Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]research packet 368-packet.md (5 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (same hull as batch4781, USS Gamage IX-227)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-inca-ix229-pkt-368-packet-md
-
[2]U.S. Naval Historical Center/NHHC Online Library of Selected Images, 'USS Inca (IX-229), 1945-1946. Also known as USS Gamage (IX-227)' (HyperWar/ibiblio mirror of the NHC page; original history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-i/ix229.htm survives only as a 2006 Wayback capture) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- ibiblio.org HyperWar mirror, OnlineLibrary/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-i/ix229.htm - full narrative text
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC-authored history of this hull: ex-SS William B. Allison (MCE hull 724), launched March 1943 at Los Angeles; damaged by aircraft torpedo off Nakagusuku Wan, Okinawa, 1945-05-25 - constructive total loss; CNO authorized ComServDiv 104 to accept her 'as is' for non-self-propelled floating dry storage 1945-07-25; accepted 1945-07-30; SECNAV approved name Inca and IX-229 on 1945-08-06; converted to storage ship by USS Vestal (AR-4) and USS Zaniah (AG-70); at Buckner Bay through typhoons of 1945-09-16 and 1945-10-09 (September: struck by merchant ship, repairable topside damage, kept issuing supplies; October: broke adrift, went aground, remained aground); 'grounded ships, salvage not warranted' 1946-01-02; out of service 1946-02-08 on the bottom in Yonabaru Wan with water in holds to 'tween decks; stricken from Navy List 1946-03-12; redelivered to WSA as she lay 1946-04-06; sold with seven other Okinawa wrecks (incl. USS Ocelot IX-110, Vandalia IX-191, five civilian Liberty ships) to China Merchants and Engineers, Inc. for scrap, delivered 1948-02-19 under 2-year-3-month scrapping condition; scrapping of all but one civilian vessel reported complete 1952-01-31.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1952
- Population
- ComServDiv 104 caretaker/storage complement (1945-07-30 to 1946-02-08); Vestal (AR-4) and Zaniah (AG-70) conversion crews (Aug 1945); scrapping workforce (1948-1952)
- Limitations
- Official NHHC-authored narrative compiled from archival action reports - the strongest single history of this hull, but itself a secondary compilation (the underlying ComServDiv 104/CINCPAC/CNO message traffic is archival, not linked). Contains no asbestos or material-content information; documents service history only, not construction materials or any exposure condition aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-inca-ix229-01
-
[3]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Inca' (IX-229 paragraph appended to the Inca IV tug entry, live NHHC page) + DANFS 'Gamage (IX-227)' entry (hazegray transcription mirror, ix227.htm) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- history.navy.mil DANFS 'Inca IV' page (IX-229 paragraph; live 2026-09-29); hazegray mirror ix227.htm and ix229.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS records the dual identity: Liberty ships Henry L. Abbott and William B. Allison were both acquired by the Navy from WSA 1945-07-30 for use as floating storage; on 1945-07-14 Henry L. Abbott was renamed Gamage and classified IX-227; on 1945-08-06 William B. Allison was renamed Inca and classified IX-229; when the ex-Abbott was found unfit, her acquisition was canceled and the name Gamage and IX-227 were shifted to the ex-William B. Allison; references to Inca (IX-229) nonetheless appear in the ComServDiv 104 War Diary until January 1946. The Gamage entry confirms: launched as William B. Allison under MC contract by California Ship Building Corp., Los Angeles, 1943-03-08; acquired by Navy and renamed Gamage 1945-07-30 for floating storage of lubricants and drummed petroleum at Ulithi; out of service 1946-02-08; returned to WSA 1946-04 (entry reads '5 April' - see correction row); sold to China Merchants & Engineers, Inc. 1948-02-19.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- ComServDiv 104 / Service Force Pacific personnel handling the hulk (1945-1946)
- Limitations
- DANFS is the official name/lineage record but compresses this hull's history to the name/designation mechanics; operational detail lives in the NHHC Online Library narrative (ev-01). The '5 April' WSA return date conflicts with the NHHC narrative's 6 April and the MARAD card's 4-6-46 - resolved in ev-08. No asbestos or material-content information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-inca-ix229-02
-
