Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]CourtListener opinion search: 'USS Kitkun Bay' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'USS Kitkun Bay' returned 0 results (2026-10-07)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- zero-hit search; absence of hits is not proof of no litigation
- Evidence ID
- uss-kitkun-bay-cve71-cl-name-opinion
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[2]CourtListener docket search: 'USS Kitkun Bay' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'USS Kitkun Bay' returned 0 results (2026-10-07)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- zero-hit search; absence of hits is not proof of no litigation
- Evidence ID
- uss-kitkun-bay-cve71-cl-name-docket
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[3]CourtListener opinion search: 'CVE-71' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'CVE-71' returned 141 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-kitkun-bay-cve71-cl-hull-opinion
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[4]CourtListener docket search: 'CVE-71' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'CVE-71' returned 3712 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-kitkun-bay-cve71-cl-hull-docket
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[5]DANFS, USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) entry - designation lineage, construction, WWII service narrative, disposal (verbatim transcription; live NHHC page returned 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS CVE-71 entry - designation/construction paragraph, service paragraphs, disposal paragraph, and class data block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents: Kitkun Bay originally designated as an AVG, classified ACV-71 on 20 August 1942, and reclassified CVE-71 on 16 July 1943 - the same hull under all three designations; laid down 3 May 1943; launched 8 November 1943 by Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Inc., Vancouver, Wash., under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. Edward A. Cruise; commissioned 15 December 1943, Captain J.P. Whitney in command. Service: 28 January-6 March 1944 replenishment voyage San Diego-New Hebrides; May 1944 Pearl Harbor training with VC-5 and Rear Adm. Salada, ComCarDiv 26, embarked; 31 May sortie escorting TG 52.17 to Saipan; 14 June began strikes on Marianas positions; eight enemy planes splashed 17 June and three more by her guns 18 June; support sorties Saipan, Tinian, Guam to 4 August; 15-21 September cover for Peleliu/Angaur; departed 12 October, joined Rear Adm. Clifton Sprague's Taffy 3 (six CVEs plus screen); Leyte strikes from 20 October; 25 October Battle off Samar - in the forefront of the circular formation, escaped direct hits until the enemy broke off at 0925; later that morning splashed a Betty but a Zeke crashed her port catwalk - 1 killed, 16 wounded. 1 January 1945 TU 77.4.3 Lingayen Transport Cover Group; 8 January 1945 an Oscar crashed her portside amidships at the waterline and a 5-inch shell struck starboard - 16 dead, 37 wounded; withdrew on one engine, arrived San Pedro 28 February. June 1945 returned to western Pacific; 3 July sortied with the train supporting 3d Fleet fast carriers off Japan; mid-August TF 44 at Adak for Admiral F.J. Fletcher's northern Honshu/Hokkaido surrender mission; off Honshu 7-27 September for POW feeding/transport; Magic Carpet - debarked 554 troops at San Francisco 19 October; voyages concluded 12 January 1946. Entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard 18 February 1946, decommissioned 19 April; sold 18 November 1946 to Zidell Machinery & Supply Co., Portland, Oreg.; scrapped early 1947. Presidential Unit Citation plus six battle stars. Class data block: 7,800 t; 512'3"; b. 65'; ew. 101'1"; dr. 22'6"; 19 k.; cpl. 860; 1 5", 16 40mm., 20 20mm., 28 ac.; cl. Casablanca; T. S4-S2-BB3.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1942-1947
- Population
- Crew (complement 860); embarked squadrons VC-5, VC-91, VC-63
- Limitations
- Documents designation lineage (confirming AVG-71 is this same hull, not an absent vessel), construction, combat service, battle damage, and disposal for this hull; contains no insulation, material, or asbestos information. Stricken date is not covered by this source. Laid-down date conflicts with the class-profile compiled table (3 May vs 31 May 1943) - carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kitkun-bay-cve71-01
