USS Gage (APA-168)

Evidence

16 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-16).

1. [1]research packet o-packet.md (10 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS Gage. Hull: APA-168. Designation: attack transport (APA). Class: Haskell.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-gage-apa168-pkt-o-packet-md

2. [2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Gage (APA-168)', Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval History Division (DANFS vol. III, p. 227 per HAER citation); HyperWar/ibiblio transcription [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry, full text (specs block + service narrative)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Gage (APA-168), named for a Nebraska county, Haskell-class: built under Maritime Commission contract by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland; launched 1944-10-14 (sponsor Mrs. H. L. Edmunds); acquired by the Navy 1944-11-04; commissioned 1944-11-12, Comdr. L. J. Alexanderson, USNR. After San Diego shakedown, sailed from San Francisco 1945-01-17 for the South Pacific; Guadalcanal 02-04 with 298 marines and cargo; unit of Division 34, Transport Squadron 12, amphibious maneuvers in the Solomons; departed 03-15 for Ulithi staging; Hagushi Beach, Okinawa initial assault 1945-04-01; landed 3d Bn, 4th Marines (6th MarDiv), a Seabee battalion, a medical company, and combat equipment through five days under near-continual 'Flash Red' kamikaze alerts; mission complete 04-05; via Marianas/Hawaii to San Francisco 05-11; Army Air Corps Casuals to Manila 06-12; Amphibious Group 9 at Leyte 06-22; Langemak/Humboldt Bays troops to Iloilo, Panay; San Francisco 08-02; under repair at Todd's Dry Dock, Seattle, at Japanese capitulation. Departed Seattle 08-21 with 1,724 Army casual replacements to Saipan (09-05); ~1,600 marines to occupation duty at Hiro Wan, Honshu (late October); 'Magic Carpet' lifts of 1,700 Army veterans to Portland 12-14; further Magic-Carpet voyages to Yokosuka (1946-01-10 to 02-25) and Samar (04-04 to 05-10); departed San Francisco 05-28 supporting occupation forces at Tsingtao, Tientsin, Yokosuka, Sasebo; departed Sasebo 06-26; via Marianas/Hawaii and the Panama Canal to Norfolk 1946-07-29; remained at Norfolk Naval Shipyard until decommissioning 1947-02-26; Atlantic Reserve Fleet; stricken 1958-10-01 and transferred same day to the Maritime Commission Reserve Fleet; berthed James River, VA (per DANFS; MARAD cards show initial NDRF lay-up at Wilmington, NC - see ev-04). One battle star for WWII service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1958

   Population

   Ship's company (~536) and embarked troops (~1,440-1,596 capacity); ~1,724 embarked casuals Aug 1945; ~1,700 Magic-Carpet passengers Nov-Dec 1945

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, construction, operational history, and decommission/stricken dates. Live NHHC DANFS page 404s (standing NHHC link rot) - transcription mirror cited. Contains no asbestos or materials statement; supports no asbestos claim. DANFS's closing 'berthed in James River' compresses the custody path (Wilmington, NC 1958-64 first - resolved against MARAD cards).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gage-apa168-01

3. [3]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (Jan 1945), APA-168 Gage rows across characteristics/machinery/armament/builder tables (shipscribe.com Google-scan PDF) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 APA tables - GAGE rows (index 'APA 168 GAGE'; characteristics row 'GAGE (ex-M.C.V. Hull 134) APA168'; machinery row ~p.243; armament row; builder table 'GAGE APA 168 ... Oregon S.B. Corp., Portland ... 12 Nov 44')

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Bureau of Ships Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 (Auxiliaries), APA characteristics tables: GAGE (ex-M.C.V. Hull 134), APA-168 - 455'0" overall / 436'6" waterline, 62'0" beam, 17.7 kt, 14,837 tons; machinery row: 1 Westinghouse turbine, 8,500 shp, 2 C.E. (Combustion Engineering) header-type boilers at 465 psi / 750 deg F; armament: 1x 5"/38 cal DP, 4 twin + 1 quad 40mm; troop accommodations 80 officers / 1,440 enlisted; built Oregon S.B. Corp., Portland; acquired/commissioned 12 Nov 1944 (BuShips compresses acquisition and commission dates; DANFS gives 11-04 acquisition, 11-12 commissioning).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1945

