Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
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[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (NHHC), 'Kiamichi' entry - Wayback capture 2024-05-26 of history.navy.mil DANFS page (live NHHC URL returns 404 as of 2026-09-25) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry 'Kiamichi', single paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS (entry headed 'A river in Oklahoma.'): 'Kiamichi (AOG-73) was launched 17 August 1945 by St. Johns River Shipbuilding Corp., Jacksonville, Fla.; and sponsored by Mrs. B. C. Lourex. Kiamichi's acquisition was cancelled 29 August 1945 prior to commissioning. She was later completed for International Tankers, Panama. She was renamed Transmere in 1951, and in 1952 sold to Colombia and renamed Sancho Jimeno.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945-1952
- Limitations
- Establishes builder, launch date, sponsor, acquisition cancellation before commissioning, and the Transmere/Sancho Jimeno name chain. The ship was never commissioned, never carried a Navy crew, and was never stricken - 'USS Kiamichi' is the planned designation only. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kiamichi-aog73-01
-
[2]U.S. Maritime Administration, Vessel History Database - KIAMICHI, ShipHistory Detail 8905, digitized USMC vessel status card (card image /cards/3WK_01.png) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- Status card image, ShipHistory Detail 8905 (Status Cards tab)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Maritime Commission vessel status card for KIAMICHI (type TANKER, former name WHITE CASTLE, 'Basis to U.S.M.C.', 'act 1936' - Merchant Marine Act of 1936): 'UNCOMPLETED HULL # 2633' - 'SOLD TO INTERNATIONAL TANKERS' - delivered '7-16-47'. MARAD database shell lists fate 'Sold - Foreign Flag Op.' with all characteristics blank.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945-1947
- Limitations
- Primary custody record of the MC disposition - confirms hull 2633, incomplete-hull status, the WHITE CASTLE former name, and the July 1947 sale to International Tankers. Contains no materials, insulation, asbestos, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim. The card's 'SOLD' wording contradicts NavSource's 'leased' framing - logged in the correction row.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kiamichi-aog73-02
-
[3]U.S. Maritime Administration, Vessel History Database - WHITE CASTLE (1945), ShipHistory Detail 5146, digitized USMC 'Reserve Fleet Division - Vessel Data' card (card image /cards/5146_9495AF.jpg) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- Status card image, ShipHistory Detail 5146 (Status Cards tab)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Maritime Commission 'Reserve Fleet Division - Vessel Data' card for WHITE CASTLE (hand-annotated '(Kiamichi)', 'MC Hull 2633', type T1-M-BT1, Jacksonville Fla., St. Johns River Shipbuilding Co., hull no. 2633): '77.3% Complete'; 'Work suspended 8-26-45. USMC accepted 9-18-45'; 'Operation awarded to International Tankers 6/18/[47]'; 'physical delivery 7-19-47 dated back to 7-16-47'; 'DATE WITHDRAWN FROM FLEET 7-16-47 DELIVERED TO International Tankers'; ship's papers 'PD-X 357 5/5/47' with a second papers line annotated 'Rejected.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945-1947
- Limitations
- Primary custody record - confirms percent complete at suspension, MC acceptance date, and the award/delivery dates to International Tankers. Handwritten entries partially legible (image read directly); the physical-delivery '7-19-47 dated back to 7-16-47' note is consistent with the KIAMICHI card's 7-16-47. No materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kiamichi-aog73-03
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[4]Stephen S. Roberts, ShipScribe, 'USS Klickitat (AOG-64) Class' data page - construction/disposition tables, class notes, and per-hull ship notes compiled from Navy/Maritime Commission records [other_primary]
- Locator
- AOG-64 class page, construction/disposition tables, class notes, ship-note row 73
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- ShipScribe hull note for AOG-73/MC 2633: 'Suspended by MC 26 Aug 45, delivered 77.3% complete 18 Sep 45 as merc. WHITE CASTLE. Sold incomplete to International Tankers (Panamanian) 18 Jun 47 (to buyer 16 Jul 47), completed by Rickmers, Bremerhaven, in Sept. 1951 as merc. TRANSMERE (Panamanian). To Colombian Navy 1952 as SANCHO JIMENO, stricken 1974.' Construction table: keel 16 Apr 45, launched 17 Aug 45, never commissioned. Class notes: on 29 Aug 1945 CNO cancelled acquisition of AOG-67 and AOG-69 through AOG-75; the MC took delivery of the cancelled AOGs incomplete and sold them to private operators.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945-1974
- Limitations
- Authoritative compiled reference (Roberts' work draws on BuShips/MC records); it is a secondary compilation, not the underlying record itself. Establishes keel/launch dates, suspension percentage, the full custody chain including the unusual German completion, and the 1974 disposal. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kiamichi-aog73-04
-
[5]L. Chris Norgaard, 'Diesel-Propelled Tanker T1-M-BT1,' Pacific Marine Review, Vol. 42 (1945) - period technical design description of the exact MC type of this hull (mirrored text) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Mirrored article text, accommodation/machinery/vendor sections
