USS Lakewood Victory (AK-236)

Evidence

9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).

1. [1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (NHHC), 'Lakewood Victory' entry - live history.navy.mil page returned HTTP 404 on 2026-09-21; text verified via Wayback capture 2024-06-12 and concordant HyperWar stats page / NavSource / shipscribe compilations [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'L' volume entry, Lakewood Victory (AK-236); canonical live URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/l/lakewood-victory.html (404); HyperWar stats mirror http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AK/AK-236_LakewoodVictory.html

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The 1944 VC2-S-AP2 Victory ship Lakewood Victory (MCV-545) was laid down 16 September 1944 by Permanente Metals Corp., Richmond, Calif., under a Maritime Commission contract; launched 17 November; sponsored by Mrs. Edward A. Fitzgerald; and commissioned USS Lakewood Victory (AK-236) 11 December 1944, Lt. Comdr. Eric H. Petrelius in command. After shakedown she departed San Francisco 18 January 1945 with ammunition, booms, and aircraft; via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok reached the Marianas 19 February and supplied combat ships with shells and powder; departed Saipan 26 February and arrived Iwo Jima 28 February with TG 50.8 while the battle raged, supplying cruisers, destroyers, and landing craft until 8 March, then reached Ulithi 11 March. She cleared Ulithi 3 April for logistics support off Okinawa, reaching Kerama Retto 13 April; under frequent air-raid warnings her crew transferred ammunition under cover of protective smoke until sailing 23 April for Ulithi (arrived 28th). She then ran via Manus to Espiritu Santo (arrived 28 May), loaded ammunition and fog oil, departed 19 June for Leyte (San Pedro Bay 28 June), and operated off Leyte more than two months. After the surrender she returned via the Marianas and Pearl Harbor to Puget Sound, arriving 8 October 1945. She sailed again for the western Pacific 18 November; loaded ammunition at Guam and Saipan 6 December 1945 - 2 March 1946; returned to San Francisco 15 March; decommissioned 16 May 1946 and turned over to WSA. Two battle stars for WWII service. DANFS data line: dp. 4,480 (lt.); l. 455'3"; b. 62'; dr. 29'2"; s. 15.5 k.; cpl. 99; a. 1 5", 1 3", 8 20mm.; cl. Boulder Victory; T. VC2-S-AP2. Namesake: communities named Lakewood in California, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1946

   Population

   USN crew (complement ~99, 1944-46); Permanente Yard No. 1 construction workers (1944)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, construction, Navy service narrative, and disposal-through-WSA. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials statement - supports no asbestos claim. Entry does not give a striking date (5 June 1946 per NavSource/shipscribe - carried flagged as secondary). DANFS data line complement 'cpl. 99' vs HyperWar '100' - see correction row.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lakewood-victory-ak236-01

2. [2]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - LAKEWOOD VICTORY, Ship History Detail 2942 (identity block, milestones, status cards 2942_5471AF/BF/CF/DF + 4FH_01/02 + 2942_AF, and scanned activity-log document set LAKEWOOD VICTORY 01-19) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 2942: milestones table; status-card images (4FH custody card front/back; Hudson River, James River, and Suisun Bay fleet cards; MA-20 sales card); activity-log PDFs - sheets 01, 05, 16, 17, 18, 19 reviewed visually (Dec 1965 reactivation; Aug-Oct 1966; Feb-Oct 1968)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory detail 2942 (LAKEWOOD VICTORY) + digitized status cards and activity-log sheets: built 1944 by Permanente Metals Corporation, U.S. Official No. 249821, MARAD type VC2-S-AP2, fate 'Sold - Scrap'. Typed vessel status card (4FH) gives the full custody chain: '12-11-44 2:00PM PWT @ Richmond, Calif. del. by Builders to USMC' and '5-16-46 2:00PM PST @ San Fran., Calif. from Navy Dept. - Surplus'; then Navy Dept. (12-11-44) -> Prudential SS Corp. (GAA, San Francisco, 5-16-46) -> Pacific Far East Line (MC/BB bareboat, San Francisco, 1-9-47) -> Sudden & Christenson (GAA, 6-15-49) -> Reserve Fleet Suisun Bay (6-27-49) -> Pacific Transport Lines Inc. (bareboat, 7-13-50, hire from 7-22-50 noon) -> Pacific Transport Lines Inc. (GAA, Baltimore, 6-2-52) -> Reserve Fleet James River (7-31-52) -> Wessel, Duval & Company (GAA, James River, 3-31-53) -> Reserve Fleet Hudson River (9-29-53) -> American Foreign Steamship Co. MSTS Operation (GAA, Hudson River, 12-7-65) -> Reserve Fleet Suisun Bay (10-24-69) -> 'SOLD FOR SCRAP TO CALIFORNIA IMPORT EXPORT INC. ON 09/24/93.' Suisun Bay fleet card (MA-383) records 'SERVICE PRIOR TO LAY-UP: GAA/MSTS/SEA Vietnam'; WITHDRAWN 4-2-70 'Out for Deactivation/Drydocking WISCO Richmond Code 22b,' re-entered 4-24-70, DEPARTED 09/24/93 1030am. Form MA-20 sales card: awarded to California Import & Export Inc., date 8-9-93, $368,512.00, contract MA-12807, under Merchant Marine Act 1916 sec. 510(i) as amended by P.L. 101-595 (1990). Activity-log sheets reviewed (6 of 19): Dec 1965 reactivation - assigned American Foreign SS under contract MA-47-GAA 12/4/65, departed Hudson River reserve fleet 12/7 for drydock at Brewers S.I. (NY), topside bid awarded to Bethlehem Hoboken (32 calendar days) 12/17, reactivation completed 1/26/66, sea trials, loading Baltimore and Norfolk; Aug-Oct 1966 voyage NSA-6/AF-4 incl. Naha, Balboa diversion to Tampa for repairs 9/16/66, New Orleans, Gulfport, Mobile, Freeport/Beaumont loading; Feb-Oct 1968 MSTS voyages NSA 11/12/13-AF - ordnance loads at NAD Bangor WA (Apr 1968) and NWS Concord CA (Jun 1968), calls at Subic, Danang, Cam Ranh, Vung Tau, Saigon, Qui Nhon, Sasebo, Yokohama, Manila; Sep-Oct 1968 eastbound via Canal Zone to Port Everglades, Savannah, Norfolk NOB, Baltimore/Dundalk, Newington N.H. ammunition outloads.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1993

