USS Lander (APA-178)

Evidence

13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).

1. [1]research packet q-packet.md (3 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-lander-apa178-pkt-q-packet-md

2. [2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Lander (APA-178)', Naval History and Heritage Command (live page returns soft-404 to automated fetch; verified via Wayback capture 2025-12-09) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC DANFS entry, full text (specs block + service narrative); Wayback capture web.archive.org/web/20251209183736; published 2015-07-28

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Lander (APA-178), named for a county in north central Nevada: laid down 9 October 1944 by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, under a Maritime Commission contract; launched 19 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. H. C. McVean, Jr.; acquired by the Navy 8 December 1944; commissioned 9 December 1944 at Astoria, Oreg., Capt. John D. Sweeney in command. After shakedown and California-coast operations, departed San Pedro 1945-02-09 for the western Pacific; via Pearl Harbor reached Eniwetok 02-28, joined TF 51 units, sailed 03-02 for Iwo Jima; sighted the island 03-06, cruised holding area, anchored 03-14; embarked Marine casualties and loaded cargo; sailed for Guam 03-20, arrived 03-22, embarked additional marines, reached Pearl Harbor 04-04. Departed 05-20 for the Ryukyus via Marshalls and Ulithi; arrived Okinawa 06-07, landed troops as reinforcements; embarked 220 military passengers and 560 enemy prisoners; sailed 06-11, transferred troops/POWs at Ulithi 06-17; embarked passengers at Manus, Eniwetok, Roi-Namur, Kwajalein, and Pearl Harbor; arrived San Francisco 07-17. Lifted 1,436 troops to Eniwetok (08-17); via Ulithi to Manila (09-07); two occupation cruises Philippines-Japan 09-20 to 10-21; joined Magic Carpet fleet 10-24; sailed from Matsuyama 10-27; embarked 1,934 homebound veterans at Saipan; arrived San Francisco 11-14. Westward again 11-29; embarked passengers Guam 12-15; returned San Pedro 12-28. Departed for San Francisco 1946-01-21; sailed 01-28 for east coast; Norfolk 02-16; decommissioned 03-29; transferred to Maritime Commission 04-01; NDRF, berthed James River, Va. Two battle stars. Specs block: dp 6,873 lt; l 455; b 62; dr 24; s 17k; cpl 536; trp 1,520; a 1x5in, 12x40mm, 10x20mm; cl. Haskell; T. VC2-S-AP5.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1946

   Population

   Ship's company (536 per DANFS) and embarked troops/passengers (documented lifts: 1,436 troops, 1,934 homebound veterans, 220 passengers + 560 POWs)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, operational history, and custody transfer dates. Entry ends at NDRF placement (1946) - it carries no stricken date and no asbestos or materials statement; supports no asbestos claim. Commissioned 9 Dec per DANFS vs SDB first-commission column 8 Dec - discrepancy logged.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lander-apa178-01