[4]U.S. Maritime Administration, Vessel History Database - WILLIAM B. ALLISON (1943), Ship History Detail 6350, incl. scanned vessel status card (card images 7G7_01.png and 6350_AF.jpg, read in full) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/6350 - status card scan (fields read in full) + Documents tab
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- MARAD status card documents: U.S. Official No. 243089; type EC-2 Cargo (EC2-Liberty); Hull No. 724; built by California Shipbldg. Corp., Los Angeles, completed 3-24-43; 'Basis to U.S.M.C. 3-24-43 10:45am PWT @ Los Angeles, Calif. from Builders (WSA Custody)'; tonnages gross 7176 / net 4380 / DWT 10572 / displ 14230 / LWT 3400 / est. recoverable 2550; dims 417'9" x 56'11" x 37'4", draft 27'9"; construction cost $1,728,590.00; speed 12.5; operator rows - Waterman SS Agency Ltd. (GAA, Los Angeles, delivered 3-24-43 10:45am); Navy Department '(renamed GAMAGE IX227)' bareboat at Okinawa 7-30-45 noon; 'Vessel became a constructive total loss due to an enemy attack in the Okinawa area May 25, 1945 @ 3:05am'; redelivered to WSA by Navy 'from under BB,' immobilized, Okinawa, 4-6-46 3pm; sold under act 1936 to China Merchants & Engineers Inc., delivered 2-19-48; companion card face: 'SOLD PDX-406 - Sold for scrapping of hull to China Merchants and Engineers, Inc. Feb. 6, 1948 under PDX-406 for $15,858'; WSA DEC'L LV#203 dated 11/1/46; location Okinawa.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- California Shipbuilding construction workforce (Feb-Mar 1943); Waterman merchant crew (1943-1945); Navy caretaker detachment (1945-1946); China Merchants & Engineers scrapping workforce (1948-1952)
- Limitations
- Administrative custody record only - documents build, operators, custody transfers, CTL notation, and disposal chain, not material content. 'Renamed GAMAGE IX227' reflects the final Navy designation (the Inca/IX-229 stage is absent from the card). Card face's 'Feb. 6, 1948' sale date vs. milestone-row delivery 2-19-48 reconciled as approval vs. delivery (see ev-08). No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-inca-ix229-03
-
[5]WSA war-casualty questionnaire for S/S William B. Allison, completed by the master 1945-10-02, addressed to Commandant U.S. Coast Guard - declassified NARA Project NW 63684, hosted in the MARAD Vessel History record for this hull (2-page scanned form) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- MARAD Detail 6350 Documents tab, 'SYSTEM UPLOAD' PDF (form 16-34271-1, 2 pages, declassified NARA NW 63684)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Primary casualty report: WSA owner, operator 'Waterman S.S. Co.', service 'ocean freight'; torpedoed (air) 1945-05-25 at 0305 while anchored in Nakagusuku Bay, Okinawa, on voyage Ulithi to Okinawa with ~1,400 tons lumber/steel/general cargo; 1 hit, machinery spaces port ('MACH-P'), effect '18' x 35' hole; several long cracks,' deck ruptured; no explosions or fires; towed in, damage 'extensive'; ship armed, armament not used; enemy not sighted (area under smokescreen); aboard: 8 merchant officers, 2 radiomen, 30 unlicensed, 1 gun-crew officer, 27 gun-crew enlisted, 150 stevedores ('others') = 218 total; casualties - ship's crew lost 4 officers + 2 unlicensed, others lost 1, total lost 7 (all 'shell or torpedo'), injured 3; engineering watch below: 5 on watch, 5 lost; 4 lifeboats carried, 1 lost to torpedo explosion; vessel 'not abandoned'; master's note: 'vessel was abandoned by WSA and was taken over by Navy for repairs and was to be used as a mobile store house.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1945-05-25 (attack); report dated 1945-10-02
- Population
- 40 merchant crew; 28 U.S. Navy Armed Guard; 150 stevedores (aboard at attack); 7 lost incl. all 5 engine-room watch
- Limitations
- Ship-specific primary document; establishes the attack's location, hit location (machinery spaces), aboard-population, and casualty count at attack time - not the IX-period complement. Handwritten entries partially legible (operator and note fields read with confidence; a few field values e.g. net tonnage '4380' per card). Contains no asbestos or material-content information - documents the casualty event and population only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-inca-ix229-04
-
