USS Habersham (AK-186)

Evidence

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

1. [1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Habersham' (AK-186) entry - NHHC online edition (Wayback capture 2015-09-24; canonical NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-09-21); print-edition transcription cross-checked verbatim via the hazegray/losthistory.net mirror (transcribed by Yves Hubert) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Wayback capture http://web.archive.org/web/20150924144643/http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/h/habersham.html retrieved via the availability API (CDX endpoint temporarily offline 2026-09-21); canonical https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/h/habersham.html returned 404 (standing NHHC link rot, same as batches 01/833/854); mirror text verbatim-identical

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS 'Habersham' entry (unnumbered - only Navy ship of the name): namesake 'A county in Georgia'; stat line (AK-186: dp. 2,382 (lt.); l. 338'6"; b. 50'; dr. 21'; s. 12 k.; cpl. 85; a. 1 3"; cl. Alamosa). 'Habersham (AK-186), a motor cargo ship, was launched 7 June 1944 by the Walter Butler Shipbuilding, Inc., Superior, Wis., under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. Carl Gray, Jr.; acquired 26 April 1945; and commissioned 12 May 1945, Comdr. M. A. MacPhee in command.' Service narrative: shakedown off Galveston; sailed 2 June for Gulfport, Miss., loaded cargo, departed 4 days later for the Pacific Fleet; arrived Pearl Harbor via the Canal Zone 30 June, unloaded, returned to San Francisco with passengers and cargo 12 July; loaded and sailed 21 July for Eniwetok, arriving 7 August; was at Eniwetok when the surrender of Japan was announced; departed 9 September carrying cargo for occupation forces in Japan; arrived Tokyo Bay 17 September; departed for Guam and San Francisco 27 November; arrived 12 January 1946; sailed for the East Coast 11 February, arrived Norfolk 6 March; decommissioned at Baltimore 9 April 1946 and returned to the Maritime Commission; 'Sold into merchant service, she became Rosa Thorden and in 1952 Pusan for Korean Shipping Corporation.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1952

   Population

   Navy crew (cpl. 85 per DANFS stat line)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, chronology, and operations. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazardous-material statement; supports no asbestos claim. Stat-line speed (12 k.) conflicts with the official BuShips data row and other sources (11.5 kts) - see correction row. DANFS ends at the merchant sale and does not record the MC custody detail (Lee Hall, sale price, transfer order), the reassembly yards, or the later Korean owners and 1979 loss. Begins the narrative at launch; the 28 Dec 1943 keel date comes from shipscribe and the ship's own history, not DANFS.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-habersham-ak186-01

2. [2]USS Habersham (AK-186) War Diary, May-November 1945, with ship-authored Brief History enclosure (30 Sep 1945) - NavSource-hosted digitized scan (navsource.net/archives/09/13/pdf/130186a.pdf), contributed by Frank Gerhardt [other_primary]

   Locator

   20-page image scan read page by page: cover letters (7 Jul 1945, 3 Nov 1945, Dec 1945) and monthly diary sheets May-Nov 1945; Brief History enclosure on the final pages. No text layer - read as images; figures quoted as read.

