USS Lavaca (APA-180)

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [1]research packet q-packet.md (4 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-lavaca-apa180-pkt-q-packet-md

2. [2]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - transports, attack (APA) tables, per-hull rows for LAVACA APA-180 (indexed 'Lavaca (ex - M . C. V. Hull 146) - APA180', item 148 in the APA tables) (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 APA tables: dimensions row '148 LAVACA (ex - M . C. V. Hull 146) -------- APA180 455 0 436 6 62 0 17.7 14,837'; personnel row '12,450 49 24 0 99 593 80 1,440 35 LAVACA ... 148'; machinery row '148 LAVACA ... APA 180 1 do. 8,500 2 B. & W. hdr 465 750'; armament/cargo row '148 LAVACA . 1 5", 38 cal. (D.P.) ... 4 twin, 1 quad ... 150,000 ---do.-- 5,800 2,900'; fuel row '... 7,780 APA 180 ... 148'; construction row '17 Dec 44 1944-45 17 Dec 44 LAVACA ------- APA180 148'; index entries 'Lavaca (ex - M . C. V. Hull 146 ).-' p. 252 and 'M. C. V. Hull 146 (now Lavaca) .. APA180 Auxiliary-Transport, Attack 252'

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries per-hull rows for LAVACA APA-180 (ex-M.C.V. Hull 146, item 148) across the APA tables: 455'0" overall / 436'6" between perpendiculars; beam 62'0"; 14,837 tons trial displacement; 12,450 tons limiting displacement, 24'0" limiting draft; ship's company 99 officers + 593 enlisted with troop accommodations 80 officers + 1,440 enlisted; largest boom 35 t; machinery 1 turbine ('do.' inheriting the Oregon-SB 'Westgh. turb.' chain = Westinghouse), 8,500 shp, 2 header-type boilers ('B. & W. hdr.'), steam conditions 465 psi / 750 deg F, single propeller; armament 1 x 5"/38 cal (D.P.) + 4 twin and 1 quad 40mm; cargo 150,000 cu ft non-refrigerated, deadweight 5,800/2,900 tons; fuel 7,780 bbls NSFO; builder Oregon S.B. Corp., Portland; delivered/commissioned 17 Dec 44; year built 1944.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1945

   Limitations

   Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms identity, the Westinghouse machinery plant, manning (692 ship's company, 1,520 troop accommodations), and key dates. Its complement row (99 off + 593 enl = 692) conflicts with the DANFS spec block's 'cpl. 536' - flagged in the correction row. OCR of the scanned table is columnar and partially garbled; values cross-verified against DANFS, NavSource, and shipscribe. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lavaca-apa180-01

3. [3]DANFS, 'Lavaca' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (published 2015-07-29; live NHHC URL returns 404 - verbatim text retrieved via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20250202220553) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry body text + spec block (Wayback capture 20250202220553 of the live NHHC URL); NHHC Online Library photo-page summary corroborated via ibiblio mirror https://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/OnlineLibrary/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-l/apa180.htm

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NHHC records: spec block '(APA-180; dp. 6,873; l. 455'; b. 62'; dr. 24'; s. 17 k.; cpl. 536; a. 1 5", 12 40mm.; cl. Bayfleld; T. VC2-S-AP5)'; namesake 'A county in southwest Texas.' 'Lavaca was launched 27 November 1944 by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, Oreg., under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. Charles Harper, Jr.; acquired by the Navy 17 December 1944 and commissioned the same day, Capt. Walter S. Gabel, USNR, in command.' After shakedown off California, arrived San Diego 30 Dec; became flagship for Commander, Transport Division 65 on 29 Jan 1945. Arrived Pearl Harbor 25 Feb; departed 8 Mar, transported Seabees to the Philippines arriving Samar 27 Mar; 27 Mar - 2 Aug shuttled troops and equipment between the Admiralty and Philippine Islands. 2 Aug arrived Markham Bay, New Guinea - that night an Australian plane crashed into Huon Gulf; Lavaca's salvage crew rescued five men and towed the plane to shore. 27 Aug joined TF 33.1 at Luzon for the occupation of Japan; arrived Yokohama 2 Sep. 'The attack transport shuttled passengers from Pearl Harbor and San Francisco to Sasebo, Japan, 7 September 1945 to 6 July 1946.' Departed Sasebo via Colon, Panama, arrived Norfolk 12 Jul; decommissioned 31 Jan 1947 and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Norfolk. 'She was struck from the Navy list 1 October 1958 following transfer to the Maritime Administration and place in National Defense Reserve Fleet at Wilmington, N.C., in September. In October 1964 Lavaca was moved to the James River, Va., where she remained into late 1967.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1967