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[6]NavSource Online, Escort Carrier Photo Archive, USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) - class data block, Fate entry, name section, photo captions (incl. Kaiser yard newspaper 'Bo's'n's Whistle' launch coverage and NARA photo records), commanding-officer and squadron lists [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource CVE-71 page - class data block, Fate line, Name/World War II caption sections, Composite Squadrons section
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NavSource confirms: Casablanca class; 7,800 t; 512'3" oa x 65'2" x 22'4"; 1 x 5"/38AA, 8 x 40mm, 12 x 20mm, 27 aircraft; 9,000 ihp, 2 Skinner Uniflow engines, 2 screws, 19 knots, crew 860. Fate: stricken 8 May 1946, citing Navy Department Bulletin 46-970, p. 24. Kaiser yard hull no. 317 per Bo's'n's Whistle captions; sponsor given as Mrs. Edgar A. Cruise, wife of CAPT Cruise of Seattle NAS. COs: CAPT John P. Whitney, CAPT Albert Handly, CAPT John F. Greenslade. Squadrons: VC-5 (Dec 1943-Nov 1944), VC-91 (Nov 1944-Feb 1945), VC-63 (May-Sep 1945). NARA photo captions corroborate the Samar action and the 8 January 1945 Lingayen kamikaze, including a hull hole ~20 ft long x 7 ft high between frames 113-121.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- n/a (building/fate data)
- Limitations
- Compiled secondary archive consistent with DANFS on all overlapping facts; no insulation/asbestos content. Sponsor named 'Mrs. Edgar A. Cruise' vs DANFS 'Mrs. Edward A. Cruise'; armament/aircraft counts differ from the DANFS data block - both carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kitkun-bay-cve71-02
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[7]U.S. Navy, Bureau of Ships Technical Manual, NAVSHIPS 250-000, Chapter 39 'Thermal Insulation' (1960, page date 15 April 1959) - specification-level document for Navy shipboard insulation materials [other_primary]
- Locator
- BuShips TM ch.39, sections 39-11 through 39-13 (materials)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The 1960 BuShips Technical Manual's insulation chapter enumerates the asbestos material suite standard to Navy steam plants of this hull's construction era: MIL-I-2781 pipe covering including 85% magnesia 'formed from a combination of 85 percent magnesium carbonate with about 15 percent asbestos fiber' and a class 'formed from a uniform mixture of amosite asbestos fibers'; roll asbestos felt MIL-I-15091; asbestos cloth/tape SS-C-466 (80-95% chrysotile) as lagging; asbestos millboard HH-M-351; asbestos finishing cement; molded asbestos block for high-temperature service. This hull's four Babcock & Wilcox boilers, two Skinner Uniflow reciprocating steam engines, and associated steam piping are the equipment classes these specifications cover.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1960 (manual); describes era-standard specifications
- Population
- Construction trades (Kaiser Vancouver, 1943); crew (1943-1946); repair-yard workers (San Pedro 1945; Puget Sound NSY 1946)
- Limitations
- Specification-level documentation of materials the Navy specified, not a ship-specific installation record - establishes the era insulation suite, not what was installed on this hull. Construction (May-December 1943) is inside the asbestos-spec period. Retrieved PDF is a scan hosted in the Garlock bankruptcy Daubert-appendix repository; the document itself is the government manual (verified in class-D profile 2026-09-16 and in batch-54 2026-09-18).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kitkun-bay-cve71-03
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[8]Washington State Department of Ecology, cleanup site page 'Kaiser Shipyard Debris Pile' (csid 1831) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Ecology site record - site history paragraph (Kaiser Vancouver yard role and fill debris)
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- Washington State Dept. of Ecology cleanup-site record for the 'Kaiser Shipyard Debris Pile': in 1942 the site was developed as part of the Kaiser Vancouver Shipyard, which 'was responsible for construction of liberty ships, escort carriers, and transport ships used during World War II'; shipyard debris (metal, pipes, firebrick, ceramics) was used as fill 1940-1946. This is the yard that built this hull (yard no. 317).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1940-1946 yard operations
- Population
- Kaiser Vancouver yard workforce (era context)
- Limitations
- Official state environmental record confirming the builder yard's escort-carrier program and industrial debris stream; the record does not itself list asbestos among documented debris constituents. Yard-level context only - not a hull record (verified in class-D profile 2026-09-16).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kitkun-bay-cve71-04
