USS Hidalgo (AK-189)

Evidence

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

1. [1]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 program under which this C1-M-AV1 hull was mass-produced (Maritime Commission Design AV; MC hull 2120 falls in the first group of 100 contracted 1943-09-02, MC hulls 2101-2174, 2194-2207, 2239-2250) - 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.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hidalgo-ak189-01

2. [2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships - 'Hidalgo' (AK-189) entry (Wayback capture 2016-03-04 of NHHC page; canonical NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-09-21) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Wayback Machine capture 2016-03-04 of https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/h/hidalgo.html - full entry; canonical NHHC URL returned 404 (standing NHHC link rot, same as batches 01, 833, 856)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS 'Hidalgo' entry records: namesake 'a county in New Mexico' (Hidalgo County); stat line (AK-189: dp. 7,125 full load; l. 338'6"; b. 50'; dr. 21'; s. 12 k.; cpl. 85; a. 1 3"; cl. Alamosa). 'a diesel-powered C1-M-AV1 cargo hull,' launched 1944-07-28 under Maritime Commission contract by Walter Butler Shipbuilding, Inc., Superior, Wis., sponsored by Mrs. Claude Pepper, wife of the Senator from Florida; 'placed in service while being towed to Galveston, Tex., and commissioned 4 August 1945, Lt. John W. Thompson in command.' After a brief shakedown off Texas, sailed to the Canal Zone for routing to the Pacific 1945-09-05, 'but the war's end brought orders to proceed to Norfolk'; arrived Hampton Roads 1946-03-11 and decommissioned 1946-04-26; subsequently 'sold to Turkey and serves as cargo ship Rize in merchant service.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1947 (entry text; published 2015-07-16)

   Population

   Navy crew (cpl. 85 per DANFS)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, chronology, and operations but compressed and partly wrong: (a) it attributes commissioning command to 'Lt. John W. Thompson' - the ship's own war diary shows Lt. Cdr. Aage Olsen, USNR, signed as Commanding Officer at commissioning 4 Aug 1945 and through September, with Thompson's signature first appearing on the October installment (see correction row and war-diary row); (b) it compresses the Central Pacific cargo runs (Tarawa, Majuro, Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Sep-Nov 1945, documented in the war diary) into 'the war's end brought orders to proceed to Norfolk'; (c) it gives no laid-down date. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazardous-material statement.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hidalgo-ak189-02

3. [3]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - HIDALGO (AK-189), Ship History Detail 2211 (vessel status card scan 348_01.png; reserve-fleet data card 2211_4115AF.jpg; document Hidalgo_2211_001.pdf = USMC Transfer Order W-1794) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 2211 - status-card scans read directly (cards/348_01.png custody face; cards/2211_4115AF.jpg reserve-fleet data face; documents/Hidalgo_2211_001.pdf transfer order); the web page's Milestones table is empty for this vessel - all dates read from card faces

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory records for this hull (Detail 2211 'HIDALGO (AK-189)'): year built 1945; U.S. Official No. 246508; shipyard 'Walter Butler Shipbuilders'; MARAD type C1-M-AV1; length 338.90 ft, beam 50.00; gross tons 3800.00; fate 'Sold - Foreign Flag Op.' Vessel status card (O.N. 246508) reads: MC Hull No. 2120; 'Built by Walter Butler SB Inc at Superior, Wisc. Completed 7-9-45'; 'Basis to W.S.A. 7-9-45 2:30PM CWT @ Beaumont, Texas reassembled by Samuelson & del. to USMC'; allocation rows - Navy Dept. (Del. by USMC) | LB | Beaumont, Tex. | 7-9-45 2:30PM CWT; Reserve Fleet | - | Lee Hall, Va. | 4-30-46 8:30AM EDT; Dichmann, Wright & Pugh, Inc. | GAA | Lee Hall, Va. | 2-3-47 10:30AM EST; Republic of Turkey | Purch. | Norfolk, Va. | 2-25-47 4PM EST, annotated 'Title passed 2-24-47 4:05PM EST @ Wash., DC' and 'Sales Price $693,862.00' with handwritten 'Rize.' Reserve-fleet card (Form, Reserve Fleet Division - Vessel Data): fleet JR (James River); ownership WSA; built Walter Butler Superior 1945; entered fleet 4-30-46; termination port last voyage HAMPTON ROADS; length 320 / breadth 50 / depth 29; 'SHIPS PAPERS: FINAL ALLOC. 12/26'; withdrawn 2-3-47 10:30am, delivered to OPER, DEPT; stamped 'SOLD TURKISH REPUBLIC.' Accompanying document Hidalgo_2211_001.pdf is U.S. Maritime Commission Transfer Order No. W-1794 (26 December 1946): 'Approving the Sale Alien and Transfer to Turkish Registry and Flag of the ... M/V HIDALGO to Republic of Turkey represented by Devlet Denizyollari ve Limanlari Isletme Genel Mudurlugu of Turkey,' granting the Section 9/37 Shipping Act 1916 approvals, signed by Secretary A. J. Williams.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945-1982

