Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
-
[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'USS General R.M. Blatchford (AP-153)' - Naval History Division transcription via HyperWar/ibiblio mirror [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Full entry, AP-153 page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record: launched 27 August 1944 under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Co., Richmond, Calif.; sponsored by Mrs. William Anderson; acquired and simultaneously commissioned 26 January 1945 (Comdr. Allen H. Guthrie). WWII troop-lift voyages San Francisco-Manila, France/Boston via Le Havre, Leghorn-Luzon, San Pedro-Seattle; Magic Carpet rotations Seattle-Nagoya/Yokohama/Shanghai through 7 May 1946. Decommissioned Baltimore 12 June 1946, returned to Maritime Commission for Army transport operation. Reacquired by Navy 1 March 1950 for MSTS civil-service operation; Korea troop lifts. UN Congo sealift 11 February 1961 - 11 August 1963 (174,000 nm, 36,809 passengers, 'Ambassador Ship', U Thant praise). Vietnam troop lifts from 1965; overhauled at San Francisco January 1967, then ready reserve. Two battle stars for Korean War. Specs: 9,950 t light, 522'10", 71'6", 16.5 kts, cpl 256, troops 3,823, armament 4x5", 8x1.1", 16x20mm; class General G. O. Squier, type C4-S-A1.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1967
- Population
- Ship's company (DANFS cpl 256) and embarked troops (3,823 capacity)
- Limitations
- Live NHHC DANFS page returns 404 (standing link-rot); cited via HyperWar/ibiblio transcription mirror - transcription fidelity assumed, not re-verified against the NHHC original this session. Establishes identity and service history only; contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials statement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-r-m-blatchford-ap153-01
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[2]U.S. Maritime Administration ShipHistory database, GENERAL R. M. BLATCHFORD (AP-153), Detail 1840, incl. two digitized MARAD vessel status cards (Form MA-383 particulars card + custody chain card) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 1840 milestone table; status card scans at /cards/1840_3406AF.jpg, /cards/29d80dcc-b147-4a9d-8e89-3b615d9c09ab.png, /cards/97a7d6d5-c9ac-4d4d-91f3-e694522573d9.png
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory: Official No. 524489; Kaiser Company; Naval Auxiliary/AP Transport, C4-S-A1; 522.84 ft, beam 71.50, gross 10,562 t, displacement 17,250/9,950; fate 'Sold - Scrap'; milestones: Entry 7/3/1968, Acquisition 7/3/1968, Disposition 3/25/1969, Withdrawal 3/25/1969; Mission: Korean War. Status cards add: type C4-S-A1 RRS troopship, Suisun Bay fleet; 'SERVICE PRIOR TO LAY-UP: NAVY/MSTS/Hunters Point'; completed 1-26-45; basis to W.S.A. 6-12-46 10:00 AM EST at Baltimore from Navy Dept (surplus); War Dept. 6-12-46 and 8-30-46; Navy Dept. title 3-1-50; Maritime Administration custody Suisun Bay 7-3-68 3:45 PM PDST, permanent transfer title 9/17/68; Waterman Steamship Corp. (Exchange Program) title 1/27/69 Washington D.C., physical delivery Suisun Bay 3/25/69 - 'Exchange Program/ To Waterman for conversion from troopship to general commercial dry cargo. The exchange ship is the ELMIRA'; renamed STONEWALL JACKSON 9/ /69 (O.N. 524,489, 'Partial Container'); sold to Waterman Carriers Inc. 10-7-71; renamed 'ALEX STEPHENS' 11/8/73, sold to Waterman Steamship Co. same day; Maritime Administration (Trade-In & Build) title 11/21/78 and bareboat charter back to Waterman same day; Waterman returned title 5/2/80; sold to Chien Yu Steel Industrial Co., Ltd. for scrapping in Taiwan 5/2/80.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945-1980
- Population
- NDRF lay-up and exchange/conversion workers (1968-69); Waterman crews (1969-80)
- Limitations
- Primary government custody record. Status-card entries are handwritten/typed annotations - legibility is good but 'MC Hull No. 710' conflicts with MC hull 705 in secondary compilations (see correction row ev-04); 'Renamed STONEWALL JACKSON 9/ /69' has a blank day. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials statement - establishes custody and disposition only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-r-m-blatchford-ap153-02
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[3]NavSource Online Service Ship Photo Archive, 'USNS General R. M. Blatchford (T-AP-153)' (page updated 2023-02-17), via Internet Archive Wayback capture 2024-06-25 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Wayback capture 20240625092346, full chronology + specifications + campaign tables
