USS Gosper (APA-170)

Evidence

14 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-14).

1. [1]research packet p-packet.md (6 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-gosper-apa170-pkt-p-packet-md

2. [2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Gosper (APA-170)' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (live URL 404s 2026-09-25; verbatim text via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20220129181731 of the NHHC page; print-DANFS transcription at ibiblio HyperWar apa170.html agrees except '6 January 1946' vs live '1945') [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry body text + stats line; Wayback capture 20220129181731 of history.navy.mil; corroborating transcription https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/APA/apa170.html

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Gosper (APA-170), 'a county in southern Nebraska': '(APA-170: displacement 6,720; length 455'; beam 62'; draft 24'; speed 18 knots; complement 692; troops 1,520; armament 1 5-inch, 12 40 millimeter, 10 20 millimeter; class Haskell; type VC2-S-AP5)'. Laid down under Maritime Commission contract (M.C.V. Hull 136) at Portland, Ore., by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp.; launched 20 October 1944, sponsored by Mrs. E. P. Nelson; transferred to the Navy and commissioned 18 November 1944, Cmdr. F. W. McCann in command. Seattle supply run 29 November; San Francisco 6 December for landing craft; shakedown off southern California; returned to San Diego 6 January 1945 (live NHHC text - the older print-DANFS transcription prints '1946', flagged in correction row); two logistics voyages to Pearl Harbor, arriving the second time 27 February 1945. Converted at Pearl Harbor to a casualty evacuation transport - furnished with operating rooms and other hospital facilities. Departed Pearl Harbor 18 March, Ulithi 31 March, Kerama Retto 6 April 1945 (five days after the initial landings); under near-constant suicide attack that day, shot down at least one attacker while Hobbs Victory, Logan Victory, and LST-447 were sunk; cared for casualties until 17 April; wounded unloaded at Naval Hospital Guam 24 April; loaded 1,000+ reserve combat troops at Saipan; off Okinawa from 1 May; Kerama Retto through 10 July; Buckner Bay; convoyed via Ulithi and Pearl Harbor to San Francisco, arrived 7 August 1945. Under repair at war's end; sailed 26 August for the Philippines, Manila 15 September; embarked American, British, and Canadian former POWs (some held since 1941); Seattle 12 October; two Magic Carpet voyages to Pearl Harbor and back from 26 October; departed 8 February 1946 via Panama Canal; Newport News 24 February 1946; decommissioned 10 April 1946; returned to the Maritime Commission and placed in the NDRF Lee Hall, James River, Va., area 17 April 1946; withdrawn under a general agency agreement with American Foreign Steamship Corp. for MARAD's FY 1955 repair program 4 April-18 May 1955; sold to Isaac Varela of Castellon de la Plana, Spain, 15 March 1974; delivered to the purchaser 12 June 1974; scrapped subsequently. One battle star for WWII service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1974

   Population

   Ship's company and embarked troops; casualties cared for at Kerama Retto/Okinawa; former POWs embarked at Manila (Sept 1945); Magic Carpet veterans

   Limitations

   Authoritative Navy historical entry naming this hull - the controlling source for identity, construction (MCV Hull 136, Oregon SB), wartime employment, the FY-1955 GAA repair-program withdrawal, and disposal milestones. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information - supports no asbestos claim. The live-text '6 January 1945' resolves the print transcription's impossible '1946'. Entry does not print a laid-down date (NavSource supplies 29 Aug 1944).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gosper-apa170-01

3. [3]Naval Historical Center, Online Library of Selected Images, 'USN Ships - USS Gosper (APA-170)' page (ibiblio HyperWar mirror of the official NHHC online-library page; page made 23 October 2003) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   usnsh-g/apa170.htm ship-summary text + photo NH 98726 caption

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Naval Historical Center Online Library ship page for 'USS Gosper (APA-170), 1944-1974': 'one of 117 attack transports of the 6,873-ton Haskell-class, built to a modified Victory ship design at Portland, Oregon, and commissioned in November 1944'; summarizes the shakedown, two Pearl Harbor logistics voyages (second arrival late February 1945), the casualty-evacuation conversion 'furnished with operating rooms and other hospital facilities,' Ulithi end of March, Okinawa early April five days after the assault, casualty care 11 days then transport to Naval Hospital Guam, return to Okinawa early May with 1,000+ reserve troops from Saipan, presence until mid-July, San Francisco repairs in August, post-surrender Philippines POW lift delivered to Seattle in October, two Magic Carpet voyages, move to the East Coast February 1946, decommissioning and return to the Maritime Commission at Newport News in April, stricken from the Navy List in May, Maritime Commission reserve fleet, sold for scrapping in 1974. Page features photo NH 98726 (San Francisco Bay, late 1945/early 1946, donated by BM1 Robert G. Tippins USN Ret., 2003).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1974