   Population

   Navy crew 1945-46; reserve-fleet lay-up Lee Hall 1946-47; GAA operator Dichmann, Wright & Pugh Feb 1947; Turkish state merchant crews 1947-1982

   Limitations

   Authoritative government custody record for this hull; card handwriting and typed fields read directly. Resolves the 24 vs 25 February 1947 'sale date' variance - they are distinct documented events (title passage 2-24-47 Washington DC; physical delivery 2-25-47 Norfolk). Documents a ~3-week private general-agency interlude (Dichmann, Wright & Pugh, GAA, 2-3-47) between reserve-fleet withdrawal and Turkish delivery. The transfer order names buyer 'Devlet Denizyollari ve Limanlari Isletme Genel Mudurlugu'; NavSource carries 'Deniz Nakliyati T.A.O.' - both Turkish state shipping entities, variance disclosed. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or machinery-manufacturer detail - supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hidalgo-ak189-03

4. [4]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Hidalgo (AK-189) page (compiled reference incl. DANFS transcription, awards, CO table, specifications, photo captions, war-diary scan link) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.net/archives/09/13/130189.htm - full page incl. specifications block, commanding-officer table (courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves), awards, photo captions (Gerhard Mueller-Debus), war-diary PDF link pdf/130189a.pdf

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Online (Service Ship Photo Archive, AK-189 page) records: laid down date unknown as MC type C1-M-AV1 (MC hull 2120) at Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, WI; launched 1944-07-28; commissioned USS Hidalgo (AK-189) 1945-08-04 at Galveston, TX, LCDR A. Olsen, USNR in command; decommissioned 1946-04-26 at Norfolk, VA; struck 1946-05-08; transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal; sold 1947 to the Republic of Turkey for $693,862.00, passed to Deniz Nakliyati T.A.O., reflagged Turkish, renamed MV Rize; with sisters MV Malatya (ex-USS Bullock AK-165), MV Kars (ex-USS Antrim AK-159), MV Kastamonu (ex-USS Craighead AK-175) provided Turkey-Northern Europe service for ~15 years; scrapped August 1982 at Aliaga, Turkey. Commanding officers: LCDR Aage Olsen USNR (4 Aug 1945 - 16 Oct 1945); LT John Wilbur Thompson USN (16 Oct 1945 - 5 Mar 1946); LT Albert Lawson Kraus USNR (5 Mar 1946 - 26 Apr 1946). Call sign NENR. Ribbons: American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal (no battle stars). Specs: 2,382 t (lt) / 7,450 t (fl); 338'6" x 50' x 29'2" 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 TSM 6, two 250 kW 120/240 V DC diesel-drive generators, single propeller, 1,750 shp. Photos: ex-AK-189 as MV Rize in Turkish waters; MV Rize underway circa 1960. The page hosts the ship's War Diary Aug-Nov 1945 as a scanned PDF (see ev-06).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1982