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource chronology/specs: laid down as C4-S-A1 under MC contract (listed as MC hull 705) at Kaiser Co. Inc. Yard No. 3, Richmond; launched 27 Aug 1944; acquired/commissioned 26 Jan 1945 (CDR Allen Herschel Guthrie). Navy Occupation Service 31 Oct-7 Nov 1945; China Service (extended) 15-21 Apr 1946. Decommissioned 12 Jun 1946 Baltimore. US Army Transportation Service as USAT. Reacquired/reinstated 1 Mar 1950; USNS T-AP-153 under MSTS. Korean War campaigns: Third Korean Winter (16-17 Apr 1953, 30 Apr 1953), Korean Summer-Fall 1953 (1-2 May 1953, 20 Jun-12 Jul 1953). Post-Korea European occupation periods Sep-Dec 1953 and Apr/Nov/Dec 1954. Vietnam: landed elements of U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division at Vung Tau mid-Oct 1965. Out of service Jan 1967; NDRF Suisun Bay 3 Jul 1968; struck from Naval Register 1 Sep 1968, custody to Maritime Administration. Leased to Waterman Carriers Inc. 21 Jan 1969; withdrawn from reserve fleet 25 Mar 1969; rebuilt at Portland, OR as container ship, renamed SS Stonewall Jackson (merchant service 1970); sold to Waterman Carriers 7 Oct 1971; renamed SS Alexander Stephens 8 Nov 1978; acquired by U.S. Dept. of Commerce 1979; bareboat charter to Waterman; sold for scrapping 2 May 1980 to Chien Yu Steel Enterprises, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Specs: displacement 9,950 lt/17,250 fl; 522'10" x 71'6" x 26'6"; 16.5 kts design; complement 39 officers + 324 enlisted; troop berthing 228 officers + 3,595 enlisted; 4x single 5"/38 DP, 4x twin 1.1" (replaced by two twin 40mm), 15x twin 20mm; fuel 13,300 bbls; propulsion: one Westinghouse geared turbine, two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers 465 psi/765F, double Westinghouse main reduction gears, three 400kW 240V AC ship's-service turbo generators, single propeller 9,000 shp.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1980
- Population
- Ship's company and embarked troops; MSTS civil-service crew (1950-67)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation (volunteer-maintained archive), not a government publication; live site DNS failed 2026-09-25 (SERVFAIL) so the Wayback capture was used. Conflicts vs MARAD card are logged in ev-04: MC hull 705 vs 710; 'Alexander Stephens 8 Nov 1978' vs card's 'ALEX STEPHENS 11/8/73'. Contains no asbestos or materials statement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-r-m-blatchford-ap153-03
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[4]Source-conflict resolution across MARAD status card (Detail 1840 cards), shipscribe AP-130 class compilation (Tables 01-03), shipbuildinghistory Kaiser Permanente No. 3 yard table, NavSource, and Wikipedia [other_primary]
- Locator
- MARAD /cards/ scans; shipscribe AP130.html Tables 01-03; navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/shipyards/emergencylarge/kperm3.html yard-hull 19 row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Identified source conflicts, with controlling source marked: (a) MC hull number - MARAD status card states 'MC Hull No. 710' on BOTH cards and shipscribe Table 03 lists 710; NavSource, shipbuildinghistory Kaiser Richmond #3 table (yard hull 19), and Wikipedia say 705. The MARAD primary record is carried as controlling; the conflict is unresolved pending contract documents. (b) Merchant rename - MARAD card: 'ALEX STEPHENS' 11/8/73; NavSource: 'Alexander Stephens' 8 November 1978; Wikipedia: 'Alex Stephens' 1973. MARAD name/date carried. (c) Scrapping sale - MARAD card 5/2/80; Wikipedia '13 April 1980'. MARAD carried. (d) Second Naval Register strike - NavSource 1 Sep 1968 vs shipscribe Table 02 '9 Oct 69'; MARAD title to Maritime Administration 17 Sep 1968 - strike-date conflict logged, not resolved. (e) First strike/reinstatement - shipscribe narrative: stricken 3 Jul 1946, reinstated 28 Apr 1950; NavSource/DANFS give reacquisition 1 Mar 1950 (MSTS transfer) - both carried as distinct events.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1980
- Limitations
- Conflict reporting only; does not assert which secondary compiler is correct where MARAD is silent. None of these sources contains asbestos or materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-r-m-blatchford-ap153-04
-
[5]Shipscribe 'USS General G. O. Squier (AP-130) Class' compilation (T. Colton's U.S. Navy auxiliaries data, built from official records): construction table, disposition table, and per-ship narrative for AP-153 [other_primary]
- Locator
- AP130.html Tables 01 (construction), 02 (disposition), 03 (narrative), AP-153 rows
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Shipscribe data for AP-153: laid down 27 Apr 1944 (not stated in DANFS or MARAD records), launched 27 Aug 1944, delivered/commissioned 26 Jan 1945 at Kaiser Richmond #3; decommissioned, to Maritime Commission and to Army 12 Jun 1946, stricken 3 Jul 1946; initial Army peacetime conversion by Bethlehem Key Highway, Baltimore, ca. June-August 1946; from Army to MSTS 1 Mar 1950, reinstated 28 Apr 1950; to NDRF 3 Jul 1968; disposal/MA title 17 Sep 1968; MA sale to buyer 27 Jan 1969 (Table 02 strike entry '9 Oct 69'); mercantile STONEWALL JACKSON (partial container ship) 1969, ALEX STEPHENS 1973, scrapped 1980.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1980
