USS Lebanon (AK-191)

Evidence

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

1. [1]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 program under which this C1-M-AV1 hull was built (Maritime Commission Design AV, contracts approved 1943-09-02 for 100 ships, MC hulls 2101-2174/2194-2207/2239-2250; this hull is MC 2122) - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   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 or the C1-M-AV1 type 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-lebanon-ak191-01

2. [2]shipscribe.com, USS Alamosa (AK-156) Class page - class notes (Design AV development history; Great Lakes transit procedure; 1 Jul 44 CNO conversion directive) and ship note for AK-191 [other_primary]

   Locator

   Class Notes paragraphs (Design AV specification; 'The ships built on the Great Lakes were taken by Navy ferry crews to New Orleans...' transit description; 'On 1 Jul 44 CNO asked BuShips to convert three ships of this class (AK-156, 158, and 160)') and Ship Notes row for AK-191 (MC 2122)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Class-design documentation: shipscribe's Alamosa-class notes record that the Maritime Commission developed 'Design AV' (full designation C1-M-AV1) in 1943 for local/inter-island supply work in the South and Southwest Pacific - a ship of 320' length, 50' beam, 22' loaded draft, 6,000 DWT, 11 knots, using diesel instead of the originally requested reciprocating steam plant, with accommodations for a Navy crew of 8 officers and 67 men; MC approved contracts for 100 ships 1943-09-02 (hulls 2101-2174, 2194-2207, 2239-2250 - this hull is MC 2122). The class notes also record that Great Lakes-built ships were dismantled for the river/canal transit (bridge deck, superstructure deck, masts, kingposts, stack, and boats removed and stowed; pontoons fitted to lift the stern over 13-foot shoals), towed to New Orleans, and reassembled - the documented delivery path of this hull. The 1944-07-01 CNO-to-BuShips ammunition-tender conversion directive naming AK-156/158/160 did NOT cover this hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1945

   Population

   Walter Butler Shipbuilders construction workforce (Superior, 1944-45); Great Lakes-to-New Orleans transit and reassembly trades; Navy crew (commissioned seven weeks)

   Limitations

   Class-level design and program history, not a hull materials record. Establishes the design's diesel (not steam) plant and this hull's documented transit path, but contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement for this hull. shipscribe is a compiled reference (Tim Colton, coltoncompany lineage), not a primary document; underlying directives are paraphrased. The ammunition-conversion insulation scope documented for AK-156/158/160 does not extend to this hull.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lebanon-ak191-02

3. [3]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships - 'Lebanon II (AK-191)' entry (Wayback capture 2024-05-26 of NHHC danfs/l/lebanon-ii.html; canonical NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-09-21) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Lebanon II (AK-191)' full entry via Wayback Machine; canonical https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/l/lebanon-ii.html returned 404 (standing NHHC link rot, same as batches 01, 808, 833)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS 'Lebanon II (AK-191)' entry records: stat line (AK-191: dp. 2,382; l. 338'6"; b. 50'; dr. 21-; s. 12 k.; cpl. 85; a. 1 3", 6 20mm.; cl. Alamosa; T. C1-M-AV1); namesake - 'The first Lebanon retained her former name; the second was named after a county in southeastern Pennsylvania' (Lebanon County); laid down under Maritime Commission contract by Walter Butler Shipbuilding Co., Superior, Wis., 1944-05-15; launched 1944-10-14, sponsored by Mrs. Charles E. Denny; acquired by the Navy 1945-08-25; commissioned at New Orleans 1945-09-26, 'Lt. Robert K. Stuart in command'; 'The end of World War II reduced the need for cargo ships and Lebanon decommissioned 15 November 1946 [sic]; she was returned to the Maritime Commission the same day, was chartered to Lykes Bros SS Co., Inc., and renamed Coastal Archer.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1956

