USS Ganymede (AK-104)

Evidence

9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).

1. [1]DANFS, 'Ganymede (AK-104)' - NHHC page (published 2016-08-17; live URL returned 404 on 2026-09-20; text verified against Wayback capture 2024-12-11 and the hazegray transcription of print DANFS) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC DANFS 'Ganymede (AK-104)' entry, full text; mirror https://losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/ak104.htm

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Ganymede (AK-104): 'The third satellite of the planet Jupiter' (print-DANFS transcription via hazegray adds 'and a shepherdess in Shakespeare's As You Like It'). Spec block: displacement (trial) 14,350; 441'6" x 56'11" x 28'4"; 13 k.; cpl. 219; a. 1 5", 4 40mm., 6 20mm.; cl. Crater; type EC2. James W. Nye laid down 16 May 1943 under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 1571) at Richmond, Calif., by Permanente Metals Shipbuilding Division Yard No. 2; authorized for acceptance by the U.S. Navy 22 May 1943; classified cargo ship AK-104 and renamed Ganymede 27 May 1943; launched 8 June 1943, sponsored by Mrs. William C. Dalby of Oakland; assigned to General Engineering & Dry Dock Co. for conversion 19 June 1943; acquired 23 June 1943; commissioned 31 July 1943, Lt. Cmdr. Glenn H. Melichar in command. Service narrative: shakedown out of Oakland; assigned to Naval Transportation Service under Commander Seventh Fleet operational control; departed San Francisco 28 August 1943 with military cargo for Pallikulo Bay (New Hebrides), Queensland, Melbourne, Sydney; Seventh Fleet Service Force - sailed from Queensland 29 November 1943 with fuel, supplies, passengers for Milne and Langemak Bays, New Guinea; twelve months of Australia-New Guinea cargo/passenger runs (Humboldt Bay, Milne Bay, Cape Sudest, Tanahmerah Bay); itinerary expanded February 1945 to Leyte, Manila, Subic Bay, Samar plus occasional Manus; departed Brisbane 20 November (1945 - year not printed in DANFS but fixed by narrative sequence) arriving San Francisco 18 December; sailed for Pearl Harbor 25 February 1946 'to take part in special explosive tests'; decommissioned there 15 April 1946; towed back to San Francisco; stricken from the Naval Register 1 August 1947; returned to WSA 1 October 1947, entering the Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1947

   Population

   Wartime crew (complement 219 per spec block); limited embarked passengers on the Australia-New Guinea-Philippines circuit

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, construction milestones, service chronology, and disposition outline; contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information. The 'special explosive tests' at Pearl Harbor (Feb-Apr 1946) are stated without nature, purpose, or hull-damage detail. Print-vs-online differences are trivial (namesake line; armament block adds '6 20mm' online; 'Navy List' vs 'Naval Register'). The 20 November departure year is not printed - narrative sequence fixes it at 1945.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ganymede-ak104-01