   Limitations

   Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for service history and the custody chain through 1967 (entry was current to the DANFS Vol. IV era; the 1992 sale and scrapping postdate it). Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Spec block prints 'cl. Bayfleld' (class-field anomaly - NHHC's own Online Library calls her 'one of 117 Haskell-class attack transports'; NavSource and all class references concur) and 'cpl. 536' vs the SDB per-hull row's 692 - both flagged in the correction row. Live NHHC page 404s (standing link rot, cf. BATCH-01); the Wayback capture is the verbatim NHHC text.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lavaca-apa180-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Lavaca (APA-180), file 10/03/03180 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 03180.htm - timeline, awards/occupation-service tables, specifications block, commanding-officer table, disposal entries, photo caption (NHHC NH 98737)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource timeline corroborates DANFS and adds detail: radio call sign NDUR; 'Laid down, date unknown, as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 146) at Oregon Shipbuilding Group, Portland OR'; launched 27 Nov 1944; acquired from the Maritime Commission and commissioned 17 Dec 1944, CAPT. Walter S. Gabel USNR in command; wartime assignment Asiatic-Pacific Theater, TransRon Twenty-Two (COMO. S.P. Jenkins) / TransDiv Sixty-Five flagship (CAPT. E.C. Rogers USN). Postwar service periods: Navy Occupation Service Medal 2-8 Sep 1945, 24 Sep-17 Oct 1945, 24-29 Dec 1945, 5-21 May 1946, 9-14 Jun 1946; China Service Medal (extended) 24 Sep-17 Oct 1945. 'Decommissioned, 31 January 1947, at Norfolk, VA. Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Norfolk VA. Returned to the Maritime Commission, 17 September 1958 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington N.C. Struck from the Naval Register, 1 October 1958. Towed by USS Utina (ATF-163) from Wilmington (departed 30 September 1964) to the James River National Defense Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, VA (arrived 2 October 1964). Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 14 October 1992, to Global Marketing Systems, Newport News, VA, for $125,244, Removed, 17 November 1992, to Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.' Spec block: 6,873 t light / 14,837 t full; 455' x 62'; 17.7 kts trial; complement 99 officers + 593 enlisted; troop accommodations 80 officers + 1,440 enlisted; 1 x 5"/38 DP, 4 twin + 1 quad 40mm, 10 x 20mm; boats 2 LCM, 1 LCPL open, 1 LCPL covered (captain's gig), 2 LCPR, 18 LCVP; cargo 150,000 cu ft / 2,900 DWT; fuel 7,780 bbl NSFO + 970 diesel; propulsion 1 Westinghouse geared turbine, 2 B&W header-type boilers 465 psi/750F, double Westinghouse main reduction gears, three 300kW 120/240V DC ship's-service generators, single propeller 8,500 shp; largest boom 35 t. CO table: Gabel 17 Dec 1944 - 7 Apr 1946; CAPT. Waldeman N. Christensen USN 7 Apr - 2 Sep 1946; LCDR. Warren S. Parr USN 2 Sep - 12 Dec 1946; CDR. Marion M. Byrd USN 12 Dec 1946 - 31 Jan 1947. Photo caption NH 98737: San Francisco Bay late 1945/early 1946 returning veterans under Magic Carpet (US Naval Historical Center).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1992