3. [3]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - LANDER (LPA-178), Ship History Detail 2946, incl. digitized status cards (Vessel Status Card; Form MA-383 Reserve Fleet particulars; two Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales cards, fronts and backs) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 2946, milestone table + status-card scans 2946_5479AF.jpg, 2946_5479AB.jpg, 2946_AF.jpg, 2946_BF.jpg, 4FN_01.png - all card images read directly (typewritten, legible)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record (Detail 2946) and four digitized status cards document the custody chain for LANDER (APA-178/LPA-178), hull MCV-144, VC2-S-AP5, built Oregon SB Corp., completed 1944-12-08, lightship 5,330 t: (a) Vessel Status Card - delivered by builders to USMC at Astoria 1944-12-08 16:30 PWT; Navy Dept. delivery from USMC on loan basis (LB) Astoria 1944-12-09 10:30 PWT; to Reserve Fleet at Lee Hall, Va. 1946-04-01 12:05 EST; allocated to Stockard Steamship Corp. (Repair Program) under GAA at James River 1955-08-04 11:15 EST; returned to Reserve Fleet James River 1955-09-30 11:00 EST; sold to Desguaces, Aviles, S.A. (for scrapping in Spain) James River 1983-09-17, physically delivered 1983-10-20 09:15 EDT. (b) MA-383 Reserve Fleet particulars card - entered fleet 1946-04-01; fuel oil at entry 577 bbl Bunker C + 32 diesel; termination port of last voyage Norfolk; withdrawn/delivered 1983-10-20. (c) MA-20 card (APA-178) - James River fleet; 'Reserve Fleet memo of 7-23-70 strikes this ship off the scrap list as of July 1, 1970, and returns it to retention status.' (d) MA-20 card (LPA-178) - 'PL 95-177 Ship Exchange'; awarded to Connecticut Transport, Inc. c/o Ogden Marine, Inc., 280 Park Ave., New York, 1983-09-17; contract MA-11430; 'Vessel immediately resold by Connecticut Transport, Inc., to Desguaces Aviles, S.A., a Spanish corporation, for scrapping. Vessel scrapped as of 3/20/84 in Spain.' Card-back notes: 'alongside KENTON'; cement-block permanent ballast in No. 4 lower hold, No. 2 lower hold, evaporator room, generator room, and dry stores; 'LANDER, Trade-Out scrap ship... pursuant to Exchange Contract for CONNECTICUT, Connecticut Transport, Inc. Contract No. MA-11430, dated 9-17-83. Ship to be scrapped in Spain. Delivered to buyer 10-20-83.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1984

   Population

   NDRF caretaker crews (James River 1946-1983); Stockard Steamship repair-program workers (Aug-Sep 1955); disposal/scrapping workers (1983-84, Spain)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody, fleet moves, the 1955 Stockard repair-program availability, the 1970 scrap-list reversal, and the 1983-84 disposal chain. Cards contain no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information - the repair program's scope (what was repaired or disturbed) is not recorded on them. 'Repair Prog. 1956' stamp vs Aug-Sep 1955 withdrawal/return dates suggests a fiscal-year designation; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lander-apa178-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Lander (APA/LPA-178) page - service history, squadron assignment, campaign/occupation tables, CO roster, disposal line, specifications block (direct fetch unreachable; read via Wayback capture 2025-02-21) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.org 10/03/03178 (Wayback capture web.archive.org/web/20250221041236), specifications block, campaign tables, commanding-officer table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource APA-178 page corroborates the DANFS record and adds ship-specific detail: MCV hull 144 at Oregon Shipbuilding Group, Portland; assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater under TransRon Twenty-Three (COMO A. S. Witherspoon) and TransDiv Sixty-Eight (CAPT. C. R. Crutcher); campaign table - Iwo Jima assault and occupation 6-16 March 1945, Okinawa Gunto assault and occupation 7-11 June 1945; Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 25-26 Sep and 21-27 Oct 1945; decommissioned 1946-03-29 Norfolk; returned to Maritime Commission 1946-04-01 for NDRF James River Group, Lee Hall VA; struck from Naval Register 1946-04-17; redesignated LPA-178 1968-08-14; sold for scrapping 1983-09-17 to Connecticut Transport Inc., immediately resold to Desguaces, Aviles S.A., Spain, delivered 1983-10-20, scrapping completed 1984-03-20. CO table: single entry CAPT. John Driscoll Sweeney USN (USNA 1919), 1944-12-09 to 1946-03-29. Specs: 6,873 t lt / 14,837 t fl; 455 ft; 62 ft beam; 17.7 kt; complement 56 off / 480 enl; troops 8/1,440; boom 35 t; cargo 2,900 DWT / 150,000 cu ft; boats 2 LCM, 2 LCPL, 2 LCPR, 18 LCVP; 1x 5in/38 DP, 4 twin + 1 quad 40mm, 10x 20mm; NSFO/diesel bunkerage; propulsion 'one Joshua Hendy turbine, two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers 465psi/750deg, double Joshua Hendy main reduction gears, three 300kW ship's service generators, one propeller 8,500shp.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1984