   Limitations

   Official Navy historical-center summary naming this hull - corroborates DANFS milestones and the class designation ('117 attack transports of the 6,873-ton Haskell class'). Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information - supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gosper-apa170-02

4. [4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), APA tables + ship index (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 APA section, table sequence no. 107: index, dimensions, personnel, machinery, electrical, armament, and construction rows naming APA-170 / ex-M.C.V. Hull 136

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, January 1945), attack-transport (APA) tables, carries per-hull rows for this ship at table sequence no. 107: index 'GOSPER (ex-M.C.V. Hull 136) - APA 170' and 'M.C.V. Hull 136 (now Gosper) - APA170'; dimensions row 455'0" oa / 436'6" pp, beam 62'0", 17.7 knots, 14,837 tons; personnel row prints 56 officers / 450 enlisted with troop accommodations 80 officers / 1,440 enlisted (vs class-typical 56/480 + 86/1,475 - cells OCR-degraded); machinery row '1 Westgh. turb. ... 8,500 [shp], 2 B.&W. hdr. [header-type boilers], 465 [psi], 750 [F]'; electrical row three turbo-driven 300 kW 120/240 V DC generators; armament row 1 5"/38cal (D.P.), 4 twin + 1 quad 40mm, cargo 150,000 cu ft + 5,800 refrigerated, 2,900 DWT; construction row builder 'Oregon S.B. Corp., Portland, Oreg.', acquired 18 Nov 44, year built 1944, first commission 18 Nov 44.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1945

   Population

   Ship's company and embarked troops (as fitted 1944-45)

   Limitations

   Official wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms identity, M.C.V. Hull 136, machinery plant (Westinghouse turbine + 2 B&W header boilers at 465 psi/750 F), builder, and acquisition/commissioning dates (18 Nov 44 each). Personnel row prints 450 enlisted vs NavSource 480 and DANFS cpl. 692 (OCR-degraded; flagged in correction row). Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gosper-apa170-03

5. [5]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - GOSPER (APA-170), Ship History Detail 1988 + digitized status cards (1988_3700AF.jpg front, 1988_3700AB.jpg back) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 1988 registry/spec block and milestones; status card images /cards/1988_3700AF.jpg (fleet entry 1946, FY55 repair-program GAA withdrawal/return, PD-X-972 sale, 6-12-74 delivery) and /cards/1988_3700AB.jpg (permanent-ballast report - concrete only)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory database record for GOSPER (APA-170), Ship History Detail 1988: Year Built 1944; Shipyard 'Oregon Shipbuilding Company'; General Type 'Naval Auxiliary'; Specific Type 'APA Attack Transport'; MARAD Type VC2-S-AP5; length 455.00 ft; beam 62.00 ft; summer displacement 12,450 tons / lightweight 6,873 tons; fate 'Sold - Scrap'; milestone table shows Disposition 6/12/1974 and Withdrawal 6/12/1974. Digitized NDRF vessel status card adds: ownership WSA, type VC2-S-AP5, hull no. MCV136, fleet/unit JR (James River), date entered fleet 4-17-46; 'Nominated Repair Program FY 1955 Group 5' - withdrawn April 4, 1955 (1250 hrs EST), 'GAA-Amer. For.' [General Agency Agreement - American Foreign Steamship Corp.]; returned James River May 18, 1955 (1020 hrs EST); fuel oil at fleet entry 1,161 bbls Bunker C, 156 bbls diesel removed; 'Sold scrap under PD-X-972, 3-15-74 to Mr. Isaac Varela for $727,007.00'; termination port last voyage Norfolk; withdrawn/delivered 0910 EDT 6-12-74. Card reverse 'Report of Permanent Ballast': concrete ballast in Dry Stores, Generator Room, Evaporator Room, and holds Nos. 2 and 4 (9'x18'x2', 21'x21', 17'x13'x2', 58'x38' x2) - no asbestos or insulation entry.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1946-1974

   Population

   NDRF James River lay-up/maintenance workforce (1946-1974); FY-1955 repair-program work crews (scope undocumented); 1974 disposal/tow crews