   Population

   Navy crew (cpl. 85 per DANFS stat line) during the seven-week commission

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity and chronology. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazardous-material statement. Two printed errors carried in the correction row: decommissioning year printed '1946' (all other sources and the Galveston postmark record say 1945) and commanding officer 'Lt. Robert K. Stuart' (NavSource carries LT Jerold M. Wallman, USNR, 26 Sep - 15 Nov 1945). DANFS omits the intermediate operators (West India SS, Overlakes, Waterman) and the NDRF Mobile lay-up documented on the MARAD cards.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lebanon-ak191-03

4. [4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - COASTAL ARCHER, Ship History Detail 1026 (vessel fields; three status-card scans; COASTAL ARCHER.pdf transfer ledger) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 1026; cards /cards/1GM_01.png (custody face, 'For Prev. info. see old cards'), /cards/1026_AF.jpg (sale card incl. buyer, price, PL 496, RIO PARAGUACU), /cards/1026_1867AF.jpg (Reserve Fleet Division vessel-data card); /documents/df65f9b2-2e62-4894-952b-42fcbb8410c1.pdf (handwritten transfer ledger) - all read directly from scans

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory records for this hull (Detail 1026 'COASTAL ARCHER', name history 'COASTAL ARCHER / LEBANON (AK-191)'): MARAD type C1-M-AV1; shipyard 'Walter Butler Shipbuilders'; year built 1945; U.S. Official No. 248952; register dims 338.5 ft x 50 ft (detail page) / 321'4" x 50' x 29' (sale card); gross 3,805 / net 2,123; DWT 6,022; displacement 8,370; fate 'Sold - Foreign Flag Op.' The custody status card reads: MC Hull No. 2122; 'Built by Walter Butler SB Inc. at Superior, Wisc.'; completed 8-25-45; 'Basis to W.S.A. 11-15-45 1:00PM CST @ Galveston, Texas redel. from Navy.' Operator rows: West India SS Co. (GAA, Galveston, 11-25-45 1:00PM CST); Overlakes Freight Corp. (GAA, New Orleans, 6-26-46 12 mid. CDST); Lykes Bros. SS Co., Inc. (MC/BB, New York, 12-3-46 mid. EST); Waterman SS Corp. (GAA, Mobile, 6-24-48 12:01 AM); Reserve Fleet (Mobile, 6-25-48 12:35 PM); 'Sold Foreign (Brazil) (Vessel to remain in custody of Reserve Fleet until possession)' (purchase, Mobile, 7-13-56 2:30PM EDST); 'Physical deliv. from Mobile R.F. on 8-22-56 10:50am CST.' The handwritten transfer ledger records the same chain: Navy Dept. -> W.S.A. (11-15-45 1:00PM CST, Galveston, 'BB/LB'); W.S.A. -> West India SS Co. (GAA); West India -> W.S.A. (6-26-46 New Orleans); W.S.A. -> Overlakes Freight Corp.; Overlakes -> USMC (12-3-46 New York); USMC -> Lykes Bros. (MC/BB); Waterman SS Corp. -> Reserve Fleet (6-25-48, Mobile, 'GAA LAY UP'); Reserve Fleet -> Government of Brazil (7-13-56, Mobile). The reserve-fleet data card adds: fleet/unit 'Mobile W-4'; date entered fleet 6-25-48 12:35 PM; hull no. MC 2122; fuel note '2643 minus 1511 Diesel removed by PRN'; ships papers 'Public Law 496, 83rd Congress / 12 C1-M-AV1 / Contract No. MA-1243 dated July 13, 1956'; title transfer July 13, 1956 Washington, D.C. 1450 hrs EDST; withdrawn from fleet Aug. 22, 1956 1050 hrs CST, delivered to 'Agent for Purchaser - Brazil'; stamped 'Sold to Brazil.' The MA-sale card records: 'Sold to Companhia Nacional de Navegacao Costeira, Patrimonio Nacional a Brazilian Entity for $693,682 under PL 496, 83rd Congress, approved 15 July 1954. Date of Sale: 7-13-56. Terms: Mortgage'; 'RIO PARAGUACU - Brazilian Name'; remarks: 'Sold to Brazilian Govt on condition that ship be operated only in coastwise trade of Brazil.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945-1956