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Digitized ship's war diary, May-November 1945 (NavSource-hosted 20-page scan, contributed by Frank Gerhardt; RG 38-format monthly diaries signed by the commanding officer, plus a ship-authored 'Brief History' enclosure forwarded to the Secretary of the Navy 30 September 1945 under ALPAC 202): commissioned 1400 on 12 May 1945 at the Tennessee Coal and Iron Docks, Houston, Texas, by CDR John McMasters, USNR, for the Commandant Eighth Naval District; LCDR Malcolm A. MacPhee (13689, D-M, USNR) assumed command; Galveston shakedown 21-27 May including structural firing tests, a 24-hour trial run, and speed trials on the measured mile; post-shakedown availability at Texas Coast Shipyards, Galveston, 28 May-1 June; departed Gulfport 6 June with 3,325.41 long tons general and 114.1 long tons refrigerated cargo; Panama Canal transit 12-13 June; Pearl Harbor Berth K-3, 30 June; San Francisco 12 July; loaded 2,082 long tons general and 108 long tons refrigerated cargo and departed 21 July for Eniwetok, arriving 7 August; assigned to the temporary operational control of Commander Service Division 102 on 27 August; departed Eniwetok 9 September in Task Unit 30.9.23 (USS HARCOURT IX-225, USS PC 1087) with the CTU embarked in this vessel; anchored Tokyo Bay 17 September; cargo operations there through 26 November; underway 27 November for Guam with approximately 1,500 tons of fleet freight under ComServDiv 102 dispatch 240035. Brief History enclosure: 'The keel for the motor vessel HABERSHAM (Hull #MC-2117) was laid on 28 December 1943 at Walter Butler Shipbuilders Inc., Superior, Wisconsin, for the account of the U.S. Maritime Commission. The vessel was launched 7 June 1944, and building was completed 17 November 1944. The vessel was then ferried to Beaumont, Texas for re-assembly and fitting out, arriving 5 February 1945. On April 26, 1945 the vessel was accepted by the U.S. Navy.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-12-28 to 1945-11-30

   Population

   Navy crew of USS Habersham (complement documented 15 officers + 70 enlisted); ComServDiv 102 staff; TU 30.9.23 consorts

   Limitations

   The strongest ship-specific primary source located - the vessel's own contemporaneous record. Establishes the commissioning event, shakedown, cargo tonnages loaded, convoy assignment, and occupation-duty cargo operations verbatim. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazmat statement; the re-assembly yard at Beaumont is named only as 'Beaumont, Texas' (Samuelson SY identification comes from shipscribe). Coverage ends 30 Nov 1945 steaming for Guam; the December 1945-April 1946 period (Guam, San Francisco, Norfolk transit, Baltimore decommissioning) is not in this digitized set - see archival_lead row. Does not establish individual exposure or materials content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-habersham-ak186-02

3. [3]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - HABERSHAM (AK-186), Ship History Detail 2051 (status-card scans 2XK_01.png and 2052_3815AF.jpg read directly; document Habersham_2051_001.pdf = USMC Transfer Order C-5011, 4 Feb 1947) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 2051 - characteristics block, status-card scans /cards/2XK_01.png and /cards/2052_3815AF.jpg + /cards/2052_3815AB.jpg ('NEXT ANTRIM' divider), document /documents/Habersham_2051_001.pdf; name-collision check: Detail 2741 JOSEPH HABERSHAM (EC2-S-C1, Southeastern Shipbuilding, 1943, ON 244481) is a different hull