   Limitations

   Authoritative MARAD registry + handwritten custody card for reserve-fleet milestones - documents the 1946 James River entry, the 4 Apr-18 May 1955 GAA withdrawal for the FY-1955 repair program, and the 1974 scrap sale with stamped price $727,007.00 (against NavSource's $127,007 - flagged). Card handwriting partially legible (image-read, not OCR). Contains no asbestos or insulation statement; the concrete-only ballast report is the card's only materials-adjacent content. Supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gosper-apa170-04

6. [6]Booklet of General Plans, USS Gosper APA-170, BuShips plan APA170-S0107-505892 (1944), San Francisco Maritime National Park Association scan of a NARA-obtained original (Ed Zajkowski loan); live maritime.org PDF delisted - retrieved via Wayback capture 20160315070608 [other_primary]

   Locator

   apa170.pdf 13 sheets; sheet 1 cover/index (plan no., Industrial Command USNRB San Diego, 13 Jan 1944, 'corrected to suit ship'); sheets 2-13 arrangement drawings

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Booklet of General Plans for APA-170 (13 sheets), Bureau of Ships plan no. APA170-S0107-505892, prepared by Industrial Command, U.S. Naval Repair Base, San Diego, dated 13 January 1944 and 'corrected to suit ship' - a hull-specific general-arrangement set: general information sheet (dimensions 455'3" oa, complement tables printing officers/CPO/crew and troop berths), inboard profile, decks (main, second, third), first platform/flat, hold, bottom, machinery and storage arrangements. Sheet-by-sheet OCR review found no insulation, lagging, asbestos, or materials-schedule callouts - the booklet is arrangement drawings only.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944

   Limitations

   Ship-specific primary document confirming the hull's as-designed arrangement and complement tables - but it is arrangement drawings, not a materials schedule: it contains no insulation, lagging, or asbestos statement, so it neither establishes nor excludes asbestos aboard. Sheet scans are raster-only; the negative-insulation observation is from OCR of all 13 sheets (200-dpi tesseract pass), so faint hand annotations could be missed.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gosper-apa170-05

7. [7]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Gosper (APA-170), file 10/03/03170 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 03170.htm - chronology block, campaign table, disposition entries, specifications block, commanding-officer table, photo captions (NH 98726)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive entry for USS Gosper (APA-170): laid down 29 August 1944 as Maritime Commission type VC2-S-AP5 under MC contract (MCV hull 136) at Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland OR; launched 20 October 1944; acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission and commissioned 18 November 1944, CDR Francis Wyllie McCann USN (USNA 1927) in command; Asiatic-Pacific assignments TransRon Twenty (COMO H.W. Grap) and TransDiv Fifty-Nine (CAPT J.K. Davis); Okinawa Gunto operation 6-24 April 1945 and 1 May-10 July 1945; decommissioned 10 April 1946 at Newport News; returned to the Maritime Commission 17 April 1946 for lay-up in the NDRF James River, Lee Hall, VA; struck from the Naval Register 1 May 1946; one battle star; final disposition sold for scrapping 15 March 1974 to 'Isaac Verla,' Castellon de la Plana, Spain, 'for $127,007,' delivered 12 June 1974. Spec block: 6,873 t light / 12,450 t full; 455' x 62' x 24'; 17.7 kt trial; complement 56 officers + 480 enlisted; troop accommodations 80 officers + 1,440 enlisted; 1 Westinghouse geared turbine, 2 B&W header-type boilers 465 psi/750 F, double Westinghouse main reduction gears, three 300 kW 120/240 V DC generators, single propeller 8,500 shp; armament 1 x 5"/38 DP, 4 twin + 1 quad 40mm, 10 x 20mm. Commanding officers: McCann 18 Nov 1944-30 Jul 1945; LCDR Andrew Hutchinson USNR 30 Jul-23 Oct 1945; McCann 23 Oct 1945-21 Feb 1946; LCDR Charles Edward Napier USNR 21 Feb-10 Apr 1946.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1974

   Population

   Wartime crew and embarked troops; casualties and POWs carried (1945); NDRF workforce (1946-1974)

