USS Harjurand (ARS-31)

Evidence

11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).

1. [1]research packet bn-packet.md (3 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: **VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-harjurand-ars31-pkt-bn-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, 'Harjurand (ARS-31)' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (published 2015-07-14) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Harjurand' entry, spec block (t. 812; l. 188'6"; b. 32'11"; dph. 13') and full narrative; live NHHC URL returns 404 - verbatim text retrieved via Wayback capture 20251114072213 (continuing NHHC link-rot issue per Batch-01 report)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry: Harjurand (ARS-31) was built as Olesa in 1919 by Astilleros Cardona, S.A., Barcelona, Spain; merchant career as Per Skogland under Estonian registry in the 1920s, Camberway for the British Sunderland Steam Shipping Co. 1931-32, Tento in 1933, Margot in 1934, and Harjurand under Estonian ownership again in 1937; requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration and turned over to the Navy 1 June 1942; Navy-owned but operated under contract by Merritt Chapman and Scott under Bureau of Ships supervision; a pioneer vessel of the Navy's WWII Salvage Service; helped recover some 4,500 tons of metal ore from the torpedoed SS Edward Luckenbach (28 Mar - 8 Dec 1943, carried to Tampa); then removed protruding parts of sunken hulks off the East Coast - Gulfamerica off Jacksonville (Apr 1944), Ashkabad east of Georgia (Jun), Maurice Tracy off South Carolina (Aug), and destroyer Sturtevant off the Florida Keys (Apr 1945); contract terminated and ship returned to WSA 22 May 1946; stricken from the Navy List 19 June 1946; sold to Miraflores, S.A., of Panama and served as Dodecanese until about 1955.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1919-1955

   Limitations

   Official secondary history compiled from Navy records; establishes identity, merchant career, salvage operations, and disposal. Contains no asbestos, materials, insulation, crew-size, or condition information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-harjurand-ars31-01

3. [3]North American Shipping Co. v. Fund Deposited with Treasurer of United States (THE HARJURAND), 66 F. Supp. 502 (D. Del. 1946), No. 1549 - CourtListener cluster 8905124 [court_record]

   Locator

   CourtListener opinion 8892320 full text - findings 1-10 and decree paragraphs

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Admiralty opinion (Leahy, J., filed 1946-06-27): the steamship Harjurand was owned by Estonian citizens Jacob Jurison, Theodor Liiman, Mihkel Kolumbus, and Juri Silberberg; of Panamanian registry from 1941-07-11 until the taking; attached under libel (Admiralty No. 1534) at Wilmington, Del. on 1942-05-28 by managing agent North American Shipping Co.; while in the marshal's custody under that attachment, requisitioned - title and possession taken by the War Shipping Administrator at 5 p.m. on 1942-06-01 under the Act of June 6, 1941 (Public Law 101, 77th Cong.); a compensation fund was deposited with the Treasurer of the United States; the court decreed $71,536.14 plus interest to the managing-agent libelant, junior in rank to the claims of Merritt-Chapman & Scott Corp. (Admiralty No. 1540) and Paul Anderson (Admiralty No. 1547) against the same fund.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1941-1946

   Limitations

   Admiralty fund-distribution proceeding over the requisition compensation - classified 'other litigation,' NOT asbestos litigation. Establishes the legal mechanism, timing, and ownership facts of the taking and confirms the salvage contractor held its own senior claim against the fund. Contains no materials, asbestos, or crew information. Companion fund cases (Admiralty Nos. 1540, 1547) produced no published opinion located on CourtListener.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-harjurand-ars31-02

4. [4]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Harjurand (ARS-31)' class and ship notes (Stephen S. Roberts, compiled 2011-03-31) [other_primary]

   Locator

   ARS-31 class page - construction/disposition tables, Class Notes paragraphs 1-3, Ship Notes row

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Shipscribe class and ship notes (Stephen S. Roberts compilation of Navy records): requisition purchase executed in U.S. District Court, Wilmington, Del., 1942-06-01 under PL-101 (77th Cong.) and Executive Order 9154 (1942-02-07); accepted by the Navy at her Philadelphia berth and immediately turned over to Merritt-Chapman & Scott; while being moved by the contractor on 1942-06-04 for conversion to a salvage vessel at Brewer's Shipyard, Staten Island, N.Y., she collided with a barge, producing a paperwork trail into 1944 and a Judge Advocate General finding that a ship operated and manned by contractor's employees - neither a commissioned vessel of the Navy nor a naval vessel in the ordinary sense - was not a 'vessel of the Navy'; formally assigned to Merritt-Chapman & Scott 1942-06-09 under contract NObs-36 (the contract under which MCS operated the Navy Salvage Service for BuShips); BuShips directed 2-6pdr guns 1942-07-18 and 2-20mm 1942-08-03, but Bureau of Ordnance records and a 1943 photograph indicate the 20mm were never installed; Navy records state she received no formal conversion (the work was contractor-performed); Navy resumed custody 1945-09-07 at Tompkinsville, N.Y.; sold by the Maritime Commission to Sociedade de Navigacion, New York; Panamanian merchant Dodecanese 1946; scrapped at Jacksonville, Fla., October 1955. Ship notes: ex OLESA completed Sep 1919; ex PER SKOGLAND 1923, ex CAMBERWAY 1933, ex TENTO 1934, ex MARGOT 1937; builder name mis-rendered 'Astilleros Cordoba' in Navy records.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1919-1955

