Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
-
[1]research packet 976-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-grand-island-pf14-pkt-976-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Grand Island (PF-14) - construction, sponsor, commissioning, 12th Naval District weather/plane-guard service, disposal, Cuban transfer (live NHHC page) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS service narrative and spec block, Grand Island (PF-14) entry (1944-1946)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: originally designated gunboat PG-122; launched at Richmond, Calif., by Kaiser Cargo, Inc., on 19 February 1944; sponsored by Mrs. William Shackleton; commissioned 27 May 1944, Lt. Cmdr. H. L. Morgan in command. After shakedown off southern California, reported for duty with the 12th Naval District 12 September 1944; performed weather station and plane guard duty out of San Francisco; training exercises with patrol forces on the West Coast; engaged from time to time in antisubmarine escort duty. Departed San Francisco 26 March 1946, arrived Charleston, S.C., 13 April 1946 via the Canal Zone; turned over to Commandant, Sixth Naval District, for disposal. Decommissioned 21 May 1946; stricken from the Naval Register 19 June 1946; declared not essential to the defense of the United States and turned over to the State Department Foreign Liquidation Corporation; transferred to the Cuban government 16 June 1947, serving as Maximo Gomez. Spec block: displacement 1,430; length 304'; beam 38'; draft 12'; speed 20 knots; class Tacoma.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1947 (entry coverage)
- Population
- Kaiser Cargo construction trades (1943-44); commissioned crew (1944-46)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. DANFS spec block gives design figures (3 x 3-inch guns) - the after 3"/50 was in fact removed for a weather balloon hangar (see ev-03). Page is live (verified via Firecrawl fetch 2026-10-04); note that automated curl requests return 404 (bot response), which mimics link rot.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grand-island-pf14-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Frigate Photo Archive, Grand Island (PF 14) / ex-PG-122 / Maximo Gomez (F 303) - designation timeline, Maritime Commission contract data, specifications, Cuban service, disposal [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 12/08014.htm header block, specifications block, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull (MC type T. S2-S2-AQ1): originally designated patrol gunboat PG-122; reclassified patrol frigate PF-14, 15 April 1943; laid down 27 November 1943 under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1432) by Kaiser Cargo, Inc., Yard No. 4, Richmond, CA; launched 19 February 1944; commissioned USS Grand Island (PF-14) 27 May 1944; decommissioned 21 May 1946 at Charleston, SC; custody transferred June 1947 to U.S. State Department Foreign Liquidation Commission for disposal; transferred to Cuba 16 June 1947 as Maximo Gomez (F 303); struck 1964; a 1970s report indicated she was a 'harbor hulk' (old, dismantled ship) at Mariel Bay, Cuba; fate unknown. Specifications: 1,430 t; 303'11" oa; 37'6" beam; 13'8" draft; 20.3 kts; complement 194; armament three 3"/50 DP mounts (aft 3"/50 removed for weather balloon hangar), two twin 40mm, nine 20mm, one Hedgehog, eight Y-guns, two depth charge tracks; propulsion two 3-drum expansion boilers, two 5,500 ihp J. Hendy Iron Works vertical triple-expansion engines, two shafts. Photographic record: christening photos sponsored by Stuhr Museum; Mare Island Navy Yard July 1944 yard-completion photos; at-sea work alongside USS Boston (CA-69) May 1945; Cuban-era photos 1951-1956.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-c.1970s
- Population
- Kaiser Cargo construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-46); Cuban Navy crew (1947-64)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track DANFS/NVR but spec figures conflict with USCG and DANFS on draft, beam, and complement (see gaps). Contains no asbestos content. The Cuban 'harbor hulk' report is itself secondary (1970s report, uncorroborated).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grand-island-pf14-02
-
[4]U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, USS Grand Island, PF-14 (filed under 'Other Vessels (Non-CG)') - specifications, service history, configuration note [other_primary]
- Locator
- USCG Historian article 2542455, specification block and history section
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- USCG Historian record for this hull: builder Kaiser Cargo, Inc., Richmond, CA; length 303'11"; beam 37'6"; draft 12'8"; displacement 2,230 tons; propulsion '2-shaft VTE, 3 boilers'; range 9,500 nm at 12 knots; top speed 20 knots; complement 190; armament 2 x 3"/50 (after mount removed and replaced with a weather balloon hangar), 4 x 40mm (2x2), 9 x 20mm, 1 Hedgehog, 8 depth charge projectors, 2 depth charge racks. Service narrative tracks DANFS (PG-122 origin, 19 Feb 1944 launch, sponsor Mrs. William Shackleton, 27 May 1944 commissioning under LCDR H. L. Morgan, 12th Naval District weather/plane-guard duty, Charleston disposal, 21 May 1946 decommission, 19 June striking, 16 June 1947 Cuban transfer as Maximo Gomez). Sources cited by the page: The Coast Guard At War, Transports and Escorts Vol. V No. 1 p.142; Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946 pp.148-149; DANFS Vol. III p.134; Russell, Project Hula (1997) pp.39-40. The page's 'Other Vessels (Non-CG)' filing category indicates Navy rather than Coast Guard manning for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- Commissioned crew (1944-46); weather-station/plane-guard operating population