   Limitations

   Volunteer-maintained secondary compilation, not an official record - corroborated where official sources overlap (launch/acquisition/commissioning vs DANFS+SDB; MCV-136 vs SDB+MARAD card; 1946 decommission/return/struck dates vs DANFS; 1974 sale and delivery vs MARAD card). Sole-source items: keel date 29 Aug 1944 and the TransRon/TransDiv assignments. Conflicts flagged: buyer 'Isaac Verla' and price '$127,007' vs MARAD card 'Isaac Varela' and '$727,007.00' (NHHC agrees with the card on Varela). Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gosper-apa170-06

8. [8]Cross-source comparison: NHHC DANFS (Wayback capture) + ibiblio print-DANFS transcription + BuShips SDB 1945 v3 + MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1988 and status cards + NavSource 03170 + shipbuildinghistory.com APA table [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Same citations as ev-01 through ev-06 plus http://shipbuildinghistory.com/navalships/apa.htm (APA 170 row)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies documented, not silently reconciled: (a) San Diego return date - print-DANFS transcription (ibiblio) prints '6 January 1946' while the live NHHC entry prints '6 January 1945'; 1945 adopted (the 1946 reading is impossible - the ship was at Okinawa April-July 1945 and the voyage chronology is 1944-45). (b) Scrap-sale buyer - MARAD status card and NHHC print 'Isaac Varela'; NavSource prints 'Isaac Verla'; Varela adopted (two authoritative sources against one). (c) Sale price - MARAD card stamps '$727,007.00'; NavSource prints '$127,007' - flagged, both reported; the card is the primary record. (d) Disposal year - Colton's APA table prints 'Scrapped 1973' vs contract 15 Mar 1974 and delivery 12 Jun 1974 (MARAD card, NHHC, NavSource) - '1973' flagged as error; scrapping itself postdates delivery and is undated in sources. (e) Complement - DANFS 692 + troops 1,520 vs NavSource class block 56/480 + 80/1,440 vs SDB per-hull row 56/450 + 80/1,440 (OCR-degraded); carried separately. (f) Displacement - DANFS 6,720 vs NavSource/MARAD 6,873 light and 12,450 full vs SDB 14,837 - load-condition-dependent figures kept separate. (g) Speed - DANFS 18 kt vs NavSource 17.7 kt trial.

   Verification

   disputed

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1974

   Limitations

   Documents a genuine multi-source conflict family so a future pass does not silently pick one figure: San Diego return year (1945 adopted); buyer spelling (Varela adopted); price ($727,007 card vs $127,007 NavSource); scrapping year (1974 contract/delivery vs Colton '1973'); complement and displacement variances. None of the differences affects the asbestos posture (which rests on the absence of any ship-specific asbestos record); this row itself supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gosper-apa170-07

9. [9]Consolidated era/design inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery and construction rows for APA-170 + NHHC DANFS conversion/custody chronology + MARAD card withdrawal entries [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 machinery/construction tables seq. no. 107; DANFS conversion paragraph; MARAD cards 1988_3700AF

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull carried the documented VC2-S-AP5 single-screw geared-steam plant - one Westinghouse turbine of 8,500 shp fed by two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers at 465 psi/750 F superheat (BuShips SDB 1945 v3 per-hull row for APA-170) - built August-November 1944 at Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland, at peak WWII emergency production. A superheated steam plant of this era is the type whose boiler/fireroom insulation, steam-line and turbine lagging, gaskets, packing, and accommodation insulation were commonly asbestos-containing; the documented hull events with potential materials disturbance are the 1945 casualty-evacuation conversion at Pearl Harbor (operating rooms and hospital facilities installed), the 4 April-18 May 1955 repair-program withdrawal under GAA with American Foreign Steamship Corp., and the 1974 disposal tow for scrapping in Spain.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1974

   Population

   Construction trades at Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland (1944); Pearl Harbor conversion workers (1945); wartime engineering crew; NDRF maintenance/repair crews (1946-1974, incl. the 1955 GAA event); 1974 disposal crews

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no member-level asbestos finding exists for this hull. The steam plant is documented; the insulation content is not. Establishes no quantities, no locations, and no exposure for any individual; the disturbance events listed have no documented materials scope.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gosper-apa170-08

10. [10]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030 [other_primary]

    Locator

    PubMed record PMID 21016030; article pp. 9-16 (pipe covering material section)

    Finding type

    gov_survey

    Finding

    The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned industrial-hygiene survey of WWII pipe-covering operations at two Navy yards and two Navy contract yards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite' - i.e., asbestos insulation was standard material in wartime naval-vessel construction of exactly this hull's era and type.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    survey ~1944-45; published 1946

    Population

    WWII pipe coverers and insulators at Navy and contract yards (era context)

    Limitations

    Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; does not name this vessel, class, or builder yard. (The study's exculpatory 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion has since been heavily criticized - see the 2026 critique at DOI 10.1177/10482911261446696.)

