NavSource 09/05/0514; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1564 [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS entry texts; NavSource milestone list; MARAD milestone table
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies noted and resolved: (a) first decommissioning - the classic DANFS entry says 'decommissioned at Orange, Tex., 21 February 1946,' but the extended DANFS narrative and navysite record the ship ARRIVING Orange 21 February 1946 and being 'placed out of commission in reserve on 23 July 1946'; NavSource gives 'decommissioned 24 July 1946.' Adopted: arrival 21 February 1946, decommissioning 23 July 1946, with NavSource's one-day variance flagged. (b) MARAD custody - the extended DANFS narrative says the ship 'transferred to Maritime Administration custody ... that same day' (19 March 1971); MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1564 and NavSource record custody entry 21 July 1971, which is adopted as controlling. (c) class naming - DANFS and the HyperWar spec page designate 'Wrangell class'; NavSource and Wikipedia use 'Mount Hood class' - the same class under two conventions; Mount Hood class adopted (majority convention). (d) laid-down date - NavSource says 'date unknown'; the extended DANFS narrative and navysite give 13 March 1944, adopted. (e) extended-narrative typo - the deployment 'departing Mare Island on the 3 November 1966' is internally inconsistent (it follows the 22 April 1967 return and precedes the April 1968 return) and is treated as a typographical error for 3 November 1967. (f) disposal - Wikipedia/secondary sources say 'scrapped 1978'; MARAD/NavSource record the 16 November 1977 sale and 28 December 1977 withdrawal/delivery - 'scrapped 1978' is the demolition period following the 1977 sale.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1944-1978
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies in secondary framings; does not affect identity or custody timeline materially. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-firedrake-ae14-10
-
[15]Batch-481 search ledger (this record): DANFS/NHHC canonical URL (404); HyperWar mirrors; NavSource; MARAD ShipHistory 1564; NHHC archival PDFs; CourtListener API/UI (blocked/throttled); web-indexed court records (storage.courtlistener.com RECAP PDF, UniCourt, Law360, defense-firm summaries); HAER/LOC [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-firedrake-ae14-01 through sl-uss-firedrake-ae14-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No hull survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, specification itemization, or environmental record for USS Firedrake (AE-14) was located in the public sources searched - expected for a hull scrapped in 1977-78 with no museum, NRHP, or preservation phase. Litigation search located exactly one qualifying asbestos matter (McMann, W.D. Wash. - see ev-08, ev-09); other 'Firedrake' hits were name collisions (the Cornelia Funke fantasy novel and a Panamanian freighter's SAR event in the ship's own history, plus Firehawk/Firetrace aerospace defendants). CourtListener API access was rate-limited during this pass (125/day throttle; ~4h backoff) - a dedicated name + hull-number opinion/docket pass and the C14-5429 docket pull remain owed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 2026-09-19
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944 steam hull insulated to era practice is era-consistent with asbestos-containing machinery-space materials. Does not establish presence or absence beyond the litigation-record product identification; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. Litigation search incomplete pending a CourtListener pass.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-firedrake-ae14-11
-
[16]PACER/RECAP dockets (W.D. Wash.); NARA record-group guidance (deck logs, war diaries, command histories; RG 19 BuShips); MARAD ShipHistory 'No documents for this vessel' notice [other_primary]
- Locator
- Lead mapping only - see search_ledger for repositories queried
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized): (a) PACER/RECAP docket for McMann v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., C14-5429 BHS (W.D. Wash.) - the complaint's defendant/product list, the SB Decking summary-judgment record (Dkt. 66 Ex. B, Dkt. 117), the final disposition, and the related filings 2:14-cv-00281-RSM (Seattle, remand denied 6 May 2014, 2014 WL 1794694) and 3:16-cv-05635 (filed 15 July 2016); (b) NARA deck logs and WWII war diaries for AE-14, and post-war command histories (OPNAV 5750 reports) quoted in the extended DANFS narrative; (c) construction/conversion specifications for MC hull 1379 at North Carolina Shipbuilding and Gibbs Gas Engine Co. (MARAD technical files; RG 19 Bureau of Ships records); (d) MARAD/Suisun Bay NDRF vessel file for the 1971-77 lay-up and 1977 sale.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1944-2016 records
- Limitations
- Record-location mapping only - no box-level or docket-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-firedrake-ae14-12