   Population

   Merchant crews under West India SS (1945-46), Overlakes Freight (1946), Lykes Bros. bareboat (1946-48), Waterman SS (1948 delivery to lay-up); NDRF Mobile caretakers (1948-56); Brazilian coastwise crews (1956+)

   Limitations

   Authoritative government custody record for this hull; card scans and ledger read directly (card references 'old cards' not digitized in this file). Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or machinery-manufacturer detail - supports no asbestos claim. Establishes merchant operation under four agents/operators 1945-48 and NDRF Mobile lay-up 1948-56. Does not establish where or when the hull was ultimately dismantled.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lebanon-ak191-04

5. [5]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Lebanon (AK-191) page (compiled reference incl. DANFS transcription, awards, CO list, specifications) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.net/archives/09/13/130191.htm - full page incl. specifications block, commanding-officer table, awards; page notes 'There are no images of USS Lebanon (AK-191) available'

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Online (Service Ship Photo Archive, AK-191 page) records the same chronology as DANFS plus: built as MV Coastal Archer under MC contract (MC hull 2122) at Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, WI; call sign NEOA; ribbons American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal (no battle stars); commanding officer LT Jerold M. Wallman, USNR (26 Sep - 15 Nov 1945); 'Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown'; merchant-service entries (Overlakes GAA 1946-06-26 New Orleans; Lykes charter 1946-12-03; sold foreign Brazil 1956-07-13, physically delivered 1956-08-22); specs - 2,382 t (lt) / 7,450 t (fl); 338'6" x 50' x 29'2" (limiting draft); 11.5 kts; complement 15 officers + 70 enlisted; largest boom 30 t; cargo capacity 3,945 DWT incl. 9,830 cu ft refrigerated / 227,730 cu ft non-refrigerated; armament 1x3"/50 DP + 6x20mm AA; fuel 6,300 bbls diesel; propulsion one Nordberg Diesel TSM6, two 250 kW 120/240 V DC diesel-drive ship's-service generators, single propeller, 1,750 shp; final disposition 'fate unknown.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1956

   Limitations

   NavSource is a privately compiled standard reference, not a government publication; its spec block presumably derives from standard compilations - not independently corroborated here. Its 'struck ... date unknown' conflicts with shipscribe's 28 Nov 45 strike date - see correction row. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lebanon-ak191-05

6. [6]shipscribe.com, USS Alamosa (AK-156) Class page - construction table row, disposition table row, and ship note for AK-191 [other_primary]

   Locator

   Construction table (AK-191 row), disposition table (AK-191 row: Decomm. 15 Nov 45 | Strike 28 Nov 45 | Disposal 15 Nov 45 | MC/D | 13 Jul 56), Ship Notes row 191/LEBANON/2122

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   shipscribe ship note for AK-191 (MC hull 2122): 'Delivered to MC in Great Lakes 25 Feb 45 and arrived at New Orleans 2 Apr 45. Reassembled by Port Houston IW, Houston, Texas and delivered to MC and Navy 25 Aug 45. Probably no Navy operational service. Merc. COASTAL ARCHER 1945, to NDRF 25 Jun 48. Merc. RIO PARAGUACU (Brazilian) 1956 (to buyer 22 Aug 56). Scrapped 1986 as IRAZU.' Construction table adds: acquired 25 Aug 45; keel 15 May 44; launched 14 Oct 44; commissioned 26 Sep 45. Disposition table adds: decommissioned 15 Nov 45; struck 28 Nov 45; disposal (to MC) 15 Nov 45; fate code MC/D; MA sale 13 Jul 56.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1986