   Population

   Troop capacity 80 officers / 1,440 enlisted (design figure)

   Limitations

   Official BuShips data with a per-hull table row for this vessel; OCR-degraded cells parsed against column order - values cross-checked against NavSource and HAER VA-133. Machinery/troop figures are design capacity, not exposure data. Contains no asbestos or materials statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gage-apa168-02

4. [4]Historic American Engineering Record, USS Gage, James River Reserve Fleet, Newport News, VA - HAER No. VA-133 (NPS, 2007-2008; Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division) [haer]

   Locator

   LOC item va2041; report PDF via MARAD https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/documents/Gage_HAER_Report.pdf (narrative pp. 2-9 of the PDF; drawing sheets HAER VA-133-1 et seq.)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NPS Historic American Engineering Record documentation of USS Gage, HAER No. VA-133 (Brian Clayton, fall 2007; HAER Maritime Program, Todd Croteau; field photographs autumn 2007 at James River Reserve Fleet): 'the Gage is the sole remaining ship afloat in its original configuration' of the 117-ship Haskell class. Ship-specific findings: Oregon Shipbuilding completed the ship in a 90-day production time (62 days on the ways + 29 days fitting out); Westinghouse cross-compound steam turbine with Westinghouse double-reduction gears, 8,500 hp, 21'7" propeller, 15 kt cruising / 17 kt flank, 7,200 nm range; Combustion Engineering oil-fired forced-draft water-tube boilers with superheaters and economizers, working pressure 465 psi at 750 deg F; three 300 kW auxiliary generators; designed for 1,596 troops (86 officers / 1,510 enlisted), 25 assault boats + captain's gig, hold-four cargo 134,000 cu ft, 40,000-gal gasoline tanks, 40,000 gal/day distiller, crew 28 officers / 23 CPOs / 451 enlisted; frames spaced 36"; armament 1x 5"/38, 1x 40mm quad, 4x 40mm twin, 10x 20mm. Library of Congress catalog: HAER VA-133, item va2041 - 16 photos, 11 measured drawings, 11 data pages; unprocessed field-note material N1399 exists.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-2008

   Population

   HAER documentation crew (2007); record describes construction workforce and embarked-troop accommodations

   Limitations

   Ship-specific federal documentation of construction, machinery, and 2007 condition/as-built configuration. The narrative text contains no asbestos or hazardous-materials statement; the 11 measured-drawing sheets are image scans with spotty OCR and could contain insulation/materials callouts not text-searchable - not fully exploited. 'Delivered to the U.S. Navy on 12 November 1944' in the HAER narrative conflates delivery with commissioning (DANFS: acquired 11-04, commissioned 11-12) - DANFS adopted for those dates. Supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gage-apa168-03

5. [5]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - GAGE (APA-168), Ship History Detail 1782 (milestone table + 4 status-card scans: 1782_10339AF/AB/BF.jpg, 2LU_01.png) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 1782 milestone table; status cards via /cards/1782_10339AF.jpg, 1782_10339AB.jpg, 1782_10339BF.jpg, 2LU_01.png (OCR-aided reads)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record (Detail 1782) and digitized status cards (MC-7146a vessel status card + MA-20 Reserve Fleet particulars, 4 scans) document the full custody chain: MCV hull 134 completed 11-11-44 by Oregon SB Corp., Portland; permanent transfer to Reserve Fleet at Wilmington, NC 1958-11-24 (reimbursable retention; Navy bore retention costs $118/ship/month until FY1960 and paid up to $16,000 for FY1959 preservation); towed by USS Umpqua (ATA-209), arrived James River Reserve Fleet (Lee Hall) 1964-11-16; withdrawn for defueling 1982-11-10; returned 1984-05-17 and same day withdrawn by Navy for stripping and disposal (Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Portsmouth), returned to James River 1984-10-18; withdrawn again 1989-08-17 for target preparation at NISMF Portsmouth, re-entered James River 1991-07-01; withdrawn to NISMIF Portsmouth for SINKEX 1997-02-06, returned 1998-06-16; MARAD accepted title for disposal 2001-02-24; withdrawn from Navy SINKEX program 2003-11-03; dismantlement contract awarded to ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX 2009-06-29; vessel moved to Brownsville 2009-07-23; dismantled by ESCO Marine - withdrawal recorded 2009-12-21; fate: Scrapped. Milestone table also carries an unexplained '(aka LPA 140 ? see memo)' annotation on the 1984 withdrawal - Gage was never an LPA (stricken 1958, before the 1969 LPA redesignations); treated as a data-entry artifact.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1958-2009

