Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - Aviation Supply Ships (AVS) section, per-hull rows for GWINNETT AVS-5 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 AVS tables (printed pp. ~441-444: dimensions, machinery, armament, accommodations/fuel/generators, construction rows); index entries 'AG92 GWINNETT (now AVS5)', 'AK185 GWINNETT (now AVS5)', 'AVS5 GWINNETT'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries a per-hull row for GWINNETT AVS5 (ex-M.C. Hull 2116, ex-AK185, ex-AG92): ~338'8" overall / 320'0" pp; beam 50'4"; 11.0 knots; limiting displacement 7,450 tons and 21'1" limiting draft (table footnote: limiting figures not yet established post-conversion - values are pre-conversion ABS load lines); machinery 1 Nordberg Diesel TSM216, 1,700 hp, single propeller; armament 1 x 3"/50 cal (D.P.); accommodations 9 officers + 96 enlisted; fuel 6,300 bbls diesel oil; 2 diesel-driven 250 kW ship's-service generators; builder Walter Butler S.B. Inc., Superior, Wis.; commissioned 10 Apr 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms identity, designation chain (AK-185/AG-92/AVS-5), diesel machinery plant, manning accommodations, builder, and commissioning. OCR of the scanned table is columnar and partially garbled; values cross-verified against DANFS, shipscribe, and NavSource. Table footnote states the limiting draft/displacement figures are pre-conversion ABS load-line values. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gwinnett-ak185-01
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[2]DANFS, 'Gwinnett' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (live NHHC URL returns 404 - verbatim text retrieved via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20240622212338) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry body text + spec block (Wayback capture 20240622212338)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC records: 'Gwinnett (AVS-5) was originally designated AK-185 and was launched as AG-92 under Maritime Commission contract by Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, Wis., 14 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Oliva Dionne, mother of the Dionne quintuplets. After being taken down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, the ship was outfitted at Port Houston Iron Works, Houston, Tex., and commissioned there 10 April 1945, Lt. H. K. Golwey in command. Soon after commissioning, Gwinnett was redesigned AVS-5 on 25 May 1945. After shakedown in the Gulf of Mexico she was ordered to the Pacific coast for disposal. Gwinnett arrived San Francisco 25 January 1946. She decommissioned and was simultaneously redelivered to the Maritime Commission 11 February 1946.' Spec block: (AG-92: dp. 2,411; l. 338'8"; b. 50'4"; s. 11 k.; cpl. 105; a. 1 3", 6 20mm.; T. C1-M-AV1). Namesake: a county in Georgia.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Limitations
- Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for the service narrative. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC page 404s (standing link rot, cf. BATCH-01); the Wayback capture is the verbatim NHHC text. DANFS's phrase 'launched as AG-92' conflicts with the shipscribe-cited SecNav reclassification approval of 12 Mar 1945 (after the 14 May 1944 launch) - designation-date conflict logged in gaps, not resolved here. CO surname 'Golwey' vs NavSource 'Golway' also logged.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gwinnett-ak185-02
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[3]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - USS Gwinnett (AVS-5) ex AG-92, file 09/50/5005 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 5005.htm - timeline bullets, specifications block, awards block, commanding-officer table, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline corroborates DANFS and adds detail: laid down 21 Dec 1943 as Gwinnett (AK-185), MC type C1-M-AV1, MC hull 2116, Walter Butler Shipbuilders Inc., Superior WI; launched 14 May 1944; converted to a Gwinnett-class Aviation Stores Issue Ship at Port Houston Iron Works, Houston TX; delivered to US Navy 13 Mar 1945; commissioned USS Gwinnett (AG-92) 10 Apr 1945 at Houston (LT Hugh K. Golway, USNR); redesignated AVS-5 25 May 1945; decommissioned 11 Feb 1946 San Francisco; delivered to Maritime Commission same day for NDRF lay-up Suisun Bay, Benicia CA; stricken 26 Feb 1946; sold 14 Aug 1947 to Republic of France, reflagged, renamed MV Sainte Helene; later sold to a Philippine concern, renamed MV Prince K.L.; grounded in the Sulu Sea 1968 with severe bottom damage, salved but repairs uneconomic; scrapped Hong Kong 1970. Awards block lists only American Campaign Medal and WWII Victory Medal. CO table: LT Golway 10 Apr 1945-11 Dec 1945; CDR Malcolm Edgerton Selby USN 11 Dec 1945-11 Feb 1946. Spec block: 2,411 t light / 6,240 t full; 338'6" x 50' x 29'2" limiting draft; 11 kts; complement 15 officers + 70 enlisted; cargo 3,945 DWT (227,730 cu ft non-refrig + 9,830 refrigerated); armament 1 x 3"/50 DP + 6 x 20mm; propulsion 1 Nordberg Diesel TSM6 + 2 diesel-drive 250 kW 120/240 V D.C. generators, single propeller, 1,750 shp; fuel 6,300 bbls diesel. Call sign NEMV. A Sept 1947 photo shows her in San Francisco in early conversion to Sainte Helene, Navy hull number still on the bow.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1943-1970
