USS Kenosha (AK-190)

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships - 'Kenosha' (AK-190) entry, NHHC (published 2015-07-28; via Wayback Machine capture 2023-04-07 - canonical NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-09-21, standing link-rot issue same as batches 01/833/839) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Full DANFS entry text and ship-data line; Wayback capture 20230407185056 of history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/k/kenosha.html (canonical https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/k/kenosha.html 404s)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS 'Kenosha' entry documents the hull's full Navy chronology: namesake 'A county in Wisconsin' (and headnote 'Kenosha (ScStr) was renamed Plymouth (g.v.) on 15 May 1869'); data line (AK-190: dp. 7,450; l. 338'7"; b. 50'; dr. 21'1"; s. 12k.; cpl. 85; a. 1 3", 6 20mm.; cl. Alamosa). 'Kenosha (AK-190) was launched 25 August 1944 by Walter Butler Shipbuilding Co., Superior, Wis., under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Miss Marion Crowley; acquired by the Navy 1 August 1945; and commissioned 7 September 1945, Lt. S. Bernsen in command. After shakedown out of Galveston, Tex., Kenosha arrived Gulfport, Miss., 19 October to load cargo for the Marianas. The cargo ship departed Gulfport 25 November, cleared the Panama Canal, and arrived Guam via Pearl Harbor 10 January 1946. Upon discharging her cargo, she loaded cargo for the Marines and sailed for the East Coast, arriving Lynnhaven Roads, Va., 7 March. On 3 April Kenosha arrived Baltimore and decommissioned there 16 April 1946. She was returned to a Norwegian shipping firm in 1947, and renamed Rio Dale. She was renamed Torian in 1959.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1959

   Population

   Ship's company (rated complement 85 per DANFS data line)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, chronology, and operations. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazardous-material statement - supports no asbestos claim. 'Departed Gulfport 25 November' compresses the war-diary-documented diversion to New Orleans for drydock repair (departed Gulfport 28 Oct, departed New Orleans 25 Nov) - see correction row. 'Returned to a Norwegian shipping firm' is loose phrasing against the documented MARAD sale to the Kingdom of Norway (Transfer Order C-5024). 'Torian in 1959' conflicts with NavSource's 1958 - carried as variance. Strike date omitted entirely - supplied by shipscribe with flag.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kenosha-ak190-01

2. [2]USS Kenosha (AK-190) - 'History and War Diary September to December 1945' (ship's own Navy document, scan hosted by NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive; contributed by Frank Gerhardt) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.net/archives/09/13/pdf/130190a.pdf - 13-page scan read by direct image inspection (cover letter p1; history narrative pp2-3; war diary Sep-Oct pp4-6, Nov pp7-9, Dec pp10-13)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-specific primary record: the ship's own 'History and War Diary September to December 1945,' a 13-page scanned Navy document hosted by NavSource - CO's forwarding letter AK190/A12-1 Serial 97 of 10 January 1946 (Lt. Comdr. Sandrup Bernsen to SECNAV, enclosing the ship's history 7 Sep 1945 - 10 Jan 1946 under ALPAC 202 and ALPAC 232) plus the CONFIDENTIAL monthly war diary (Serial 92, to CominCh, received 15 Feb 1946). Documented ship-specific events: commissioned 1600 at Pier 37, Galveston, 7 Sep 1945 (commissioning officer roster: CO Bernsen; XO LT James W. Crawford; Engineering LT Daniel G. Gibson; 1st Lt LT Jerome L. Morrison; Gunnery Lt.(jg) Lauchlin S. Hunter; Supply/Disbursing Lt.(jg) Arthur A. Aschauer; Communications Ens. James A. McKenna Jr.; Asst 1st Lt Ens. Richard F. Zimmerman); loaded 83,000 gal diesel at Pier 5; shakedown off Bolivar Roads 29 Sep - 4 Oct incl. fuel-injection casualty 2 Oct and measured-mile run 3 Oct; attached Naval Transportation Service 1 Oct; Pier 42 then Pier 20, Galveston, to 17 Oct; moored NSD Gulfport (New Orleans annex) 19 Oct, loaded ~2,900 tons cargo (beer, coca-cola cases/syrup, pipe, fresh provisions) consigned NSD Guam. Stern-tube casualty: 29 Oct 'the packing in the stern tube bushing came out causing serious leaking' - diverted to New Orleans per Port Director NOLA dispatch, moored NSD New Orleans 1 Nov, lightened ~1,900 tons; 13 Nov entered Dry Dock No. 5, Todd Johnson Dry Dock Co., 'the stern tube bushing was repacked and no other damage was discovered,' undocked same day; river trials 14 Nov; reloaded cargo to 20 Nov; fueled 76,481 gal diesel at Standard Oil Co. docks, Chalmette, La., 21 Nov; RDF calibration 23 Nov; underway for Guam 25 Nov at 11.5 kts. Canal Zone 30 Nov - 2 Dec (Pier 1-C Coco Solo; canal transit; Pacific side 1730); Pearl Harbor 20 Dec (moored alongside USS Castor AKS-1, berth Charlie 3; shifted to berth Mike 3, discharged reefer cargo upper no. 4 hold to 27 Dec); departed Pearl 27 Dec, great-circle course for Port Apra; crossed IDL 2 Jan 1946; arrived Guam 10 Jan 1946.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945-09-07 to 1946-01-10