2. [2]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - JAMES W. NYE Ship History Detail 8695 and GANYMEDE (AK-104) Detail 1791 (three shared digitized cards: main status card 3FR_01.png, reserve-fleet vessel-data card, tonnage note) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Details 8695 and 1791 milestone tables + card scans (cards/3FR_01.png; cards/8a64dbd5-c4a8-46bd-8a90-d741f5864600.jpg = cards/1791_3314AF.jpg; cards/51a77914-06a9-45bc-b2af-e1b655edbe27.jpg = cards/1791_3314AB.jpg; cards/7e137ad0-1642-4112-89c4-9df48bbef504.png = 3FR_01.png duplicate)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory records: JAMES W. NYE Detail 8695 and GANYMEDE (AK-104) Detail 1791 share three identical digitized card scans (MD5-confirmed byte-identical). Main vessel status card (3FR_01.png) documents: U.S. Official No. 243709; type CARGO EC2; hull no. 1571; built by Perm. Metals Corp. at Richmond, Cal.; completed 6-23-43; 'Basis to W.S.A. 6-23-43 1:30PM PWT @ Richmond, Calif.'; allocated to 'Navy Dept.' with 'Purch.' recorded in the operator cell beneath 'Navy Dept.' and a struck-through 'BB' in the Form-of-Agreement cell; delivered Richmond 6-23-43 1:30PM; D.W.T. 10,899, gross 7,176, net 4,380, bale 499,573 cu ft, grain 562,608 cu ft, Sp. 12.5; 'Renamed "GANYMEDE" (AK-104)'; reserve fleet entry Suisun Bay 10-1-47 11:00AM PST; sale row 'Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corporation for scrapping in Taiwan / Purch. / 3-19-73'; 'Physical Delivery 4-16-73 10:16am PST'. Reserve-fleet vessel-data card adds: ownership 'Navy Surplus / USMC'; fleet entry 10-1-47; DWT 10,500; 686 bbls Bunker C fuel aboard at entry; typed note 'Sold scrap under PD-X-955, 3-19-73 to Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corp. for $137,000'; dimensions L 417'8.75", B 56'10.75", D 37'4". Web milestones: Detail 8695 'Vessel transferred to U.S. Navy upon completion 6/23/1943'; Detail 1791 'name changed ... upon transfer to U.S. Navy 6/3/1943' plus Entry/Acquisition 10/1/1947 and Withdrawal 4/16/1973.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1973

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody milestones, hull identity (ON 243709 = MCE 1571 = ex-AK-104, printed on the card), and the 1973 scrap sale; contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information and supports no asbestos claim. Card-reading notes: 'Purch.' sits in the operator cell beneath 'Navy Dept.' while the Form-of-Agreement cell holds a struck-through 'BB' - carried as Navy purchase (consistent with the 'transferred to U.S. Navy upon completion' milestone and DANFS 'acquired'), distinct from the operative bareboat 'BB' on sister-hull cards (e.g., AK-108 Rotanin). Database milestone conflict: Detail 1791 dates the name change/transfer 6/3/1943 vs Detail 8695 and the card's own 6-23-43 delivery timestamp vs DANFS 'renamed 27 May / acquired 23 June' - the card is carried as controlling; the 6/3 figure is unexplained (see gaps). Reserve-fleet card DWT 10,500 vs main card 10,899 - different figures, both carried. Speed field on the reserve-fleet card reads 'Mil. Aux.' (clerical placement) vs 'Sp. 12.5' on the main card.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ganymede-ak104-02

3. [3]NavSource Online, Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Ganymede (AK-104) index page (volunteer-compiled index citing BuShips/DANFS figures; photo captions cite Navy Yard Mare Island photo numbers) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource AK-104 page, specifications block, awards line, commanding-officer table, photo captions (navsource.org DNS failed SERVFAIL on 2026-09-20; navsource.net is the live domain)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource service-ship archive page for Ganymede (AK-104): Crater-class cargo ship; laid down 1943-05-16 as SS James W. Nye (EC2-S-C1, MCE hull 1571) at Permanente Metals Corp., Richmond; launched 1943-06-08; acquired 1943-06-23; commissioned 1943-07-31 (LCDR Glenn H. Melichar); Asiatic-Pacific Theater; decommissioned 1946-04-15 at Pearl Harbor T.H.; struck 1947-08-01; delivered to the Maritime Commission 1947-10-01 for NDRF Suisun Bay; sold for scrapping 1973-03-19 to Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corp. for scrapping in Taiwan. Spec block: displacement 4,023 t. (lt) / 14,550 t. (fl); 441'6" x 56'11" x 28'4"; 12.5 kts; complement 29 officers + 190 enlisted; cargo 412,439 cu ft non-refrigerated, 7,750 DWT; largest boom 50 t.; armament 1x 5"/38 DP, 4x 40mm, 6x 20mm; fuel 7,285 bbls NSFO; propulsion one Joshua Hendy Ironworks vertical triple-expansion engine, two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers (220 psi, 450 deg), ship's-service generators (1x 60kW turbo-drive + 3x 20kW recip-drive, 120V DC), single propeller 2,500 shp. Awards: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal - no battle stars. CO list: Melichar sole CO 1943-07-31 to 1946-04-15. Photo captions document the conversion: Navy Yard Mare Island photos 4719/4720/4721-43 (moored pierside San Francisco, 1943-06-29, 'during conversion for Naval Service'), 5663/5666-43 (Alameda, 1943-08-04, circled items 'are alterations made to Ganymede to make her suitable for Naval Service'), 5877/5878/5880-43 (San Francisco Bay, 1943-08-16); one photo shows her at anchor off Naval Shipyard Hunters Point February 1946 'prior to sailing for Pearl Harbor for final decommissioning.'

