Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
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[1]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during World War II - the era and program under which this R1-M-AV3 hull was built (1944) and fitted out (1945) at Pennsylvania Shipyards, Beaumont, and at its Gulf-coast conversion yards.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context); Pennsylvania Shipyards construction trades 1944-45
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was installed, disturbed, or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, exposure, or causation. This hull is diesel-powered - the boiler/steam-lagging inference applied to steam auxiliaries does not apply; era-consistent inference here is confined to gaskets, packing, insulation felts, fireproofing, refrigeration-system insulation, and brake linings.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kerstin-af34-01
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[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Kerstin (AF-34),' Naval History and Heritage Command (published 2015-07-28) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Kerstin' entry; canonical NHHC URL returned HTTP 404 on 2026-09-20 (standing NHHC link rot); text verified verbatim via Wayback Machine capture 2023-06-08 (web.archive.org/web/20230608040556/...) and its public-domain reproduction at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Kerstin_(AF-34)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry for Kerstin (AF-34): launched 16 July 1944 by Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc., Beaumont, Tex., under a Maritime Commission contract (sponsored by Mrs. W. B. Towns); acquired by the Navy 22 January 1945; commissioned 23 February 1945 at Houston, Tex., Lt. H. C. Prichard in command. Departed Galveston 14 March, loaded cargo at Mobile, arrived Pearl Harbor 14 April; assigned to Service Squadron 8 and took aboard 1,680 tons of refrigerated and dry provisions; for more than 6 months made supply runs carrying frozen food to ships and bases at Iwo Jima, Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Ulithi, Manus, Noumea, and Auckland. On 13 July steaming Saipan-Iwo Jima she directed the rescue of nine men from a disabled B-29 downed about 2 miles off her port quarter. By her 29 November 1945 departure from Saipan she had traveled more than 26,000 miles and delivered over 5,500 tons of refrigerated cargo. Postwar: deployed to the Pacific 1 January 1946 (Wake, Tarawa, Samoa, Marshalls); 11 Pacific voyages June 1946-December 1949 (four to the Far East, three to the Marianas and Marshalls, four to Pearl Harbor); departed Manila Bay 25 November 1949, arrived San Francisco 22 December; after overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard decommissioned 12 May 1950 and transferred to the Maritime Commission; name struck from the Naval Register 16 June; laid up in the Maritime Administration Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, Calif.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1950
- Limitations
- Authoritative operational history naming this hull throughout; contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazardous-material information whatsoever - supports no asbestos claim. Canonical NHHC URL is currently dead; text verified via Wayback capture and public-domain reproduction. DANFS header gives displacement 3,139 tons, complement 83, speed 12 kts.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kerstin-af34-02
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[3]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - KERSTIN (AF-34), Ship History Detail 2868, incl. digitized Reserve Fleet Division vessel-data status card (scans 2868_5331AF.jpg / 2868_5331AB.jpg) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 2868, milestone table and status-card scans (/cards/2868_5331AF.jpg front: fields 4, 7, 8, 12, 19, 22); Ship Exchange Program mechanics (Merchant Marine Act 1936 sec. 510(i) 'trade-out' of obsolete NDRF hulls) described in MARAD NR-eligibility assessment https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/documents/a288be6c-0d90-400e-bd09-ab9fe7180a65.pdf
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory database record for KERSTIN (AF-34), Ship History Detail 2868: year built 1945; shipyard Pennsylvania Shipyards; MARAD type R1-M-AV3; specific type AF Store Ship; 3,800 gross tons; fate 'Transferred - U.S. Govt.'; milestones show Entry 5/12/1950 and Acquisition 5/12/1950. Digitized NDRF status card adds: type R1-M-AV3, 'Mil. Aux. XAF', fleet Suisun Bay; where/when built 'Pennsylvania 1945'; date entered fleet 5-12-50 1315 hrs.; hull no. MC-2198; field 19 stamped 'Exchange Program/Star Kist Foods, Inc.'; field 22 (date withdrawn from fleet/delivered to) stamped '1200 PDT 8-10-72'.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1972
