Evidence
7 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-7).
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[1]research packet h-packet.md (10 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: **VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-kittson-apa123-pkt-h-packet-md
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[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'Kittson' entry (NHHC page via Internet Archive Wayback capture 2025-02-02; live NHHC page returned HTTP 404 at time of access - known NHHC link rot, consistent with Batch-01 standing note) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Kittson' entry (APA-123), full text; NHHC page published 2015-07-28
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents the ship's identity and service: launched 28 August 1944 by California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, Calif., under Maritime Commission contract; acquired by the Navy 4 November 1944; commissioned 5 November 1944 (Capt. G. B. Helmick); cleared San Diego 26 December 1944 with the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing; Majuro 12 January 1945; Leyte 1 February; departed Leyte 27 March with 7th Division units; off Hagushi Beach, Okinawa, 1 April 1945, unloading cargo and assisting smoke-screen operations until sailing 7 April; San Francisco Bay 30 May; Okinawa again 24 July; occupation troop lifts to Japan and Taku Bay, China (24 October); two Magic-Carpet voyages; San Pedro 13 January 1946; Norfolk 4 February; decommissioned 11 March 1946; returned to Maritime Commission 13 March; NDRF James River. One battle star. DANFS header: dp. 14,800; l. 455'; b. 62'; dr. 28'; s. 16.5 k.; a. 1 5", 12 40mm., 10 20mm.; cl. Haskell.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Limitations
- Authoritative Navy history text; contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or survey statement. DANFS is the launch-date authority (28 August 1944) against the class profile's 29 August - conflict logged in gaps. Does not establish any asbestos fact.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kittson-apa123-01
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[3]MARAD Vessel History Database, KITTSON (APA-123) detail page (vessel ID 2890) with digitized vessel status cards: 3x9 custody card (3X9_01.png), Reserve Fleet Division vessel-data card front and reverse (2890_5373AF.jpg / 2890_5373AB.jpg), and Record of Ship Sales Form MA-20 (2890_AF.jpg) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov Detail/2890 - 'Status Cards' panel (4 images) and Milestones (Disposition/Withdrawal 6/4/1973)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- MARAD primary custody record for this hull, read directly from the digitized cards: hull MCV-36, type VC2-S-AP5, built by Calif. S.B. Corp. at Wilmington, completed 10-31-44; 'Basis to W.S.A. 10-31-44 3:00PM PWT @ Wilmington, Calif. del. by Builders to USMC'; delivered to Navy Dept. (del. by USMC, form LB) at Wilmington 11-4-44 11:15AM PWT; to WSA Reserve Fleet at Lee Hall, Va. 3-13-46 2:15PM EST; withdrawn to A. L. Burbank & Co., Ltd. (Repair Program, GAA) James River 9-26-55 12:30PM EST and returned to Reserve Fleet 11-17-55 9:30AM EST; sold to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. (Scrap) 4-9-73, physical delivery 6-4-73 1:30PM EDT. Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales: PD-X-956, awarded to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. 4-9-73 for $111,560.00, contract MA-6927, 'Advertised under PD-X-956 dated 3-5-73 opened 4-4-73 under two condition: (1) NTU (2) Scrap Hull - U. S. Award under condition (2) Scrap Hull - U. S. 24 months.' Card reverse carries a 1-5-49 permanent-ballast record (concrete/block by compartment, done alongside USS Lanier APA-125); fuel oil at fleet entry 800 bbls Bunker C / 90 diesel; termination port Norfolk. Stripping-of-vessel fields (deck/engine/steward equipment) are blank.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- NDRF caretakers, Lee Hall/James River (1946-1973); A. L. Burbank & Co. repair-program workforce (Sept-Nov 1955); Union Minerals & Alloys shipbreaking workforce (1973)
- Limitations
- Authoritative custody/disposal record; no asbestos, insulation, or hazardous-material field or annotation appears anywhere on the four cards. The stripping-equipment fields are blank - records no stripping scope, not proof none occurred. The 1955 repair-program withdrawal is documented as an event only; its work scope is not recorded on the card. Does not establish any asbestos fact.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kittson-apa123-02
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[4]NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Kittson (APA-123) entry - reproduces DANFS text plus ship-data sheet, commanding-officer list, campaign/award tables, and MARAD/NDRF status-card movements [other_primary]
- Locator