   Population

   Merchant crews under successive GAAs (Prudential, Pacific Far East, Sudden & Christenson, Pacific Transport, Wessel Duval, American Foreign); MSTS crew incl. SEA/Vietnam voyages; reactivation workforces (Brewers S.I. drydock 1965; Bethlehem Hoboken reactivation 1965-66; Tampa repair 1966; WISCO Richmond repairs 1968 and deactivation drydock 1970); NDRF layup/preservation crews; breakers at undocumented destination (1993)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody milestones, layup/reactivation events, MSTS voyage movements, and the 1993 scrap sale (buyer, price, contract). Handwritten card and log entries partially legible. No asbestos, insulation, hazmat, or materials statement anywhere in the reviewed cards or sheets - supports no asbestos finding. Internal date discrepancies (fleet-card 'entered 1-7-69' vs status-card reserve-fleet custody 10-24-69; sale-date format; 9/24 vs 9/25 departure) logged in correction row. Breaking destination not stated in the MARAD record.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lakewood-victory-ak236-02

3. [3]USS Lakewood Victory (AK-236) War Diary, 1 December 1944 - 29 September 1945, with Ship's History narrative - ship-submitted reports (scan hosted by NavSource, contributed by Frank Gerhardt; 56-page PDF) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.org/archives/09/13/pdf/130236a.pdf via Wayback capture 2024-12-10; transmittal letter serial AK236/A9-4 Serial 021 (2 September 1945 submission); Ship's History closing narrative p.3 (15 July 1945 fire; Provo Victory assistance); December 1944 entries (shakedown, San Francisco arrival)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The ship's own war diary (serial AK236/A9-4, CO-signed monthly submissions to CinC U.S. Fleet/CinCPac plus a closing 'Ship's History' narrative signed by E. H. Petrelius, Commander, USNR) covers December 1944 - September 1945 and corroborates the DANFS combat narrative at primary level, including: shakedown with the San Pedro Shakedown Group 21-29 December 1944; departure for San Francisco 29 December; ammunition logistics at Iwo Jima and Kerama Retto; and a 15 July 1945 incident DANFS omits - fire broke out at 1929 on the starboard side of #3 hatch in deck cargo of smokepots dampened by heavy rains off Leyte, fought with water, CO2, and jettisoning, controlled 2025, out 2045, with a working party sent by AK-228 USS Provo Victory; she moved to Guiuan, Samar, 17 July to discharge bombs, returning to San Pedro Bay 19 July; departed Leyte 6 September, Saipan 10-15 September, arrived Pearl Harbor 25 September 1945.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1945

   Population

   USN crew (~99) during the Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and Leyte ammunition-issue operations and the 15 July 1945 fire response; AK-228 Provo Victory working party (fire assist)

   Limitations

   Primary ship-submitted operational record - corroborates movements and documents the 15 July 1945 deck-cargo fire and firefighting/jettisoning response (a materials-disturbance event; contents of the smokepot cargo and any insulation disturbed are not described). Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement - supports no asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lakewood-victory-ak236-03