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record for HABERSHAM (AK-186), Detail 2051: MARAD type C1-M-AV1; shipyard 'Walter Butler Shipbuilders'; year built 1944; U.S. Official Number 246438; ship length 388.84 ft (register field quirk - see correction row), beam 50.00 ft; gross 3,800 tons; cargo capacity field 228,000 (units labeled 'square feet' - the field-label quirk documented in batch-854; the figure tracks the ~227,730 cu ft non-refrigerated volume documented elsewhere); fate 'Sold - Foreign Flag Op.'; mission World War II; no milestones or narrative posted. Two status cards read directly: (a) card 2XK_01 - 'O.N. 246438', name 'HABERSHAM (AK-186)', type C1-M-AV1, 'MC Hull No. 2117', 'Built by Walter Butler SB, Inc. At Superior, Wisc.', 'Completed 11-23-44'; 'Basis to W.S.A. 4-11-46 10:00AM EST @ Lee Hall, Va. from Navy Dept. - Surplus'; allocation table - Reserve Fleet at Lee Hall, Va. 4-11-46; 'Dichmann, Wright & Pugh, Inc.' under 'GAA' at Lee Hall, delivered 1-27-47 11:50AM EST; 'Thorden Line' (handwritten annotation 'Akpiedolad' = Aktiebolaget, 'act 1946') under 'Purch.', port of delivery Norfolk, Va., delivered 2-6-47 Noon EST; handwritten 'Sales Price $693,862.00' and 'Rosa Thorden'; ledger number '3564.' at lower left; a struck-through '(For previous info ... see ... cards)' line partially legible. (b) James River Reserve Fleet vessel-data card (2052_3815AF.jpg) - name HABERSHAM, former AK-186, type C1-M-AV1, fleet 'JR', ownership WSA, 'WALTER BUTLER SUPERIOR 1944', entered fleet 4-11-46, hull no. 2117, dimensions 320' x 50' x 29' depth, ships papers 'FINAL ALLOC. 1/16/47 #184' / 'PRELIM. ALLOC. 1-3-47 #200 (Swedish)', withdrawn from fleet 1-27-47 delivered to 'OPER. DIV. NORFOLK'; red-ink annotation partially legible ('...delivery to Swedes... 1/17/47' reading uncertain); companion strip card reads 'NEXT ANTRIM'. (c) Scanned document Habersham_2051_001.pdf - U.S. Maritime Commission Transfer Order No. C-5011, dated 4 February 1947, 'Approving the Sale Alien and Transfer to Swedish Registry and Flag of the S/S HABERSHAM' to a stock company organized under the laws of Sweden with address at Uddevalla, Sweden (Thorden Lines AB), with privilege of transfer to foreign registry and flag; signed A. J. Williams, Secretary.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1947

   Limitations

   Authoritative government custody record for this hull; cards read directly from scans (handwritten 'Akpiedolad', 'act 1946', sales price, and the struck-through/red-ink marginal notes disclosed as read - partially legible). Reconciles the disposal dates: MC Transfer Order C-5011 approved the sale 4 Feb 1947 (the shipscribe 'MC/D 4 Feb 47' figure) while physical delivery to Thorden Line at Norfolk was 6 Feb 1947 noon (NavSource's '6 February 1947'). Card price reads $693,862.00 - NavSource carries $693,826, a $36 transcription variance adopted in favor of the card (Wikipedia agrees with the card). Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim. The reserve-fleet card's GAA line shows Dichmann, Wright & Pugh as lay-up custodian, a normal NDRF arrangement, not an operating charter.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-habersham-ak186-03

4. [4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - cargo ship (AK) section, per-hull rows for HABERSHAM AK-186 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 AK tables - item 67 rows across dimensions, limiting/accommodations, machinery, armament/cargo, and construction tables; index entries under HABERSHAM and M.C. Hull 2117 (PDF text-verified; OCR columnar, cross-checked vs DANFS/NavSource/MARAD)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries per-hull rows for HABERSHAM AK-186 (ex-M.C. Hull 2117), item 67 in the cargo-ship (AK) tables: dimensions row - 338'6" oa / 320'0" wl, beam 50'0", speed 11.5 kts, displacement column 7,125 t; limiting row - limiting displacement 7,450 t, tons-per-inch immersion 32, limiting draft 21'1", accommodations 15 officers + 70 enlisted, largest boom 30 t; machinery row - 1 propeller, 'Nordberg Diesel, TSM6' (carried '-do-' under the same entry), 1,750 [shp] (boiler columns blank - diesel plant); armament/cargo row - '1 3", 50 cal. (D.P.)' (marked as ultimate authorized armament), cargo space 227,730 cu ft non-refrigerated / 9,830 cu ft refrigerated, tonnage columns 5,070 / 3,945 (column header partially legible in OCR; 3,945 t is the cargo DWT figure carried by NavSource); construction row - 'Walter Butler S. B., Inc., Superior, Wis.' (carried '.... do ..' under Glacier), date acquired 26 Apr 45, year built 1944, first commission 12 May 45. Index entries: 'Habersham (ex-M.C. Hull 2117) .. AK186 .. Auxiliary - Cargo Ship .. 88' and 'M.C. Hull 2117 (now Habersham) .. AK186'.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945