- Population
- NDRF Suisun Bay caretaker and stripping crews, 1950-1972 (fleet lay-up period documented; scope of work undocumented)
- Limitations
- Authoritative for government custody milestones and the 1972 withdrawal event; status-card handwriting partially legible (fields 10, 13, 15 not relied on). Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information - supports no asbestos claim. The card documents delivery to the buyer under the exchange program; it does not state a scrapping date or post-1972 employment.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kerstin-af34-03
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[4]Shipscribe, 'USS Adria (AF-30) Class' - compiled construction/disposition tables, class notes, and ship notes from Navy Ship's Data records (S.S. Roberts, compiled 2004-06-24) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AF-30 class page: construction table (AF-34 row: keel 5 May 44), class notes (R1-M-AV3 design origin, Navy-furnished refrigerating machinery), ship notes (AF-34 conversion yards, REEFER STAR disposition)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Shipscribe AF-30 (Adria) class compilation from Navy Ship's Data records: KERSTIN (AF-34), MC hull 2198 - keel 5 May 1944, launched 16 July 1944, acquired 22 January 1945, commissioned 23 February 1945; converted by Todd Galveston Dry Dock, Galveston, Tex. (in service for ferrying 22-23 January 1945) and by Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, Tex. (in service for ferrying 12-13 February 1945); to NDRF 1950; 'Sold by MA under its exchange program (to buyer 10 Aug 72), merc. REEFER STAR 1972.' Class data: design MC R1-M-AV3; displacement 3,139 light / 7,435 lim.; dimensions 338.5' oa x 50.0' x 21.1' lim.; speed 11.5 kts; propulsion 1 Nordberg diesel, 1 screw, 1,700 HP; complement 69 (1944); original armament 1-3"/50 + 6-20mm (1944-45), later 4-20mm then 4-20mmT for AF-30-33, 36-38. Class notes: the R1-M-AV3s were a refrigerated variant of the C1-M-AV1 cargo design with two of three main holds refrigerated; because Maritime Commission refrigerating machinery was delayed, the Navy supplied refrigerating machinery of its own design for AF 30-39 and had it installed in fitting-out yards.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1972
- Population
- Conversion-yard workers at Todd Galveston DD (Jan 1945) and Brown Shipbuilding, Houston (Feb 1945) - fitting-out documented; below-deck material scope undocumented
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of primary Navy/Maritime Commission records - the only located source for the 5 May 1944 keel date, the two Gulf-coast conversion yards, and the REEFER STAR merchant identity; none of the construction, conversion, or disposition entries contains any insulation-material or asbestos itemization - supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kerstin-af34-04
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[5]Carter, Worrall Reed, 'Beans, Bullets and Black Oil: The Story of Fleet Logistics Afloat in the Pacific During World War II,' Department of the Navy (1953), appendix ship roster (ibiblio HyperWar transcription) [other_primary]
- Locator
- BBBO Appendix, 'Stores Ships' roster entry: 'AF-34 Kerstin Lt H.C. Prichard'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official Navy history 'Beans, Bullets and Black Oil' (Rear Adm. Worrall Reed Carter, Naval History Division/GPO - the Navy's published account of Service Force operations in the Pacific in WWII) lists 'AF-34 Kerstin Lt H.C. Prichard' in its appendix roster of Stores Ships serving the Pacific war effort, corroborating the hull's wartime service in the Service Force logistics organization documented by DANFS.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- Official published roster naming this hull and its wartime commanding officer within the Service Force stores-ship organization; contains no asbestos or materials information - supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kerstin-af34-05
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[6]NARA record-group guides RG 19 / RG 32 (record-group level); NARA catalog search attempted 2026-09-20 (API returned HTML shell, not records); MARAD ShipHistory status-card annotations for custody trail [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog API query 'Kerstin AF-34' returned no parseable records on 2026-09-20; record-group guides at archives.gov