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Period design description of the T1-M-BT1 type: single-screw geared diesel propulsion (Enterprise Engine & Foundry exhaust-turbo-supercharged diesel, 1,400 shp normal, reduction gear 2.586:1); packaged Foster-Wheeler steam generating plant of 2,500 lb/hr capacity supplying 50 psi steam for fuel-oil heaters and tank heating coils and 35 psi to the ship's heating and service system; 'Each living space is ventilated, heated, and insulated... All bulkheading in houses and quarters is of incombustible materials'; refrigerator spaces insulated with blanket-type mineral wool and mastic floors; refrigeration by Carrier freon compressors. Vendor list names Enterprise, Foster-Wheeler, Carrier, Welin davits, Globe Hoist windlass/warping winch, etc.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945 design article; type construction 1944-45
- Population
- Construction trades (St. Johns River yard, 1945); Rickmers Bremerhaven completion crews (1950-51); merchant and Colombian naval crews (1951-74)
- Limitations
- Type-level design documentation, not a hull record - describes the design of which hull 2633 was one of 12 units. The article never uses the word 'asbestos': 'incombustible' bulkheading is era-consistent with the asbestos-core marine panel products of the period (documented practice in 1940s U.S. tanker construction) but the material is not named; the specified mineral-wool reefer insulation is not asbestos. Diesel propulsion means no main boiler lagging pathway. Asbestos presence aboard this hull remains era inference, not ship-proven; establishes no quantity, location, or exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kiamichi-aog73-05
-
[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) [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 T1-M-BT1 hull was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- 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 this design type and does not establish that asbestos was aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kiamichi-aog73-06
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[7]St. Johns River Shipbuilding Co. v. Adams, 164 F.2d 1012 (5th Cir. 1947) [court_record]
- Locator
- 164 F.2d 1012, opinion text describing corporate history and the 1944 tanker contract
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Federal appellate opinion in a Fair Labor Standards Act wage case describing the builder's contract structure: St. Johns River Shipbuilding Co. was organized in March 1942 solely to contract with the U.S. Maritime Commission, built the yard and ships on government-owned property on a cost-plus basis with government oversight, and 'on July 26, 1944, a contract was made to build twelve tankers of a different design, to be finished between March 8, 1945, and May 6, 1945' - the contract under which hull 2633 was built.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1942-1947
- Population
- St. Johns River Shipbuilding workforce (1944-45) - yard-level context
- Limitations
- A wage-and-hours opinion, not an asbestos or vessel case - used here only as a court-verified description of the MC contract covering this hull (it does not name hull 2633). Documents yard organization and contract terms; establishes no exposure facts and no ship-specific materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kiamichi-aog73-07
-
[8]Naval History and Heritage Command, photo catalog record NH 45343, 'SANCHO JIMENO (Colombian tanker, 1945-1974)' - official U.S. Navy catalog caption (read via Wayback capture 2025-04-02; live NHHC URL not retried in this session) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NHHC photo catalog record NH 45343, caption text
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC catalog caption for photo NH 45343: 'Ordered by the U.S. Navy as USS KIAMICHI (AOG-73). Reverted to the Maritime Commission in August 1945 before completion and named WHITE CASTLE. Sold incomplete to a Panamanian company in 1947 and renamed TRANSMERE in 1951. Purchased by Colombia in 1952.' Catalog title dates the ship 'Colombian tanker, 1945-1974.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945-1974
- Population
- Colombian naval crews (1952-1974)
- Limitations
- Official Navy catalog record confirming the identity chain and Colombian disposition; corroborates DANFS's 1952 purchase year against NavSource's 1953. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kiamichi-aog73-08
-
[9]NavSource Naval History, Service Ship Photo Archive, Kiamichi (AOG-73) page - specifications block, name/custody chronology, and NHHC photos NH 45343 (also mirrored Miramar registry data via aukevisser.nl, IMO 5310591) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource AOG-73 page, specifications + chronology; aukevisser.nl id847 registry extract (IMO 5310591)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Service-archive data: Klickitat class, MC type T1-M-BT1, MC hull 2633, St. Johns River Shipbuilding, Jacksonville FL; naval acquisition cancelled 29 Aug 1945; 'Final Disposition, scrapped in 1974'; specifications - displacement 1,980 lt / 4,335 fl, length 325'2", beam 48'6", draft 15'8", 10 kts, complement 80 (8 officers, 72 enlisted), cargo 3,790 DWT incl. 871,331 gal gasoline, propulsion one Enterprise DNQ-38 diesel, single Westinghouse main reduction gear, two 250-kW 240V DC diesel-drive ship's service generators, single propeller, 800 shp. Miramar registry (via aukevisser.nl): IMO 5310591, launch 17.08.1945, completion 09.1951, owner Seatankers Inc., to Colombian Navy 1952.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945-1974
- Population