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official; consistent with DANFS, BuShips SDB, and the MARAD cards on all checkable points. Prints 'laid down, date unknown' where the MARAD card back and shipscribe give keel 17 Oct 44 - carried in the correction row. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lavaca-apa180-03

5. [5]U.S. Maritime Administration, Vessel History Database - LAVACA (APA-180), Ship History Detail 2968, incl. seven digitized status-card scans read directly (4GE_01.png USMC Vessel Status Card MC-7146a; 69b630a3-2f07-405e-91c3-74e68e0a43b8.jpg Ship Description Form 4508; 3e80b740-8743-49ab-b12b-08ef03a6ab7d.jpg card reverse with build dates; 2968_5523BF.jpg Reserve Fleet - Ship Particulars card with withdrawal table; 2968_5523BB.jpg consolidation note; 2968_5523AF.jpg later reserve card; 2968_AF.jpg Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 2968 registry block, milestone table, and seven card scans at /cards/: 4GE_01.png (USMC Vessel Status Card MC-7146a), 2968_5523BF.jpg (MA-383 withdrawal table incl. defueling/stripping entries), 2968_5523BB.jpg (James River consolidation note), 2968_5523AF.jpg (entered 8-17-90 / withdrawn 11-17-92), 2968_AF.jpg (MA-20 Record of Ship Sales), 3e80b740-8743-49ab-b12b-08ef03a6ab7d.jpg (keel/launch/delivery dates), 69b630a3-2f07-405e-91c3-74e68e0a43b8.jpg (Ship Description Form 4508)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD primary custody record for this hull, read directly from the digitized cards: Official No. 1227744; type VC2-S-AP5 (the MA-20 sales card misprints 'VC2-S-AP2' - flagged); APA-180; troop transport/military; hull MCV-146, builder's hull no. 1130; keel laid 10-17-44; launched 11-27-44; completed/delivered 12-14-44; built by Oregon S.B. Corp. at Portland, Oreg.; machinery code marks turbine / water-tube-oil boilers / steel / single screw; S.H.P. 8,500; speed 17; 2 boilers; length B.P. 436.6 / O.A. 455'0"; beam 62.0; depth 38.0; draft 22'9"; gross 7,750 (later 7,612 8/61); deadweight figures revised on card (5,914 / 5,693 1-46 / 4,900 8-61); owners chain 'U.S.M.C. (Loaned to U. S. Navy)' - 'Navy Department 10-15-46' - 'U. S. Dept. of Commerce (Reserve Fleet) (Permanent Transfer) 9/17/58' - 'SOLD FOR SCRAP 11/17/92'. Custody events: Reserve Fleet (Permanent Transfer) Wilmington, N.C. 9-17-58 6:00 pm EDST; transferred to James River 10-2-64 3:20 pm EST (departed Wilmington 9-30-64 6:50 am EST, Navy tug UTINA towing - typed note: 'Consolidation of Priority Ships from Wilmington to James River'); withdrawn 10-22-82 1410 EDT 'For defueling', entered 11-2-82 1050 EST 'Returned from defueling'; withdrawn 3/14/86 1045 EST 'Navy Stripping', entered 5/7/86 1130 EST; 'Removed from work 3/1/90 Navy Inactive Retention'; withdrawn 4-13-90 1045 EDT to 'Colonna Shipyard/stripping prog.'; entered James River 8-17-90 1510 EDT; 'Back in the Fleet 1/1/91'; withdrawn 11/17/92 10:30 am 'Going to Newport News, Virginia for scrapping.' MA-20 Record of Ship Sales: awarded to Global Marketing Systems, Inc., 10-14-92, purchase price $125,244.00, contract MA-12760, LSW 5,964, at James River Reserve Fleet; sale pursuant to Section 510(i) (as amended by P.L. 101-595, enacted Nov. 16, 1990) of the Merchant Marine Act 1936. Registry fields: Year Built 1944; Shipyard 'Oregon Shipbuilding Company'; General Type 'Naval Auxiliary'; Specific Type 'APA Attack Transport'; MARAD Type VC2-S-AP5; fate 'Sold - Scrap'; milestones Entry/Acquisition 9/17/1958, Disposition/Withdrawl 11/17/1992 ('CUST 1958 NDRF 1958').