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[9]Oregon DEQ, Northwest Region Cleanup Program, 'Zidell Waterfront Property Cleanup' (Scott Manzano, 2012) - site history, contaminants, regulatory milestones [other_primary]
- Locator
- DEQ presentation, 'Background', 'Site Contaminants', 'Regulatory Milestones', and 'Summer 2010 Upland Remedial Action' slides
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- Official DEQ cleanup record: the former ironworks shipyard site on Portland's South Waterfront was purchased by Zidell in 1946; '336 ships dismantled over 30 years - scrap sold, waste used as site fill.' Listed site contaminants in groundwater, upland soil, and riverbed sediment include asbestos alongside metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, PAHs, PCBs, and butyltins; the 2010 upland remedial action included an asbestos-abatement project with certified workers, air monitoring, and bulk ACM disposal. Regulatory track: 1987 DEQ/EPA joint site assessment; 2003 RI complete; 2005 Record of Decision; 2006 Consent Decree. DANFS records this hull sold 18 November 1946 to Zidell Machinery & Supply Co., Portland, and scrapped early 1947 - inside the dismantling stream this record documents.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1946-c.1976 dismantling era; 1987-2012 cleanup
- Population
- Zidell ship-dismantling workforce (1946-c.1976 era); cleanup crews (2010-2012)
- Limitations
- Site-level record - the DEQ document does not name this hull or attribute contaminants to any specific vessel; establishes that the scrapping yard where this hull was broken up operated a 30-year ship-dismantling stream whose residual site waste included asbestos. Does not establish exposure for any individual worker or crewmember.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kitkun-bay-cve71-05
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[10]Braaten v. Saberhagen Holdings, 165 Wn.2d 373, 198 P.3d 1010 (Wash. 2008) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion factual background (Navy equipment asbestos use; PSNS exposure history)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Washington Supreme Court's factual summary states that Navy specifications called for asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, and packing aboard its vessels: 'the use of asbestos in and on Navy valves, pumps, and turbines was not by chance, but by design.' The opinion describes pipefitters/insulators disturbing asbestos insulation during shipyard maintenance at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard - the same yard where this hull was decommissioned in 1946.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1960s-1970s exposure era recounted in 2008 opinion
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (PSNS), plaintiff pipefitter
- Limitations
- Documents Navy-wide era practice and PSNS yard exposure, not this class or hull specifically. Plaintiff worked at PSNS on multiple vessels in the 1960s-1970s, two decades after this hull's 1946 inactivation there; the opinion does not name any member of this class. Era/context support only (verified in class-D profile 2026-09-16).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kitkun-bay-cve71-06
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[11]Batch-259 search ledger (this record): DANFS/NavSource/navypedia ship records; NHHC CVE hull roster; WA Ecology and Oregon DEQ site records; CourtListener API v4 (rate-limited) plus web-index ship-name sweeps [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-kitkun-bay-cve71-01 through sl-uss-kitkun-bay-cve71-13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, insulation specification, abatement contract, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Kitkun Bay under any designation (AVG-71 / ACV-71 / CVE-71) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). A site:courtlistener.com web-index sweep returned no vessel-relevant hits - only unrelated collisions (a motor vessel 'Kithnos' admiralty matter; cybersecurity CVE identifiers). Marketing pages asserting asbestos equipment aboard this hull (e.g., navyshipexposure.com, asbestos-products.com) were excluded under batch rules; their claimed 'litigation records' could not be traced to any located docket.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 2026-09-19
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943 Kaiser Vancouver-built steam plant sits inside the Navy's asbestos-specification era and the negative reflects record availability, not hull condition. CourtListener API v4 was rate-limited (HTTP 429, 125/day cap) at research time; the direct API name/hull-number sweeps are logged as blocked and the web-index check is a degraded method. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kitkun-bay-cve71-07