   Population

   Navy crew - documented accommodation fit of 15 officers + 70 enlisted

   Limitations

   Official Navy data sheet naming this hull - the strongest single spec source located; settles the 1,750 vs 1,700 shp question in favor of 1,750 (HyperWar carries 1,700 - see correction row) and the complement at 15+70 = DANFS's cpl. 85 (HyperWar 79, shipscribe class register 69 - variances). Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazmat statement; supports no asbestos claim. The 7,125-t table displacement and 5,070-t cargo column are reproduced as printed; their exact definitions are not restated here.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-habersham-ak186-04

5. [5]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Alamosa (AK-156) Class' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, Auxiliary Vessels Board records, and MARAD files) [other_primary]

   Locator

   AK-156 class page: characteristics block, construction table (AK-186 row), disposition table (AK-186 row), class notes (Great Lakes delivery narrative; Design AV diesel/crew figures; 2 Sep 43 contract approval; June 1944 substitution note does not involve MC 2117), ship notes (AK-186 row: New Orleans arrival 31 Jan 45; Samuelson SY Beaumont reassembly; Brown SB Houston fit-out; Rosa Thorden 1947; scrapped 1979 as Sam Dae after fire at sea off Korea)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-design compilation naming this hull in the Alamosa (AK-156) class tables and ship notes: construction row - AK-186 HABERSHAM, acquired 26 Apr 45, builder Walter Butler SB Superior, keel 28 Dec 43, launched 7 Jun 44, commissioned 12 May 45; disposition row - decommissioned 9 Apr 46, struck 17 Apr 46, disposal 11 Apr 46, fate 'MC/D', MA sale 4 Feb 47; ship note for MC hull 2117 - 'Delivered to MC in Great Lakes 23 Nov 44 and arrived at New Orleans 31 Jan 45. Reassembled by Samuelson SY, Beaumont, Texas for conversion (moved by MC 1-5 Feb 45) and delivered to MC and Navy 26 Apr 45. Fitted out by Brown SB, Houston, Texas (in service for ferrying 26-27 Apr 45). Merc. ROSA THORDEN (Swedish) 1947. Scrapped 1979 as SAM DAE after fire at sea off Korea.' Class notes relevant to this hull: the Great Lakes delivery narrative - hulls built on the Lakes were taken by Navy ferry crews to New Orleans in MC custody, dismantled at Chicago (bridge deck, superstructure deck, masts, kingposts, stack, lifeboats removed and stowed; pontoons aft for 13-ft shoals; clearing the first bridge by five inches), pushed down the Illinois/Mississippi to New Orleans over almost three weeks, then reassembled and converted at Gulf Coast yards; Design AV history - JCS request 15 Apr/8 May 43 for 100 steel coastal cargo vessels, MC contracts approved 2 Sep 43 for MC hulls 2101-2174, 2194-2207, 2239-2250 (2117 is inside the original block - no reassignment applies to this hull); 'Design AV ... used diesel instead of the requested reciprocating steam engines and provided for a Navy crew of 8 officers and 67 men or a civilian crew of about 41 men for the Army ships.' Class data block: 2,474 t light / 7,450 t limiting; 338.5' oa x 50.0' e x 21.1' lim; complement 69 (1944); 11.5 kts; Nordberg diesel TSM6, 1,750 hp, 1 screw; original armament 1-3"/50 + 6-20mm.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1979

   Population

   Walter Butler Superior construction workforce (1943-44); Navy ferry crew for the Great Lakes-to-Gulf delivery (Nov 1944-Jan 1945); Samuelson SY Beaumont and Brown SB Houston conversion/fit-out workforce (Feb-Apr 1945); wartime Navy crew

   Limitations

   Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register, board, and MARAD records, not the underlying records themselves - used where consistent with DANFS/SDB/MARAD/war diary (all custody and milestone dates agree). The Samuelson SY (Beaumont) reassembly and Brown SB (Houston) fit-out identifications rest on this compilation alone; the war diary corroborates 'Beaumont, Texas for re-assembly and fitting out' and the Houston commissioning venue. 'Scrapped 1979 ... after fire at sea off Korea' is the only authoritative-source statement of the loss mode. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-habersham-ak186-05

