USS Hitchiti (AT-103)

Evidence

10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).

1. [1]research packet bx-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-hitchiti-at103-pkt-bx-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, Hitchiti (ATF-103), NHHC ship-history entry (verbatim via Wayback capture 2024-06-04; live NHHC page returns 404) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Hitchiti (ATF-103)' entry, full text incl. type line

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official DANFS history: Hitchiti (ATF-103) launched 1944-01-29 by Charleston Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Charleston, S.C.; sponsored by Mrs. Olin D. Johnston; commissioned 1944-05-27, Lt. H. A. Guthrie in command. Shakedown Chesapeake Bay; Pearl Harbor with four tows 1944-08-26; towing at Eniwetok and Ulithi; support unit off Philippine Islands during Battle of Leyte Gulf (Oct 1944); joined 3d Fleet 1944-12-29 for seizure of Luzon; towing and rescue operations during Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns; salvage and towing in the Pacific post-surrender; harbor duty Japanese waters and Pacific island bases 1946; returned to U.S. Sept 1946 for overhaul at Bremerton; harbor work Pearl Harbor and Kwajalein; San Francisco 1947-12-26; decommissioned 1948-04-30. Recommissioned Alameda 1951-01-03; Korean-coast operations from 1951-04-21; Pearl Harbor 1952-02-05; towing/salvage Pearl Harbor and California coast; Alaskan waters 1954-03-23 (7-month tour); Hawaii/West Coast through Sept 1955; first WestPac cruise to Sasebo 1956-05-22 plus six subsequent cruises (Hong Kong, Guam, Okinawa, Philippines); Mexico visits 1959 and 1961; third Alaskan cruise 1960-10-21 to 1961-01-14; U.S. nuclear testing at Johnston Island 1962-09-19 to 1962-11-14; Hawaiian waters 1963 incl. freeing grounded Chinese merchant ship Hai Fu off Honolulu 1963-10-26; 7th Fleet off Vietnam from 1964-05-18, Pearl Harbor refit Oct 1964; Smithsonian birdlife study on South Pacific islands 1965-01-25 to 1965-03-23; 7th Fleet off Vietnam 1965-10-25 to 1966-04-12 (9,000 miles towing, four salvage operations); Hawaiian waters into 1967. 'Hitchiti received one battle star for World War II service.' Type line: dp. 1,240; l. 205'; b. 38'6"; dr. 15'4"; s. 16 k.; cpl. 85; a. 1 3", 2 40mm.; cl. Cherokee.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-1967

   Population

   Crew (complement 85); support personnel at documented bases (Pearl Harbor, Sasebo, Bremerton)

   Limitations

   Official service history contains no insulation, material, or asbestos information whatsoever - it documents operations, dates, and stations only. Entry is period-written (ends mid-career ~1967); post-1967 U.S. service and the entire Mexican career are absent. Type line gives class 'Cherokee' (the class's original designation - modern compilations use Abnaki); battle-star count (one) conflicts with NavSource (two) - see gaps. Does not establish asbestos presence, absence, quantity, exposure, or eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hitchiti-at103-01

3. [3]shipscribe.com (Tim Colton) USS Abnaki (AT-96) class register table - construction and disposition columns, ship notes [other_primary]

   Locator

   AT-96 class page, construction/disposition tables row 103 and ship notes

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Register-style class compilation: AT-103 HITCHITI ordered 1942-03-06, built Charleston SB & DD, keel 1943-07-24, launched 1944-01-29, commissioned 1944-05-27; decommissioned 1978-09-30, struck 1978-09-30, disposed 1978-09-30 'Trf.' (transferred). Ship note: 'To ATF-103 15 May 44. In USN reserve 1946-51 (recomm. 3 Jan 51). To Mexico 1978 as CORA (later CHAC 1993, later CORA 2001). Still listed 2009.' Class data: design 'Navy AT-64 variant'; 1,091 t light / 1,675 t max; 205' oa x 38.5' x 15.3' max; complement 89 (1944); 16.5 kts; 3,000 HP; 1 screw, G.M. or Busch-Sulzer diesel-electric (4 diesel generators).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-2009

   Limitations

   Reputable secondary register compilation, not a primary record. Keel date 1943-07-24 conflicts with NavSource/Wikipedia 1943-08-24 - carried unreconciled. The reserve-period note '1946-51' is approximate vs DANFS (decommissioned 1948-04-30). Mexican naming sequence here (CORA -> CHAC 1993 -> CORA 2001) matches SEMAR's stated CHAC window (1994-02-01 to 2001-05-16) within a year and contradicts NavSource's 'renamed ARM Chac' at the 1976 transfer. No asbestos or material content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hitchiti-at103-02