   Population

   Ship's company and embarked USMC passengers (Dec 1945); Todd Johnson Dry Dock Co. repair workforce (13 Nov 1945, material-disturbance exposure population if packing was ACM)

   Limitations

   Genuine hull-specific operational record - the strongest ship-specific document in this record. The 13 Nov 1945 drydock event documents that stern-tube bushing 'packing' was replaced at Todd Johnson Dry Dock Co., New Orleans; the packing material is NOT identified (the word 'asbestos' never appears; era stern-tube packing could be asbestos, flax/cotton, or other fiber). No other materials, insulation, or hazmat content anywhere in the document. Coverage ends 31 Dec 1945 (diary) / 10 Jan 1946 (history) - the Guam discharge, eastbound return, and Baltimore decommissioning (Jan-Apr 1946) are NOT in this scan; deck logs would cover them. Scanned typescript is fully legible; officer names read with high confidence.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kenosha-ak190-02

3. [3]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - KENOSHA, Ship History Detail 2858 (registry fields; status-card scans cards/3VE_01.png and cards/2858_5310AF.jpg; document /documents/Kenosha_2858_001.pdf = Transfer Order C-5024) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 2858 - status-card and document scans read directly (cards/3VE_01.png custody face; cards/2858_5310AF.jpg reserve-fleet data card; documents/Kenosha_2858_001.pdf Transfer Order C-5024)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory records for this hull (Detail 2858 'KENOSHA'): Year Built 1945; Official Number 246630; shipyard 'Walter Butler Shipbuilders'; General/Specific Type General Cargo/Break Bulk; MARAD Type C1-M-AV1; length 321.40 ft, beam 50.00; fate 'Sold - Foreign Flag Op.'; registry milestones empty - custody carried by two scanned status cards and one document. Vessel status card (3VE_01.png): 'KENOSHA (AK-190)', type C1-M-AV1, Hull No. 2121, Completed 8-1-45; 'Basis to W.S.A.: 4-23-46 10:45AM EST @ Lee Hall, Va. from Navy Dept. - Surplus'; allocation rows - Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall 4-23-46 10:45 AM EST; Dichmann, Wright & Pugh, Inc., GAA, Lee Hall 2-23-47 11:30 AM EST; 'Kingdom of [struck-through] Norway' (handwritten 'Oct 1946' annotation), Purch., Balt., Md., 3-4-47 2:45 PM EST, '(Title passed simultaneously @ Wash., DC)'; handwritten 'Rio Dale'; bottom annotation 'Sales Price $693,862.00' (preceded by a partially legible file/number string). Reserve-fleet vessel-data card (2858_5310AF.jpg): KENOSHA, type C1-M-AV1, fleet/unit 'JR 8' (James River); ownership WSA; 'Where and when built: Walter Butler-Superior 1945'; date entered fleet 4-23-46; hull no. 2121; damage-in-fleet field carries 'FIRE - see CORRES. "Vessel File"'; termination port last voyage 'HAMPTON ROADS'; length 321.4 / breadth 50 / depth 29; ship's papers 'PRELIM. ALLOC. 232 & 232-A / FINAL ALLOC. 261 - 2/10/47'; withdrawn from fleet 2-23-47 11:30 AM, delivered to 'OPER. DEPT.' Scanned document Kenosha_2858_001.pdf: United States Maritime Commission TRANSFER ORDER NO. C-5024 - 'WHEREAS, The United States Maritime Commission on January 9, 1947, authorized the sale of the Undocumented M/V KENOSHA to the Government of the Kingdom of Norway, represented by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Commerce, with the privilege of transferring said vessel to foreign registry and flag; IT IS ORDERED, This 6th day of February 1947, that the approval required by Section 37 of the Shipping Act 1916, as amended (46 U.S.C. 835), of the sale ... to an alien as above set forth, with transfer to Norwegian registry and flag, be, and it is hereby granted.' Signed A. J. Williams, Secretary.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945-1947