   Limitations

   Compiled secondary (Tim Colton) whose construction/custody dates agree with DANFS, NavSource, and the MARAD cards; 'probably no Navy operational service' is consistent with the documented seven-week commission bracketed by acceptance and disposal. The strike date (28 Nov 45) is compiled-source only (NavSource/NCM 'unknown'). Post-1956 merchant fate is partially verified: RIO PARAGUACU is primary-sourced (MARAD sale card; shipindex.org ties IMO 5296329); the 1976 resale to Romen Inc. S.A. (Panama) as IRAZU is corroborated by oceania.pbworks Lloyd Brasileiro list and shipindex.org; the 1986 scrapping rests on shipscribe alone - no primary record located. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lebanon-ak191-06

7. [7]Congress.gov, S.2370 (83rd Congress) - Public Law 83-496, 68 Stat. 481; U.S. Dept. of State FRUS 1952-54 vol. IV (Brazil sale negotiations); MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1026 sale card (contract MA-1243) [other_primary]

   Locator

   congress.gov/bill/83rd-congress/senate-bill/2370 (actions); history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v04/d201; MARAD Detail 1026 card 1026_AF.jpg

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The 1956 sale to Brazil was executed under Public Law 496, 83rd Congress - S. 2370, 'An Act to authorize the sale of certain vessels to Brazil for use in the coastwise trade of Brazil,' approved 1954-07-15 (68 Stat. 481). Congress.gov documents the bill's path (introduced 1953-07-13; passed Senate 1954-05-11; passed House 1954-07-06; became law 1954-07-15) and the Office of the Historian's FRUS volume documents the negotiating background (sale of up to 12 coastwise vessels from the reserve fleet to Brazil). The MARAD sale card applies it to this hull: buyer Companhia Nacional de Navegacao Costeira, Patrimonio Nacional; $693,682; terms mortgage; contract MA-1243 dated 1956-07-13; condition 'that ship be operated only in coastwise trade of Brazil'; card annotation '12 C1-M-AV1' under the PL 496 reference.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1953-1956

   Limitations

   Authoritative for the legal mechanism of the 1956 foreign sale (a statutory carve-out for up to 12 reserve-fleet coastwise vessels, conditioned on Brazilian coastwise trade). No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lebanon-ak191-07

8. [8]shipbuildinghistory.com - Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Superior WI yard page (yard history and hull table, row 40 / MC 2122); Wisconsin Historical Society marker 'Wartime Shipbuilding' (Superior, WI) via hmdb.org; shipscribe AK-191 ship note (Port Houston IW reassembly) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/butlersuperior.htm - yard history paragraph and row for hull 40 / O.N. 248952 / MC 2122; hmdb.org/m.asp?m=223799

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Builder-yard context: Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc. took over the Lake Superior Shipbuilding plant (North 1st and Hammond Avenue, Superior, WI) at the outset of the war and built this hull as its yard no. 40 (O.N. 248952, original name Coastal Archer, owner WSA, C1-M-AV1, MC 2122, delivered Aug-45). A Wisconsin Historical Society marker records that the Walter Butler Company built 52 ships at Superior (18 coastal freighters, 22 ocean-going cargo ships, 12 frigates) with a peak wartime workforce of about 5,000, launching five large cargo ships in a single day in May 1943. Reassembly after the Great Lakes transit was performed by Port Houston Iron Works, Houston, TX (shipscribe ship note).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1942-1945

   Population

   Walter Butler Shipbuilders construction workforce (~5,000 peak, Superior, 1942-45); Port Houston Iron Works reassembly trades (1945)

   Limitations

   Yard-level context for the builder and reassembly yard of this hull; documents the facility's wartime scale and the hull's yard number, but contains no asbestos or materials information and establishes nothing about materials aboard this hull. The yard table's disposition note ('Transfer to USN as Lebanon (AK 191) cancelled, sold 1947') is imprecise against the documented record - the Navy transfer was not cancelled (the ship commissioned 26 Sep 45) and the sale was to Brazil in 1956, not 1947 - see correction row. Neither Walter Butler Superior nor Port Houston Iron Works has a shipyards.json entry.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lebanon-ak191-08