4. [4]NavSource Online, USS Hitchiti (ATF-103) service ship photo archive - specifications block, campaign tables, commanding-officer list [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource page 09/39/39103, chronology, campaign tables, specifications block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Secondary archival compilation: laid down 1943-08-24 Charleston SB & DD; launched 1944-01-29; redesignated ATF-103 1944-05-15; commissioned 1944-05-27 LT Harry A. Guthrie; WWII Asiatic-Pacific campaigns Luzon operation (Lingayen landings, Formosa/China Coast/Nansei Shoto attacks Jan 1945) and Okinawa Gunto operation; Occupation service 1945-11-05 to 1946-04-06; decommissioned San Francisco 1948-04-30, Pacific Reserve Fleet San Francisco Group; recommissioned Alameda 1951-01-03; Korean campaigns (Communist China Spring Offensive, UN Summer-Fall Offensive, Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952); Vietnam campaigns (Advisory 1964, Defense 1965, Counteroffensive Phase III 1967); 'Decommissioned, 30 September 1979'; 'Transferred, cash sale, under the Security Assistance Program to Mexico, 1 September 1976, renamed ARM Chac (R-55)'; 'Struck from the US Naval Register, 30 September 1979'; 'Renamed ARM Cora (ARE 04)'; retired from Mexican service June 2021; fate unknown; two battle stars WWII, three Korean, AFEM + VSM three stars. Specs: 1,205 t lt / 1,675 t fl; 205' x 38'6" x 15'5"; 16.5 kts; complement 5 officers + 80 enlisted; 10-t boom; 1x3"/50, 2 twin 40mm, 2 single 20mm; as built four GM 12-278A diesel-electric engines plus 2x100 kW and 1x200 kW DC ship's-service generators; 'modernized' block four Alco diesels driving four GE generators and three GM 3-268A auxiliaries; single propeller 3,000 shp.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-2021

   Population

   Crew (5 officers + 80 enlisted per spec block)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a reputable secondary compilation, not a primary record. Decommission/struck date '1979-09-30' conflicts with shipscribe and NavalCoverMuseum (both 1978-09-30) and is internally odd alongside the stated 1976 transfer - carried unreconciled. Two WWII battle stars vs DANFS's one - conflict flagged. Keel 1943-08-24 vs shipscribe 1943-07-24. 'Renamed ARM Chac at 1976 transfer' contradicts SEMAR (name CHAC applied 1994-2001) and shipscribe (CORA first). 'As built' vs 'modernized' engine lists are the compilation's own framing. No asbestos or material content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hitchiti-at103-03

5. [5]SEMAR Sixth Naval Region press release on ARM Cora (ARE-04) baja (via Colima Noticias, June 2021); corroborated by defensa.com 2021-06-18, Capital Mexico 2021-06-17, TV Azteca, and SEMAR fleet page (semar.gob.mx remolcador ARE-04, alta noted 1978-10-01) [reputable_press]

   Locator

   Colima Noticias article (SEMAR Sexta Region Naval release); defensa.com 2021-06-18; capitalmexico.com.mx 2021-06-17; semar.gob.mx/galeria/buques/superficie2004/auxiliar/remolcador.htm

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Mexican Navy record per SEMAR: the tug (ex-USS Hitchiti) was acquired from the United States 1976-09-01 and entered Mexican service (causo alta, flagged in the then-Second Naval Zone, Ensenada, B.C.) 1978-09-30. She bore the name CHAC (R-55) during the period 1994-02-01 to 2001-05-16; by Secretarial Agreement 2001-11-06 she was classified Buque Auxiliar, type Remolcador, official name ARM 'CORA', pennant ARE-04. Assigned to the Auxiliary Vessels Flotilla, Pacific Naval Force, Manzanillo 2004-05-16; Sixth Naval Region 2007-07-16; Eighth Flotilla 2008-07-01 (Secretarial Agreement No. 97 of 2008-06-17). Mission: ocean towing and salvage for SEMAR and other vessels; nearly 400 towing orders, 2,880 singladuras logged. Baja (decommission) ceremony held at Manzanillo mid-June 2021 (articles dated 2021-06-17/18 report 'ayer'/'este jueves') after 44 years Mexican service and a 78-year service life since keel-laying; retired under SEMAR's permanent ship-replacement program.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1976-2021

   Population

   Mexican Navy crew (44-year service)