   Population

   NDRF maintenance crews; NISMF Portsmouth stripping/target-prep workers (1984, 1989-91, 1997-98); ESCO Marine dismantling workers (2009)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody milestones; card handwriting/typewriter entries OCR-aided and cross-checked against NavSource (which supplies the 'target preparation' purpose for the 1989-91 withdrawal; the milestone table records only the 1991 re-entry date). The defueling, stripping, and target-prep events are documented as events only - no materials or asbestos scope is stated for any of them. Contains no asbestos statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gage-apa168-04

6. [6]Memorandum of Agreement among USDOT/MARAD, ACHP, and Virginia SHPO regarding the disposition of the obsolete vessel ex-USS Gage (executed 2008; posted to MARAD vessel-history documents 2010-07-10) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   MOA 7-page scan (OCR): whereas clauses, Stipulations I-VI, signature block

   Finding type

   regulatory

   Finding

   Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement (executed 2008; transmittal 2008-07-10 to HNSA) among USDOT/Maritime Administration, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Virginia SHPO, with NPS National Maritime Heritage Program and the Historic Naval Ships Association concurring: MARAD determined Gage eligible for listing on the NRHP and that disposal (dismantling, sinking, or reefing) is an adverse-effect undertaking; mitigation = full HAER recording prior to removal from the NDRF plus artifact donations (ship's bell, builder's plates, wheels, logs, clock, buoys to suitable museums; prior transfers to USS Slater, USS Massachusetts, and Baltimore Maritime Museum; sick-bay items to the National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP). MARAD advertised Gage for donation 2005-06-30 through 2008-04-30 (~3 years) with no applications; the Auxiliary fleet Personnel complement Attack Force Historical Preservation Project ('APA Project') was engaged as potential donee from April 2004 but filed no viable application by the 2007-08-31 deadline; a 90-day public-comment solicitation from September 2005 drew no substantive comments.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   2004-2010

   Population

   Potential donee/museum workers (APA Project, HNSA member vessels) - theoretical secondary pathway only, undocumented

   Limitations

   Authoritative federal record establishing NRHP eligibility, the failed donation effort, and the HAER-mitigation chain. The MOA contains no asbestos, hazmat, or materials-survey stipulation for this hull - it is a historic-preservation instrument. Attachments I (HAER interagency agreement) and II (Gage Mitigation Plan) are referenced but not included in the posted PDF. Supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gage-apa168-05

7. [7]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Gage (APA-168) page (secondary compilation drawing on DANFS, MARAD, and contributor photographs incl. NPS HAER VA-133 images) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource APA-168 page - ship history block, campaign tables, spec block, photo captions (incl. 2007 NPS HAER images and July 2009 tow-out photos)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive page for USS Gage (APA-168): TransRon Twenty / TransDiv Fifty-Eight (flagship) assignment (conflicts with DANFS Division 34/TransRon 12 - see gaps); Okinawa Gunto assault 1-5 April 1945 campaign credit; Navy Occupation and China Service periods; decommissioned Norfolk Navy Yard 1947-02-26, laid up Atlantic Reserve Fleet St. Julian Annex; returned to Maritime Commission 1958-10-01; transferred to NDRF Wilmington, NC 11-19 to 11-24-1958; towed by USS Umpqua (ATA-209) Wilmington to James River 11-11 to 11-16-1964; withdrawn 1984-05-17 to 10-18 for stripping at NISMF Portsmouth; withdrawn 1989-08-17 to 1991-07-01 for target preparation at NISMF Portsmouth; scrapping contract announced 2009-07-18 to ESCO Marine Brownsville ($564,910), removed 2009-07-23, scrapping completed 2009-12-21; spec block: 6,873 t light / 14,837 t full, complement 56/480 + troops 80/1,440, 2 Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, boats 2 LCM + 2 LCPL + 2 LCPR + 18 LCVP.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-2009