- Merchant crews (1951-52 Transmere); Colombian naval crews (1952-74); breakers (1974)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a curated photo/data archive (secondary compilation), not a primary record; its chronology lines conflict with the MC status cards (see correction row: 'leased' vs the card's 'SOLD'; 'Delivered to the Maritime Commission ... 16 July 1947' vs cards showing MC acceptance 18 Sep 1945 and buyer delivery 16 Jul 1947). Its Colombia date '1953' conflicts with DANFS/NHHC/ShipScribe/Miramar '1952.' Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kiamichi-aog73-09
-
[10]Batch-2021 search ledger (this record): CourtListener API v4 opinion and docket searches on 'USS Kiamichi', 'AOG-73', 'Kiamichi', 'Kiamichi asbestos', 'Sancho Jimeno', 'Transmere', '"White Castle" tanker ship vessel'; MARAD vessel history cards; NHHC catalog; ShipScribe; NavSource; Pacific Marine Review [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-kiamichi-aog73-05 through sl-uss-kiamichi-aog73-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying litigation located: 'USS Kiamichi' returned zero opinions; 'AOG-73' returned 36 opinion hits, every one a collision (Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corp. rate cases, Accessory Overhaul Group, 'In re AOG' bankruptcy, docket-number matches); 'Kiamichi' returned 115 opinion hits and 269 docket hits, all Oklahoma/Texas regional matters named for the Kiamichi River, Kiamichi Railroad, Kiamichi Electric Cooperative, Kiamichi Area Vo-Tech, etc. - pure name collision; 'Kiamichi asbestos' returned 2 opinion hits (Brock v. Baskin-Robbins, E.D. Tex. 2000; Marshall v. AFGE, W.D. Okla. 1998), both regional collisions; 'Sancho Jimeno' returned zero; 'Transmere' returned one fuzzy-name collision (Tranmer v. Mass Merchandisers, Neb. 1984); '"White Castle" tanker ship vessel' returned one admiralty collision (White Castle, Louisiana place-name in Mississippi Valley Barge Line v. The Quemado Lake, E.D. La. 1956). No docketed case, asbestos or otherwise, naming this hull was found.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Absence of located litigation does not prove absence of claims - merchant-marine asbestos claims typically name operators or product manufacturers rather than hulls, and this hull spent its entire career in commercial (Panamanian), German-completion, and Colombian naval service, largely outside U.S. court records. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kiamichi-aog73-10
-
[11]Source-discrepancy workup across NavSource AOG-73 page, MARAD status cards 8905/5146, ShipScribe ship-note row 73, DANFS, NHHC photo NH 45343, and Miramar registry data [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource AOG-73 chronology; MARAD cards 3WK_01.png and 5146_9495AF.jpg; ShipScribe row 73; DANFS; NHHC NH 45343; aukevisser id847 registry table
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies resolved: (a) Colombia sale year - NavSource and the aukevisser narrative print 1953; DANFS, the NHHC photo caption, ShipScribe, and the Miramar registry all give 1952 - 1952 adopted, NavSource's 1953 treated as an error. (b) 1947 transaction direction - NavSource compresses the record into 'Delivered to the Maritime Commission as an incomplete hull, 16 July 1947' and 'Leased ... to International Tankers'; the MC status cards show the hull was accepted by the MC 18 Sep 1945 and SOLD to International Tankers (operation awarded 6-18-47, withdrawn/delivered 7-16-47, physical delivery 7-19-47 dated back) - the cards control. (c) Launch name - NavSource says 'laid down ... as White Castle' and 'Launched, date unknown'; DANFS records a sponsored 17 Aug 1945 launch as Kiamichi and NHHC says the WHITE CASTLE name applied after the August 1945 reversion - adopted. (d) Propulsion power - ShipScribe class table and NavSource list 800 hp/shp; the 1945 Pacific Marine Review design article lists 1,400 shp normal - the design figure adopted for the summary, spread logged. (e) Complement - NavSource/HyperWar 80 vs. ShipScribe 91 - both carried, not merged.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945-1974
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies among primary cards and secondary/reference sources; ShipScribe and Miramar remain compilations - the underlying Lloyd's/MC registers were not directly consulted. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kiamichi-aog73-11
-
[12]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 178 (Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission); merchant-vessel logbook guidance under RG 26 (U.S. Coast Guard, distributed to regional facilities by port) [other_primary]
- Locator
- RG 178 Construction Division files; RG 26 logbook guidance; Rickmers (Bremerhaven) yard records; Colombian naval archives
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - research-room or reproduction order required; no spend authorized): NARA RG 178 holds MC Construction Division records and contract/termination files that may cover MC hull 2633's construction suspension and 1947 sale; the vessel's commercial-period logbooks (Transmere, 1951-52, Panamanian flag) would follow RG 26 merchant-logbook distribution by port of submission; the Rickmers yard's completion records (1947-51, Bremerhaven) are private German-yard records whose survival is unknown; Colombian naval records for SANCHO JIMENO (BT-63) sit outside U.S. repositories.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945-1974 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for hull 2633 is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kiamichi-aog73-12