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history and configuration only; no asbestos or material content. The 'Non-CG' filing is a categorization inference for manning - strong but indirect (the page does not state manning explicitly). Spec figures conflict with NavSource/DANFS on draft, displacement, and complement (see gaps). The Project Hula source cite is boilerplate across the CG Historian's PF pages - Grand Island was not a Cold Bay transfer ship.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grand-island-pf14-03
-
[5]NavSource photo-caption record for Grand Island at Mare Island Navy Yard, July 1944 (U.S. Navy photos 4292-44 through 4298-44); plus NHHC photo NH 78995 and ZP-31 airship photography alongside USS Boston (CA-69), May 1945 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 12/08014.htm photo captions (Mare Island series; Boston series)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Captioned U.S. Navy photographs place this hull at Mare Island Navy Yard immediately after commissioning: 'Shown off Mare Island Navy Yard on 7 July 1944. She has completed outfitting/repairs at the shipyard from 29 May to 22 July 1944. She was in dry dock No. 2 from 15 to 20 June 1944' (photos 4297-44 forward plan, 4298-44 amidships, 4292-44 bow view 6 July, 4294-44 off Mare Island, 4293-44 broadside 7 July). Additional captioned photography documents the hull refueling at sea from USS Boston (CA-69) 12 May 1945 (NHHC photo NH 78995) and highlining with Boston off the California coast 21 May 1945, photographed from a ZP-31 airship by Ensign Goetze.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-05-29 to 1944-07-22 (Mare Island); 1945-05 (Boston photos)
- Population
- Crew and Mare Island yard trades during the 29 May - 22 July 1944 availability
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: photographs and captions establish physical presence at the Mare Island Navy Yard for a documented 54-day outfitting/repair availability including a dry-docking - they are presence documentation, not work orders or material records, and do not state what work was performed or what materials were disturbed. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grand-island-pf14-04
-
[6]Era inference built on: NavSource specification block (two 3-drum expansion boilers; two 5,500 ihp J. Hendy Iron Works vertical triple-expansion engines); USCG Historian specs (2-shaft VTE, 3 boilers); Corn & Starr AJIM 11(3):359-373 WWII shipbuilding asbestos documentation (ev-06); Atlas shipyard record for kaiser-shipyards (insulation, fireproofing, hull insulation, boiler components, pipe coverings, electrical wiring, deck materials) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications; USCG Historian specification block; shipyards.json product list for kaiser-shipyards
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A steam-propelled patrol frigate built November 1943 - May 1944 at Kaiser Cargo's Richmond Yard No. 4 sits inside both the WWII emergency-shipbuilding asbestos era and that yard's documented asbestos product use. Era-standard applications aboard a reciprocating-steam frigate of this type were boiler and boiler-room insulation/lagging, steam-line and valve insulation, engine casing insulation, gaskets, and pump/valve packing - the boiler/engine/steam-line lagging pathway applies in full for a VTE steam plant, in the confined machinery volume of a 303-foot escort.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1964
- Population
- Kaiser Cargo construction trades (1943-44); commissioned crew (1944-46); Mare Island yard trades (1944 availability); Cuban Navy crew (1947-64)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for PF-14. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grand-island-pf14-05
-
[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 Maritime Commission emergency program under which this hull was built at a Kaiser-managed Richmond yard - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard American-built hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- 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 or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grand-island-pf14-06
-
[8]EPA CERCLA record CAD980637557, Kaiser Alum & Chem Co Shipyard #2, Richmond, CA (live page, verified this session); Atlas shipyard record for kaiser-shipyards (evidence_tier 3; DTSC site record; documented product list) [other_primary]
- Locator
- EPA CERCLA cumulis page id=0901909 (live); shipyards.json entry kaiser-shipyards evidence + product_normalized
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- The builder of this hull is documented in federal environmental records: EPA's CERCLA database lists Kaiser Alum & Chem Co Shipyard #2, Richmond, CA (EPA ID CAD980637557), a former Kaiser shipyard property (NFRAP determination - site did not qualify for the NPL). The Atlas shipyard record for the Richmond Kaiser yards (tier 3, shipyard-level documentation) records the era asbestos product inventory for the complex that built this hull: insulation, fireproofing, hull insulation, boiler components, pipe coverings, turbine insulation, electrical wiring, deck materials, adhesives, brake systems.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1940-1980 (site record); 1943-44 (this hull's construction window)
- Population
- Kaiser Richmond shipyard trades (1940-1945 operations era)
- Limitations
- Yard-level environmental documentation only: the CERCLA listing documents the former shipyard property (asbestos is not the listed primary contaminant), and the product inventory is yard-level, not hull-level - it does not establish materials aboard this specific hull, individual exposure, quantity, or present-day presence. Kaiser Cargo Yard No. 4 is part of the four-yard Richmond Kaiser complex the record covers.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grand-island-pf14-07
-
[9]Dept. of the Navy / City of Vallejo, Final EIS/EIR for Disposal and Reuse of Mare Island Naval Shipyard (April 1998), DTIC ADA344388/ADA344389, SCH# 94093029; plus Collins v. Plant Insulation Co., 185 Cal. App. 4th 260 (2010), per Atlas shipyard record for mare-island-naval-shipyard [other_primary]
- Locator