   Population

   Reserve-fleet custody/maintenance workforce (James River, Lee Hall, 1946-47); Norwegian-delivery crews (1947)

   Limitations

   Authoritative government custody record for this hull - fixes the full disposal chain (Navy->WSA surplus at Lee Hall 4-23-46; James River reserve fleet; withdrawal 2-23-47 to GAA agent; delivery to Kingdom of Norway at Baltimore 3-4-47; sale authorized 1-9-47, Section 37 approval ordered 2-6-47). Handwritten fields partially legible: the ~$693,862 sale price is a moderate-confidence read (consistent with the $693,862 carried by secondary compilations); the 'Oct 1946' annotation on the Norway row and the leading figure before 'Sales Price' are partially legible. The 'FIRE - see CORRES. Vessel File' annotation documents an in-fleet fire whose date, extent, and repair are NOT on the card - the referenced correspondence file was not retrieved. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kenosha-ak190-03

4. [4]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Alamosa (AK-156) Class' page - construction/disposition tables and ship note for AK-190 (MC 2121) [other_primary]

   Locator

   AK-156 class page: construction table row AK-190; disposition table row AK-190; ship-notes row 190/KENOSHA/2121; class data block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Shipscribe class compilation (Stephen S. Roberts, from Navy registers/BuShips/MARAD records) documents: construction table - AK-190 KENOSHA, acquired 1 Aug 45, builder 'Walter Butler SB, Superior,' keel 8 May 44, launch 25 Aug 44, commiss. 7 Sep 45; disposition table - decomm. 16 Apr 46, struck 1 May 46, to reserve 23 Apr 46, MC/D, MA sale 4 Mar 47. Ship note for AK-190 (MC 2121): 'Delivered to MC in Great Lakes 15 Feb 45 and arrived at New Orleans 24 Apr 45. Reassembled by Port Houston IW, Houston, Texas, and delivered to MC and Navy 1 Aug 45. Merc. RIO DALE (Norwegian) 1947, converted to drilling ship ARABDRILL-2 1967, scrapped 1984.' Class data block (Alamosa AK-156 class, MC design C1-M-AV1): displacement 2,474 light / 7,450 limiting; 338.5' oa x 50.0' e x 21.1' lim; original armament 1-3"/50 and 6-20mm; complement 69 (1944); speed 11.5 kts; propulsion 1,750 HP Nordberg diesel (TSM6), 1 screw.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1984

   Limitations

   Authoritative secondary compilation reproducing official Navy/MC record data, not the registers themselves - consistent with DANFS on Navy dates and with the MARAD cards on the custody chain (23 Apr 46 reserve entry; 4 Mar 47 sale completion). Provides the strike date (1 May 46) that DANFS omits and NavSource lists as unknown - adopted with disclosure. 'Scrapped 1984' conflicts with NavSource's 'last reported in Lloyds 1977, fate unknown' - carried as resolved-toward-scrapping on the weight of two secondary sources (shipscribe + Wikipedia's 24 May 1984 Gadani detail), flagged. Complement 69 (1944) is class-level vs DANFS/NavSource 85 for this hull - not merged. Contains no asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kenosha-ak190-04

5. [5]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Kenosha (AK-190) page (compiled reference incl. DANFS transcription, awards, CO table, specifications, war-diary PDF link) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.net/archives/09/13/130190.htm - full page incl. specifications block, commanding-officer table, merchant-history block, awards

