USS Grimes (APA-172)

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

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-grimes-apa172-pkt-p-packet-md

2. [2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Grimes (APA-172)', Naval History and Heritage Command (live NHHC page verified 2026-09-25) + HyperWar/ibiblio transcription mirror [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC DANFS entry, full text (specs block + service narrative); mirror http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/APA/apa172.html

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Grimes (APA-172), a county in Texas namesake: acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on loan-charter basis 1944-11-23; sponsored by Mrs. Harry Fielding; commissioned same day, Capt. J. McDonald Smith. Shakedown out of San Pedro; returned to Seattle 1945-01-25, embarked 240+ troops, departed 02-01 for Honolulu; exercises off Maui; underway 1945-02-20 with Transport Division 59; anchored off northeast Iwo Jima 03-14 and embarked units of the 4th Marine Division for evacuation; while at anchor taken under small-arms fire from caves ~1,000 yards distant - no damage or casualties; cleared 03-20; discharged 1,618 passengers Pearl Harbor 04-04. Shuttled troops among Hawaiian Islands; departed Honolulu with Navy/Marine/Merchant Marine patients, San Francisco 05-30; sailed Seattle 06-16 with 1,512 Army/Navy passengers for Honolulu and Okinawa; Guam 08-14; embarked 900 officers and men of 6th Marine Division plus 8 war correspondents; rendezvoused with 3d Fleet 08-19 for initial occupation of Japan; anchored Tokyo Bay 08-30, landed troops/cargo for occupation of Yokosuka Naval Base. Sortied 09-01 with TU 30.3.5 to Saipan, lifted 2d Marines units, landed them at Nagasaki 09-23 to 09-25. Pacific transport duty until departing Sasebo 1946-06-15; via Canal Zone to Norfolk, arriving 07-13. Decommissioned Norfolk 1947-02-26; Atlantic Reserve Fleet until stricken from Navy List 1958-10-01 and transferred to Maritime Commission; NDRF Wilmington, NC; transferred to James River, VA October 1964. One battle star. Specs block: dp 14,837; l 455; b 62; dr 24; s 18k; cpl 692; a 1x5in, 12x40mm; cl. Haskell.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1964

   Population

   Ship's company (~692 per DANFS) and embarked troops/patients (documented lifts: 1,618 passengers, 1,512 passengers, 900 Marines + correspondents, 2d Marines units)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, operational history, decommission/stricken dates and NDRF placement. Entry carries no laid-down/launched dates (year-only elsewhere) and no asbestos or materials statement; supports no asbestos claim. 'Transferred to the Maritime Commission' on the 1958-10-01 stricken date compresses the custody transfer that the MARAD status card dates 1958-10-15.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-grimes-apa172-01

3. [3]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - GRIMES (APA-172), Ship History Detail 2023, incl. digitized status cards (Form MC-7146a Vessel Status Card; Form MA-383 Reserve Fleet - Ship Particulars, front and back) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 2023, milestone table + status card scans 2023_3764AF.jpg, 2023_3764AB.jpg, 2UA_01.png

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record (Detail 2023) and digitized status cards document the custody chain for GRIMES (APA-172), hull MCV-138, VC2-S-AP5, built Oregon SB Corp. Portland, completed 1944-11-23, DWT 5,544, gross 7,750, speed 17: MC-7146a status card and MA-383 'Reserve Fleet - Ship Particulars' card show NDRF entry Wilmington, NC 1958-10-15 14:45 EST (permanent transfer, reimbursable; 'See Navy letter June 15, 1958 - Marad reply June 20, 1958'); arrival draft fwd 14 ft 00 in / aft 15 ft 04 in. Card-back note: 'Consolidation of Priority Ships from Wilmington to James River. GRIMES left Wilmington Oct. 28, 1964, 0950 hrs EST, towed by UTINA, arrived James River Oct. 30, 1964, 1425 hrs EST. GAGE was originally scheduled for this tow and the GRIMES was taken instead.' Withdrawal: sold for nontransportation use under PD-X-98 dated 1974-08-21 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. for $280,166.00; physically delivered James River 1974-11-11 09:45 EST. Milestone table: Entry/Acquisition 10/15/1958; Disposition/Withdrawal 11/11/1974; fate 'Sold -NTU'.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1974