6. [6]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Habersham (AK-186) page (compiled reference incl. DANFS transcription, awards table, CO list, specifications, photo captions, war-diary link) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.net/archives/09/13/130186.htm - full page incl. specifications block, commanding-officer table, awards, merchant-service list, and the linked war-diary PDF

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Online (Service Ship Photo Archive, AK-186 page) records the same chronology as DANFS plus: call sign NENE; ribbons American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp (no battle stars); laid down 1944 as MC type C1-M-AV1 hull, MC hull 2117, at Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, WI; launched 7 June 1944; 'Completed and delivered to the Maritime Commission, 23 November 1944'; acquired 26 April 1945; commissioned 12 May 1945, CDR Malcolm A. MacPhee, USNR; Asiatic-Pacific Theater assignment; occupation service 15 September - 27 November 1945; decommissioned 9 April 1946 at Baltimore, MD; 'Returned to the Maritime Commission, 11 April 1946, at Lee Hall, VA'; struck 17 April 1946; 'Sold by the Maritime Commission, 6 February 1947, to Thorden Line, for $693,826, renamed MV Rosa Thorden'; resold 1952 to Korean Shipping Corp, renamed MV Pusan, reflagged South Korean; renamed MV Sam Dae, date unknown; scrapped in Korea 1979. Specs - 2,382 t (lt) / 7,450 t (fl); 338'6" x 50' x 29'2" (listed as limiting draft); 11.5 kts; complement 15 officers + 70 enlisted; largest boom 30 t; cargo 3,945 DWT incl. 9,830 cu ft refrigerated / 227,730 cu ft non-refrigerated; armament 1x3"/50 DP + 6x20mm AA; fuel 6,300 bbls diesel; propulsion one Nordberg Diesel TSM6, two diesel-drive 250 kW 120/240 V DC ship's-service generators, single propeller, 1,750 shp. Photos: ex-Habersham as South Korean M/V Sam Dae at Yokohama, September 1978 (Gerhard L. Mueller-Debus). Commanding-officer table: CDR Malcolm A. MacPhee USNR, 12 May 1945 - 9 April 1946.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1979

   Population

   Navy crew (May 1945-Apr 1946); merchant crews under Swedish and Korean flags (1947-1979)

   Limitations

   Privately compiled standard reference, not a government publication; consistent with DANFS, SDB 1945 v3, shipscribe, and the MARAD card where they overlap. Variances: its $693,826 sale price conflicts with the MARAD card's handwritten $693,862.00 (card adopted); its '29'2" limiting' draft figure conflicts with DANFS's 21' and SDB's 21'1" limiting draft and appears to conflate draft with the reserve-fleet card's 29' depth; its 2,382-t light-displacement figure is a class-generic figure also carried on sister pages while DANFS carries dp. 2,382 (lt) - consistent here - and shipscribe carries 2,474 light. No asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-habersham-ak186-06

7. [7]shipbuildinghistory.com - Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Superior WI yard page (compiled yard table and history) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Walter Butler Superior page - yard history paragraph and row for yard hull 35 / AK 186 / MC 2117

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Builder-yard context: Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc. took over the Lake Superior Shipbuilding yard at the outset of the war; the yard stood at North 1st and Hammond Avenue, Superior, Wisconsin (46.73741, -92.09693). The yard table carries this hull as yard hull no. 35, name AK 186 'Habersham', original owner WSA, type C1-M-AV1, MC no. 2117, 3,805 LDT, delivered Nov-44, disposition 'Sold 1947.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1944

   Population

   Walter Butler Shipbuilders Superior construction workforce (1943-44)