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-gosper-apa170-09

11. [11]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 - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in shipbuilding.

    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 or class 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-gosper-apa170-10

12. [12]Pruitt v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., C.A. No. 18-1101-MN-SRF (D. Del., MDL-875 track) - Report and Recommendation (2020-07-30), verified via ded.uscourts.gov opinion PDF [court_record]

    Locator

    Report & Recommendation, Facts section (plaintiff's ship assignments: USS Bayfield 1958, USS Tolovana 1959)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    The located attack-transport asbestos docket resolves to another class: in Pruitt v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp. (D. Del. C.A. 18-1101-MN-SRF, In re Asbestos Litigation / MDL-875 track), the plaintiff's naval service was aboard USS Bayfield (APA-33, Bayfield-class attack transport) in 1958 and USS Tolovana (AO-64, Cimarron-class oiler) in 1959 - the plaintiff's ship assignment allegations are pleading-stage content, not findings. No docketed asbestos opinion or case naming USS Gosper or APA-170 was located in indexed sources (see search_ledger for the CourtListener sweep detail).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    opinions 2020; service 1958-1963

    Population

    Navy veterans of APA-type auxiliaries (type context)

    Limitations

    Different hull and class - carried only to document that the APA-type litigation surface exists while no Gosper-specific docket was found. Deposition/pleading-stage exposure descriptions in that case are allegations, not adjudicated exposure findings, and they concern other vessels entirely.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-gosper-apa170-11

13. [13]NARA record-group path: RG 38 (WWII war diaries/histories), RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357 (MARAD custody/sale files) - mapping only [other_primary]

    Locator

    archives.gov record-group guides (RG 24/38/19/178); SL-44 index negative coverage per batch-2211 ledger

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction requests; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 38 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories' series - ship-level file units ('USS X - War Diary/History') exist for sister APAs; a Gosper unit was not confirmed (the National Archives Catalog is JS-gated and returned no API-accessible result in this session). (b) NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for APA-170 (Nov 1944-Apr 1946): per the batch-2211 finding, the SL-44 ship-number index contains no APA-prefix entries at all, so logs, if held, are paper-only at Archives II, College Park. (c) RG 19 Bureau of Ships records and RG 178 USMC construction-contract records for M.C.V. Hull 136 / Oregon SB yard hull 1120. (d) MARAD/WSA custody files for the FY-1955 GAA repair-program withdrawal (American Foreign Steamship Corp.) and the PD-X-972 scrap-sale file (RG 357). Whether any of these hold materials or asbestos-relevant records is unknown until surveyed.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1944-1974 records

    Limitations

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

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-gosper-apa170-12

14. [14]Batch-2244 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS via Wayback + ibiblio transcription; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1988 + status cards; APA-170 Booklet of General Plans via Wayback; NavSource; shipbuildinghistory APA table; CourtListener API v4 authenticated sweeps via cl-auth-search.py [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-gosper-apa170-01 through sl-uss-gosper-apa170-14

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, material schedule, court finding, or docketed case naming USS Gosper or APA-170 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The CourtListener exact-name 'USS Gosper' opinion sweep returned zero; 'Gosper' + asbestos returned zero; the bare 'Gosper' opinion sweep returned 184 hits, all name collisions on non-vessel referents (Gosper County, Nebraska - the ship's own namesake county - personal names, attorney names); 'APA-170' opinion sweep returned zero; the 'Gosper' docket sweep returned 99 dockets, all name collisions; the 'APA-170' docket sweep returned 10 Administrative Procedure Act / agency-review collisions. The 1944 Booklet of General Plans (13 sheets, OCR-checked) contains no insulation or material callouts; the MARAD status card's only materials-adjacent content is a concrete-ballast report. The hull no longer exists - scrapped in Spain after 12 June 1974 - so no museum-era hazmat disclosure can arise.

    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 Victory-derived steam plant is era-consistent with asbestos-containing insulation, and the 28-year James River lay-up plus 1955 repair-program withdrawal are undocumented disturbance windows. Absence of a docketed case does not prove no claimant ever named the ship - RECAP indexing is incomplete for older dockets and county-name ship sweeps under-cover filings that omit hull numbers. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-gosper-apa170-13