   Population

   NDRF caretaker crews (Wilmington 1958-64, James River 1964-74); tow crew UTINA (1964); disposal/scrapping workers (1974)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody, reserve-fleet moves, and disposal chain; card images read directly (typewritten, legible). Sale figure on card is $280,166.00 vs $280,160 in NavSource/Wikipedia secondary compilations - card value adopted, discrepancy in gaps. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim. Scrapping yard/breaker not identified (Union Minerals & Alloys was a nontransportation-use broker).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-grimes-apa172-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Grimes (APA-172) page - service history, squadron assignment, campaign/occupation tables, CO roster, disposal line, specifications block (direct fetch blocked; read via Wayback capture 2025-02-21) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.org 10/03/03172 (Wayback capture web.archive.org/web/20250221041426), specifications block, campaign tables, commanding-officer table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource APA-172 page corroborates the DANFS record and adds ship-specific detail: built under Maritime Commission contract as VC2-S-AP5, MCV hull 138, at Oregon Shipbuilding Group, Portland; assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater under TransRon Twenty (COMO H. W. Grap) and TransDiv Sixty as flagship (CAPT. A. T. Moen); Iwo Jima operation, assault and occupation 6-16 March 1945; Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 2-27 Sep 1945, 18-21 Oct 1945, 10-12 Dec 1945, 10-21 May 1946, 7-15 Jun 1946; decommissioned 1947-02-26 Norfolk; Atlantic Reserve Fleet Norfolk; struck Naval Register 1958-10-01; transferred to Maritime Commission 1958-10-15, NDRF Wilmington NC; berth change 1964-10-30 to James River, Lee Hall; sold for scrapping 1974-08-21 to Union Minerals and Alloys, New York, $280,160; removed 1974-11-11. CO table: CAPT James McDonald Smith, USN (USNA 1925), 1944-11-23 to 1945-10-09; CAPT Frank Waterman Parsons, USN (USNA 1923), 1945-10-09 to 1947-02-26. Specs: 6,873 t lt / 14,837 t fl; 455 ft; 62 ft beam; 17.7 kt trial; complement 56 off / 480 enl; troops 80/1,440; 35-t boom; 2,900 DWT cargo, 150,000 cu ft; boats 2 LCM, 1 open LCPL, 1 covered LCPL (gig), 2 LCPR, 18 LCVP; 1x 5in/38 DP, 4 twin + 1 quad 40mm, 10x 20mm; NSFO 7,780 bbl / diesel 970 bbl; 1 Westinghouse geared turbine, 2 B&W header-type boilers 465 psi/750 deg F, double Westinghouse main reduction gears, 3x 300kW turbo-drive generators, single screw 8,500 shp.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1974

   Population

   Ship's company and embarked troop complement; crew-family photo contributors document named enlisted aboard (e.g., S2/c Allen Douglas Woods, Raymond Earl Netzley, Lester Hammitt)

   Limitations

   Unofficial but standard Navy-vessel compilation consistent with DANFS/BuShips. Conflicts noted: TransDiv 'Sixty' flagship vs DANFS 'Transport Division 59'; sale figure $280,160 vs MARAD status card $280,166 (card adopted); complement 56/480 (class standard) vs SDB 1945 99/593 for this hull. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-grimes-apa172-03