   Limitations

   Secondary enthusiast archive, not a primary source - carried because its custody dates match MARAD status cards/milestones where they overlap and it supplies the only located purpose statements ('stripping', 'target preparation') for the 1984 and 1989-91 NISMF withdrawals. Conflicts with primary sources (squadron assignment, tow/departure dates) are logged in gaps and DANFS/MARAD control. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gage-apa168-06

8. [8]BuShips SDB 1945 v3 APA-168 machinery row; HAER VA-133 narrative; NavSource APA-168 spec block - vs. class-profile generic 'B&W' wording [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 APA machinery table, GAGE row; HAER VA-133 narrative p.6; navsource.net/archives/10/03/03168.htm spec block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Boiler-make correction: the Haskell class profile's generic plant description ('2x B&W boilers') derives from the lead-ship BuShips row. For this hull specifically, three independent sources agree the boilers were Combustion Engineering header-type units: (a) the ship-specific BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row for APA-168 reads 'C.E. hdr.' at 465 psi/750 deg F; (b) HAER VA-133 states 'The Combustion Engineering boilers were oil fired and used forced draft water tubing with super heaters and economizers'; (c) NavSource spec block lists 'two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, 465psi 750 deg'. Adopted for this record's propulsion_summary.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1945

   Limitations

   Resolves a class-profile generalization for this hull; boiler make is a materials-relevant datum (different makers = different insulation/gasket supply chains) but carries no asbestos statement itself. Does not establish presence, quantity, or condition of any material aboard.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gage-apa168-07

9. [9]Consolidated era inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 APA-168 row + Haskell class profile (VC2-S-AP5 type data) + documented custody events [other_primary]

   Locator

   Class/hull technical data; event list from ev-01/-04/-06

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: single-screw geared-steam plant (Westinghouse turbine; 2 Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, 465 psi/750 deg F superheated) built at peak wartime asbestos use - boiler/fireroom insulation, steam-line and turbine lagging, flange/valve gaskets, machinery packing, accommodation and joiner insulation for a 1,500-man troop berthing fit-out, winch/windlass brake linings. Documented ship-specific disturbance events that would have contacted machinery and insulation exist - the 1945-08 Todd's Dry Dock (Seattle) repair period, the 1946-07-29 to 1947-02-26 inactivation availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the 1982 defueling, 1984 Navy 'stripping & disposal' and 1989-91 target-preparation withdrawals at NISMF Portsmouth, and the 2009 ESCO dismantlement - but no materials content is documented for any of them.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-2009

   Population

   Construction trades (Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland, 1944); ship's company/embarked troops (1944-47); Todd's Seattle repair workers (1945); Norfolk Naval Shipyard inactivation workers (1946-47); NDRF maintenance crews (1958-2009); defueling workers (1982, location not stated on card); NISMF Portsmouth stripping/target-prep workers (1984, 1989-91, 1997-98); ESCO Marine dismantling workers (2009)

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no ship-level asbestos record exists for this hull despite unusually rich ship-specific documentation (HAER, MOA, custody cards). Establishes no quantities, no locations, no condition, and no exposure for any individual aboard. Documented disturbance events are logged as events; their materials scope is not documented.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gage-apa168-08

10. [10]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 VC2-S-AP5 attack transport was built at Oregon Shipbuilding - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type and auxiliary 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 aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-gage-apa168-09

11. [11]DOT Office of Inspector General, 'Report on the Program for Scrapping Obsolete Vessels, Maritime Administration,' MA-2000-067 (2000-03-10) [other_primary]