   Limitations

   NavSource is a privately compiled standard reference, not a government publication; its spec block presumably derives from standard compilations - not independently corroborated. Its '29'2" limiting' draft conflicts with DANFS 'dr. 21'' and shipscribe class '21.1' lim' - the reserve-fleet card's DEPTH field reads 29, suggesting depth/draft confusion (variance disclosed, class value adopted). Its CO table is corroborated by the war-diary signatures (Olsen Aug-Sep; Thompson Oct-Nov) against DANFS's Thompson attribution. Its 'Deniz Nakliyati T.A.O.' differs in name form from the USMC transfer order's 'Devlet Denizyollari ve Limanlari Isletme Genel Mudurlugu' - variance disclosed. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hidalgo-ak189-04

5. [5]shipscribe.com, USS Alamosa (AK-156) Class page - construction/disposition tables, class notes, and ship note for AK-189 [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipscribe.com/usnaux/AK/AK156.html - Class Notes paragraphs (Design AV origin; Great Lakes delivery pattern; 1 Jul 44 CNO directive; 16 Aug 45 cancellations); Construction table row AK-189; Disposition table row 189; Ship Notes row '189 | HID | ALG | O | 2120'

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   shipscribe.com Alamosa (AK-156) class page: construction table carries AK-189 HIDALGO - acquired 9 Jul 45, builder Walter Butler SB Superior, keel 25 Apr 44, launched 28 Jul 44, commissioned 4 Aug 45; disposition table carries decomm. 26 Apr 46, struck 8 May 46, disposal 30 Apr 46, fate MC/D, MA sale 24 Feb 47. Ship note for AK-189 (MC hull 2120) reads: 'Delivered to MC in Great Lakes 16 Mar 45 and arrived at New Orleans 12 May 45. Reassembled by Samuelson SY, Beaumont, Texas, and delivered to MC and Navy 9 Jul 45. Fitted out by Texas Coast SY, Galveston, Texas, (in service for ferrying 9-10 Jul 45). Merc. RIZE (Turkish) 1947, scrapped 1982.' Class notes document: the C1-M-AV1 'Design AV' origin (1943 JCS/JMTC requirement for small steel inter-island cargo ships; diesel substituted for requested reciprocating steam; MC contracts for the first 100 approved 1943-09-02 - MC hull 2120 falls in that group); the distinctive Great Lakes delivery pattern (hulls taken down the inland waterway to New Orleans in MC custody, not in service, then reassembled and converted at Texas yards); the 1944-07-01 CNO-to-BuShips ammunition-tender conversion directive naming AK-156/158/160 ONLY (this hull not included); and the 16 Aug 45 cancellation of AK-176/177/196/203/204/216-220 (this hull not included).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1982

   Population

   Navy ferry crews (Great Lakes-New Orleans transit, Mar-May 1945); Samuelson SY and Texas Coast SY reassembly/fitout workers (May-Jul 1945)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific documentation of the Great Lakes build-transit-reassembly path, the 9 Jul 45 MC+Navy delivery at Beaumont, and the Texas Coast SY Galveston fitout (in service for ferrying 9-10 Jul 45). shipscribe is a compiled reference (Tim Colton, coltoncompany lineage), not a primary document; the underlying Navy/MC records are paraphrased, not quoted verbatim - but the delivery dates agree with the MARAD status card read directly. The ship note records NO conversion event for this hull - not even the 'converted by builder' phrasing seen on sister notes - so no materials scope exists to cite. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hidalgo-ak189-05

6. [6]U.S.S. Hidalgo (AK-189) War Diary, August-November 1945 installments submitted to CNO (serials AK189/A12-1, A12-2) - scanned document hosted by NavSource (contributed by Frank Gerhardt), OCR-extracted [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.net/archives/09/13/pdf/130189a.pdf - 16-page scan; pdftotext returned no text layer; tesseract OCR of 300-dpi page renders (Aug installment pp.1-3, Sep pp.4-9, Oct pp.10-13, Nov pp.14-16); OCR artifacts in position data are non-substantive

