Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
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[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (1969), Vol. 4, p. 64 - LATONA (AF-35) entry (transcription mirror; live NHHC page 404 on 2026-09-20) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Vol. 4 p. 64, LATONA (AF-35) full entry
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents Latona (AF-35), an Adria-class stores ship of Maritime Commission standard type R1-M-AV3: launched under Maritime Commission contract 1944-08-10 by Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc., Beaumont, Tex., sponsored by Mrs. Claude Frazier; acquired by the Navy 1945-01-31; commissioned 1945-02-25 at Houston, Lt. Comdr. Ned W. Landis in command. Pacific service: departed Galveston 1945-03-15, loaded dry and refrigerated cargo at Mobile, transited Panama Canal, Pearl Harbor 1945-04-17; Service Squadron 8 then Service Squadron 10; Ulithi 1945-05-14; convoyed to Ryukyus, Kerama Retto 1945-05-21, completed unloading 1945-05-30 under frequent air alerts; Okinawa Buckner Bay 1945-07-25 to 08-04; Auckland NZ 1945-09-10 refrigerated load; Guam, Marianas, Iwo Jima runs; Pearl Harbor 1945-11-18; Wake Island/Marshalls supply run 1945-12-01 to 1946-01-12; nine deployments over ~3 years incl. five Marshalls/Marianas runs and four Far East runs provisioning Japan/China from Subic Bay, Manila Bay, Leyte Gulf; four voyages to Tsingtao, Shanghai, Chinwangtao 1946-08-16 to 1948-11-21 supporting Nationalist Chinese operations; arrived Oakland 1948-12-12; entered Mare Island Navy Yard 1948-12-22; decommissioned 1949-04-15; entered NDRF, at Suisun Bay as of 1969. One battle star for WWII. Specs given: displacement 3,139 t.; length 338'6"; beam 50'; draft 21'1"; speed 11.5 k.; complement 83; armament 1x3", 6x20mm.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1949 service; entry written 1969
- Population
- Crew (complement 83 per DANFS)
- Limitations
- Operational history only - DANFS contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or abatement information. DANFS says the ship was 'returned to the War Shipping Administration' - an anachronism, WSA was abolished in 1946; MARAD custody records show transfer to the Maritime Commission/NDRF (see correction row). Transcription is via hazegray mirror; the live NHHC DANFS page returned 404 (link rot), consistent with the batch-01 standing defect.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-latona-af35-01
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[2]shipscribe.com (Stephen S. Roberts), USS Adria (AF-30) class data sheet - transcription of official BuShips Ships' Data / NVR / MARAD disposition records, incl. per-ship construction, conversion, and disposition lines and class design notes [other_primary]
- Locator
- AF-30 class page - construction table AF-35 row; disposition table AF-35 row; class notes; ship notes AF-35 (MC 2199)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Class data names this hull: LATONA (AF-35), MC hull 2199, keel laid 1944-06-12 at Pennsylvania Shipyards, Beaumont; launched 1944-08-10; acquired 1945-01-31; commissioned 1945-02-25; fitted out by conversion at Todd Galveston Dry Dock, Galveston, Tex. (in service for ferrying 1945-01-31 to 02-02) and by Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, Tex. (in service for ferrying 1945-02-12 to 02-13); decommissioned 1949-04-15; stricken 1949-04-28; disposal to Maritime Commission 1949-04-15; to NDRF 1949; MA sale 1973-06-14, to buyer 1973-07-09. Class design: R1-M-AV3 refrigerated variant of the C1-M-AV1 small cargo design; two of three main holds refrigerated; machinery 1 Nordberg diesel, 1 screw, 1,700 hp, 11.5 kt; displacement 3,139 lt / 7,435 lim; 338.5' oa. Class notes document that Maritime Commission refrigerating machinery delays led the Navy to supply refrigerating machinery of its own design for AF 30-39, installed at fitting-out yards.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- Construction trades (Pennsylvania Shipyards, Todd Galveston DD, Brown Shipbuilding); crew
- Limitations
- Volunteer transcription of official Ships' Data-type records - content matches DANFS and MARAD cards where they overlap, but shipscribe is a secondary compiler, not the underlying document; used for keel date, conversion yards, and strike date which DANFS lacks. No asbestos or insulation-material content. Complement given as 69 (1944) class-wide vs DANFS 83 for this hull - discrepancy carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-latona-af35-02
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[3]MARAD ShipHistory database, LATONA (AF-35), vessel ID 2959 - detail page, NDRF vessel data card (Form N-04) images 2959_5507AF/AB, and fleet-entry card document LATONA.pdf [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 2959; cards /cards/2959_5507AF.jpg (front), /cards/2959_5507AB.jpg (reverse); /documents/159f33f5-7e86-403d-8b87-201797a1f359.pdf
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD custody record names this hull: type R1-M-AV3, diesel (handwritten on card), Mil. Aux. XAF, MC hull 2199, built Pennsylvania Shipyards (card lists year built 1945), ownership 'Navy to USMC'; entered NDRF Suisun Bay 1949-04-15 12:59 PST; reason for lay-up 'Sec ltr 2-14-49 - Acting Sec of Navy' (handwritten); card reverse annotates 'Title transferred to Navy - Same ltr Jan 14, 1946 (Swift) - Filed Gen Files 107-5-6 Part 11 - Navy Dept - Acquisition of Ships by Navy Dept.' Vessel detail page: year built 1945, Naval Auxiliary / AF Store Ship, length 321.30 ft, beam 50 ft, gross 3,803 tons, net 2,104 tons; milestones Entry 4/15/1949, Acquisition 4/15/1949, Disposition 7/9/1973, Withdrawal 7/9/1973.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1949-1973
- Population
- NDRF caretaker/strip crews (Suisun Bay 1949-1973)
- Limitations
- Custody/milestone data only - contains no asbestos, insulation, or abatement information. MARAD 'year built 1945' reflects completion/delivery vs the 1944 keel/launch - discrepancy carried in gaps. N-04 card 'where and when built' field also reads 1945.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-latona-af35-03
-
[4]MARAD Record of Ship Sales (Form MA-20), LATONA (AF-35), card image 2959_AF.jpg [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- MA-20 card image 2959_AF.jpg; N-04 card field 19/22