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1958-1992

   Population

   NDRF caretakers, Wilmington NC (1958-1964) and James River Group, Lee Hall, VA (1964-1992); defueling workforce (Oct-Nov 1982); Navy stripping-program workforce (Mar-May 1986); Colonna's Shipyard stripping workforce (Apr-Aug 1990); Global Marketing Systems / Newport News breaking workforce (Nov 1992)

   Limitations

   Authoritative government custody record - the primary source for the 34-year NDRF lay-up, the 1982 defueling withdrawal, the 1986 Navy stripping and 1990 Colonna's Shipyard stripping withdrawals, and the 1992 sale chain incl. buyer, price, and contract number. No asbestos, insulation, or hazmat annotation appears on any card scan - an absence of a record entry, not evidence nothing was abated; the scope of the 1982 defueling work and of the 1986/1990 'stripping' work orders is not recorded on the cards. 'Stripping' denotes removal of usable Navy material/equipment from retention hulls - it is a disturbance event, not an asbestos record. Handwritten annotations partially legible (read at full resolution); MA-20 hull-type misprint 'VC2-S-AP2' noted.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lavaca-apa180-04

6. [6]Source cross-check - DANFS (verbatim NHHC Wayback capture 20250202220553) vs NHHC Online Library photo-page summary (ibiblio apa180.htm) vs NavSource 03180 vs MARAD status cards (Detail 2968, seven scans) vs BuShips SDB 1945 v3 per-hull rows (item 148) vs shipscribe.com U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships HASKELL (APA-117) class page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, BuShips/SCB design records, and MARAD files) [other_primary]

   Locator

   DANFS Lavaca spec block ('cl. Bayfleld'; 'cpl. 536') vs SDB1945v3 APA-180 personnel row (99/593) vs NavSource 03180 spec block vs MARAD cards (keel 10-17-44; delivered 12-14-44; VC2-S-AP2 misprint) vs shipscribe APA117 construction row ('180 LAVACA 17 Dec 44 Oregon SB 17 Oct 44 27 Nov 44 17 Dec 44'), disposition row ('180 LAVACA 31 Jan 47 / 1 Oct 58 / 17 Sep 58 / MA/R / 13 Nov 92'), and hull note

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies resolved or flagged: (a) Class field - the DANFS spec block prints 'cl. Bayfleld' for this entry; NHHC's own Online Library describes Lavaca as 'one of 117 Haskell-class attack transports,' and NavSource, shipscribe, and the class profile all carry Haskell class. 'Bayfleld' (sic) is a printer's/transcription anomaly; Haskell class carried. (b) Complement - DANFS spec block 'cpl. 536' (the class-standard figure, matching the 56+480 rows SDB prints for most Oregon-SB hulls) vs the SDB per-hull personnel row and NavSource spec block for APA-180: 99 officers + 593 enlisted = 692, plus 80 + 1,440 troop accommodations. SDB carried as the per-hull record; 536 flagged. (c) Keel date - NavSource 'laid down, date unknown' vs MARAD card reverse 'Keel Laid 10-17-44' and shipscribe construction row '17 Oct 44'; 1944-10-17 adopted on two agreeing records. (d) Delivery vs commissioning - MARAD card 'Completed/Delivered 12-14-44' (builder-to-USMC delivery) vs DANFS/NavSource/SDB/shipscribe 'acquired ... and commissioned' 17 Dec 44; distinct handoffs, not a conflict. (e) 1958 transfer framing - DANFS 'transfer to the Maritime Administration' and MARAD milestones 'Acquisition 9/17/1958' record custody/permanent transfer to the NDRF; shipscribe hull note records 'Title from Navy to MA 31 Dec 90' - consistent with the card's 'Removed from work 3/1/90 Navy Inactive Retention'; custody-vs-title distinction carried. (f) MA-20 misprint - the sales card prints hull type 'VC2-S-AP2'; all other records (DANFS T. line, MARAD registry, USMC card) carry VC2-S-AP5 - carding error noted. (g) Disposal date - shipscribe disposition row prints '13 Nov 92' vs MARAD milestones/card 'Withdrawl/Withdrawn 11/17/92' and NavSource 'Removed, 17 November 1992' - 17 Nov adopted; 13 Nov possibly a contract-administrative date, flagged. (h) Shipscribe hull note '180 LAVA 146 In USN reserve 1946-58. Title from Navy to MA 31 Dec 90. To buyer 17 Nov 92.' independently corroborates the MARAD card chain.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1992 (sources 1945-2026)

