USS Keokuk (CM-8)

Evidence

13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).

1. [1]research packet iq-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-keokuk-cm8-pkt-iq-packet-md

2. [2]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Keokuk II (CMC-6)' - verbatim official-page text via Internet Archive capture of the NHHC page (live page 404s this session) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Keokuk II (CMC-6) entry, stats line + full narrative; canonical URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/k/keokuk-ii.html returned 404 on 2026-09-26 (link rot noted since Batch-01); Wayback capture 2016-10-23 of the live NHHC page used

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry 'Keokuk II (CMC-6)': stats line '(CMC-6: dp. 6,150; l. 353'; b. 57'; dr. 17'; s. 12 k.; cpl. 278; a. 2 3", 4 .50 cal. mg., 2 .30 cal. mg.; cl. Keokuk)'. 'The second Keokuk (CMC-6), formerly Columbia Heights, was launched 1914 by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, Pa.; she was acquired by the Navy 28 July 1941 on a Maritime Commission bare boat charter; re-classified AN-5 on 15 August 1941; and commissioned 28 February 1942, Lt. Comdr. L. Brennan, USNR, in command.' Service: cleared Delaware Bay 1942-03-07 for Norfolk; net layer out of Norfolk and Key West for 2 months; reclassified CM-8 1942-05-18; Yorktown mine depot; minelaying along the Atlantic coast; Brooklyn to Casablanca 1942-11-13 to 12-01, 7 weeks laying mines off Casablanca; convoy GUS-3 to New York arr. 1943-02-07; Hoboken repairs; net-laying exercises out of Melville, R.I. from 1943-03-01; mine warfare school Yorktown Apr-May; Brooklyn to Oran dep. 1943-06-13 arr. 07-04; laid antisubmarine minefields off Gela, Sicily; attacked by six enemy planes 1943-07-11 (driven off); sailed for Norfolk 1943-10-07; converted to net layer, reclassified AKN-4, departed Norfolk 1943-11-23; Tarawa arr. 1944-02-03 after a month at Pearl Harbor; Marshalls net laying to 1944-04-12; net loading at San Francisco; Kwajalein 1944-06-09; Saipan ASW net off Tanapag Harbor from 1944-06-19; Eniwetok to 1944-07-17; Guadalcanal 1944-09-01; Kossol Passage 1944-09-17, one month net laying; Manus 1944-10-17; San Francisco overhaul. Eniwetok 1945-02-06; departed Guam 1945-02-16; Iwo Jima net laying from 1945-02-20; on 1945-02-21 an enemy 'Jill' dived out of the clouds and hit Keokuk on the starboard side, knocking out most of the starboard 20mm battery - fires out by 1850, 17 killed and 44 wounded; repairs at Leyte; sailed 1945-03-19; Kerama Retto 1945-03-26 ASW nets; cleared 1945-04-04, Saipan 04-10; two-month Pearl Harbor overhaul; Eniwetok 1945-07-02; Ulithi dep. 07-25; San Francisco arr. 1945-09-10; decommissioned 1945-12-05; transferred to WSA 1946-07-01; sold to West India Fruit & S.S. Co. 1947-03-07. 'Keokuk received five battle stars for World War II service.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1914-1947

   Population

   Ship's company ~278 (DANFS complement); construction trades (Cramp, Philadelphia, 1914); Bethlehem/Fletcher Division Hoboken conversion and repair workers (1941-43); Norfolk Navy Yard refit workers (1943); Pearl Harbor yard workers (1945); Leyte battle-damage repair crews (1945)

   Limitations

   Authoritative identity/history record naming this hull under its first (CMC-6) designation and covering all four successive designations. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information - supports no asbestos claim. DANFS prints no laid-down date, no stricken date, and no post-1947 disposition; it applies the name Keokuk retroactively over the AN-5 commissioning period. Its intro paragraph derives the name from the Sauk leader - NavSource's editorial note disputes this, asserting she (like sister minelayers) was named for the 1863 ironclad; unresolved secondary disagreement logged in the correction row.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-keokuk-cm8-01