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official; consistent with NHHC on the service narrative. Data conflicts logged in gaps: complement 85 vs DANFS/SDB 105 vs HyperWar 79; limiting draft 29'2" vs shipscribe/SDB 21'1"; engine 'TSM6' 1,750 shp vs SDB 'TSM216' 1,700 hp; a 'leased to General Steamship Corp. 7 Nov 1947' entry that postdates the Aug 1947 French transfer and is chronologically unresolved. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gwinnett-ak185-03
-
[4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - GWINNETT (AK-185 / AG-92 / AVS-5), Ship History Detail 2042, incl. scanned document Gwinnett_2042_001.pdf (U.S. Maritime Commission Transfer Order No. C-5553) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 2042 registry block; documents tab https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/documents/Gwinnett_2042_001.pdf (Transfer Order C-5553 scan, 1 p.)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory registry record for this hull: Year Built 1944; U.S. Official Number 246437; Shipyard 'Walter Butler Shipbuilders'; General Type General Cargo / Break Bulk; MARAD Type C1-M-AV1; ship length 321.40 ft; beam 50.00 ft; fate 'Sold - Foreign Flag Op.' The attached scanned primary document - U.S. Maritime Commission Transfer Order No. C-5553, signed by Secretary A. J. Williams - records that the Commission 'on May 29, 1947, authorized the sale' of the undocumented M/V GWINNETT to La Republique Francaise - Ministere des Travaux Publics et des Transports (Secretariat General a la Marine Marchande), Paris, with privilege of transfer to French registry and flag, and grants the requisite approval for the alien sale and flag transfer.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Limitations
- Authoritative MARAD registry plus a genuine primary USMC disposal document. The Transfer Order is a scanned form with an OCR text layer that is partially garbled; the authorization date (29 May 1947), buyer (French Republic ministry), and order number (C-5553) read cleanly, but the statutory-citation line is too degraded to quote reliably. The registry milestones table is empty for this hull and the status-card scans listed on Detail 2042 (2042_3796AF.jpg, 2042_3796AB.jpg, 2X0_01.png) return 404. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim. The 29 May 1947 authorization vs shipscribe's 'sold October 1946' and NavSource's 'sold 14 Aug 1947' (= delivery date per shipscribe) is a documented chronology conflict, logged in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gwinnett-ak185-04
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[5]shipscribe.com U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships - USS Gwinnett (AVS-5) class page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation): class data, construction/disposition tables, class notes citing the CNO/SecNav action chain, per-hull ship notes [other_primary]
- Locator
- usnaux.shipscribe.com/AVS/AVS05.html - class data block, construction table, disposition table, class notes, ship notes (MC 2116 row)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Shipscribe's AVS-5 (Gwinnett) class compilation documents the designation chain with dates: on 27 Feb 1945 CNO decided AK-185, AK-199, and probably AK-206 would be used as Aviation Supply Ships (all three were Great Lakes-built C1-M-AV1s nearly ready for Navy delivery); on 9 Mar 1945 CNO recommended reclassifying the three as AG 92-94; SecNav approved 12 Mar 1945 ('both dates are used in Navy records for the reclassification'); the ships became AVS 5-7 when the new AVS designation took effect 25 May 1945. Per-hull ship note for MC 2116: 'Delivered to MC in Great Lakes 6 Nov 44 and arrived at New Orleans 23 Dec 44. Reassembled by Port Houston Iron Works, Houston, Texas, and delivered to MC and Navy 13 Mar 45. Ex AG-92 25 May 45, ex AK-185 12 Mar 45. Merc. STE. HELENE 1947. Scrapped 1970 as PRINCE K.L.' Class notes record that all three ships were sold by the MC to the French government in October 1946 and delivered 24 Jul 47 (AVS-6) and 14 Aug 47 (the other two). Class data: C1-M-AV1 design; 2,411 t light / 7,450 t limiting; 338.7' oa / 320.0' wl-pp x 50.3' x 21.1' lim; 11 kts; 1,700 hp Nordberg diesel, 1 screw; original armament 1 x 3"/50 + 6 x 20mm.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1943-1970
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation naming this hull (MC 2116) in per-ship notes; cites Navy action dates (CNO 27 Feb/9 Mar 1945; SecNav 12 Mar 1945) that conflict with DANFS's 'launched as AG-92' phrasing and Wikipedia's 'before 14 May 1944' - logged in gaps. The October 1946 MC sale agreement vs the 29 May 1947 USMC Transfer Order authorization and 14 Aug 1947 delivery is carried as a documented sequence (agreement -> authorization -> delivery), not resolved to a single 'sale date.' Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gwinnett-ak185-05
-
[6]Documented propulsion plant for this hull (BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row: 1 Nordberg Diesel TSM216, 1,700 hp, 1 propeller; 2 diesel-driven 250 kW generators) read against WWII-era naval/MC construction-materials practice [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 AVS machinery row (printed p. ~443) + Fleischer 1946 (PMID 21016030) + Corn & Starr 1987 (DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700110311)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Gwinnett's documented plant is diesel - a single Nordberg engine on one screw with diesel-driven service generators, no boilers and no steam mains. Asbestos applications plausible for the type and era are therefore the lower-density set: engine and exhaust-system insulation, gaskets and packing, accommodation and bulkhead insulation, deck coverings, electrical insulation, and winch/windlass brake linings - not the boiler and steam-line lagging that dominates asbestos content on steam hulls. WWII naval and Maritime Commission construction used asbestos-containing insulation, gasket, and packing products as standard material (Fleischer et al. 1946; Corn & Starr 1987).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1943-1945; 1947; 1968-1970