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NavSource Online (Service Ship Photo Archive, AK-190 page) records: call sign NENW; awards American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal (no battle stars); 'Laid down in May 1944 ... (MC hull 2121) at Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, WI; Launched 25 August 1944; Acquired by the US Navy 1 August 1945; Commissioned USS Kenosha (AK-190), 7 September 1945, LT. Sandrup Bernsen, USNR in command; Decommissioned 16 April 1946 at Baltimore, MD; Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal.' Merchant history: 'Sold by the Maritime Commission to a Norwegian shipping company in 1947, renamed MV Rio Dale, 1958 MV Torian, 1963 MV Lars Viking, 1965 MV Neptune V, 1967 converted to an offshore drilling ship and renamed Arabdrill 2. Final Disposition, last reported in Lloyds 1977, fate after that unknown.' Specifications: 2,382 t lt / 7,450 t fl; 338'6" x 50' x 29'2" (limiting); 11.5 kts; complement 15 officers + 70 enlisted; largest boom 30 t; cargo 3,945 DWT (refrigerated 9,830 cu ft / non-refrigerated 227,730 cu ft); armament 1x3"/50 DP + 6x20mm AA; diesel fuel 6,300 bbls; propulsion one Nordberg Diesel TSM6, two diesel-drive 250 kW 120/240 V DC ship's-service generators, single propeller, 1,750 shp. CO table: LT Bernsen sole CO 7 Sep 1945 - 16 Apr 1946. Hosts the 13-page war-diary/history scan (ev-02) and one merchant-service photo (MV Lars Viking, c. 1963-65, David Nixon).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1977

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled standard reference, not a government publication - spec block presumably derives from standard compilations, not independently corroborated. Three conflicts flagged: Torian rename 1958 vs DANFS 1959; fate 'last reported Lloyds 1977, unknown' vs shipscribe 'scrapped 1984'; draft '29'2" (limiting)' conflicts with DANFS dr. 21'1" and shipscribe 21.1' lim - 29'2" appears to be the depth figure (MARAD card depth 29) mislabeled as draft. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kenosha-ak190-05

6. [6]shipbuildinghistory.com - Walter Butler Shipbuilders (Superior WI) yard page (hull 39 row) and Port Houston Iron Works yard page; Wisconsin Historical Society 'Wartime Shipbuilding' marker, Superior, WI (via HMdb) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/butlersuperior.htm (yard history + hull table row 39); shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/small/porthouston.htm (yard history); hmdb.org marker 223799 (WHS marker text)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Builder-yard and reassembly-yard context: (a) Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc. took over Lake Superior Shipbuilding at the outset of WWII; the yard stood at North 1st and Hammond Avenue, Superior, WI. The shipbuildinghistory yard table carries this hull as yard hull no. 39, 'AK 190 KENOSHA,' owner WSA, type C1-M-AV1, MC no. 2121, 3,805 LDT, delivered Feb-45, 'Sold 1947, converted 1967 to drill ship Arabdrill 2.' A Wisconsin Historical Society marker (1990) records that Walter Butler built 52 ships at Superior - 18 coastal freighters, 22 ocean-going cargo ships, and 12 frigates - with ~5,000 workers at peak. (b) Port Houston Iron Works, the yard that reassembled this hull at Houston in 1945, was a small shipbuilder started in the 1930s on the south side of the turning basin at the head of the Houston Ship Channel; renamed Port Houston Shipyards 1962, became the Port Houston Division of Wyatt Industries 1967, built its last vessel 1969, closed 1976.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1942-1976

   Population

   Walter Butler Superior construction workforce (~5,000 peak per WHS marker, yard-level); Port Houston Iron Works reassembly workforce (1945)

   Limitations

   Yard-level context for the construction and reassembly yards of this hull - documents the facilities, the hull's yard number, and MC hull cross-reference, but contains no asbestos or materials information and establishes nothing about materials aboard this hull. Neither Walter Butler Shipbuilders (Superior) nor Port Houston Iron Works (Houston) is an Atlas shipyards.json yard_id; the Atlas todd-shipyards slug is corporate-level Todd Shipyards Corp. (parent of the Todd-Johnson Dry Docks, New Orleans, yard that repaired this hull), not a discrete New Orleans yard record.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kenosha-ak190-06

7. [7]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 Maritime Commission program under which this C1-M-AV1 hull was built (1944-45) and reassembled - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and 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 design 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-kenosha-ak190-07

8. [8]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology 28(1):9-16 (1946) [other_primary]

   Locator

   PubMed record 21016030; J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (1946)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned industrial-hygiene survey of WWII pipe-covering operations at Navy yards and Navy contract yards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels' was amosite asbestos - era-level evidence that insulating work during this hull's construction/reassembly window was asbestos-intensive in naval construction generally.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-45 survey; published 1946

   Population

   WWII naval-vessel construction pipe-coverers (class context)