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (collection-level only - not individually confirmed for this hull, no retrieval performed): (a) NARA College Park deck logs and WWII war diaries routinely exist for commissioned auxiliaries of this period; specific AF-34 holdings were not confirmed in this pass (NARA catalog API non-responsive to queries); (b) RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) and RG 32 (U.S. Maritime Commission) records may hold the MC hulls 2194-2203 construction contract, R1-M-AV3 specifications, and Navy conversion/fitting-out correspondence; (c) MARAD disposition files for the 1972 Ship Exchange Program transaction with Star Kist Foods may document the exchange terms and the vessel's subsequent disposition; (d) no R1-M-AV3 design manual or materials schedule was located in public sources - unlike the EC2-S-C1 manual used for Liberty-ship records, no equivalent type-level materials document is available for this class.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1972 records
- Limitations
- Collection-level leads only; no box-level retrieval performed, no AF-34-specific holding confirmed, and no asbestos-specific documents identified - nothing in this row is an asbestos finding. Whether these records contain insulation-material information is unknown until surveyed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kerstin-af34-06
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[7]Batch-532 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS canonical URL (404) + Wayback capture; NavSource; shipscribe AF-30 class; MARAD ShipHistory 2868 + status card; official Service Force history (BBBO); R-type compilation (navalmarinearchive); CourtListener API v4 (opinions complete, dockets partial/throttled); HAER/LOC; NARA catalog; coltoncompany.com Pennsylvania Shipyards history [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-kerstin-af34-01 through sl-uss-kerstin-af34-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, specification itemization, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Kerstin (AF-34) or REEFER STAR was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener opinion-level search is complete for this pass: "USS Kerstin" = 0 hits; "Kerstin" + asbestos = 0; "Kerstin" + mesothelioma = 0; "Kerstin" + "AF-34" = 0; "AF-34" + asbestos = 0; bare "Kerstin" = 121 opinion hits, all person-name collisions (party names Kerstin). Docket-level search: "USS Kerstin" = 0; bare "Kerstin" = 2,211 hits, all person-name collisions on review of top results; refined docket queries were rate-limited mid-pass (API 125/day / hourly throttle, ~4-hour retry window) - backed off per batch rules; the dedicated docket pass is incomplete.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944-45 hull built and fitted out to WWII-era practice is era-consistent with asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, insulation, and fireproofing. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. Docket-level litigation search incomplete pending a non-throttled CourtListener pass.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kerstin-af34-07
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[8]NHHC/DANFS 'Kerstin' entry (Wayback capture); NavSource spec sheet 09/06/0634; shipscribe AF-30 class tables; MARAD ShipHistory 2868 + status card; ibiblio HyperWar AF-34 page; navalmarinearchive R-type compilation [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS header (cpl. 83; dp. 3,139); NavSource spec table (3,139/7,435; 10+74); shipscribe AF-30 construction/class tables (keel 5 May 44; 69; 7,435 lim.; REEFER STAR); MARAD status card (Star Kist delivery 8-10-72); navalmarinearchive 2rtypeships.html (MC 2198, yard hull 321, 'scrapped')
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies noted and resolved or flagged: (a) laid-down date - DANFS and NavSource state 'date unknown'; the shipscribe compiled class table gives keel 5 May 1944 and is adopted here with its single-source status flagged. (b) Complement - DANFS header lists cpl. 83; the NavSource spec sheet lists 10 officers + 74 enlisted (84); shipscribe class data lists 69 (1944); all three are carried, none merged. (c) Full-load displacement - HyperWar/Wikipedia infoboxes give 6,240 tons; NavSource spec sheet, shipscribe class data, and the R-type compilation agree on 7,435 (lim/fl) - 7,435 adopted. (d) Final disposition - secondary sources (NavSource, Wikipedia, R-type compilation) state 'scrapped, date unknown'; the MARAD status card and shipscribe document delivery to Star Kist Foods, Inc. on 10 August 1972 under the Ship Exchange Program and conversion to merchant REEFER STAR 1972 - a scrapping date is not documented in consulted sources. (e) Year built - MARAD lists 1945 (completion/delivery year); the hull was launched 16 July 1944.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1972
- Limitations
- Resolves or flags publication-level discrepancies in secondary framings; does not affect identity or the custody timeline. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kerstin-af34-08