   Population

   Ship's company and embarked troops; crew-family photo contributors document named enlisted aboard (e.g., SM3/c Douglas A. Smith, Dec 1944-Jan 1946)

   Limitations

   Unofficial but standard Navy-vessel compilation consistent with DANFS/MARAD on all dates checked. Conflicts: propulsion line (Joshua Hendy turbine + Combustion Engineering boilers, 465/750) contradicts the BuShips SDB ship row (Westinghouse + B&W hdr, 465/765) - official SDB adopted, discrepancy in gaps; troops '8 officers' vs SDB/DANFS 80/1,520 - digit typo in NavSource; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lander-apa178-03

5. [5]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels Vol. III (April 1945, NAVSHIPS 250-012), shipscribe.com scan (Google digitization) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB 1945 v3 APA characteristics/machinery/builder tables, LANDER APA-178 row no. 142 (print pp. 253-257; scan read directly at PDF pp. 273/276)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Bureau of Ships 'Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels,' 1945 ed., Vol. III (NAVSHIPS 250-012) carries named LANDER (APA-178) rows in the auxiliary attack-transport tables (index no. 142): ex-M.C.V. Hull 144; 455 ft 0 in oa / 436 ft 6 in wl; extreme beam 62 ft 0 in; trial speed 17.7 kt; trial displacement 14,837 t; light displacement 12,450 t; draft 24 ft 0 in; ship's company 56 officers / 480 enlisted; troop accommodations 80 officers / 1,440 enlisted; boom 35 t; machinery 1 Westinghouse turbine 8,500 shp, 2 Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, steam conditions 465 psi / 765 deg F; builder 'Oregon S. B. Corp., Portland, Oreg.'; date acquired 8 Dec 44; year built 1944; date of first commission 8 Dec 44.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1945

   Limitations

   Official wartime BuShips publication; row values read from the scanned page image. Two discrepancies against other sources: 'date of first commission 8 Dec 44' vs DANFS commissioned 9 Dec at Astoria and MARAD card Navy delivery 12-9-44 10:30 PWT (DANFS/card adopted); 765 deg F superheat vs class-typical 750 deg F - the scan clearly reads 765 for Lander (also for Lamar APA-47). No asbestos or insulation-material statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lander-apa178-04

6. [6]shipbuildinghistory.com (Colton compilation), Victory ships way-book, Oregon Shipbuilding section (Wayback capture 2016-12-25) [other_primary]

   Locator

   way-book row MCV 144 (site retired; Wayback capture read)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Colton shipbuildinghistory.com Victory-ship way-book row for MCV hull 144: '144 | Oregon | 1128 | Lander | VC2-S-AP5 | 9-Oct-44 | 19-Nov-44 | 9-Dec-44 | 41 | 20 | 61 | APA 178, later LPA 178, in NDRF' - keel laid 9 October 1944, launched 19 November 1944, delivered 9 December 1944; 41 days on the ways, 20 days fitting out, 61 days total; Oregon SB yard number 1128.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944

   Limitations

   Secondary way-book compilation - consistent with DANFS on all three dates and supplies the yard hull number (1128) and build durations that DANFS omits; delivery '9-Dec-44' aligns with the MARAD card's Navy delivery timestamp, supporting DANFS's commission date over SDB's 8 Dec figure. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lander-apa178-05

7. [7]Consolidated era inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery data for this hull + DANFS/MARAD custody chronology [other_primary]