    Locator

    MA-2000-067, summary p. ii and 'Obsolete Vessels Pose Environmental Risks' section

    Finding type

    gov_survey

    Finding

    DOT Office of Inspector General audit of MARAD's obsolete-vessel scrapping program documents that the deteriorating National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels awaiting disposal 'contain hazardous substances such as asbestos and solid and liquid polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),' and that inspection of 'worst condition' vessels found 'asbestos hanging from pipes below deck,' lead-based paint, and PCBs - the fleet environment (James River Reserve Fleet) in which this hull lay from 1964 to 2009, squarely within the audited period.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    audit published 2000; fleet conditions described 1990s

    Population

    NDRF maintenance and disposal workers (fleet-level)

    Limitations

    Fleet-level audit documentation of asbestos in obsolete NDRF vessels generally; the report does not name this hull. Unlike Napa (withdrawn 1983), Gage remained at James River through the audit period - the described conditions are contemporaneous with her lay-up - but the audit still establishes nothing about materials aboard this specific hull.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-gage-apa168-10

12. [12]U.S. EPA, Office of Enforcement / National Enforcement Investigations Center, 'Multimedia Compliance Monitoring Investigation Protocol for the Ship Scrapping Industry,' EPA-331/9-99-001 (February 1999) [other_primary]

    Locator

    EPA-331/9-99-001, Introduction/Overview sections (Brownsville facility observations); Appendix C asbestos NESHAP checklists

    Finding type

    regulatory

    Finding

    EPA National Enforcement Investigations Center protocol for the ship-scrapping industry - developed from inspections of three ship scrapping facilities at the Port of Brownsville, Texas - documents that ship scrapping generates regulated waste streams 'including asbestos and PCBs,' that older mothballed vessels are received for scrapping sometimes without material diagrams, and that scrapping begins with identifying areas 'which may contain hazardous materials such as fuels, oils, asbestos, PCBs, and hazardous waste' before hot-work cutting - the industry process this hull entered at ESCO Marine, Brownsville, in 2009.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    protocol published 1999-02

    Population

    Brownsville ship-scrapping workers (industry-level)

    Limitations

    Federal program-level documentation of the Brownsville ship-scrapping industry's regulated asbestos/PCB waste streams a decade before this hull was dismantled there; does not name Gage or ESCO Marine specifically and establishes nothing about materials actually aboard this hull.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-gage-apa168-11

13. [13]Recycling International, 'Five MARAD vessels for ESCO Marine' (2009-07-17); Maritime Executive, 'Vessels Depart James River Reserve Fleet' (2009-07-22); al.com/Press-Register, 'Final voyage: Mobile-made USS Ortolan on way to scrap' (2009-08) [reputable_press]

    Locator

    recyclinginternational.com article 8555; maritime-executive.com/article/2009-07-22-vessel-departs-james-river-reserve-fleet; al.com/live/2009/08/final_voyage_mobilemade_uss_or.html

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Trade-press disposal reporting: MARAD paid ESCO Marine US$564,910 to recycle the Gage (one of five vessels in the award, alongside Resolute, Gulf Farmer, Ortolan, Gulf Shipper); ESCO president/CEO Richard Jaross stated environmental clean-up - 'including the removal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), paint, asbestos, cables and oils' - is the ship recycler's main responsibility under such contracts. Maritime Executive/marinelink reporting documents Gage's departure from the James River Reserve Fleet under tow for ESCO Brownsville (81st vessel to leave the fleet since 2001-01-01). Contemporaneous reporting on sister disposal ship USS Ortolan at the same ESCO yard (Aug 2009) describes the vessel 'cleaned of asbestos and other hazardous components' before cutting - the standard process this hull underwent.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    2009

    Population

    ESCO Marine dismantling workers, Brownsville (2009)

    Limitations

    The $564,910 contract figure and tow-out are corroborated by the MARAD milestone table. The asbestos language is the recycler's description of its standard contractual responsibility - not a survey finding that asbestos was aboard this hull; no asbestos quantity, location, or condition is documented for Gage. Ortolan process detail is a different hull at the same facility in the same months - context for the disposal pathway only.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-gage-apa168-12