   Limitations

   Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; does not name this vessel, class, or builder/reassembly yard (whether Walter Butler Superior, Port Houston Iron Works, or Todd Johnson Dry Dock was among the surveyed contract yards is unverified), and the survey concerned steam-pipe covering - a limited application set on this diesel hull. Establishes no asbestos content, exposure, or causation aboard this vessel.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kenosha-ak190-08

9. [9]Era/design inference for MC type C1-M-AV1 diesel-propelled auxiliary (no design manual or material schedule located publicly - contrast with the EC2-S-C1 USMC operating manual cited for Liberty hulls in batch-01/batch-05 records); documented events from this hull's war diary and shipscribe ship note [other_primary]

   Locator

   No C1-M-AV1 material document located; inference framed against NavSource/Shipscribe propulsion data, the war-diary drydock entry (ev-02), and sister-hull MARAD card annotations

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Asbestos-relevant profile of this hull is inference from era and type plus three documented material-touching events. The design is diesel-propelled (one Nordberg TSM6 diesel, single screw, 1,750 shp - NavSource specifications; shipscribe class data), so there are no main boilers or steam distribution lines aboard; the steam-plant lagging pathway documented for steam tonnage does not apply at main-propulsion scale. A donkey (auxiliary) boiler is class-typical for the type (carried on sister-hull MARAD cards, e.g. AK-156/AK-161) - if fitted aboard this hull it would carry localized hot-side insulation, but no C1-M-AV1 material schedule has been located publicly. Documented material-touching events for this hull: (a) original construction at Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Superior (keel May 1944 - delivery to MC Feb 1945); (b) reassembly at Port Houston Iron Works, Houston (to Aug 1945); (c) the war-diary-documented drydock repair at Todd Johnson Dry Dock Co., New Orleans, 13 Nov 1945, repacking the stern-tube bushing - 'packing' being a material category that in 1945 could be asbestos, flax, or other fiber, unidentified in the record. Era-consistent ACM candidates aboard a 1944-45 diesel auxiliary, if installed: exhaust-uptake/muffler insulation, auxiliary-boiler insulation, machinery gaskets and packing, electrical panel/arc-resistant board, accommodation fireproofing and bulkhead insulation, refrigeration-space insulation, deck coverings, and winch/windlass brake linings.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1984

   Population

   Construction trades (Walter Butler Superior, 1944); reassembly trades (Port Houston IW, 1945); repair trades (Todd Johnson Dry Dock Co., Nov 1945); ship's crew Sep 1945 - Apr 1946; merchant crews 1947-1984; drilling-ship conversion workforce 1967

   Limitations

   Era- and type-level inference only - no C1-M-AV1 design manual, construction specification, or material schedule has been located in public sources, and no cited source names this hull's materials. The stern-tube 'packing' replaced in Nov 1945 is documented as an event; its composition is unknown (asbestos, flax, and other packings were all in era use). Asbestos presence aboard is plausible-by-era but unproven; the diesel plant reduces (does not eliminate) the expected ACM footprint relative to steam tonnage. Does not establish quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kenosha-ak190-09

10. [10]Batch-866 search ledger (this record): DANFS via Wayback; ship's war diary + history scan (NavSource); MARAD ShipHistory 2858 + 2 status cards + Transfer Order C-5024; shipscribe AK-156 class page; shipbuildinghistory (Walter Butler Superior; Port Houston IW); NVR hull check; CourtListener (API throttled; Google-indexed check); web-wide litigation sweep; NavalCoverMuseum; HyperWar index; usmaritimecommission.de [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-kenosha-ak190-01 through sl-uss-kenosha-ak190-14

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Kenosha / AK-190 / MC hull 2121 / O.N. 246630 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was delivered to the Kingdom of Norway in March 1947 - predating the Navy's asbestos-control programs of the late 1970s and NESHAP demolition rules - 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); those lists enumerate every Navy ship and carry no ship-specific evidence - classified non-qualifying and not cited.

    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 USMC-built hull with three documented construction/repair events is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials. The litigation sweep is DEGRADED: CourtListener API returned 429 (shared authenticated 2,800/day quota exhausted by prior batch work, ~52-min backoff) and the web UI returned 403 to automated fetch; the Google-indexed check returned only Kenosha County/City WI name collisions - no hull-naming opinion - but an exhaustive opinion/docket sweep was not completed, so residual litigation-discovery risk is logged rather than resolved. 'Kenosha' is a high-collision municipal name (Kenosha County/City WI litigation dominates). Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-kenosha-ak190-10