5. [5]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels Vol. III (April 1945, NAVSHIPS 250-012), shipscribe.com scan (Google digitization) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB 1945 v3 APA characteristics/machinery/armament/builder tables, GRIMES APA-172 row no. 113 (pp. ~246-250 print pagination)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Bureau of Ships 'Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels,' 1945 ed., Vol. III (NAVSHIPS 250-012) carries named GRIMES (APA-172) rows in the auxiliary attack-transport tables (index no. 113): ex-M.C.V. Hull 138; 455 ft 0 in oa / 436 ft 6 in wl; extreme beam 62 ft 0 in; trial speed 17.7 kt; trial displacement 14,837 t; light displacement 12,450 t; draft 24 ft 0 in; ship's company 99 officers / 593 enlisted; troop accommodations 80 officers / 1,440 enlisted; boom 35 t; machinery 1 Westinghouse turbine 8,500 shp, 2 B&W header boilers 465 psi / 750 deg F; armament 1x 5in/38 DP, 4 twin + 1 quad 40mm; cargo 150,000 cu ft non-refrigerated, 5,800/2,900 t; builder 'Oregon S. B. Corp., Portland, Oreg.'; date acquired 23 Nov 44; year built 1944; first commission 23 Nov 44.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1945

   Limitations

   Official wartime BuShips publication; row read from OCR + layout extraction of the scanned table - values cross-consistent with NavSource block except ship's company (SDB 99/593 = 692 total, matching DANFS 'cpl. 692', vs NavSource class-standard 56/480); treated as ship-specific flagship-staff figure. No asbestos or insulation-material statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-grimes-apa172-04

6. [6]Consolidated era inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery data for the VC2-S-AP5 type + NavSource ship spec block + DANFS/MARAD custody chronology [other_primary]

   Locator

   Class/type technical data; this record's ev-01/ev-02 chronology

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: the VC2-S-AP5 attack transport is a single-screw geared-steam ship (Westinghouse turbine, two superheated B&W header boilers at 465 psi/750 deg F, 8,500 shp) built 1944 at Oregon Shipbuilding - a Kaiser-system yard at the peak of wartime asbestos application. Typical applications for the type: boiler and fireroom insulation; steam-line and turbine lagging; valve/flange gaskets; machinery packing; accommodation and joiner insulation for troop berthing; winch/windlass brake linings. Documented ship events that are materials-disturbance pathways: 1945 underway repair/availability periods implied by Pacific transport operations (no damage requiring yard repair is documented - the Iwo Jima small-arms fire caused no damage); 1946 inactivation at Norfolk; 1958-1974 reserve-fleet lay-up; 1974 scrapping.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1975

   Population

   Construction trades (Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland, 1944); ship's company/embarked troops (1944-47); Norfolk inactivation crews (1946-47); NDRF caretakers (1958-74); disposal-phase scrapping workers (1974-75)

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no ship-level asbestos record exists for this hull. Establishes no quantities, no locations, no condition, and no exposure for any individual aboard. Unlike sister hulls with documented battle-damage repairs, Grimes has no documented major repair availability; scrapping (1974) is the principal disturbance event and its materials scope is undocumented.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-grimes-apa172-05

7. [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 emergency-construction program under which this VC2-S-AP5 attack transport was built - 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. DOI returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch; publication verified independently.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-grimes-apa172-06

8. [8]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 (Wilmington and James River Reserve Fleets) in which this hull lay for 16 years (1958-1974) before its own nontransportation-use sale.

   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); scrapping-yard workers handling obsolete hulls

   Limitations

   Fleet-level audit documentation of asbestos in obsolete NDRF vessels generally; the report postdates this hull's 1974 withdrawal by 26 years and does not name her. Establishes that the reserve-fleet environment and the Union Minerals nontransportation-use disposal pathway handled asbestos-containing ships; establishes nothing about materials aboard this specific hull.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-grimes-apa172-07

9. [9]NARA Guide to Federal Records / logbook guidance: RG 24 Entry 118 deck logs; RG 19 BuShips; RG 178 USMC construction/disposal records [other_primary]

   Locator

   NARA deck-log guidance page; RG 19/24/178 record-group guides

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel), Entry 118 (NAID 581208) holds WWII deck logs - APA-172 logs 1944-46 would record daily operations, availability periods, and materiel conditions; NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) holds construction/repair and inactivation records incl. the 1946-47 Norfolk decommissioning file; NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) holds contract/construction records for MCV hull 138 at Oregon Shipbuilding and the PD-X-98 sale file; MARAD holds the Union Minerals & Alloys disposal docket (PD-X-98). Digitized APA-172 deck logs were not located in the public catalog during this pass.