   Limitations

   Specialist records compilation quoting Navy record groups - the underlying documents were not individually retrieved; name-sequence years differ slightly from DANFS (Camberway/Tento/Margot 1933-34-37 vs DANFS 1931-32/1933/1934) and the buyer is given as Sociedade de Navigacion (New York) vs Miraflores S.A. (Panama) in DANFS/NavSource - both discrepancies carried in gaps. The JAG finding is described, not reproduced verbatim. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-harjurand-ars31-03

5. [5]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - Harjurand (ARS-31), file 09/37/3731 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource page 09/37/3731 - chronology block, specifications block, awards line, photo caption table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive, Harjurand (ARS-31) page: timeline - built 1919 as SS Olesa at Astilleros Cardona, S.A., Barcelona; acquired by the US Navy 1942-06-01 as SS Harjurand; operated under contract by Merritt Chapman and Scott Corp. as Harjurand (ARS-31); returned to the Maritime Commission 1946-05-22; struck from the Naval Register 1946-06-19; sold to Miraflores, S.A., of Panama, renamed SS Dodecanese; 'Final Disposition, fate unknown.' Spec block: displacement 812 t. (lt), length 188'6", beam 32'11", draft 13'6", speed unknown, complement unknown, armament '20mm guns,' propulsion one vertical triple-expansion steam engine with 2 single-ended 200 psi Scotch boilers, single propeller, 490 shp. Awards listed: American Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal. International radio call sign NJAD. Photo: NARA RG-80-G photo 80-G-271811, aerial view underway 1943-05-23 taken by a blimp based at Houma, LA.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1919-1955

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled secondary index. Two conflicts flagged: the '20mm guns' armament line vs the Shipscribe/BuOrd indication that 20mm were never installed, and 'fate unknown' vs Shipscribe's Jacksonville-1955 scrapping note (both carried in gaps). Speed and complement marked unknown. Contains no asbestos, materials, or crew information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-harjurand-ars31-04

6. [6]Bartholomew, Charles A., Mud, Muscle, and Miracles: Marine Salvage in the United States Navy (Naval Sea Systems Command / U.S. Government Printing Office), pp. 71 and 534 (Appendix C) - govinfo GOVPUB-D211-PURL-gpo58404 [other_primary]

   Locator

   Chapter 'World War II Begins' p. 71; Appendix C salvage-ship roster p. 534

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Official Navy salvage history (Bartholomew, Mud, Muscle, and Miracles, NAVSEA/GPO): 'Accelerate (ARS 30), Harjurand (ARS 31), and Rescuer (ARS 18) were privately owned ships requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration. All were in constant service throughout the war' within the contractor-run Navy Salvage Service (p. 71); Appendix C (p. 534): 'Harjurand (ARS 31) was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration and placed in service as a Navy Salvage Service salvage ship,' with the note 'Built in Spain; sailed under the Spanish, Estonian, British, United States, and Panamanian flags. Ex-Olesa, ex-Per Skogland, ex-Camberway, ex-Tento, ex-Margot, later Dodecanese. Navy Salvage Service.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-1946

   Limitations

   Official institutional history at service level; confirms the operating arrangement (WSA-requisitioned, contractor-run Navy Salvage Service) and continuous wartime employment. Contains no asbestos, materials, or crew information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-harjurand-ars31-05

7. [7]NavSource ARS-31 spec block + Shipscribe class data (documented plant and yard event); era-practice characterization per consolidated era sources (GAO HRD-80-2; see ev-07) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource specifications block; Shipscribe ARS-31 class notes

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Documented plant for this hull: coal-fired - two single-ended Scotch boilers (200 psi) feeding one vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine, 490 shp, single screw (NavSource spec block; Shipscribe class data). For steam vessels of 1919 construction, and for repair/outfit work performed through her 1942-46 Navy-contract service, era practice commonly used asbestos-containing boiler and steam-drum lagging, steam-line insulation, engine-cylinder insulation, flange and valve gaskets, machinery packing, and compartment insulation. Her 1942 salvage-conversion yard period at Brewer's Shipyard, Staten Island, is a documented disturbance/outfitting event whose material scope is unrecorded.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1919 construction; 1942-1946 Navy-contract service