[6]U.S. Maritime Commission, Instruction Manual for Operating and Maintaining 2500 H.P. Triple Expansion Marine Steam Engines, EC2-S-C1 Cargo Vessels (mirrored excerpt) + ATSDR CSEM 'Asbestos Toxicity: Where Is Asbestos Found?' (CDC archive) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Mirrored excerpt, engine-cylinder insulation section; archive.cdc.gov ATSDR CSEM asbestos page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Class/design documentation for this hull's documented type (EC2-S-C1 per MARAD card and NHHC): the USMC operating manual describes cylinder insulation of magnesia under sheet-iron lagging; insulation products of this era were commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber, and period steam-system gaskets, packing, and insulation felts commonly contained asbestos. Liberty ships were built to emergency USMC specifications during the period when the federal government had reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding. ATSDR documents that asbestos was widely used in shipbuilding until the 1970s - boilers/heating vessels, pipe covering, insulation products - and that such materials remained in ships built before 1975.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1952
- Population
- Construction trades (CalShip, Los Angeles, 1943); merchant engine-room crew (1943-1945); Navy conversion/caretaker personnel (1945-1946); scrapping workforce (1948-1952)
- Limitations
- Class/design and industry-level documentation, not a hull record - neither source names this vessel and neither itself documents 'asbestos' content aboard. Asbestos presence aboard this hull is era/design inference, not ship-proven; the hull was scrapped 1948-1952, before any asbestos survey regime, so present-day presence is moot. Does not establish quantity, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-inca-ix229-05
-
[7]NHHC photograph catalog: NH 101694 'USS Inca' (aground at Okinawa next to a small floating drydock after the October 1945 typhoon; IX-229 hull number clearly visible on starboard bow; courtesy Dr. Herbert F. Gabriel, DDS, 1987) and NARA Army Signal Corps photo USA C-6343 (Inca and USS LST-823 aground in Buckner Bay after stricken, circa late 1940s) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- history.navy.mil NH-101694.html (live); ibiblio OnlineLibrary ix229.htm photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official photo documentation confirms the hull aground at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, after Typhoon Louise (1945-10-09) with 'IX-229' painted on the bow in October 1945 - visual corroboration that Pacific commands continued to identify her as Inca (IX-229) months after the Navy Department had redesignated her Gamage (IX-227) in August 1945 (news of the change did not reach the Western Pacific until January 1946). Photo C-6343 shows her still aground alongside USS LST-823 after striking, awaiting scrappers.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1945-1952 (photo dates Oct 1945 / late 1940s)
- Limitations
- Photographic metadata/captions only - corroborates identity, grounding state, and the name-confusion narrative; contains no material-content information. NH 101694 catalog page live on history.navy.mil 2026-09-29; C-6343 caption via NHC Online Library (ibiblio mirror).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-inca-ix229-06
-
[8]Secondary-source discrepancy check: NavSource IX-229 page (46229.htm) vs. NavSource IX-227 Gamage page (46227.htm); Wikipedia 'USS Inca (IX-229)' article; shipscribe.com USN auxiliary register IX-227/229 page [other_primary]
- Locator
- navsource.net 46229.htm and 46227.htm; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Inca_(IX-229); shipscribe.com/usnaux/IX4/IX227.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Discrepancies resolved against primary/official records: (a) NavSource's IX-229 page splices the Henry L. Abbott timeline (laid down 1943-07-24, MCE hull 2063, Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland) and Abbott's disposal (sold 1948-03-03 to Asia Development Corp.; intercepted under tow by Chinese Nationalist warships 1950-09-26) onto the Inca entry - the Allison hull data appears correctly on NavSource's IX-227 page (MCE 724, California Ship Building Corp., laid down 1943-02-08, launched 1943-03-08, delivered 1943-03-24, Waterman Steamship Corp., Mobile). (b) Wikipedia body 'launched on February 10, 1943' contradicts DANFS/NavSource/MARAD record (launched 1943-03-08) - 3-08 carried. (c) Casualty figures: master's casualty report records 7 lost / 3 injured; secondary sources state 6 or 8 killed - primary document carried. (d) WSA return: DANFS Gamage 'returned to WSA 5 April' vs. NHHC narrative 6 April vs. MARAD card 4-6-46 3pm - 4-6-46 carried. (e) Sale: card face 'Feb. 6, 1948 under PDX-406 for $15,858' vs. card milestone row and NHHC 'delivered to buyer 19 February 1948' - Feb 6 read as sale approval, Feb 19 as delivery. (f) Wikipedia 'in service 19 August 1943' is the Abbott's delivery date - not carried.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1952 records; 2026-09-29 review
- Limitations