   Limitations

   Resolves publication-level conflicts across official and secondary sources; none of the compared sources contains asbestos information; this row supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lavaca-apa180-05

7. [7]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 BuShips SDB 1945 v3 per-hull row for APA-180 and NavSource ship-data sheet [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 machinery table (LAVACA row, item 148); NavSource 03180 spec block; MARAD status cards (1982 defueling, 1986/1990 stripping withdrawals, 1992 sale); haskell-class.class.json (class-f worktree) for class context; AJIM 11(3):359-373

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull carried a single-screw geared-steam plant (one Westinghouse turbine, two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers at 465 psi / 750 deg F) built and fitted out at peak WWII asbestos usage - the machinery configuration for which boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, turbine lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and accommodation joiner insulation of the period were commonly asbestos-containing. Troop-space outfitting (accommodations for 1,520) added interior insulation scope. Documented ship-level disturbance phases for this hull: construction at Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland (Oct-Dec 1944); a single commission period (Dec 1944 - Jan 1947) including occupation-lift and Magic-Carpet service; ~41 years in Navy/MARAD reserve custody with documented withdrawals for defueling (Oct-Nov 1982), 'Navy Stripping' (Mar-May 1986), and the Colonna's Shipyard stripping program (Apr-Aug 1990); and the 1992 sale and breaking at Newport News.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1992

   Population

   Construction trades at Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland (1944); wartime crew (692 ship's company) and embarked troops (accommodations for 1,520); NDRF lay-up/defueling/stripping workforces (1958-1992, incl. Colonna's Shipyard 1990); Newport News breaking workforce (1992)

   Limitations

   Inference from the documented machinery plant and construction era - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming APA-180 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lavaca-apa180-06

8. [8]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030 [other_primary]

   Locator

   J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16; PubMed PMID 21016030

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned industrial-hygiene survey of WWII pipe-covering operations at two Navy yards and two Navy contract yards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite' - i.e., asbestos insulation was standard material in wartime naval-vessel construction of exactly this hull's era and type.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1945 survey; published 1946

   Population

   WWII pipe coverers and naval-vessel construction trades (era context)

   Limitations

   Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; does not name this vessel, class, or builder yard and establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lavaca-apa180-07

9. [9]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 mass-produced at Oregon Shipbuilding - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in shipbuilding.

   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 (era context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or class and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lavaca-apa180-08

10. [10]CourtListener API v4 authenticated opinion/docket sweeps, 2026-09-25 (via fleet-paced cl-auth-search.py) [court_record]