   Limitations

   SEMAR text reaches the record via regional press carrying the release verbatim - authoritative for Mexican-service dates and the CHAC naming window. Exact baja date varies by outlet phrasing (ceremony reported 2021-06-17; Wikipedia reads 06-16) - June 2021 is firmly documented; exact day carried as mid-June. SEMAR's '34 years in the U.S. Navy' is rounded (US commission 1944-1978 with a 1948-51 reserve gap). No asbestos, material, or exposure content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hitchiti-at103-04

6. [6]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' Am. J. Ind. Med. 11(3):359-373 (1987) + NavSource ATF-103 spec block (diesel-electric plant) + GAO HRD-80-2 policy context [other_primary]

   Locator

   Corn & Starr, AJIM 11(3):359-373, abstract/article; navsource.net/archives/09/39/39103.htm specification block; GAO product page HRD-80-2

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference for a diesel-electric fleet ocean tug built at a Navy-controlled Charleston yard in the peak asbestos years 1943-44: asbestos was used extensively as fireproofing and insulating material in WWII U.S. shipbuilding generally (Corn & Starr 1987). This hull has NO boilers or steam plant - the steam-lagging pathway does not apply; plausible asbestos applications on this type concentrate in diesel-engine and exhaust-system insulation (incl. the exhaust uptake/stack), gaskets and packing throughout the engineering spaces, electrical insulation/cable, deck coverings, accommodation-space insulation, and brake/friction linings on towing-winch and windlass equipment. GAO HRD-80-2 documents that thermal insulation was the Navy's major asbestos use aboard ships, that all ships contained asbestos in components such as clutches and electric cables, and that systematic substitution did not begin until the early 1970s - inside this hull's final U.S. service years (transferred to Mexico 1976-78).

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-2021

   Population

   Construction trades (Charleston yard, Navy-controlled, 1943-44); wartime and postwar crew; Mexican Navy crew 1978-2021

   Limitations

   Class/era and design inference only - no hull-level material schedule, insulation spec, or US-era survey exists in the public record for this ship; a 1976-2021 Mexican service career (with at least one recorded 'modernized' propulsion fit) means original materials may have been altered by undocumented work. Does not establish presence, absence, or quantity of ACM aboard at any date. Corn & Starr is program-level scholarship naming no vessel; GAO product page used (full text HTTP 403 to automated fetch).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hitchiti-at103-05

7. [7]Revista Territorio (Manzanillo), 2025-05-19, reporting the Colima governor's 'Dialogos por la Transformacion' press conference; same quote carried by Archivo Digital Colima (adcolima.mx) 2025-05-19 [reputable_press]

   Locator

   revistaterritorio.com 2025-05-19 article, 'MUSEO SUBACUATICO' section; adcolima.mx 2025-05-19 mirror

   Finding type

   abatement_record

   Finding

   Colima's Subsecretario de Turismo, Jorge Padilla Castillo, stated that the pre-sinking decontamination of the two named SEMAR-donated ex-Navy hulls - 'Baranda' (ocean patrol vessel) and 'Cora' (the tug, ex-USS Hitchiti ATF-103) - 'consiste en retirar materiales como aceites, combustibles, plasticos, componentes flotantes, asbestos y otros contaminantes' (consists of removing materials such as oils, fuels, plastics, floating components, asbestos and other contaminants); both vessels were then 'en las instalaciones de la Sexta Region Naval' undergoing the decontamination process under SEMAR with Profepa (federal environmental prosecutor) oversight, one hull reported fully cleaned and Profepa-inspected by Oct 2025. The work prepares the hulls for the Sistema Arrecifal Artificial de Colima (SAAC) artificial-reef sinking in Bahia de Santiago west of Punta Juluapan.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2025 (decontamination); hull material vintage unestablished

   Population

   SEMAR/contractor decontamination crews, Sixth Naval Region Manzanillo (2025)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific but protocol-level: the official names both hulls and lists asbestos among the contaminant categories removed - it does not itemize which vessel carried asbestos, nor type, location, quantity, or condition. The state government's own Oct 2025 portal release describes the same decontamination list WITHOUT naming asbestos - the asbestos datum rests on the May 2025 press-conference quote as reported by two outlets. Does not establish that the material dated to the 1943-44 U.S. build vs Mexican-era modification; establishes no exposure event, dose, causation, or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hitchiti-at103-06

8. [8]Gobierno del Estado de Colima official portal, 'Gobierno del Estado de Colima y Secretaria de Marina preparan nuevo arrecife artificial en Manzanillo' (Oct 2025); NTCD 2025-10-20; Diario de Colima 2025-10-13; mayacomunicacion.com.mx Nov 2025 [reputable_press]