4. [4]National Park Service, Lane Victory National Historic Landmark nomination, NRHP 90002222 (nomination text) [nps]

   Locator

   NHL nomination, present/historic physical appearance and machinery sections (also mirrored at jamesdelgado.com Lane-Victory-NHL.pdf)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The NPS National Historic Landmark nomination for SS Lane Victory (NRHP 90002222) documents the shared VC2-S-AP2 design: welded steel construction; midships machinery - cross-compound double-reduction-geared impulse-reaction marine steam turbine ~6,000 shp driving a single screw at 100 rpm; steam from two sectional-header single-pass boilers rated 525 psi (465 operating) producing 27,500 lb steam/hr at 750F, fired with oil burners, water-cooled side walls, and refractory in front/rear walls and floors; 'AP2' denotes the 6,000-shaft-horsepower Victory type. The nomination contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945 design documented; nomination 1990

   Population

   VC2-S-AP2 engine-room and boiler-room crews (class context)

   Limitations

   Documents the class design through a preserved sister type, not this hull; machinery manufacturers differed by hull/builder (Lane Victory: Allis-Chalmers turbine, B&W boilers, built California Shipbuilding - this Permanente-built hull's manufacturers are unverified in primary sources; secondary compilations claim Westinghouse turbine, Foster Wheeler header-type boilers, double Westinghouse reduction gears). Establishes plant configuration only; no asbestos, insulation, or refractory composition is established by this source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lakewood-victory-ak236-04

5. [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) [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 VC2-S-AP2 hull was built at a Kaiser-managed yard - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   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 and does not establish that asbestos was installed aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lakewood-victory-ak236-05

6. [6]California DTSC, Kaiser Richmond Shipyard cleanup page (Site ID 400137001, Richmond Harbor Restoration Project); U.S. EPA Superfund site profile CAD980637557 [other_primary]

   Locator

   EPA cumulis site profile CAD980637557 (verified live); DTSC project page https://www.dtsc.ca.gov/SiteCleanup/Projects/Kaiser_Richmond_Shipyard.cfm (returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches at access time - content previously verified same-day in batch-903 research)

   Finding type

   environmental_record

   Finding

   The construction yard is a government-documented asbestos site: Permanente Metals Corp. Shipyard No. 1 was one of the four Kaiser-operated Richmond yards; the former Kaiser Richmond shipyard property lies within the Richmond Harbor Restoration Project, where asbestos-containing materials are documented in soils and structures (California DTSC Site ID 400137001); the associated Kaiser Shipyard #2 parcel carries EPA CERCLA ID CAD980637557 ('Kaiser Alum & Chem Co Shipyard #2,' EPA Superfund site profile verified live 2026-09-21).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1940-1946 operations; site documentation contemporary

   Population

   Permanente/Kaiser Richmond construction workforce (1944)

   Limitations

   Yard-level environmental documentation for the construction workplace only; does not document materials installed aboard this hull, and the site findings postdate wartime operations. DTSC page intermittently 403s automated fetches (EPA record used as live corroboration). Supports the construction-workforce exposure context; supports no hull-materials finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lakewood-victory-ak236-06

7. [7]MARAD status/activity cards (Detail 2942) vs DANFS data line vs NavSource/NavalCoverMuseum/Wikipedia/shipscribe/mariners-l compilations (secondary cross-checks) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   4FH custody card 'Sp. 16.6' and custody lines; Suisun fleet card 'ENTERED 1-7-69'; MA-20 '8-9-93'; DANFS data line 'cpl. 99'; shipscribe AK-227 class page notes (CinCPOA 23 Sep 44 request; MSTS charter window)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies resolved or logged, not silently merged: (a) Complement - DANFS data line 'cpl. 99' (concordant with NavSource 12 officers + 87 enlisted) vs HyperWar stats '100'; the CinCPOA acquisition note (shipscribe class history: CinCPOA asked 23 Sep 44 that ten Victory cargo ships be Navy-manned for ammunition replenishment; MC assigned hulls MCV 536-545 - making this hull the last of the ten - under a no-structural-change constraint) contemplated a naval crew of only 14 officers + 76 men within existing berthing - DANFS 99 adopted. (b) Armament - DANFS data line '1 5", 1 3", 8 20mm' vs HyperWar '1 5"/38 DP, 1 3"/50 DP, 4 40mm, 4x2 20mm' - DANFS adopted; wartime fits changed and secondary compilations differ. (c) Speed - MARAD status card 'Sp. 16.6' vs DANFS 15.5 k - DANFS adopted. (d) Draft - DANFS 29'2" vs HyperWar 28' - DANFS adopted. (e) NDRF re-entry date - Suisun Bay fleet card 'ENTERED 1-7-69 1549' vs master status card 'Reserve Fleet Suisun Bay 10-24-69 12:00Mid PDT' and NavSource layup 24 October 1969; shipscribe's 'MSTS 7 Dec 65 - 7 Jan 69 when to NDRF' reconciles the pair: physical return at end of MSTS charter January 1969, formal reserve-fleet layup October 1969 - both reported. (f) Disposal dates - MA-20 award '8-9-93' (read as 9 Aug 1993, matching NavSource/Wikipedia 'sold for scrapping 9 August 1993') vs shipscribe 'MA Sale 8 Sep 93' (date-format ambiguity); MARAD card DEPARTED 09/24/93 vs secondary 'removed from anchorage 25 September 1993' - one-day discrepancy, both reported. (g) Keel-laying - DANFS/MARAD/shipscribe 16 September 1944 vs NavalCoverMuseum '6 September 1944' (typo) - 16 September adopted. (h) Scrapping destination - mariners-l.co.uk Victory-ships compilation gives '1993 Scrapped China'; no primary or other secondary source states a destination - carried flagged as single-source secondary. (i) MARAD milestone 'Acquisition 6/27/1949' reflects NDRF Suisun entry, not first government custody (WSA 5-16-46) - semantics noted. (j) Commanding officers - DANFS names only Lt. Comdr. Eric H. Petrelius; NavSource roster adds LT John Donald May, USN, 2 April - 16 May 1946.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1993