    Locator

    CourtListener sweeps sl-uss-lavaca-apa180-07 through sl-uss-lavaca-apa180-11

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Authenticated CourtListener sweeps returned no qualifying case for this hull: 'USS Lavaca' opinions count=0; 'APA-180' opinions count=2 and 'APA 180' opinions count=2 - the same two Delaware Chancery contract matters (ITG Brands, LLC v. Reynolds American, Inc., Del. Ch. C.A. 2017-0129-LWW, filed 2023-10-02; Level 4 Yoga, LLC v. CorePower Yoga, LLC, Del. Ch. C.A. 2020-0249-JRS, filed 2022-03-01) in which 'APA-180' is an Asset Purchase Agreement section/annex reference, not a vessel; '"Lavaca" asbestos' opinions count=24 - screened results are all name collisions (Lavaca County TX venue/party references, Port Lavaca entities, Lavaca Bay; e.g., Little-Tex Insulation Co. v. General Services Commission, Tex. App.-Austin 1999, an asbestos-domain contract dispute citing Lavaca County, and Aluminum Co. of America v. Aetna, Wash. 2000, referencing the Lavaca Bay/Point Comfort works) - no hull naming; '"Lavaca"' dockets count=1,692 - screened top results are Lavaca County/Port Lavaca/Lavaca School District/Lavaca-surname and LLC captions (Lavaca Babe, Lavaca Wellness, Lavaca Trail, Lavaca Bay Inc) - no hull naming.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    sweeps run 2026-09-25

    Limitations

    Zero qualifying hits at any litigation stage for exact-name and hull-number queries; every hit is a name collision ('APA' as Asset Purchase Agreement; 'Lavaca' as county, city, bay, school district, or surname - the ship's Texas namesake). RECAP text-index matches were screened by case name - filings that mention the hull without naming it in the caption would not surface. A name match is not a finding: no complaint, discovery record, trial finding, or judgment names this hull.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lavaca-apa180-09

11. [11]Batch-2255 search ledger (this record): DANFS verbatim NHHC Wayback capture 20250202220553 + NHHC Online Library (ibiblio apa180.htm); NavSource 03180; MARAD Vessel History Detail 2968 + seven status-card scans read directly; BuShips SDB 1945 v3 per-hull rows (item 148); shipscribe APA-117 class page; CourtListener authenticated opinion/docket sweeps; indexed-web litigation check; NVR; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lavaca-apa180-01 through sl-uss-lavaca-apa180-14

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, repair-scope record, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Lavaca / APA-180 / M.C.V. Hull 146 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The located attack-transport asbestos docket resolves to another class - Pruitt v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp. (D. Del. C.A. 18-1101-MN-SRF, MDL-875 track) names USS Bayfield (APA-33, Bayfield class) and USS Tolovana (AO-64). Law-firm marketing pages (asbestos-ships.com dedicated hull profile asserting 'asbestos exposure occurred extensively aboard this ship') claim era-typical asbestos content for this hull without primary support - excluded as a source per the no-law-firm-sources rule and logged in the batch report.

    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 geared-steam attack transport is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and her 41 years in Navy/MARAD custody, the 1982 defueling withdrawal, the 1986 and 1990 stripping withdrawals (incl. Colonna's Shipyard), and the 1992 sale and breaking are documented or implied disturbance phases of unrecorded scope. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lavaca-apa180-10

12. [12]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel - Navy deck logs and war diaries), RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357 (Records of the Maritime Administration); MARAD Vessel History Detail 2968 card scans for this hull [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html ; https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/2968 (card scans)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Lavaca December 1944 - January 1947 plus the ship's war diary (RG 24, NARA College Park; WWII deck logs are also digitized via the NARA catalog partner program); BuShips records incl. VC2-S-AP5 contract plans and the Booklet of General Plans (RG 19); USMC construction-contract records for M.C.V. Hull 146 covering the Oregon Shipbuilding build (RG 178); and MARAD/NDRF custody files covering the 1958-1992 lay-up, the Oct-Nov 1982 defueling work order, the FY1986 'Navy Stripping' withdrawal, the 1990 'Colonna Shipyard/stripping prog.' availability, the 31 Dec 1990 Navy-to-MARAD title transfer, and the MA-12760 sale file for Global Marketing Systems (RG 357) - the sale/custody files are the most promising disposal-era hazmat leads. Non-NARA lead: NHHC photo catalog item NH 98737 (San Francisco Bay, late 1945/early 1946, donation of BM1 Robert G. Tippins 2003 - live NHHC pages currently 404).

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1944-1992 records

    Limitations

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

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lavaca-apa180-11