- DTIC ADA344388 (full text blocked - maintenance window); shipyards.json entry mare-island-naval-shipyard evidence rows ev-mare-island-01/-02
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- The yard where this hull spent a documented 54-day outfitting/repair availability (29 May - 22 July 1944, including dry dock No. 2) is a documented asbestos shipyard: the 1998 Navy/Vallejo Final EIS/EIR documents asbestos-containing material in Mare Island Naval Shipyard buildings (Appendix J IR01 waste description includes asbestos among industrial wastes); the Atlas yard record additionally carries Collins v. Plant Insulation Co., 185 Cal. App. 4th 260 (2010) - a mesothelioma verdict documenting asbestos exposure of a welder at Mare Island - and a documented yard product inventory (Unibestos, Marinite, Transite, Kaylo, Careytemp, Gold Bond, Super 66, pump and valve packing, gaskets, bonnet insulation, refractory materials).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1998 (EIS); 1976-1994 (Collins exposure window); 1944 (this hull's presence)
- Population
- Mare Island Naval Shipyard trades (facility record); this hull's crew + yard trades during the 1944 availability
- Limitations
- Yard-level documentation only: neither the EIS nor the Collins record names this hull or its 1944 availability, and the Collins exposure window (1976-1994) is a later era than this hull's presence. DTIC was unreachable this session (site under scheduled maintenance, confirmed 2026-10-04) - EIS content carried per the Atlas shipyard record's verified row. Does not establish materials disturbed aboard this hull, individual exposure, or quantity.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grand-island-pf14-08
-
[10]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's entire construction (1943-44), U.S. service era (1944-46), and Cuban-era survival through at least 1964.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403, confirmed 2026-10-04) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grand-island-pf14-09
-
[11]Designation/specification cross-check: NavSource specification block ('two 5,500iHP J. Hendy Iron Works vertical triple expansion engines') and USCG Historian ('2-shaft VTE, 3 boilers') vs Wikipedia infobox ('2 x 5,500shp turbines, 3 boilers, 2 shafts') [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specification block; USCG Historian specification block; Wikipedia USS Grand Island infobox (secondary, not cited)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: a circulating secondary-source error claims this hull had turbine propulsion (Wikipedia infobox: '2 x 5,500shp turbines'). Both ship-detail authorities describe reciprocating machinery - NavSource's detailed specification names the engine builder and type (two J. Hendy Iron Works vertical triple-expansion engines, 5,500 ihp each) and the USCG Historian's block gives '2-shaft VTE'. The VTE plant is also consistent with the class's River-class-derived machinery. Vertical triple expansion carried.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944 (machinery era)
- Limitations
- Corrects a propulsion description, not a material claim. Boiler count also varies (USCG '3 boilers' vs NavSource 'two 3-drum boilers') - unresolved, carried in gaps. No asbestos content, though the engine-plant type determines which asbestos pathway language applies (steam lagging applies either way).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grand-island-pf14-10
-
[12]Batch-8417 search ledger (this record): DANFS live page; USCG Historian; NavSource; NPS Richmond-shipyards page; EPA CERCLA; DTSC (dead link); DTIC (maintenance); MARAD Vessel History Database; NVR; NARA catalog API (partial); CourtListener (blocked); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-grand-island-pf14-01 through -14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS Grand Island (PF-14 / PG-122) or its Cuban identity Maximo Gomez (F 303) was found in the public sources searched. CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - the fleet-wide authenticated request budget was spent at research time and the helper script returned its pacing stand-down message on every attempt; logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material is law-firm marketing content asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 2026-10-04
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - and the litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (blocked, not run). Deck logs, Kaiser Cargo work packages, Mare Island availability records, and Cuban-era disposal records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grand-island-pf14-11
-
[13]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs for the 1944-46 commissioned period), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission construction records for MC hull 1432); Stuhr Museum, Grand Island, NE (christening photograph collection via NavSource captions) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov RG 24/178 guides; NavSource 12/08014.htm christening-photo captions (Stuhr Museum credit)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) USS Grand Island (PF-14) deck logs and ship records for 1944-46 are in NARA RG 24 (College Park) - digitization unconfirmed this session (catalog API returned war-diary material for name queries, then bot-blocked subsequent queries); (b) construction records for MC hull 1432 may be in RG 178 (USMC Construction Division; West Coast Director for Construction files); (c) the Stuhr Museum (Grand Island, Nebraska) holds christening photography of this hull's launch - a sponsor/community collection, not a work record; (d) Mare Island work packages for the 29 May - 22 July 1944 availability (job orders, dry-dock records) would be the strongest lead for any work/material record.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1947 records
- Limitations
- Record-group and collection 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-grand-island-pf14-12