3. [3]Stephen S. Roberts, 'U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships 1835-1945' shipscribe register, KEOKUK (AN-5) class page (compiled from official U.S. Navy records; companion to Bauer & Roberts, Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy 1775-1990) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Class header data; Construction and Disposition tables; Class Notes; Ship Notes (AN-5 row)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Shipscribe auxiliary-vessel register, KEOKUK (AN-5) class page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from official Navy records): class 'KEOKUK (AN-5)', design 'Car Ferry, 1914'; 3,582 light / 6,150 lim. tons; 353.0' oa x 57.0' x 17.0' lim.; 12 kt; 2,700 HP, vertical 3-expansion, 2 screws. Construction row: acquired 28 Jul 41; William Cramp & Sons; keel 20 Apr 14; launched 22 Sep 14; commissioned 28 Feb 42. Disposition row: decomm. 5 Dec 45; strike 19 Dec 45; disposal 1 Jul 46; fate 'MC/D'; MA sale 10 Mar 47. Class notes: 'The car ferry HENRY M. FLAGLER, followed by two sister ships JOSEPH R. PARROTT and ESTRADA PALMA (later CM 11-12)' built for Florida East Coast Railway Key West-Havana railcar service (four track sets, ~30 refrigerator railcars); terminus moved to Port Everglades after the 1935 hurricane; laid up ~1939; sold April 1941, renamed COLUMBIA HEIGHTS for Norfolk-Baltimore service. 'On 8 May 41 CNO directed the acquisition of this ship, then being repaired at Baltimore, using funds earmarked for the purchase of civilian ships to augment local district defense forces'; classed as district craft coastal minelayer CMc-6; conversion plans to combination net/mine layer used the British net layer PROTECTOR's stern as guide; classification changed to net layer AN-5 when the name KEOKUK was assigned 15 Aug 41; 'when a new mine division was organized in the Eastern Sea Frontier in May 1942 consisting of KEOKUK (AN-5), MONADNOCK (CMc-4), and MIANTONOMAH (CMc-5), all three ships were reclassified minelayers (CM 8-10)'; participated in Casablanca operation Nov 1942 ('three-purpose ship: mine layer, tank carrier, and net layer'); given a minimal conversion to net cargo ship (AKN) after the Pacific Fleet's request, sailing Nov 1943; 'In 1947 KEOKUK and SHAWMUT (CM-11) were sold back to their original owners and resumed service from Florida to Havana under their original names.' Ship notes: 'Ex merc. COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, ex-HENRY M. FLAGLER 1940 (ID-1585, completed Dec 14). Ex CMc-6 15 Aug 41. Converted by Bethlehem Steel Co., Fletcher Division, Hoboken, N.J. To CM-8 15 May 42, to AKN-4 1 Nov 43. Merc. COLUMBIA HEIGHTS (1946, MC), HENRY M. FLAGLER (1947). Foundered in tow 16 Dec 71 as FREIGHT TRANSPORTER.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1914-1971

   Limitations

   Scholarly register compiled from official records - secondary transcription, not itself a primary document; the underlying CNO directive, classification actions, and MC/MA disposal actions are described, not reproduced. Sole source for the 19 Dec 1945 strike date, the 8 May 1941 CNO acquisition directive, the Fletcher Division conversion yard, and the 'foundered in tow 16 Dec 71' loss wording; its 'To CM-8 15 May 42' conflicts with DANFS/NavSource 18 May 1942 - logged in the correction row. No asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-keokuk-cm8-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, Keokuk (AKN-4) ex CM-8 / AN-5 / CMc-6 page, navsource.net/archives/11/0608.htm [other_primary]

   Locator

   Chronology block; awards/casualties block; specifications block; photo table (NARA 19-N-36498, 19-N-36500, 19-N-81342, 19-N-81345); commanding-officer list; namesake editorial note