- Population
- Bethlehem Key Highway yard workers (1946 conversion); MSTS crew
- Limitations
- Compiled secondary source; where it overlaps the MARAD status card (MA custody/title dates, merchant names, sale dates) it corroborates; the lay-down date and the Bethlehem Key Highway conversion rest on this compilation alone. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-r-m-blatchford-ap153-05
-
[6]Military Sealift Command (USN), 'MSC75 Blast From the Past - USNS General R.M. Blatchford (T-AP 153)', story by Hendrick Dickson, posted 21 Feb 2024 (DVIDS news ID 464349) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DVIDS news 464349 full text
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official MSC history corroborates the MSTS era: transferred to MSTS 1 March 1950 with civil-service crew; Korea troop lifts from the West Coast; UN Congo sealift departure New York 11 Feb 1961 for two and a half years, 174,000 nautical miles and 36,809 passengers; U Thant quote praising the ship; Atlantic operations supporting U.S. forces in Europe until 1965 Pacific transfer for Vietnam troop lift; San Francisco overhaul January 1967 and ready-reserve status.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1950-1967
- Population
- MSTS civil-service crew; UN peacekeeping passengers (Congo sealift 1961-63)
- Limitations
- Official Navy public-affairs feature - corroborative, not archival; adds 'Commanding General at Panama in 1918' namesake detail. Contains no asbestos or materials statement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-r-m-blatchford-ap153-06
-
[7]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 program (U.S. Maritime Commission C4-S-A1, Kaiser Richmond, built 1944-45) under which this hull was mass-produced - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type and naval-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, the C4-S-A1 design, or Kaiser Richmond specifically, 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-general-r-m-blatchford-ap153-07
-
[8]NavSource specification sheet for T-AP-153 (machinery particulars) read against WWII-era insulation practice for superheated steam plants [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block (propulsion section)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The hull's documented machinery - two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers at 465 psi/765F feeding a Westinghouse geared turbine (single screw, 9,000 shp) with three turbo-drive 400 kW ship's-service generators - is a superheated-steam plant of the type that relied on asbestos-containing boiler insulation, steam-line lagging, gaskets, packing, and machinery insulation in 1944-45 U.S. construction. Typical applications for the type: boiler and steam-drum insulation; steam-line lagging between boiler room and engine room; valve and flange gaskets; machinery packing; accommodation insulation board; brake linings on winches and windlass.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1980
- Population
- Construction trades (Kaiser Richmond #3, 1944-45); engine-room crew 1945-80; conversion/shipbreaking workers (1946, 1967, 1969, 1980 events)
- Limitations
- Inference, not a hull record: the NavSource spec documents the plant (ship-specific), but no C4-S-A1 outfitting manual, bill of materials, or hull survey stating asbestos content was located. Presence aboard this hull is era-consistent inference; quantity, condition, and individual exposure are not established.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-r-m-blatchford-ap153-08
-
[9]Batch-2081 search ledger (this record): DANFS/HyperWar; live NHHC (404); NavSource via Wayback (live DNS failed); MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1840 + status cards; shipscribe AP-130 class; shipbuildinghistory Kaiser #3; DVIDS MSC article; CourtListener name/hull/keyword sweeps; NPS/NRHP check; shipyards.json slug check [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-general-r-m-blatchford-ap153-01 through sl-uss-general-r-m-blatchford-ap153-15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming this hull was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener sweeps by exact name ('General R. M. Blatchford'), surname + asbestos/mesothelioma, and hull numbers (AP-153, T-AP-153) returned zero qualifying opinions - all hits were name collisions (Judge/Justice Blatchford opinions, person-party dockets, form/section references). The hull was scrapped in 1980; no museum, NPS, or preservation documentation exists to survey.