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The ship's own War Diary (digitized scan hosted by NavSource; OCR-extracted) documents the commissioned career directly: 4 Aug 1945 1540 'placed in full commission at pier No. 41, Galveston, Texas'; 8 Aug structural firing of the 3"/50 outside Galveston Bay; 9-14 Aug shakedown under Commander Training Group Galveston incl. AA exercises (840 rds 20mm); post-shakedown availability at Texas Coast Shipyard to 22 Aug; underway 23 Aug to New Orleans (Naval Supply Depot), loading general cargo 24-30 Aug; departed 31 Aug for Pearl Harbor via Coco Solo, C.Z. (moored Coco Solo 5 Sep; Panama Canal transit 7 Sep); AA exercises en route; moored Pearl Harbor 25 Sep (to S.S. ARIZONAN, berth X-12); pier V-4 27-30 Sep DISCHARGING REFRIGERATED CARGO; October berthing shifts at Pearl Harbor and Honolulu (Pier 40 E, Army Supply Depot); underway to Tarawa - anchored Betio 29-30 Oct; Majuro 7 Nov; Roi Island, Kwajalein Atoll, 8-12 Nov; Kwajalein Island 12-19 Nov; Eniwetok Atoll 21-30 Nov. Signature blocks: A. OLSEN, Lt. Cdr., D-M, USNR, Commanding Officer (Aug and Sep installments); J.W. THOMPSON, Lieutenant, USN, Commanding Officer (Oct and Nov installments).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945-08-04 to 1945-11-30

   Population

   Ship's crew, Aug-Nov 1945; dockside cargo handlers at New Orleans NSD, Pearl Harbor piers V-4/X-12/K-3, Honolulu Pier 40 E, and the Gilberts/Marshalls anchorages

   Limitations

   Primary document - contemporaneous record submitted to CNO. Establishes the commissioning officer (Olsen, against DANFS's Thompson attribution), the actual Pacific itinerary DANFS compresses away, and refrigerated-cargo discharge at Pearl Harbor (the documented reefer capacity in use). Covers Aug-Nov 1945 only - Dec 1945-Apr 1946 (return transit and Norfolk arrival) not in this scan; originals are at NARA (RG 24). Contains no asbestos or materials content - supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hidalgo-ak189-06

7. [7]shipbuildinghistory.com - Walter Butler Shipbuilders Superior yard page (compiled yard table and history); C1 cargo ships table row for MC 2120 [other_primary]

   Locator

   butlersuperior.htm yard-history paragraph and row '38 | AK 189 | Hidalgo | WSA | C1-M-AV1 | 2120 | 3,805 | Mar-45 | Sold 1947'; merchantships/2c1cargoships.htm row for MC 2120

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Builder-yard context: Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior WI, was a wartime yard that took over the Lake Superior Shipbuilding plant at North 1st and Hammond Avenue (Superior harbor, western Lake Superior); it and Walter Butler-Duluth (ex Barnes-Duluth) were part of the Twin Ports wartime industry. The yard table carries this hull as yard no. 38, AK 189 Hidalgo, WSA, C1-M-AV1, MC 2120, 3,805 gross, delivered Mar-45 (the Great Lakes MC delivery of 16 Mar 45), 'Sold 1947.' The C1 cargo-ships table row reads '2120 | Butler SB | Superior WI | 38 | Hidalgo | C1-M-AV1 | 5,032 | Mar-45 | To USN as AK 189, sold private 1947.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1945

   Population

   Walter Butler Shipbuilders Superior construction workforce (1944-45); Samuelson SY Beaumont and Texas Coast SY Galveston reassembly/fitout workforces (1945)

   Limitations

   Yard-level context for the builder of this hull; documents the facility's wartime nature and the hull's yard number, but contains no asbestos or materials information and establishes nothing about materials aboard this hull. No Atlas shipyards.json slug covers Walter Butler Superior, Samuelson Beaumont, or Texas Coast Galveston - related_shipyards is empty and the yards are carried in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hidalgo-ak189-07