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Online Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, Keokuk (AKN-4) ex CM-8/AN-5/CMc-6 page: 'Keokuk Class Minelayer'; Built by William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia PA (YN 421); laid down 20 April 1914; launched 22 September 1914; delivered to Florida East Coast Railway Co., New Haven, CT, as railroad ferry Henry M. Flagler, December 1914; designated ID-1585 during World War One but not used; designed to carry railcars Key West-Havana; laid up Port Everglades 1939; sold to Isbrandtsen SS Co., renamed Columbia Heights, April 1941 (header block prints 'Renamed Columbia Heights in 1940' - logged); acquired by the Navy while under repair at Baltimore 28 July 1941; intended conversion to Coastal Minelayer CMc-6; reclassified Net Layer AN-5 and renamed Keokuk 15 August 1941; commissioned 28 February 1942; defensive minefields at Trinidad and Key West with Monadnock (CMc-4) and Miantonomah (CMc-5), April 1942; reclassified Minelayer CM-8, 18 May 1942; defensive minefield off Cape Hatteras with Monadnock and Miantonomah 22-25 May 1942; repair at Fletcher's Shipyard, Hoboken NJ, 9-28 Feb 1943; experimental and A/S net laying Rhode Island waters March 1943; yard overhaul at Bethlehem Shipbuilding, Hoboken, 4-18 April 1943; Oran-Norfolk in convoy GUS.17, 7-26 October 1943; reclassified Net Cargo Ship AKN-4, 1 November 1943; net-carrier refit Norfolk Navy Yard 29 Oct-16 Nov 1943; Norfolk to Pearl Harbor via Panama Canal 17 Nov-21 Dec 1943; assembled A/S nets Majuro, Kwajalein, Eniwetok Jan-Apr 1944; Eniwetok-San Francisco 12-30 Apr 1944; overhaul at Hurley Marine Works, Oakland CA, 1-7 May 1944; tested/loaded LISP-2 nets Tiburon Net Depot 8-17 May 1944; A/S nets Kwajalein, Saipan, Eniwetok June-July 1944; SF 17 Jul-5 Aug; LISP-2 and XLI nets Tiburon 5-11 Aug; Tiburon to Guadalcanal 11 Aug-1 Sep 1944; decommissioned San Francisco 5 December 1945; laid up 30 June 1946; transferred to WSA for disposal 1 July 1946; sold to West India Fruit and Steam Ship Co. of Florida, registered under Honduran flag as Henry M. Flagler, 7 March 1947; removed from Reserve Fleet and turned over 10 March 1947; Sea Highway Co. Honduran flag, renamed Flagler Odeca, 1961; Odecaa Terminal Co. Panama flag, renamed Freight Transporter, 1964; Co-ordinated Caribbean Transport Inc. Panama flag 1970; foundered in a gale off the northeast coast of the Azores while en route Jacksonville to Bilbao for scrapping, 16 December 1971. Spec block: 3,582 t light / 6,150 t full load; 353'0" oa; beam 57'0"; draft 17'0"; 12 kts; complement 278; three 3"/50 DP mounts, two twin 40mm AA, four .50 cal., two .30 cal.; four Scotch single-ended cylindrical boilers, two 2,700shp Cramp vertical triple-expansion engines, two shafts; approx. 800 mines. Casualty block: Iwo Jima 21 February 1945 - 16 KIA, 1 MIA, 1 DOW, 44 WIA; plus F1c John Feranec lost North Pacific 17 April 1944. Editorial note asserts DANFS is incorrect that CM-8 was named for the Sauk chief - 'like most minelayers, Keokuk was named for a Civil War era ship.'