   Population

   Contractor salvage crew and yard workers (Brewer's Shipyard, Staten Island, 1942) - inference only, no ship-specific exposure record

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no insulation schedule, materials list, or survey for this hull located; 1919 Spanish merchant construction predates documented U.S. Navy asbestos specifications, and Navy records state she received no formal conversion (the work was contractor-performed), so even the 1942 yard event's material scope is undocumented. Does not establish asbestos aboard this hull, quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-harjurand-ars31-06

8. [8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]

   Locator

   GAO product page HRD-80-2

   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; this hull's entire Navy-service period (1942-1946) and any Navy-directed outfitting or repair fall inside that era.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   WWII era through early 1970s

   Population

   Navy ships and shipyard workers generally (program-level)

   Limitations

   Program-level finding, not hull evidence - does not name this vessel. GAO full text is unreachable to automated fetch (gao.gov returns HTTP 403, a standing issue per Batch-01 report); product-page description used. Does not establish asbestos aboard, quantity, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-harjurand-ars31-07

9. [9]CourtListener API v4 search results, 2026-09-26 (opinion sweeps completed; docket sweep pacing-blocked) [court_record]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-harjurand-ars31-05, -06, -07

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener API v4 authenticated searches, 2026-09-26: exact-name opinion search 'Harjurand' returned 1 result - North American Shipping Co. v. Fund Deposited with Treasurer of United States (THE HARJURAND), 66 F. Supp. 502 (D. Del. 1946), classified 'other litigation' (admiralty requisition-fund distribution; carried as ev-02). Hull-number search '"ARS-31"' returned 3 results, all name collisions (the string matches Arizona Revised Statutes citations and unrelated docket text - Akamai Technologies v. Deutsche Bank; State v. Williams, 144 Ariz. 433; Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP v. Wachovia), classified no qualifying result. No opinion or docketed case located naming this vessel alleges asbestos exposure, mesothelioma, or maritime personal injury. Docket-level (type=r) 'Harjurand' sweep attempted twice (2026-09-26); both attempts blocked by the shared fleet pacing budget - logged, not run to conclusion.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-2026

   Limitations

   Opinion coverage is limited to published/indexed material; a settled, sealed, or unpublished asbestos claim naming this hull would not appear. The docket-level sweep is incomplete (pacing-blocked). Absence of a located case is not proof no claim was ever filed and does not establish or defeat exposure or legal eligibility. Per litigation-stage discipline, the single located case is classified 'other litigation' at its actual stage (final admiralty decree on the fund) - it is not exposure evidence.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-harjurand-ars31-08

10. [10]Batch-2667 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via Wayback; Shipscribe ARS-31; NavSource 09/37/3731; govinfo MMM; CourtListener name and hull sweeps; MARAD ShipHistory; NVR; shipyards.json [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-harjurand-ars31-01 through sl-uss-harjurand-ars31-11

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, condition report, or docketed asbestos case naming Harjurand, ARS-31, Olesa, or Dodecanese was found in the public sources searched. DANFS, the 1946 D. Del. opinion, Shipscribe, NavSource, and the NAVSEA salvage history contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    2026-09-26

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence aboard - a 1919 steam merchantman with a 1942-46 Navy-contract service period is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-harjurand-ars31-09

11. [11]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 80 (Naval Forces still pictures), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 248 (War Shipping Administration) [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/019.html ; .../groups/080.html ; .../groups/178.html ; .../groups/248.html

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - research-room or reproduction order required; no spend authorized): NARA RG 80-G still picture 80-G-271811 (aerial photo of Harjurand underway, 1943-05-23, per NavSource caption); RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) records for contract NObs-36 / Navy Salvage Service and the Judge Advocate General correspondence on the 1942-06-04 barge collision (the 'vessel of the Navy' finding); U.S. District Court, District of Delaware, admiralty dockets Nos. 1534, 1540, 1547, and 1549 (the Harjurand attachment and requisition-fund cases; D. Del. records are held at NARA's Mid-Atlantic facility, Philadelphia); RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) and RG 248 (War Shipping Administration) requisition-purchase, custody, and 1946 disposition files for this hull; Merritt-Chapman & Scott operational records, if extant - the operative crewing and materials record for a contractor-manned hull that carried no Navy complement.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1919-1955 records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific, crewing, or materials 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-harjurand-ars31-10