   Limitations

   Yard-level context for the builder of this hull; documents the facility's emergency-yard nature (former Lake Superior Shipbuilding, taken over at the outset of the war) and corroborates the hull's yard number (35) carried in the Wikipedia infobox, but contains no asbestos or materials information and establishes nothing about materials aboard this hull. No Atlas shipyards.json slug exists for Walter Butler, Samuelson SY, or Brown SB - related_shipyards is empty and the missing yards are logged in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-habersham-ak186-07

8. [8]NavalCoverMuseum (navalcovermuseum.org), HABERSHAM AK 186 wiki page - name/designation history; HyperWar Foundation 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945' AK-186 page (Patrick Clancey compilation) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/HABERSHAM_AK_186 - 'Ship Name and Designation History' table, postmark, namesake/sponsor lines; ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AK/AK-186_Habersham.html - spec block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavalCoverMuseum HABERSHAM AK 186 page records the designation history: USS HABERSHAM AK-186, then commercial service as ROSA THORDEN, PUSAN, and SAM DAE; a ships straight-line postmark dated 1946-03-12 is on file; awards block matches NavSource (American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific, WWII Victory, Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp); namesake 'A county in Georgia'; sponsor Mrs. Carl Gray, Jr. HyperWar's 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945' carries an AK-186 page: 'Alamosa class Cargo Ship', displacement 7,435 tons (full load), length 339', beam 50', draft 21', 12 knots, armament 1x3"/50 DP + 6x20mm, complement 79, 'Diesel engines, single screw, 1,700 horsepower', built Walter Butler Shipbuilding Superior Wis., commissioned 12 May 1945.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1979

   Limitations

   Independent compiled references agreeing with DANFS/NavSource/MARAD on the custody chain and the merchant name sequence. HyperWar's spec block carries three conflicts - 7,435 t full load (vs 7,450 elsewhere), complement 79 (vs 15+70=85 in DANFS/NavSource/SDB), and 1,700 hp (vs SDB's 1,750) - SDB/DANFS adopted on each, variants disclosed in the correction row. No asbestos or materials information in either source; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-habersham-ak186-08