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1914-1971

   Population

   Wartime crew (1942-1945, complement ~278); merchant crews 1914-1939, 1947-1971; documented yard workforces (Fletcher's/Bethlehem Hoboken; Norfolk Navy Yard; Hurley Marine Works Oakland; Pearl Harbor)

   Limitations

   Volunteer-maintained secondary compilation, not an official record - corroborated against DANFS where they overlap. Sole source for the Trinidad/Key West April 1942 fields, the Cape Hatteras 22-25 May 1942 field, the dated Hoboken/Oakland/Tiburon yard events, the post-1947 commercial chain, and the casualty accounting 16 KIA/1 MIA/1 DOW/44 WIA (vs DANFS '17 killed and 44 wounded' - consistent if the DOW is counted among the dead; logged in the correction row). Norfolk-Pacific departure 17 Nov 1943 conflicts with DANFS 23 Nov; CM-8 date 18 May agrees with DANFS (shipscribe 15 May); header's 'renamed Columbia Heights 1940' conflicts with its own April 1941 chronology line - all logged. Editorial namesake claim contradicts DANFS - secondary-only, not asserted. Contains no asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-keokuk-cm8-03

5. [5]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton), William Cramp & Sons construction list - hull nos. 421 (Henry M. Flagler), 433 (Joseph R. Parrott), 504 (Estrada Palma) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Cramp yard list, rows 421, 433, 504

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton) William Cramp & Sons construction list, hull 421 row: O.N. 212826; original name Henry M. Flagler; owner Florida E. Coast Rlwy; type Ferry; 2,699 GT; 337 ft; delivered Dec-14; disposition 'Keokuk 1941, Henry M. Flagler 1947, Flagler Odeca 1961, Freight Transporter 1964, sank 1971' - corroborating the build identity, merchant official number, delivery, the full post-Navy name chain, and the 1971 loss. Sister rows: hull 433 Joseph R. Parrott (1916) 'To US ... as Salem (CM 11), Shawmut 1945, Joseph R. Parrott 1947, scrapped 1969'; hull 504 Estrada Palma (Nov-20) 'Later Weehawken 1942, wrecked Okinawa 1945.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1914-1971

   Population

   William Cramp & Sons construction workforce (Philadelphia, 1914)

   Limitations

   Compiler's yard table, secondary - corroborates builder yard, yard number, official number, gross tonnage, delivery month, the sister-ship linkage (the three FEC ferries), the post-1947 names, and the 1971 sinking (no date/position given). 337 ft is the registered/waterline length vs the 353 ft overall printed by DANFS - different measures, not a conflict. No asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-keokuk-cm8-04

6. [6]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) - for the 1941-45 conversion/yard periods; 1914-era steam-plant material practice is general era knowledge, asserted here only as inference [other_primary]

   Locator

   Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Class/era inference only. Two distinct asbestos-relevant periods: (a) original 1914 construction - a steam rail-car ferry with four Scotch boilers and twin triple-expansion engines, a plant type whose era standard practice used asbestos-containing boiler and steam-line insulation, gaskets, and packing; (b) the 1941-42 Navy conversion at Bethlehem Steel's Fletcher Division (Hoboken) and documented wartime yard periods (Fletcher's Shipyard Feb 1943; Bethlehem Shipbuilding Hoboken Apr 1943; Norfolk Navy Yard Oct-Nov 1943; Hurley Marine Works Oakland May 1944; Pearl Harbor overhaul ~Apr-Jun 1945; Leyte battle-damage repairs Feb-Mar 1945) - all inside the documented WWII peak of asbestos use in U.S. shipbuilding and ship repair, per peer-reviewed scholarship.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1914; 1941-1945

   Population

   Shipyard workers at documented conversion/repair yards (1941-45); ship's engine-room and repair personnel (era inference)

   Limitations

   Era/program-level scholarship and design-era inference - no source names this hull and no asbestos product is documented aboard it. Does not establish presence, quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation; the WWII-era scholarship covers the yard events but does not document what material was installed in or removed from this hull during them.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-keokuk-cm8-05

7. [7]NHHC, 'Iowa's Naval History' infographic (official U.S. Navy publication), ship listing panel [other_primary]