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1973

   Population

   Ship's company (219 total per DANFS; NavSource breakout 29 officers + 190 enlisted); limited embarked passengers

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation, not an official publication - consistent with DANFS and the MARAD cards where they overlap (dates, complement total, armament counts, scrapping buyer/date). Discrepancies logged in gaps: displacement 14,550 fl vs DANFS 14,350 trial (different measures); speed 12.5 kts vs DANFS 13 k.; cargo DWT 7,750 vs MARAD card 10,899/10,500 (different measures); cargo volume 412,439 vs MARAD bale 499,573 cu ft. Machinery manufacturer detail is NavSource-only. No asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ganymede-ak104-03

4. [4]U.S. Maritime Commission, Instruction Manual for Operating and Maintaining 2500 H.P. Triple Expansion Marine Steam Engines, EC2-S-C1 Cargo Vessels (mirrored excerpt) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Mirrored excerpt, engine-cylinder insulation section

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   The U.S. Maritime Commission instruction manual for the EC2-S-C1 plant (the design type documented for this hull by the DANFS spec block 'type EC2' and the MARAD status card 'EC 2'; NavSource specifies EC2-S-C1) describes cylinder insulation of magnesia under sheet-iron lagging; insulation products of this era were commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber, and period steam-system gaskets, packing, and insulation felts commonly contained asbestos. Liberty hulls were built to emergency USMC specifications during the period when the federal government had reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943

   Population

   Construction trades (Permanente Metals/Kaiser Richmond Yard No. 2, 1943); conversion workers (General Engineering & Dry Dock Co., Alameda, 1943); Navy engine-room and maintenance crew

   Limitations

   Class/design documentation, not a hull record - the manual names the type, not this vessel, and does not itself state 'asbestos' content (magnesia lagging of the era was typically asbestos-fiber-reinforced, but the manual text is silent on fiber). The June-July 1943 Navy AK conversion at General Engineering & Dry Dock Co. (armament, cargo-handling and habitability alterations visible in Mare Island photos) added material whose scope is undocumented. Does not establish quantity, present-day presence (hull scrapped 1973), individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ganymede-ak104-04

5. [5]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 EC2-S-C1 hull was mass-produced at Permanente Metals' Richmond No. 2 yard (one of the Kaiser Richmond emergency yards) - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1940s era documented; article 1987

   Population

   WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarship; does not name this vessel or the EC2-S-C1 type 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-ganymede-ak104-05

6. [6]O'Neil v. Crane Co., 53 Cal. 4th 335 (2012), CourtListener opinion 844228 [court_record]

   Locator

   Opinion, 53 Cal. 4th 335 (No. S177401); cluster verified in batch-01

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   O'Neil v. Crane Co., 53 Cal. 4th 335 (2012): California Supreme Court 'bare metal' decision arising from a sailor's asbestos exposure aboard USS Oriskany (CV-34) - holds that a product manufacturer is not liable for harm caused by another manufacturer's asbestos-containing product used with its equipment. Establishes the doctrinal posture under which WWII-era Navy-ship asbestos product claims are litigated; for this hull the governing structure is outright Navy ownership by purchase documented on the MARAD status card ('Purch.', with 'BB' struck) - sailors' claims proceed against product suppliers, not the government.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   2012 (opinion); wartime exposure period