9. [9]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS (Wayback 2015-09-24 + hazegray); AK-186 war diary + Brief History; NavSource AK-186 page; MARAD Detail 2051 + status cards + Transfer Order C-5011; shipscribe AK-156 class page; BuShips SDB 1945 v3 rows; NavalCoverMuseum; HyperWar AK-186 page; shipbuildinghistory Walter Butler table; Wikipedia ship page (secondary, disclaimed) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Per-item: completion dates (Brief History vs MARAD card vs NavSource); spec blocks (DANFS vs SDB machinery/accommodations/limiting rows vs NavSource vs HyperWar vs shipscribe); sale price and dates (MARAD card handwriting + C-5011 vs NavSource vs shipscribe disposition row); keel dates (Brief History + shipscribe vs Wikipedia); register-length quirk (MARAD 388.84 ft vs Wikipedia 388'8" vs authoritative ~338.5 ft)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies logged, not merged: (a) Completion - the ship's Brief History says 'building was completed 17 November 1944'; the MARAD card and NavSource carry 'Completed/delivered to MC 11-23-44 / 23 Nov 44'; shipscribe 'Delivered to MC in Great Lakes 23 Nov 44' agrees - 23 Nov adopted for delivery, 17 Nov noted as the completion-of-construction date (two different events). (b) Complement - DANFS cpl. 85, NavSource 15 officers + 70 enlisted (=85), SDB accommodations row 15+70 agree; HyperWar carries 79; shipscribe class register carries 69 (1944) and Design AV intent was 75 (8 officers + 67 men) - DANFS/SDB adopted. (c) Rated power - SDB machinery row and shipscribe carry 1,750 shp; HyperWar carries 1,700 - SDB adopted. (d) Speed - DANFS stat line 12 k. and HyperWar 12 kts vs 11.5 kts in SDB, NavSource, and shipscribe - 11.5 adopted as the operating figure; 12 likely reflects the design speed. (e) Draft - DANFS dr. 21' and SDB limiting 21'1" agree; NavSource's '29'2" (limiting)' appears to conflate draft with depth (the reserve-fleet card carries 29' depth) - 21'1" adopted. (f) Displacement - DANFS dp. 2,382 (lt) and NavSource 2,382 lt vs shipscribe class block 2,474 light / 7,450 limiting vs SDB 7,125 table figure / 7,450 limiting vs HyperWar 7,435 fl - DANFS/SDB adopted. (g) Length - authoritative sources agree at ~338.5 ft (DANFS 338'6"; SDB 338'6" oa / 320'0" wl; shipscribe 338.5' oa; reserve-fleet card 320' register length); MARAD register carries '388.84 ft' and Wikipedia's infobox carries 388 ft 8 in - the MARAD field is the apparent source of the class-wide Wikipedia error logged in batches 849/854 - erroneous, not carried. (h) Sale date - NavSource 'sold 6 February 1947' vs shipscribe 'MC/D 4 Feb 47' vs MARAD card delivery '2-6-47 Noon EST' vs USMC Transfer Order C-5011 dated 4 Feb 1947 - reconciled: the Commission approved the sale/flag transfer 4 Feb; physical delivery at Norfolk was 6 Feb. (i) Sale price - MARAD card handwritten 'Sales Price $693,862.00' and Wikipedia $693,862 vs NavSource $693,826 - card adopted ($36 transcription variance). (j) Keel - shipscribe 28 Dec 43 and the ship's Brief History '28 December 1943' agree; NavSource carries only 'laid down in 1944' and Wikipedia 'Laid down 1944' - 28 Dec 1943 adopted. (k) Merchant chain - DANFS names Rosa Thorden and Pusan; NavSource adds Sam Dae; Wikipedia adds the 1974 Busan renaming and the Ah Jin (1976), Sammisa (1976), and Tai Young (1978) sales and the 14 Apr 1979 fire with Inchon scrapping - Wikipedia's merchant detail is consistent with shipscribe's 'scrapped 1979 as SAM DAE after fire at sea off Korea' and is carried as compiled-reference detail, flagged. (l) Name collision - MARAD Detail 2741 JOSEPH HABERSHAM (EC2-S-C1, Southeastern Shipbuilding, 1943) is a different hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1979 (dates reconciled 2026-09-21)

   Limitations

   Resolves nothing by fiat - records which source says what so downstream consumers inherit the conflicts honestly. Where a primary record and a compiled reference disagree, the primary/official record (MARAD card, C-5011, war diary, DANFS, SDB) is adopted and the variant disclosed. No asbestos content in any reconciled source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-habersham-ak186-09

10. [10]Documented propulsion plant for this hull (BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row, item 67: 1 Nordberg Diesel TSM6, 1,750 shp, 1 propeller; refrigerated cargo capacity 9,830 cu ft) read against WWII-era naval/MC construction-materials practice [other_primary]

    Locator

    SDB1945v3 AK machinery and cargo rows (item 67) + Fleischer 1946 (PMID 21016030) + Corn & Starr 1987 (DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700110311)

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    Habersham's documented plant is diesel - a single Nordberg TSM6 engine on one screw with diesel-driven service generators, no boilers and no steam mains (SDB 1945 v3 machinery row, item 67; shipscribe Design AV notes: 'used diesel instead of the requested reciprocating steam engines'). 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, refrigeration-space insulation (this hull documented with 9,830 cu ft refrigerated cargo capacity), 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; 1952; 1979

    Population

    Construction and conversion trades (Walter Butler Superior WI 1943-44; Samuelson SY Beaumont and Brown SB Houston TX 1945); Navy ferry crew on the inland-waterway delivery (Nov 1944-Jan 1945); crew (~85); merchant crews (1947-1979); salvage and breaking workers (Inchon 1979)

    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-habersham-ak186-10

11. [11]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-habersham-ak186-11

12. [12]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 emergency program under which this C1-M-AV1 hull was built (Maritime Commission Design AV; contracts approved 1943-09-02 for 100 ships per shipscribe class notes) - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.