   Locator

   NHHC infographic PDF, Iowa ship-name listing

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NHHC's 'Iowa's Naval History' infographic lists three Iowa-named USS Keokuks side by side - 'USS Keokuk (Civil War Ironclad)', 'USS Keokuk (CMC 6), 1942', and 'USS Keokuk (YTB 771)' - official NHHC corroboration that the WWII minelayer is indexed under its first designation CMC-6 and is a distinct hull from both the ironclad and the 1964 tug. Consistent with the DANFS entry title 'Keokuk II (CMC-6)' and with the batch instruction to consolidate CMC-6, AN-5, CM-8, and AKN-4 as one hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1941-1945 (referent window)

   Limitations

   Identity/consolidation corroboration only - a poster-format ship-name list containing no history, materials, or asbestos information. Supports the one-hull merge of the AN-5 and CM-8 master-list rows and the CMC-6 all-tier match; supports nothing else.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-keokuk-cm8-06

8. [8]NARA, Special List 44 - Named Vessels index (archives.gov), Keokuk (AN-5) row [other_primary]

   Locator

   SL-44 named-vessels table, 'Keokuk (AN-5) 3/1/1942 - 12/5/1945' row

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA Special List 44 (List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947), named-vessel index, lists one deck-log run for this hull: 'Keokuk (AN-5) 3/1/1942 - 12/5/1945' - covering her entire Navy career from commissioning-week through decommissioning day. Verified by direct text extraction from the archives.gov named-vessels table this session. The entry is indexed under her commissioning designation AN-5; no separate CM-8/AKN-4 runs are listed because the index files commissioned vessels under one line.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-1945 records

   Limitations

   Verifies that a deck-log run exists in NARA custody for this hull - a lead for hull-level detail (operations, repairs, possibly material references in log remarks), not itself evidence of materials aboard. Logs are indexed but not necessarily digitized; box-level retrieval not performed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-keokuk-cm8-07

9. [9]CourtListener API v4 searches via fleet helper cl-auth-search.py: '"USS Keokuk"' type=o; '"Keokuk" "CM-8"' type=o; '"Keokuk" "AN-5"' type=o; '"Keokuk" asbestos' type=o and type=r; '"Keokuk" "AKN-4"' type=r; '"Columbia Heights" asbestos' type=o [court_record]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-keokuk-cm8-08 through sl-uss-keokuk-cm8-15

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener sweep (API v4, authenticated via cl-auth-search.py, 2026-09-26): '"USS Keokuk"' opinions = 0; '"Keokuk" "CM-8"' opinions = 0; '"Keokuk" "AKN-4"' dockets = 0; '"Keokuk" "AN-5"' opinions = 2, both name collisions (West Lakes Properties v. Greenspon Property Management, Iowa Ct. App. 2017 - Keokuk property/county reference; Rock-Koshkonong Lake District v. State DNR, Wis. 2013 - 'AN-5' as a document/exhibit string); '"Keokuk" asbestos' opinions = 6, all name collisions on the Iowa city/county (Christ Vision v. City of Keokuk; Brewer v. Blackwell; Meyer v. Iowa State Penitentiary; Hallaba v. Worldcom; U.S. v. Dico; In re Trusteeship of Boyd) - none maritime, none naming the vessel; '"Keokuk" asbestos' dockets = 43, reviewed first page all place-name collisions (Keokuk, Iowa, addresses/parties in bankruptcy, product-liability, and insurance dockets) - no vessel naming surfaced; '"Columbia Heights" asbestos' opinions = 4, all collisions on the D.C. neighborhood / Minnesota place name (Jefferson-11th Street v. District of Columbia; ISD 197 v. Accident & Casualty Ins.; Heimerl v. Tech Electric; In re Rhone-Poulenc Rorer) - none naming the merchant hull. No qualifying asbestos litigation, no other litigation, no docket naming this hull located. Fleet pacing budget intermittently exhausted during the session; several queued queries (docket-level '"USS Keokuk"', opinion-level '"Keokuk" "AKN-4"', and the remaining merchant-name queries for 'Henry M. Flagler'/'Flagler Odeca'/'Freight Transporter') did not return - logged in the ledger as blocked/pending rather than silently omitted.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2026-09-26