11. [11]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS (Wayback capture of NHHC entry); NavSource AK-190 page; MARAD Detail 2858 status cards + Transfer Order C-5024; shipscribe AK-156 class page; war diary scan (NavSource 130190a.pdf); NavalCoverMuseum KENOSHA AK 190 page; Wikipedia USS Kenosha (AK-190) (secondary corroboration only) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Per-item: shipscribe disposition table vs NavSource 'struck' line vs DANFS silence; rename-year fields; fate fields; spec blocks; MARAD cards 3VE_01.png and 2858_5310AF.jpg vs secondary sale framings; war diary pp7-9 vs DANFS narrative

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies logged, not merged: (a) Strike date - shipscribe disposition table carries 1 May 46; NavSource carries 'date unknown'; DANFS omits it - shipscribe adopted, variant disclosed. (b) Torian rename - NavSource carries 1958; DANFS carries 1959 - unresolved at source level, both disclosed. (c) Final fate - shipscribe carries 'scrapped 1984'; Wikipedia carries 'scrapped 24 May 1984 at Gadani beach'; NavSource carries 'last reported in Lloyds 1977, fate after that unknown' - scrapped 1984 adopted on the weight of two secondary sources, Gadani detail carried as secondary-only. (d) Length - DANFS 338'7" vs NavSource 338'6" vs shipscribe 338.5' oa vs MARAD registry 321.4 ft (register/rule length, not overall) - ~338.5-338.7 ft oa carried. (e) Speed - DANFS 12 k vs NavSource/shipscribe 11.5 kts - 11.5 carried (majority + trial figure). (f) Draft - NavSource '29'2" (limiting)' conflicts with DANFS dr. 21'1" and shipscribe 21.1' lim; 29'2" appears to be the depth figure (MARAD card depth 29) mislabeled as draft - 21'1" adopted. (g) Complement - DANFS cpl. 85 and NavSource 15 officers + 70 enlisted agree; shipscribe class table 69 (1944) is class-level - 85 adopted. (h) 'Returned to a Norwegian shipping firm' (DANFS) vs the documented MARAD chain (USMC authorized sale 9 Jan 47; Transfer Order C-5024 Section 37 approval 6 Feb 47; fleet withdrawal 23 Feb 47; delivery to Kingdom of Norway Baltimore 4 Mar 47, title at Wash. DC) - the sale is documented; 'returned' is loose phrasing. (i) 'Departed Gulfport 25 November' (DANFS) vs war diary - ship departed Gulfport 28 Oct, was diverted to New Orleans for the stern-tube repair (drydock 13 Nov), and departed New Orleans 25 Nov - DANFS compresses the leg. (j) Year built - MARAD registry '1945' (completion year; card 'Completed 8-1-45') vs hull laid/launched 1944 - both carried in their fields. (k) Laid-down precision - shipscribe keel 8 May 44 vs NavSource 'May 1944' - both carried.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1944-1984 (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 (MARAD cards/order, war diary) is adopted and the variant disclosed. No asbestos content in any reconciled source.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-kenosha-ak190-11

12. [12]NARA record-group guidance: RG 24 deck logs (post-1941 at Archives II, College Park); RG 19 (Bureau of Ships); RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission); MARAD vessel-file/sale documentation (PRELIM/FINAL ALLOC and C-5024 referenced on status cards) [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; card annotations on MARAD cards 3VE_01.png / 2858_5310AF.jpg

    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-190 (Sep 1945 - Apr 1946) at Archives II, College Park - the war-diary scan ends 31 Dec 1945, so the Guam discharge, the eastbound return (Marines cargo), Lynnhaven Roads arrival 7 Mar 46, and the Baltimore decommissioning (16 Apr 46) would be logged there; (b) NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) - Port Houston Iron Works reassembly/outfitting specifications and the Todd Johnson Dry Dock Co. repair record for the 13 Nov 1945 stern-tube repack (the likeliest surviving source identifying the packing material); (c) NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) Construction Division records - the MC hull 2121 contract file incl. Walter Butler construction specifications; (d) MARAD 'Vessel File' correspondence referenced by the reserve-fleet card's 'FIRE' annotation, and the PRELIM. ALLOC. 232/232-A and FINAL ALLOC. 261 (2-10-47) ship's papers; (e) the 1947 sale file underlying Transfer Order C-5024 (Royal Norwegian Ministry of Commerce transaction, incl. any condition statements and the ~$693,862 price documentation).

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1944-1947 records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for MC 2121 / AK-190 is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-kenosha-ak190-12