8. [8]Batch-865 search ledger (this record): DANFS via Wayback; MARAD ShipHistory 2211 + status cards + Transfer Order W-1794; NavSource AK-189 page + hosted war-diary scan (OCR); shipscribe; shipbuildinghistory (Walter Butler Superior, C1 cargo table); NavalCoverMuseum; NVR hull check; CourtListener API v4 (authenticated; throttled - see ledger); web-wide litigation search; NARA catalog; Wikipedia/mirror check [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-hidalgo-ak189-01 through sl-uss-hidalgo-ak189-13

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming USS Hidalgo / AK-189 / MC hull 2120 / MV Rize was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was sold foreign in February 1947 - decades before the Navy's late-1970s asbestos-control programs and NESHAP demolition rules - and dismantled at Aliaga, Turkey, in 1982 under Turkish flag, so no U.S.-regulated abatement record was ever expected to exist for this hull. The ship appears on bulk law-firm marketing lists of Navy hulls (freeasbestostesting.com, duboselawfirm.com, mesotheliomaasbestoshelpcenter.com, navyshipexposure.com); those lists enumerate every Navy ship and carry no ship-specific evidence - classified non-qualifying and not cited. CourtListener note: authenticated API v4 sweeps could not run (shared-host daily quota exhausted by parallel batch work; documented backoff retry also 429) - classified blocked, not negative; the exact state and staged queries are logged at sl-uss-hidalgo-ak189-09.

   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 1944-45 C1-M-AV1 hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials. Unlike the class lead ship, this hull has no documented materials event at all (the 1944 CNO ammunition-conversion directive covered AK-156/158/160 only; the ship note records no conversion). The litigation sweep caveat stands: the CourtListener quota exhaustion means the opinion/docket-level sweep may be incomplete - the ledger records exactly which queries ran and which were blocked. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hidalgo-ak189-08

9. [9]Cross-source reconciliation: war-diary signatures (primary) vs DANFS; shipscribe construction/disposition tables vs NavSource chronology; MARAD card faces and Transfer Order W-1794 (primary) vs NavSource/Wikipedia secondary dates; shipbuildinghistory rows; Wikipedia USS Hidalgo (AK-189) infobox [other_primary]

   Locator

   Per-item: war-diary signature blocks (Aug/Sep 'A. OLSEN Lt. Cdr. D-M USNR Commanding Officer'; Oct/Nov 'J.W. THOMPSON Lieutenant USN Commanding Officer') vs DANFS text; MARAD card 'Title passed 2-24-47 4:05PM EST @ Wash., DC' + delivery row 'Republic of Turkey | Purch. | Norfolk, Va. | 2-25-47 4PM EST'; reserve card DEPTH 29 vs NavSource draft figure; Transfer Order W-1794 buyer line vs NavSource 'Deniz Nakliyati T.A.O.'; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Hidalgo_(AK-189) infobox and namesake line

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies logged, not merged: (a) Commissioning commanding officer - DANFS says 'Lt. John W. Thompson in command'; the ship's war diary (primary record) is signed by A. OLSEN, Lt. Cdr., D-M, USNR, as Commanding Officer on the August and September installments, with J.W. THOMPSON, Lieutenant, USN, signing October and November - NavSource's CO table (Olsen 4 Aug-16 Oct 1945; Thompson 16 Oct 1945-5 Mar 1946; Kraus 5 Mar-26 Apr 1946) is corroborated by the primary record; DANFS adopted for chronology but its commissioning-CO attribution is flagged wrong. (b) Keel date - shipscribe construction table carries 25 Apr 44; NavSource carries 'laid down, date unknown'; shipscribe adopted, variant disclosed. (c) Sale date - shipscribe disposition 'MA Sale 24 Feb 47' vs Wikipedia 'sold 25 February 1947': the MARAD card documents title passing 2-24-47 4:05PM EST at Washington DC and physical delivery 2-25-47 4PM EST at Norfolk - two distinct events, both carried. (d) Draft - NavSource '29'2" limiting' vs DANFS 'dr. 21'' and shipscribe class '21.1' lim'; the reserve-fleet card's DEPTH field reads 29 - NavSource's figure likely confuses depth for draft; class value adopted. (e) Displacement - DANFS 'dp. 7,125 full load' vs NavSource '7,450 t.(fl)' and shipscribe class '7,450 lim' - variance disclosed. (f) Turkish buyer/operator name - USMC Transfer Order W-1794 names 'Devlet Denizyollari ve Limanlari Isletme Genel Mudurlugu'; NavSource carries 'Deniz Nakliyati T.A.O.' - both Turkish state entities; the primary document's form is adopted and the variant disclosed. (g) Namesake - DANFS 'a county in New Mexico'; Wikipedia adds 'and Hidalgo County, Texas' - the Texas attribution is a secondary addition, disclosed not adopted. (h) Wikipedia infobox length '388 ft 8 in' - typo vs the class's ~339 ft; not adopted.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1982 (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 record (war diary, MARAD card, USMC order) is adopted and the variant disclosed. No asbestos content in any reconciled source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hidalgo-ak189-09