- 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 during service - a 1944-45 superheated-steam transport is era-consistent with installed ACM, and the documented 1946/1967/1969/1980 yard events are plausible disturbance points. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-r-m-blatchford-ap153-09
-
[10]NARA record-group mapping (Guide to Federal Records): RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel - deck logs), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 336 (Transportation Corps), plus MARAD NDRF/exchange-program files [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov RG guides 19/24/178/336; NARA deck-log guidance
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): RG 19 BuShips C4-S-A1/AP-153 outfitting and machinery specifications; RG 24 Navy deck logs for AP-153 (Jan 1945-Jun 1946 commission); RG 178 Construction Division/West Coast Director (San Francisco) files for the MC contract and hull construction records at Kaiser Richmond #3; RG 336 Army Transportation Corps records for the 1946-50 USAT period incl. the Bethlehem Key Highway conversion; MARAD NDRF/exchange-program records for the 1969 Waterman conversion (Portland, OR).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1980 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-general-r-m-blatchford-ap153-10
-
[11]Swogger v. Waterman Steamship Corp. (N.Y. Sup. Ct., App. Div., opinion of Oct. 3, 1989, CourtListener 6051287); companion operator-level hits: Hannon v. Waterman Steamship Corp., 567 F. Supp. 90 (S.D. Ala. 1983); Senigar v. Waterman Steamship Corp. (Ala. 1997); In re Waterman Steamship Corp., 59 B.R. 724 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 1986) and the Aguiar adversary series (141 B.R. 552 (1992), 157 B.R. 220 (1993), 200 B.R. 770 (1996)) [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener 6051287 (Swogger snippet text); 1454769 (Hannon 567 F.Supp.90); 5265654 (Senigar); 1805284 (59 B.R. 724); 1873362/1869203/1825856 (Aguiar series); 1445133 (780 F.Supp. 1093 - LASH-barge name collision)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Operator-level asbestos litigation located for this hull's 1969-1980 merchant owner/operator: Swogger (former commercial-ship crew member's damages action for injuries 'allegedly resulting from asbestos exposure' against shipowners incl. Waterman, filed 1979), Hannon and Senigar (asbestos/warning-duty cases vs Waterman), and Waterman's asbestos-driven Chapter 11 (filed 1983; Aguiar adversary proceedings through 1996). No located opinion names this hull. Name collision screened out: the S/S STONEWALL JACKSON appearing in Waterman's 1991-92 limitation-of-liability petitions (In re Waterman Steamship Corp., 780 F. Supp. 1093 (S.D.N.Y. 1992), Civ. A. 91-1491) is the 1974 Avondale-built LASH barge of the same name (MARAD Detail 11099) - not this hull, which was scrapped in 1980.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1979-1997 litigation; underlying exposure era postwar merchant service
- Population
- Merchant marine crew members suing shipowners (operator context)
- Limitations
- Operator-level and fleet-level litigation only - shows the litigation posture of this hull's merchant operator, not conditions aboard this hull. Swogger is a pleading-stage procedural ruling (CPLR dismissal motions), not a merits finding; the bankruptcy proceedings establish that asbestos claims existed against the company, not that exposure occurred on this vessel. No asbestos finding for this hull is made or implied.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-general-r-m-blatchford-ap153-11