   Locator

   Class/type technical data; this record's ev-01/ev-02 chronology

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: the VC2-S-AP5 attack transport is a single-screw geared-steam ship (Westinghouse turbine, two superheated B&W header boilers at 465 psi/765 deg F, 8,500 shp per SDB ship row) built late-1944 at Oregon Shipbuilding - a Kaiser-system yard at the peak of wartime asbestos application. Typical applications for the type: boiler and fireroom insulation; steam-line and turbine lagging; valve/flange gaskets; machinery packing; accommodation and joiner insulation for troop berthing; winch/windlass brake linings. Documented ship events that are materials-disturbance pathways: 1946 Norfolk inactivation; the 1955-08-04 to 1955-09-30 Stockard Steamship repair-program availability documented on her status cards; 37 years of James River reserve-fleet lay-up (1946-1983); 1983-84 scrapping at Aviles, Spain.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1984

   Population

   Construction trades (Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland, 1944); ship's company/embarked troops (1944-46); Norfolk inactivation crews (1946); Stockard Steamship repair workers (1955); NDRF caretakers (1946-83); scrapping workers at Aviles (1983-84)

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no ship-level asbestos record exists for this hull. Establishes no quantities, no locations, no condition, and no exposure for any individual aboard. The 1955 repair availability is documented as an event but its work scope is unrecorded; the 1983-84 foreign scrapping predates any located materials documentation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lander-apa178-06

8. [8]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-construction program under which this VC2-S-AP5 attack transport was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type and auxiliary 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 and does not establish that asbestos was aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. DOI may return HTTP 403 to automated fetch; publication verified independently.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lander-apa178-07

9. [9]DOT Office of Inspector General, 'Report on the Program for Scrapping Obsolete Vessels, Maritime Administration,' MA-2000-067 (2000-03-10) [other_primary]

   Locator

   MA-2000-067, summary p. ii and 'Obsolete Vessels Pose Environmental Risks' section

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   DOT Office of Inspector General audit of MARAD's obsolete-vessel scrapping program documents that deteriorating National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels awaiting disposal 'contain hazardous substances such as asbestos and solid and liquid polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),' and that inspection of 'worst condition' vessels found 'asbestos hanging from pipes below deck,' lead-based paint, and PCBs - the James River Reserve Fleet environment in which this hull lay for 37 years (1946-1983), including its 1970 removal from the scrap list and return to retention.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   audit published 2000; fleet conditions described 1990s

   Population

   NDRF maintenance and disposal workers (fleet-level); scrapping-yard workers handling obsolete hulls

   Limitations

   Fleet-level audit documentation of asbestos in obsolete NDRF vessels generally; the report postdates this hull's 1983 withdrawal by 17 years and does not name her. Establishes that the reserve-fleet environment and the traded-out/foreign-scrapping disposal pathway handled asbestos-containing ships; establishes nothing about materials aboard this specific hull.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lander-apa178-08

10. [10]CourtListener API v4 search (authenticated), opinion and docket indexes [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lander-apa178-10 through -12

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    CourtListener searches of the opinion and RECAP docket indexes by ship name and hull number returned no qualifying asbestos case naming USS Lander / APA-178 / LPA-178. Opinion index (type=o): 'USS Lander' 0 results; 'APA-178' 0; 'LPA-178' 0; 'USS Lander' + asbestos 0. Docket index (type=r): 'USS Lander' 1 hit - Thompson v. Connick, 2:03-cv-02045 (E.D. La., 42:1983 civil-rights action), the string appearing inside a filed 269-page trial transcript; not an asbestos matter, classified name collision/incidental mention. 'APA-178' dockets: 13 hits, all name collisions - FOIA/environmental, state-v.-federal, school-board, and bankruptcy dockets (e.g., Center for Biological Diversity v. DOI 1:17-cv-00974; Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. NIH 1:25-cv-10338; Voyager Digital Holdings bankr. 22-10943) where 'APA-178' is an administrative-record/appendix page cite, not the hull. No qualifying asbestos litigation located.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    index coverage through 2026-09-25