10. [10]CourtListener API v4 search endpoint (authenticated) - quota-throttled at session time; companion web-wide litigation search completed clean [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-hidalgo-ak189-09 and sl-uss-hidalgo-ak189-10 carry the per-query state; 429 response text quoted there

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    CourtListener litigation sweep (authenticated API v4, Token auth) - BLOCKED, not completed: the shared-host 2,800/day authenticated quota was exhausted by parallel batch sessions; every attempt (initial queries ~07:10, single documented backoff retry ~08:05) returned HTTP 429 'Request was throttled. Rate limit exceeded: 2800/day,' final expected-availability window ~10.7 hours - the rolling quota stayed consumed as sibling batch work continued. Queries attempted: 'USS Hidalgo' and 'AK-189' at opinions (type=o) and dockets (type=r). Classified per discipline as blocked rather than negative - a sweep that could not run is reported as a gap, not as a clean result. Companion channel did complete: the web-wide litigation search located no hull-naming asbestos case - only bulk law-firm marketing listicles (freeasbestostesting.com auxiliary-ships list; duboselawfirm.com cargo-ships table; mesotheliomaasbestoshelpcenter.com 'USS Hidalgo - AK-189' list entry; navyshipexposure.com index) - all non-qualifying, none cited.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    2026-09-21

    Limitations

    The web-wide sweep is clean but the CourtListener opinion/docket-level sweep could not run - classified down per the litigation-stage discipline (a sweep that could not execute is reported as blocked, not as a negative). No hull-naming litigation of any kind was located via the channels that did run; a same-day or next-session authenticated retry is the open action item - the queries are scripted in sl-uss-hidalgo-ak189-09.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-hidalgo-ak189-10

11. [11]NARA record-group guidance: RG 24 deck logs (post-1941 at Archives II, College Park); RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) Construction Division records; Turkish merchant registry and Aliaga scrapping records [other_primary]

    Locator

    archives.gov/research/military/logbooks (post-1941 Navy deck logs at College Park); archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/178.html; catalog.archives.gov returns its JS application shell to automated query - no digitized AK-189 log beyond the NavSource war-diary scan confirmed

    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-189 (1945-46) at Archives II, College Park - the Dec 1945-Apr 1946 return transit and Norfolk arrival are not in the digitized war diary; (b) the war-diary originals themselves are RG 24/RG 38 material - the NavSource scan covers Aug-Nov 1945 only, and any Dec 1945-Apr 1946 installments would complete the commissioned record; (c) NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) Construction Division records may hold the MC hull 2120 contract and C1-M-AV1 outfitting specifications for Walter Butler yard 38 - the likeliest surviving source for any materials detail; (d) Walter Butler Shipbuilders yard records (Superior, WI; yard took over Lake Superior Shipbuilding) - builder-file lead; (e) Turkish registry records for MV Rize (1947-1982) and Aliaga demolition records - the disposition-side leads.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1944-1982 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-hidalgo-ak189-11