14. [14]CourtListener API v4 search (authenticated, fleet-paced helper) - this record's search ledger [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-gage-apa168-07 through sl-uss-gage-apa168-10b

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    CourtListener searches returned no qualifying result: '"USS Gage" asbestos' (type=o) returned 1 hit - Babbitt v. Mitchell (Idaho 1981), a construction-contract dispute at a Preston, Idaho elementary school, classified name collision (not the vessel, not asbestos); '"USS Gage"' bare (type=o) returned the same single collision; '"APA-168"' (type=o) returned 1 hit - ITG Brands LLC v. Reynolds American Inc. (Del. Ch. 2023), a tobacco-asset dispute (the string resolves to a contract-provision reference), classified name collision; '"USS Gage"' docket index (type=r) returned 0; '"APA-168"' docket index (type=r) returned 22 dockets / 27 documents, all unrelated civil-rights, environmental, administrative-law, and contract cases where 'APA-168' appears as an exhibit/statute/document reference - all classified name collisions, none naming the vessel. A prior class-wide sweep found no asbestos docket naming any Haskell-class member; attack-transport asbestos filings on record resolve to other APA classes (e.g., Bayfield class).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    2026-09-25

    Limitations

    RECAP-indexed text only; county-name hulls under-cover filings that omit hull numbers, and asbestos litigation often names shipbuilders/operators rather than hulls. Absence of a docketed case does not establish absence of exposure; no exposure finding made.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-gage-apa168-13

15. [15]Batch-2241 search ledger (this record): DANFS/HyperWar; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1782 + status cards + MOA; LOC HAER VA-133 (va2041); BuShips SDB 1945 v3 (shipscribe scan); NavSource; DOT OIG MA-2000-067; EPA-331/9-99-001; Recycling International/Maritime Executive/al.com; CourtListener name/hull searches; NARA/LOC path mapping [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-gage-apa168-01 through sl-uss-gage-apa168-15 (incl. 10b)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, shipyard work package, hazmat manifest, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Gage (APA-168 / MCV 134) was found in the public sources searched - DANFS, HAER VA-133 (narrative + catalog), MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1782 + 4 status-card scans + posted MOA, BuShips SDB 1945 v3, NavSource, DOT OIG MA-2000-067, EPA NEIC scrapping protocol, disposal-trade press, and CourtListener (see search_ledger). This holds despite Gage being the best-documented Haskell-class hull - the only member with a federal HAER record - because the HAER narrative addresses design/history only and contains no materials or asbestos statement.

    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 geared-steam hull retained in NDRF custody 1958-2009 and scrapped under a regulated hazmat-removal contract is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and her HAER is a design/history document, not a hazardous-materials survey. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-gage-apa168-14

16. [16]NARA Guide to Federal Records / logbook guidance (RG 24 Entry 118 deck logs; RG 19 BuShips; RG 178 USMC); LOC HAER VA-133 catalog note 'Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N1399' [other_primary]

    Locator

    NARA deck-log guidance page; RG 19/178 record-group guides; loc.gov/pictures/item/va2041 field-note line

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) LOC Prints & Photographs holds UNPROCESSED HAER VA-133 field-note material N1399 - raw field notes from the 2007 ship survey could contain materials/condition observations absent from the published data pages; (b) NARA RG 24 Entry 118 (NAID 581208) WWII deck logs for APA-168 (1944-47) would record underway repairs and the Aug 1945 Todd's Dry Dock availability; (c) NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) construction/repair records incl. the 1946-47 Norfolk Naval Shipyard inactivation package; (d) NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) contract/construction records for MCV hull 134 at Oregon Shipbuilding; (e) MARAD disposal-program files for the 2009 ESCO contract (MA-#### series) and any pre-removal hazmat survey conducted for SINKEX/donation review 1997-2008 - the likeliest repository of an actual ship-specific materials survey if one exists.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1944-2009 records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for MCV 134 / APA-168 is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-gage-apa168-15