- Correction note applies to secondary compilations; official sources (NHHC, DANFS, MARAD card, casualty report) are internally consistent except the April 5/6 return-date spread noted. The NavSource IX-229 conflation propagates to third-party pages built from it. None of the corrected sources contains asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-inca-ix229-07
-
[9]NARA record-group mapping: ComServDiv 104 War Diary (the source DANFS cites for Inca/IX-229 references through Jan 1946) and Service Force Pacific action reports; deck logs/work records of USS Vestal (AR-4) and USS Zaniah (AG-70) covering the 1945 storage conversion; RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) and RG 248 (War Shipping Administration) files for MCE hull 724; WSA declaration LV#203 (dated 11/1/46) and disposal file PDX-406 noted on the MARAD status card [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy; NARA RG 24 deck-log series (College Park); RG 178 / RG 248 guide entries; status-card notations 'WSA DEC'L LV#203' and 'PDX-406' on MARAD card image 6350_AF.jpg
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Unretrieved archival leads that could carry material-content or work-scope information: (1) ComServDiv 104 War Diary, Aug 1945-Jan 1946 (NARA) - documents the storage ship's daily employment and any conversion/repair work; (2) Vestal and Zaniah deck logs/work records - the conversion work orders could describe stripping or refit of machinery spaces aboard the hulk; (3) RG 178/248 construction and custody files for MCE hull 724; (4) WSA declaration LV#203 (11/1/46) - post-return condition documentation; (5) PDX-406 disposal file - the 8-hull Okinawa wreck sale record.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1945-1948 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. WWII IX hulks rarely generated material schedules. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-inca-ix229-08
-
[10]CourtListener sweep for 'USS Inca' / 'IX-229' / 'IX-227' / 'Gamage' / 'William B. Allison' (vessel names) - opinion and docket indexes [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-inca-ix229-08, -09
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Authenticated CourtListener API sweep attempted on four spaced attempts this session (helper cl-auth-search.py, queries 'IX-229' and '"USS Inca" asbestos'): the fleet-wide pacing budget was exhausted at each attempt and the helper directed stand-down; one attempt also timed out. Partial check only: a site-scoped index search of courtlistener.com returned only name collisions - surnamed parties and unrelated matters (e.g., attorney William B. Allison appearing in early-1900s Washington cases; unrelated plaintiffs; 'Inca' commercial name hits) - nothing naming the vessel, its hull numbers, or an asbestos claim tied to it.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Litigation sweep is INCOMPLETE: the authenticated API run did not execute; site-scoped index results are a weaker proxy and cannot exclude RECAP dockets or state filings. Absence of a located case is not proof none exists. Re-run the authenticated sweep before release. 'Inca' is a high-collision term (Inca Empire, commercial names); 'Gamage' and 'William B. Allison' are surnames generating false positives.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-inca-ix229-09
-
[11]Batch-4783 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live inca-iv.html) + NHHC Online Library narrative (ibiblio mirror) + NHHC photo catalog (NH 101694, live); MARAD Vessel History Detail 6350 (status card + NARA NW 63684 casualty PDF); hazegray DANFS mirrors ix227/ix229; NavSource 46227/46229; shipscribe IX-227/229 register; NVR; Atlas shipyards.json yard cross-check; web sweep for asbestos/survey/abatement terms [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-inca-ix229-01 through sl-uss-inca-ix229-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, material schedule, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or museum/operator disclosure naming this hull under any identity (William B. Allison / Inca IX-229 / Gamage IX-227) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull's documentation is unusually rich on casualty and custody (war-casualty report, status card, photo record) but contains zero material-content data.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943 EC2-S-C1 steamship is era-consistent with asbestos insulation, and the 1945 torpedoing, storage conversion, typhoon grounding, and 1948-1952 scrapping all predated any asbestos documentation regime. The scrapping occurred overseas (China Merchants & Engineers at Okinawa/China); surviving breaker records are effectively unrecoverable. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-inca-ix229-10