   Locator

   col.gob.mx portal noticia NjM0Nzc=; ntcd.mx 2025-10-20; mayacomunicacion.com.mx (Nov 2025, sinking date 2025-11-23)

   Finding type

   environmental_record

   Finding

   SAAC program status as of Oct 2025: the Colima state government and SEMAR presented the Manifestacion de Impacto Ambiental (MIA) to Semarnat for authorization of the artificial-reef system contemplating sinking of the ex-vessels Cora and Baranda; hull cleaning/decontamination under strict environmental protocols supervised by Profepa and the inter-institutional committee; one of the two vessels reported completely cleaned and Profepa-inspected; reef site west of Punta Juluapan in a 26.04-hectare polygon with a 25-year operation/maintenance program and SEMAR responsible for sinking safety protocols. Press announced the sinking ceremony for 2025-11-23 (Bahia de Santiago, ~20 m depth, ~100 m offshore); no confirmation that the sinking occurred was located.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2025-ongoing

   Population

   Decontamination workers; future recreational divers (post-sinking)

   Limitations

   Documents the environmental program and disposal path, not asbestos specifically - the official portal's decontamination list (plafones, plastics, wood, contaminating alloys, toxic paints, hydrocarbons, oils, lubricants) omits asbestos; the asbestos itemization is carried in ev-uss-hitchiti-at103-06. Whether the sinking took place as announced is unconfirmed in sources searched (through 2026-09-26).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hitchiti-at103-07

9. [9]CourtListener API v4 sweeps, 2026-09-26 (authenticated via cl-auth-search.py fleet helper): opinions type=o, RECAP dockets type=r [court_record]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-hitchiti-at103-07 through sl-uss-hitchiti-at103-10

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener authenticated sweeps, 2026-09-26: 'Hitchiti' opinion search (type=o) returned 5 hits, ALL name collisions unrelated to the vessel - Williams v. Prather (Ala. 1940, 'Hitchitie Settlement road'), Evans v. Hawkins (Ga. App. 1966, Georgia Hitchiti locale), Holt v. Travelers Insurance (Ga. 1979), Johnson v. State (Okla. 1938, Seminole County), and United States v. Seminole Indians of Florida (Ct. Cl. 1967, Hitchiti tribe/language). 'Hitchiti' RECAP docket search (type=r) returned 5 hits, ALL collisions by caption - Hutke Fields v. DCFS (C.D. Cal. 2:22-cv-00396), Hometown Lenders bankruptcy (N.D. Ala. 24-81038), Center for Biological Diversity v. Wheeler (D.D.C. 1:21-cv-00119), NYT v. Microsoft (S.D.N.Y. 1:23-cv-11195), and Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy (D. Del. 20-10343; Hitchiti Lodge region context). 'ATF-103' opinion search returned 0 hits; 'USS Hitchiti' returned 0 hits; legacy-designator 'AT-103' returned 23,726 loose-token matches (non-diagnostic - the token pattern matches generic 'at 103' text; sampled captions all unrelated). No qualifying asbestos litigation, and no litigation of any kind naming this hull, was located.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2026-09-26

   Limitations

   Opinion and RECAP-docket coverage is limited to indexed/filed content - a vessel named only in an unfiled complaint exhibit or non-digitized filing would not appear. The 'AT-103' query tokenizes loosely and is non-diagnostic; the ship-name and ATF-hull-number sweeps are the substantive coverage. Absence of a docket does not establish absence of exposure; unadjudicated claims and out-of-court cases are outside this index.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hitchiti-at103-08

10. [10]Batch-2741 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live 404; Wayback capture used); NavSource; shipscribe AT-96-class register; NavalCoverMuseum; SEMAR/Colima-state reef-program releases; CourtListener API v4; NARA catalog; NVR [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-hitchiti-at103-01 through sl-uss-hitchiti-at103-13

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No US-side ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, government report, or docketed case naming USS Hitchiti (AT-103/ATF-103) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The sole ship-specific asbestos datum is the 2025 Mexican reef-preparation decontamination statement (ev-uss-hitchiti-at103-06). Marketing-surface check: mesotheliomabook.com (a law-firm site - banned source, classification only) lists 'USS Hitchiti (AT-103)' on a generic tender/tug asbestos list naming ~26 class-era hulls; no claim of hull-specific documentation accompanies it.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    2026-09-26

    Limitations

    Absence of a located US public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - era-consistent inference for a 1943-44 diesel-electric tug and the 2025 removal statement both point the other way, but neither enumerates material. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-hitchiti-at103-09