    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 or the C1-M-AV1 type and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. Note this hull's diesel propulsion removes the steam-plant boiler-insulation inference applied to steam hulls.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-habersham-ak186-12

13. [13]Batch-862 search ledger (this record): DANFS Wayback + hazegray; NavSource incl. the 20-page digitized war diary; MARAD ShipHistory 2051 + two status cards + USMC Transfer Order C-5011 scan; shipscribe AK-156 class page; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; shipbuildinghistory Walter Butler Superior; NavalCoverMuseum; HyperWar; NVR hull check; CourtListener authenticated API (blocked - HTTP 429); indexed-web litigation checks; NARA record-group guidance [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-habersham-ak186-01 through sl-uss-habersham-ak186-15

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming USS Habersham / AK-186 / MC hull 2117 / Rosa Thorden / Pusan / Sam Dae was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener authenticated API sweeps were BLOCKED on 2026-09-21 - HTTP 429 'Rate limit exceeded: 2800/day' on the shared fleet key (daily quota exhausted by prior batch work on this machine; 'expected available' counters of ~3,000s observed at each attempt); the litigation sweep is therefore logged as blocked, not as a completed negative. Indexed-web litigation checks found only law-firm marketing ship-lists naming the hull (freeasbestostesting.com auxiliary-ships list; mesotheliomaasbestoshelpcenter.com U.S. Navy-ships list; duboselawfirm.com cargo-ships list) - bulk enumerations of every Navy hull carrying no ship-specific evidence, classified non-qualifying and not cited. The hull left U.S. custody in February 1947 under a foreign-flag sale - predating the Navy's late-1970s asbestos-control programs and NESHAP demolition rules - and was scrapped at Inchon, South Korea in 1979, so no U.S.-regulated abatement record was ever expected to exist.

    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 1943-45 Maritime Commission hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials in construction. The CourtListener sweep is logged as blocked rather than completed: quota exhaustion means no hull-naming case can be affirmatively ruled out from that index, and state-court filings outside it cannot be ruled out either. The foreign-flag sale (1947) and foreign scrapping (1979) mean no U.S.-regulated abatement/survey record was expected, so the negative finding is structurally strong on the disposal side; it still does not establish that asbestos was or was not aboard, nor does it establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-habersham-ak186-13

14. [14]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 deck logs (post-1941 at Archives II, College Park); RG 38 (CNO war diaries); RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) Construction Division records; RG 248 (War Shipping Administration); RG 357 (MARAD/NDRF) [other_primary]

    Locator

    archives.gov/research/military/logbooks (post-1941 Navy deck logs at College Park); archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/038.html, /178.html, /248.html, /357.html; catalog.archives.gov returns only its JS application shell to automated query - no additional digitized AK-186 records confirmed beyond the NavSource-hosted war diary

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction orders; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for AK-186 (May 1945-Apr 1946 commission period) at Archives II, College Park - would log the fitting-out, Gulf/Pacific cargo runs, Tokyo Bay occupation duty, and the Baltimore decommissioning. (b) NARA RG 38 war-diary series - the located scan covers May-Nov 1945 only; December 1945-April 1946 submissions (Guam arrival, San Francisco, Panama Canal return, Norfolk, Baltimore) would complete the record if filed. (c) NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) Construction Division records may hold the MC hull 2117 contract and C1-M-AV1 outfitting specifications for Walter Butler yard hull 35 - the likeliest materials itemization - plus the Great Lakes delivery/river-transit file. (d) WSA/RG 248 and RG 357 (NDRF) records for the 11 Apr 1946 Lee Hall basis, the James River lay-up, the Dichmann Wright & Pugh GAA custodianship, and the 1947 Thorden sale file underlying Transfer Order C-5011 - the likeliest condition-survey material for this hull. (e) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Coast Guard records of the Chicago-area disassembly and inland-waterway transit, if separately preserved.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1943-1979 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-habersham-ak186-14