- APA-123 entry: build/milestone block, campaign and occupation-service tables, NDRF movement block, specifications block, CO list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Status-card-derived milestones for this hull consistent with the MARAD cards: laid down 25 June 1944 as Maritime Commission type VC2-S-AP5 (MCV hull 36) at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington; launched 28 August 1944; delivered to Maritime Commission 31 October 1944; acquired 4 November; commissioned 5 November 1944 (CAPT. Guy Benton Helmick USNR, to 19 July 1945; then CAPT. William A. P. Martin USN to decommissioning); TransRon Nineteen / TransDiv Fifty-Six; decommissioned Norfolk 11 March 1946; returned to Maritime Commission 13 March 1946 for NDRF James River Group, Lee Hall; struck 20 March 1946; Burbank repair-program withdrawal 26 September 1955, return 17 November 1955; sold for scrapping 9 April 1973 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. (PD-X-956 dated 5 March 1973) for $111,560.00, withdrawn 4 June 1973. Ship-data sheet: 1 Joshua Hendy geared turbine, 2 Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, three 300kW turbo-drive ship's service generators, single propeller, 8,500 shp; complement 56 officers + 480 enlisted; troops 86 officers + 1,475 enlisted; call sign NZSN.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- Ship's company 536 + embarked troops (WWII)
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled archive transcribing official sources; transcription confirmed against the actual MARAD status cards for this batch (all dated entries matched). Contains no asbestos statement. Laid-down date (25 June 1944) appears here only - DANFS does not give it.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kittson-apa123-03
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[5]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); machinery data per NavSource ship-data sheet and BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 class figures [other_primary]
- Locator
- AJIM 11(3):359-373; NavSource APA-123 specifications block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The ship was a VC2-S-AP5 Victory-type hull built in 1944 with a geared-steam plant (two B&W header-type boilers, single geared turbine, 8,500 shp) - machinery of the exact type and era that peer-reviewed scholarship documents as extensively asbestos-insulated in WWII U.S. shipbuilding (boiler/turbine insulation, steam-line lagging, gaskets, packing, accommodation insulation, brake linings). The class was built at peak wartime asbestos consumption.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973; article 1987
- Population
- Construction trades (California Shipbuilding, Wilmington, 1944); ship's company 1944-46; NDRF caretakers 1946-73; 1955 repair-program workforce; 1973 shipbreakers
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no source names this hull's materials; the Corn & Starr article documents the WWII shipbuilding program generally, not this vessel. Does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kittson-apa123-04
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[6]Batch-2192 search ledger (this record): DANFS via NHHC Wayback capture, MARAD Vessel History Database (status cards read directly), NavSource, NARA catalog, CourtListener opinion and docket searches [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-kittson-apa123-01 through sl-uss-kittson-apa123-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement or repair-scope record, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Kittson or APA-123 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener screens: 'USS Kittson' opinions count=0; 'APA-123' opinions count=1, a citation-string collision (Dunlap v. Colorado Department of Corrections, Colo. App. 2013); bare 'Kittson' opinions count=317, page-1 screen all person-surname and Kittson County, Minnesota entity collisions - none involve the ship.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - 1944 construction era and steam plant are consistent with era-typical materials. The bare-name screen covered the first results page; deeper pages were not exhaustively reviewed, but no page-1 hit referenced the vessel or asbestos. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kittson-apa123-05
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[7]NARA records for the hull (RG 24 WWII-era deck logs; RG 19 Bureau of Ships and RG 178 Maritime Commission construction files); MARAD disposal-contract file PD-X-956 / MA-6927; Loomis, Edward (Ted), 'USS Kittson APA123: A Journal' (CreateSpace, 2014) - published first-person crew narrative [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-kittson-apa123-07, sl-uss-kittson-apa123-08
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Unretrieved primary records that could hold hull-level material detail: NARA deck logs and construction records for APA-123 (catalog.archives.gov returned 502/JS-shell from this session - not reached); the PD-X-956/MA-6927 scrapping-contract file (sales terms recorded on the status card, full contract not retrieved); and a published shipboard journal by a crewman covering this hull's WWII service.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Archival lead only - nothing retrieved beyond the MARAD cards; these records may contain no asbestos information at all.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-kittson-apa123-06