   Limitations

   Resolutions rest on weight of evidence: DANFS and typed MARAD cards over secondary compilations; item (h) 'China' rests on a single secondary compilation and remains unverified. Item (f) sale-date format is genuinely ambiguous in the handwritten card. No underlying source contains asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lakewood-victory-ak236-07

8. [8]Batch-906 search ledger (this record): DANFS via Wayback; war diary scan; MARAD 2942 + status cards + activity logs; Lane Victory NHL nomination; Google-indexed CourtListener results; NavSource/shipscribe cross-checks; CourtListener API attempt (blocked) [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-lakewood-victory-ak236-01 through sl-uss-lakewood-victory-ak236-13

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, insulation-materials statement, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming the Lakewood Victory hull was found in the public sources searched - DANFS (no materials statement), the ship's own war diary (no materials statement), MARAD ShipHistory 2942 record page + seven status cards + reviewed activity-log sheets (no asbestos/insulation/abatement entry), the sister-type NHL nomination (no asbestos statement), and web-wide searches (a dedicated asbestos-ships.com page plus freeasbestostesting.com and duboselawfirm.com listings - law-firm SEO pages asserting exposure without documentation, excluded per batch rules). CourtListener checks via Google-indexed courtlistener.com records returned only name collisions (City of Lakewood municipal cases, Lakewood Investment Group, Victory Auto Group, Victory Records, 2238 Victory Corp.); the CourtListener API v4 itself was throttled at run time - the shared authenticated quota (2,800/day) was exhausted - so a full API opinion/RECAP sweep was not completed.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   2026-09-21

   Limitations

   Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944 emergency-program steamship is era-consistent with asbestos insulation, and her documented disturbance events (1965-66 reactivation, 1966 Tampa repair, 1968 WISCO Richmond repairs, 1970 deactivation drydock, 1993 breaking) all went undocumented for asbestos handling. The litigation leg is partial: CourtListener API was blocked at run time, so a later full API pass could still surface a docketed case. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lakewood-victory-ak236-08

9. [9]NARA vessel/deck-log guidance: RG 24 Entry 118 (NAID 581208) 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations'; RG 178 (US Maritime Commission); RG 248 (War Shipping Administration); RG 26 merchant-vessel logbook distribution [other_primary]

   Locator

   https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy ; https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/178.html ; https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/merchant-vessels-pl.html

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival lead (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): dual record path because this hull was a commissioned Navy ship 1944-46 - (a) USS Lakewood Victory (AK-236) deck logs Dec 1944-May 1946 are in NARA RG 24, 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations' 1941-1992 (Entry 118, NAID 581208, College Park; the series is being digitized in batches - this hull's logs not confirmed online; the war diary already recovered is the CO's narrative companion to these deck logs); (b) construction records for MCV-545 may be in RG 178 (USMC Construction Division; West Coast Director for Construction files); (c) post-1947 merchant logbooks are in RG 26 (USCG), distributed regionally by port of submission; (d) RG 248 (WSA) applies to wartime/postwar merchant-operation context. The 19 scanned MARAD activity-log sheets imply further un-indexed MARAD vessel files worth a pull (sheets for Oct 1968 - Jan 1969 MSTS close-out and the 1993 disposal file are not in the digitized set).

   Verification

   unverified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1993 records

   Limitations

   Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for MCV-545/AK-236 is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lakewood-victory-ak236-09