    Limitations

    Negative result in the RECAP/opinion index only - absence of a docketed opinion does not prove no suit was ever filed (state courts, unindexed filings, and settled claims are outside RECAP coverage), and a vessel name need not appear in filings for exposure to be claimed. 'Lander' surname/county name-collision risk noted; hull-number queries are the cleaner discriminator.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lander-apa178-09

11. [11]NARA Guide to Federal Records / logbook guidance: RG 24 Entry 118 deck logs; RG 19 BuShips; RG 178 USMC construction/disposal records [other_primary]

    Locator

    NARA deck-log guidance page; RG 19/24/178 record-group guides

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel), Entry 118 (NAID 581208) holds WWII deck logs - APA-178 logs Dec 1944-Mar 1946 would record daily operations and the upkeep events of her short career; NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) holds construction/repair and inactivation records incl. any file for the Aug-Sep 1955 Stockard Steamship repair availability; NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) holds contract/construction records for MCV hull 144 at Oregon Shipbuilding and the MA-11430/PL 95-177 exchange file. Digitized APA-178 deck logs were not located in the public catalog during this pass.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1944-1983 records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for MCV 144 / APA-178 is unknown until surveyed in person. WWII deck-log digitization is partial; APA-178 absent from published digitized lists. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lander-apa178-10

12. [12]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS/NHHC (Wayback 2025-12-09); NavSource APA-178 (Wayback 2025-02-21); BuShips SDB 1945 v3 row 142; MARAD status cards (Detail 2946); shipbuildinghistory way-book; Haskell class profile (class-f worktree) [other_primary]

    Locator

    this record's ev-01 through ev-05

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies resolved/noted: (a) Commission date - BuShips SDB 'date of first commission' reads 8 Dec 44 while DANFS records commissioning 9 Dec 1944 at Astoria and the MARAD status card shows Navy Dept. delivery from USMC 12-9-44 10:30 PWT (vs builder-to-USMC 12-8-44 16:30 PWT); DANFS/card 9 Dec adopted, SDB figure likely compresses acquisition/commission. (b) Propulsion - NavSource lists 'one Joshua Hendy turbine, two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers 465psi/750deg' while the official SDB ship row 142 lists a Westinghouse turbine with 2 B&W header boilers at 465/765; SDB adopted (Oregon SB hulls did vary - SDB lists Joshua Hendy turbines for Kittson APA-123, Lanier APA-125, Lubbock APA-197 - but not for Lander). (c) Stricken date - NavSource 'Struck from the Naval Register 17 April 1946' vs Wikipedia '1 September 1983'; the 1946 date is consistent with the MARAD custody chain from 4-1-46 and is adopted; the 1983 figure is unverified. (d) Troop officers - NavSource '8 Officers' vs SDB/DANFS 80 officers/1,520 total; 80 adopted (NavSource digit typo). (e) Class profile (class-f haskell-class.class.json) lists Lander laid down '1944-09' - off by one month vs DANFS/way-book 1944-10-09; corrected here. (f) DANFS omits stricken date and the 1955 repair availability; status cards supply both.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1944-1984

    Limitations

    Resolves publication-level discrepancies against primary card/SDB readings; does not affect identity or custody timeline materially. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lander-apa178-11

13. [13]Batch-2252 search ledger (this record): DANFS/NHHC via Wayback; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 2946 + 5 status-card scans; NavSource 10/03/03178 via Wayback; BuShips SDB 1945 v3 (shipscribe scan); shipbuildinghistory.com way-book (Wayback); DOT OIG MA-2000-067; CourtListener name/hull searches; NARA path mapping [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lander-apa178-01 through sl-uss-lander-apa178-13

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, shipyard work package, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Lander (APA-178/LPA-178) was found in the public sources searched - DANFS, MARAD ShipHistory + status cards, NavSource, BuShips SDB 1945 v3, shipbuildinghistory.com, and CourtListener (see search_ledger).

    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 - a 1944 superheated-steam hull that underwent a documented 1955 repair availability and lay in the NDRF for 37 years before foreign scrapping is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lander-apa178-12