   Population

   WWII-era Navy sailors (class context)

   Limitations

   Doctrinal context only - the opinion does not name this hull, finds no asbestos conditions aboard any specific vessel, and establishes legal framework rather than exposure. No docketed case naming Ganymede, AK-104, or James W. Nye was located (see negative-finding row and search ledger). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ganymede-ak104-06

7. [7]Batch-792 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS via Wayback + hazegray mirror; MARAD ShipHistory details 8695/1791 + three shared digitized status cards; NavSource via navsource.net; CourtListener API/HTML (blocked) + Google site checks; usmm.org Permanente/Richmond yard table; NARA record-group guides; Masterson 1949 monograph (print, not retrieved) [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-ganymede-ak104-01 through sl-uss-ganymede-ak104-10

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming Ganymede, AK-104, or James W. Nye was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Direct CourtListener API and HTML searches were blocked by rate limiting on 2026-09-20 (shared machine quota); Google site:courtlistener.com checks returned only name collisions (Ganymede Cayman Ltd. in SDNY tax-reclaim litigation; various 'Nye' attorneys/litigants) - no vessel match. The hull appears on law-firm SEO ship lists (asbestos-ships.com dedicated page - which internally mislabels the ship AK-103; duboselawfirm.com job-site lists 'GANYMEDE 1943 Richmond CA' and 'W NYE 1943 Richmond CA') - marketing compilations excluded per source rules; list presence is not documentation.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   2026-09-20

   Limitations

   Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943 EC2-S-C1 hull operated to 1973 scrapping is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. Litigation coverage is partial: CourtListener opinion and RECAP docket searches were not run to completion due to the 125/day shared rate limit; the site: checks are not a substitute.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ganymede-ak104-07

8. [8]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel / deck logs), RG 178 (US Maritime Commission), RG 248 (War Shipping Administration); NHHC photo archive; Masterson 1949 (print monograph) [other_primary]

   Locator

   archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/178.html and /248.html; NARA deck-log guidance; NavSource photo captions citing Mare Island photo numbers

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction orders; no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for USS Ganymede (July 1943 - April 1946) would document operations, maintenance availabilities, and the nature of the February-April 1946 Pearl Harbor 'special explosive tests'; NARA RG 178 (Maritime Commission) / RG 248 (WSA) files for MCE hull 1571 and the June 23, 1943 purchase allocation; Navy Yard Mare Island photo series 4719/4720/4721-43, 5663/5666-43, 5877/5878/5880-43 (indexed via NavSource captions) documenting conversion alterations - negatives held at NHHC/NARA; Masterson, 'U.S. Army Transportation in the Southwest Pacific Area 1941-1947' (Transportation Unit, Historical Division, Special Staff, U.S. Army, Oct. 1949) - official Army monograph attributed in secondary compilations as the source for Ganymede being one of five Navy-manned Liberty ships assigned 8 December 1943 to SWPA for Army requirements (monograph text not retrieved; claim flagged secondary); General Engineering & Dry Dock Co., Alameda yard records for the June-July 1943 conversion scope.

   Verification

   unverified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1946 records; 1949 monograph

   Limitations

   Record-group and repository mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents in these series is unknown until surveyed in person. The 'five Navy-manned Liberties' attribution to Masterson rests on a secondary compilation's citation, not on the monograph text itself. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ganymede-ak104-08

9. [9]usmm.org (American Merchant Marine at War memorial reference), Permanente Metals Richmond yard Liberty-ship table [other_primary]

   Locator

   usmm.org/l/perm.html - hull 1571 row

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   usmm.org Permanente/Richmond yard table maps MCE hull 1571 'James W. Nye' to 'AK 104 Ganymede' under the Richmond No. 2 column - independent cross-check of the builder/hull identity carried from the DANFS and MARAD records.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943

   Limitations

   usmm.org is a private merchant-marine memorial reference, not a government publication - used here only as a corroborating cross-check; the builder identity is independently documented by DANFS and the MARAD status card. Contains no asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ganymede-ak104-09