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official sale record: PD-X-959, LATONA (AF-35), type R1-M-AV3; awarded to China Dismantled Vessel Trading Corp. 1973-06-14, purchase price $117,600.00; sales contract MA-6985; year built 1945; molded dimensions 321'4" x 50' x 29'; gross 3,803 / net 2,104 / DWT 4,267; draft 21' 0 5/8"; location Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet; remarks: 'Advertised under PD-X-951 - bids rejected; advertised under PD-X-954 - bids rejected; advertised under PD-X-959 dated 5-9-73, opened 6-12-73 - Dismantle Hull - Foreign' (foreign dismantling, i.e. Taiwan per NavSource). N-04 card corroborates: 'Sold scrap under PD-X-959, 6-14-73 to China Dismantled Vessel Trading Corp. for $117,600'; withdrawn/delivered 1030 PDT 1973-07-09.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1973
- Population
- Foreign ship-breakers (post-sale, outside U.S. jurisdiction)
- Limitations
- Documents custody and disposal only - no asbestos or abatement content. Two prior solicitations (PD-X-951, PD-X-954) drew rejected bids - dismantling destination marked 'Foreign'; Taiwan attribution is via NavSource, not the card. NavSource's $117,500.00 sale figure conflicts with the card's $117,600.00 - card controls (see correction row).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-latona-af35-04
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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) [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 Maritime Commission emergency program under which this R1-M-AV3 stores ship was built (keel 1944, delivered 1945) - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- 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 the R1-M-AV3 type and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. Diesel-driven refrigerated auxiliaries had no boiler/steam plant - their asbestos-relevant systems (exhaust lagging, refrigerant-pipe insulation, gaskets, packing, felts) differ from steam-ship profiles; no type-specific insulation schedule was located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-latona-af35-05
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[6]Batch-533 search ledger (this record): DANFS transcription; shipscribe AF-30 class data; MARAD ShipHistory detail 2959 + N-04/MA-20 cards + LATONA.pdf; NVR; CourtListener name/hull searches; NHHC photo records [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-latona-af35-01 through sl-uss-latona-af35-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming the Latona hull was found in the public sources searched - DANFS contains no materials statement; MARAD detail page, N-04 card, MA-20 sale card, and LATONA.pdf contain none; no museum or preservation owner exists to publish one; CourtListener exact-name ('USS Latona' = 0 hits), surname ('Latona' = 584 hits, all unrelated party names plus one different 1888 British bark Latona), and hull ('AF-35' = 3 hits, all file/regulation citations) searches returned no qualifying asbestos litigation (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944-45 Maritime Commission emergency-built hull is era-consistent with installed asbestos-containing materials, and the hull was scrapped abroad in 1973 with no surviving survey. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-latona-af35-06
-
[7]Cross-source reconciliation: MARAD N-04/MA-20 cards; DANFS Vol. 4 p. 64; shipscribe AF-30 class disposition table; NavSource AF-35 page [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- MA-20/N-04 cards as cited; DANFS p. 64 text; NavSource 09/06/0635
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies resolved: (a) Sale price - NavSource transcribes the PD-X-959 award as $117,500.00, but both MARAD cards (N-04 field 19 and MA-20 purchase-price field) read $117,600.00; the card figure controls. (b) Post-decommission custody - DANFS says 'returned to the War Shipping Administration,' an anachronism (WSA abolished 1946); MARAD records show entry to NDRF Suisun Bay under the U.S. Maritime Commission 1949-04-15 12:59 PST per Secretary of the Navy letter of 1949-02-14. (c) Strike date - NavSource lists 'struck from the Naval Register, date unknown'; shipscribe's official-data disposition table gives 1949-04-28, adopted here as the best available sourced date. (d) Title transfer - N-04 card reverse annotates title transferred to Navy per letter dated 1946-01-14 (Swift), i.e., acquisition on loan/charter basis 1945-01-31 preceded formal title transfer.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1973
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies between official cards and secondary compilations; does not affect identity or service history materially. No asbestos content in any of these sources. Shipscribe strike date is a transcription-level source - flagged for confirmation against the original Ships' Data/NVR pages if retrieved.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-latona-af35-07
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[8]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs, incl. WWII-era commissioned vessels); RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission, incl. Construction Division records and regional Director for Construction files); RG 19-LCM (BuShips ship photographs - Latona image 19-N-78310 credited to this series via NavSource) [other_primary]
- Locator
- RG 24 deck-log guidance; RG 178 guide (Construction Division / regional files); RG 19-LCM photo series
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room work or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) RG 24 deck logs for USS Latona, 1945-02-25 to 1949-04-15 - commissioned Navy hull, so deck logs are in RG 24 rather than the merchant RG 26 path; may record yard periods, loading operations, and repair events. (b) RG 178 Construction Division / regional Director for Construction files for the MC contract covering hull 2199 at Pennsylvania Shipyards, Beaumont - may hold construction/outfitting specifications incl. insulation schedules for the R1-M-AV3 conversion. (c) RG 19 (BuShips) - Latona photo 19-N-78310 is credited to RG 19-LCM at NARA; BuShips plan/Booklet of General Plans files may hold the as-fitted insulation plan.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1973 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for MC hull 2199 is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-latona-af35-08