- Population
- Construction and conversion trades (Walter Butler Superior WI 1943-44; Port Houston Iron Works Houston TX 1944-45); crew (~105); French-flag conversion workers (San Francisco 1947); salvage and breaking workers (1968-1970)
- Limitations
- Era/design-level inference only - no materials list, specification, or survey for this hull was located, and the diesel plant narrows the inference relative to steam vessels. Does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gwinnett-ak185-06
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[7]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 Navy and 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 this hull's era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- 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 and establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure. Additional limitation for this diesel-powered hull: the survey addresses pipe covering specifically, and this ship's documented plant has no boilers or steam mains, so the covered application is narrower here than on steam hulls. (The study's exculpatory 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion has since been heavily criticized - DOI 10.1177/10482911261446696.)
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gwinnett-ak185-07
-
[8]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
- gov_survey
- 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 program under which this C1-M-AV1 hull was built.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- 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-gwinnett-ak185-08
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[9]Batch-861 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via Wayback; NavSource 09/50/5005; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 2042 + Gwinnett_2042_001.pdf (USMC Transfer Order C-5553); BuShips SDB 1945 v3; shipscribe AVS-5 class page; CourtListener API v4 (auth-key sweeps); indexed-web litigation checks; VA BVA index; Naval Vessel Register; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-gwinnett-ak185-01 through sl-uss-gwinnett-ak185-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Gwinnett / AK-185 / AG-92 / AVS-5 / MC hull 2116 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Law-firm marketing pages (freeasbestostesting.com auxiliary-ships list; mesotheliomaasbestoshelpcenter.com Navy-ship list) name the hull and assert era-typical asbestos content without primary support - excluded as a source class per the no-law-firm-sources rule and logged in the batch report. 'Gwinnett' litigation-index hits are name collisions: Gwinnett County, Georgia, appears throughout Georgia and VA Atlanta-RO litigation unrelated to this ship.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 2026-09-21
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944 Maritime Commission auxiliary is era-consistent with asbestos-containing construction materials, and the documented disturbance phases (Port Houston Iron Works outfitting/conversion 1944-45; 1947 French-flag conversion; 1968 grounding salvage; 1970 Hong Kong breaking) are undocumented for materials. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. CourtListener authenticated-API sweeps were attempted twice (~07:05 and ~08:10 CDT 2026-09-21) and returned HTTP 429 (shared 2,800/day quota exhausted by prior batch work on this machine; reset ~10.6h out) - backed off per batch instruction; residual negative litigation coverage therefore rests on indexed-web checking and the VA BVA index, which is a weaker negative than a completed API sweep and is stated as such.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gwinnett-ak185-09
-
[10]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships records), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission records), RG 357 (Maritime Administration records); MARAD ShipHistory documents section for this hull [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html ; https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/2042 (status-card scans 404)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Gwinnett Apr 1945-Feb 1946 (RG 24, NARA); BuShips records incl. C1-M-AV1 contract plans and the AVS conversion specifications behind the Port Houston Iron Works outfitting (RG 19); USMC construction-contract records for MC hull 2116 at Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Superior (RG 178); MARAD/NDRF custody files covering the 1946-47 Suisun Bay lay-up, the French-sale file (the scanned Transfer Order C-5553 on MARAD Detail 2042 is one member of that file - the full file likely holds the Oct 1946 sale agreement, the 14 Aug 1947 delivery documents, and any condition survey) and the General Steamship Corp. lease entry of 7 Nov 1947 (RG 357); French-flag registry file for MV Sainte Helene and the 1968 Sulu Sea grounding casualty file would sit in French/Philippine registry and Lloyd's-casualty records, outside NARA.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1943-1970 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-gwinnett-ak185-10