   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 MCV 138 / APA-172 is unknown until surveyed in person. WWII deck-log digitization is partial (NAID 581208). Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-grimes-apa172-08

10. [10]CourtListener API v4 search (authenticated, cl-auth-search.py), opinion and docket indexes - this record's search ledger [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-grimes-apa172-06 through sl-uss-grimes-apa172-07c

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    CourtListener searches returned no qualifying result: opinion searches '"USS Grimes"' and '"USS Grimes" asbestos' returned zero; '"USS Grimes"' on the docket index (type=r) returned zero; '"APA-172"' on opinions returned two hits, both name collisions - ITG Brands, LLC v. Reynolds American, Inc. (Del. Ch. 2023, C.A. 2017-0129-LWW, tobacco-marketing dispute where the string is a document reference) and Kunaknana v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (D. Alaska 2014, 23 F. Supp. 3d 1063, environmental-permit litigation where the string is a permit/filing reference). Neither names or concerns the vessel (see search_ledger). 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.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    2026-09-25

    Limitations

    RECAP-indexed text only; 'Grimes' is a common surname so bare-name sweeps were not relied on (they collide with plaintiff-name dockets, e.g. the SDNY Grimes v. Foster Wheeler/CBS mesothelioma cases that concern a Brooklyn Navy Yard coppersmith, not this vessel). 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-grimes-apa172-09

11. [11]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS/NHHC; NavSource APA-172 (CO table); BuShips SDB 1945 v3 row 113; MARAD status cards MC-7146a/MA-383 (Detail 2023); Haskell class profile (class-f worktree) [other_primary]

    Locator

    this record's ev-01 through ev-04

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies resolved/noted: (a) Transport division - DANFS says Grimes sailed 'with Transport Division 59' (20 Feb 1945) while NavSource lists her under TransDiv Sixty as flagship (CAPT A. T. Moen); both carried, division-number conflict unresolved at primary level. (b) Complement - DANFS 'cpl. 692' matches SDB 1945 ship's company 99/593 for this hull; NavSource's 56/480 is the class-standard figure - SDB/DANFS adopted, variance noted. (c) Sale price - MARAD status card (primary) reads $280,166.00; NavSource/Wikipedia read $280,160 - card adopted. (d) Stricken/transfer - DANFS compresses stricken (Navy List 1958-10-01) and Maritime Commission transfer into one date; status card documents custody 1958-10-15 - both dates carried. (e) CO name - DANFS 'Captain J. McDonald Smith' vs NavSource 'CAPT. James M. Smith' in header and 'Smith, James McDonald (USNA 1925)' in CO table - same officer, DANFS form adopted. (f) Class-profile disposition 'stricken 10.1947' is inconsistent with DANFS/card (stricken 1958-10-01, after 11+ years in Atlantic Reserve Fleet) and is corrected here.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1944-1974

    Limitations

    Resolves publication-level discrepancies in secondary framings against primary card/SDB readings; does not affect identity or custody timeline materially. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-grimes-apa172-10

12. [12]Batch-2246 search ledger (this record): DANFS/NHHC + HyperWar mirror; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 2023 + 3 status-card scans; NavSource 10/03/03172 via Wayback; BuShips SDB 1945 v3 (shipscribe scan); shipbuildinghistory.com compilation; DOT OIG MA-2000-067; CourtListener name/hull searches; NARA path mapping [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-grimes-apa172-01 through sl-uss-grimes-apa172-12

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, shipyard work package, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Grimes (APA-172) was found in the public sources searched - DANFS, MARAD ShipHistory + status cards, NavSource, BuShips SDB 1945 v3, and CourtListener (see search_ledger).

    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 reserve/NDRF custody for 27 years is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the 1974 scrapping is an undocumented disturbance point. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-grimes-apa172-11