   Limitations

   Bounded sweep, not proof of absence: RECAP indexing is incomplete for older dockets, an unindexed complaint naming the hull cannot be ruled out, and the bare name 'Keokuk' collides heavily with the Iowa city/county - any future hit requires hull resolution before attribution. Queries that stayed pacing-blocked this session are carried as pending/blocked ledger rows; the completed queries returned no qualifying hit.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-keokuk-cm8-08

10. [10]Batch-3105 search ledger (this record): DANFS via Wayback capture of NHHC page; shipscribe AN-5 register + photo page; NavSource CM-8 archive page; shipbuildinghistory Cramp yard list; NARA SL-44 named-vessels index; NHHC Iowa infographic; MARAD ShipHistory public search; EPA/OSHA/DOL/Navy site searches; CourtListener API v4 name/hull/alias searches [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-keokuk-cm8-01 through sl-uss-keokuk-cm8-18

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, material specification, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming USS Keokuk (CMc-6/AN-5/CM-8/AKN-4) or her merchant names (Henry M. Flagler, Columbia Heights, Flagler Odeca, Freight Transporter) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull foundered at sea in 1971 - before the asbestos-litigation era peaked and without ever entering MARAD/NDRF custody or museum service - so the usual post-service documentary surface (surplus survey, donation hazmat disclosure, museum abatement) does not exist for this vessel.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    2026-09-26

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1914 steam vessel converted in 1941-42 with five documented wartime yard periods is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials aboard. The hull is gone (1971), so no present-day survey can ever arise. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-keokuk-cm8-09

11. [11]NARA record-group mapping for commissioned Navy vessels: RG 24 (deck logs), RG 19 (BuShips/BuC&R), RG 38 (war diaries), NARA still-picture series 19-N and 80-G, RG 178/MARAD custody records; archival-lead nature per shipscribe SP/ID source notes on RG 19 Entry 115 QS1 files [other_primary]

    Locator

    NARA Guide to Federal Records RG 24; shipscribe AN-5 photo page (usnaux.shipscribe.com/AN/AN05-p.html) for the 19-N photo identifiers

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs for Keokuk (AN-5), Mar 1942-Dec 1945, indexed in Special List 44 (see ev-07); (b) NARA RG 19, Bureau of Construction and Repair / Bureau of Ships records - merchant-vessel inspection file for ID-1585 and the CMc-6/AN-5 conversion specifications/correspondence (shipscribe sources note RG 19 Entry 115 QS1-(ID number) inspection files); (c) NARA RG 38 war diary; (d) NARA still pictures 19-N-36498 and 19-N-36500 (CM-8 configuration near Norfolk Navy Yard, 1 Nov 1942) and 19-N-81342 and 19-N-81345 (AKN-4, San Francisco, 27 Nov 1944), identified via the shipscribe photo page; (e) Maritime Commission bareboat-charter and WSA disposal file (RG 178 / MARAD status-card series) - the hull was MC-disposed, so a status card plausibly exists.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1941-1971 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. The MARAD status-card surface is plausible because the hull was MC-chartered and MC-disposed, but the database's script-driven search interface returned no parseable result this session (see ledger). Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-keokuk-cm8-10

12. [12]Project master-hull-list.json (ships-worktrees/hull-list) AN-5 and CM-8 rows; NHHC DANFS entry title 'Keokuk II (CMC-6)'; NHHC Iowa infographic; batch-9467 uss-keokuk-ytb771.atlas.json disambiguation [other_primary]

    Locator

    master-hull-list.json Keokuk rows; DANFS entry header; NHHC infographic; batch-9467 record ev-uss-keokuk-ytb771-03

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    One-hull consolidation surface documented: the project master hull list indexes this ship twice - 'USS Keokuk | AN-5 | Net Laying Ship | tier 2' and 'USS Keokuk | CM-8 | Minelayer | Keokuk class | tier 2' - two rows for the single hull whose successive designations were CMc-6 (1941), AN-5 (1941-42), CM-8 (1942-43), AKN-4 (1943-45). DANFS files the single entry under 'Keokuk II (CMC-6)'; NHHC's Iowa infographic lists the WWII ship as 'USS Keokuk (CMC 6), 1942'. The canonical record slug for this consolidation is uss-keokuk-cm8 per the batch instruction. Collision cautions: (a) USS Keokuk (1863 ironclad) - different hull; (b) USS Keokuk YTB-771 (1964 Natick-class harbor tug) - different hull, covered by uss-keokuk-ytb771 (batch-9467); (c) bare-name 'Keokuk' litigation hits are Keokuk, Iowa place-name collisions; (d) merchant aliases Henry M. Flagler, Columbia Heights, Flagler Odeca, Freight Transporter collide with unrelated vessels/places.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1941-1971

    Limitations

    Identity/disambiguation context only - establishes that four Navy designations and one merchant name chain refer to a single hull, and that three naval 'Keokuks' exist. Does not itself evidence anything about this hull's materials.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-keokuk-cm8-11

13. [13]Cross-source check: DANFS (Wayback NHHC capture) vs shipscribe AN-5 register vs NavSource CM-8 page vs Cramp yard list - same citations as ev-01 through ev-04 [other_primary]

    Locator

    Same citations as ev-01 through ev-04

    Finding type

    vessel_history

    Finding

    Source discrepancies documented, not reconciled: (a) CM-8 reclassification - 18 May 1942 (DANFS, NavSource) vs 15 May 1942 (shipscribe ship notes); DANFS 18 May carried as authoritative. (b) Norfolk departure for the Pacific - 23 November 1943 (DANFS) vs 17 November 1943 (NavSource chronology; NavSource also prints the Norfolk Navy Yard refit ending 16 Nov); DANFS carried in prose. (c) Columbia Heights rename - '1940' (NavSource header, shipscribe 'ex-HENRY M. FLAGLER 1940') vs 'April 1941' sale/rename (NavSource chronology, shipscribe class notes) - internally inconsistent in NavSource itself; both dates recorded, neither asserted. (d) Iwo Jima casualties - '17 killed and 44 wounded' (DANFS) vs '16 KIA, 1 MIA, 1 DOW, 44 WIA' (NavSource) - consistent if the DOW is counted among the dead; reported both ways. (e) Armament - DANFS stats line '2 3", 4 .50 cal, 2 .30 cal' vs NavSource 'three 3"/50 DP, two twin 40mm, four .50, two .30' vs shipscribe dated fits (2x3"/50 + 8x20mm in 1942; 3x3"/50 + 12x20mm 1943; 3x3"/50 + 2x40mm twin + up-to-16x20mm 1943-45) - dated configurations explain the variance. (f) Namesake - DANFS derives the name from the Sauk leader Keokuk; NavSource's editorial note asserts she was named for the 1863 ironclad like sister minelayers - secondary-only claim, unresolved. (g) Disposal wording - 'acquired ... on a Maritime Commission bare boat charter' (DANFS) vs 'requisitioned' (secondary summaries) - DANFS's bareboat-charter mechanism carried. (h) Displacement figures - DANFS dp. 6,150 (full) vs NavSource/shipscribe 3,582 light / 6,150 lim. - consistent once light/full distinction is read; Cramp list prints 2,699 GT (merchant measurement, different basis).

    Verification

    disputed

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1914-1971

    Limitations

    Resolves nothing - documents genuine multi-source conflicts so a future pass does not silently pick one figure. DANFS values are carried where they conflict (18 May 1942; 23 Nov 1943; 17 KIA/44 WIA; bareboat charter). No asbestos content in any of these sources.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-keokuk-cm8-12