9. [9]Swogger v. Waterman Steamship Corp., 151 A.D.2d 100, 546 N.Y.S.2d 80 (1st Dept 1989) (CourtListener opinion 6051287), aff'g 136 Misc.2d 410, 518 N.Y.S.2d 715 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County 1987); In re Waterman Steamship Corp., 141 B.R. 552 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 1992) / 157 B.R. 220 (S.D.N.Y. 1993); E.D. La. filings referencing 'a Lykes vessel' (e.g., gov.uscourts.lamd.51164 docket via CourtListener RECAP) [court_record]

   Locator

   CourtListener opinion 6051287 (Swogger - admiralty-jurisdiction holding); In re Waterman Steamship cited in Bankruptcy Code dockets (e.g., gov.uscourts.nysb.233396 doc 10911); gov.uscourts.lamd.51164.101.0.pdf (Lykes vessel exposure testimony)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Operator-level asbestos litigation exists for two of this hull's documented 1945-48 agents/operators - no case names this hull. (a) Swogger v. Waterman Steamship Corp., 151 A.D.2d 100, 546 N.Y.S.2d 80 (1st Dept 1989), affirming 136 Misc.2d 410 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County 1987): a marine engineer's estate pursued wrongful-death damages for asbestos exposure allegedly incurred over three decades aboard ships of five defendant owners including Waterman; plaintiff died of mesothelioma in 1980 and the published ruling addressed admiralty jurisdiction over the third-party contribution claims, not exposure findings. (b) In re Waterman Steamship Corp., 141 B.R. 552 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 1992), vacated and remanded, 157 B.R. 220 (S.D.N.Y. 1993): asbestos personal-injury claimants' treatment in Waterman's bankruptcy - fleet-level asbestos liability litigation. (c) Lykes Bros. Steamship Co. vessels appear in asbestos litigation records (e.g., E.D. La. filings describing insulators cutting and installing wallboard aboard 'a Lykes vessel'). This hull's connection: Waterman held a GAA for this ship for approximately one day (1948-06-24 to 1948-06-25, delivery to lay-up) and Lykes held an MC bareboat charter 1946-12-03 through the 1948 lay-up period - the hull's real operational exposure window under these operators.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945-1948 (hull's merchant window); litigation 1979-1990s

   Population

   Merchant marine crews (operator-fleet context)

   Limitations

   Operator-level and fleet-level litigation context only - no located case names this hull, its merchant names, or MC hull 2122. Swogger is a jurisdictional ruling, not an exposure finding; the Waterman bankruptcy rulings concern claim-administration procedure. Waterman's agency agreement covered roughly one day of this hull's life (delivery into lay-up); Lykes's bareboat charter ran 1946-48. Establishes only that vessels operated by these companies generated asbestos claims generally - establishes nothing about conditions aboard this hull.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lebanon-ak191-09

10. [10]In re Joint Eastern and Southern Districts Asbestos Litigation (Robinson v. United States), 891 F.2d 31 (2d Cir. 1989) [court_record]

    Locator

    Opinion, 891 F.2d 31 (No. 1547, docket 89-6109)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Second Circuit ruling addressing mesothelioma claims by a mariner aboard War Shipping Administration vessels; the court considered jurisdiction over a personal-injury claim against the United States for asbestos exposure aboard the WWII government merchant fleet - the same operating framework (WSA general-agency agreements, later MC bareboat charter) under which this hull was operated as Coastal Archer from 1945-11-15 through its 1948 lay-up. Claims against the government were barred on discretionary-function grounds.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1989 (opinion); wartime/postwar exposure period

    Population

    WWII merchant mariners (class context)

    Limitations

    Fleet-level jurisdictional ruling; does not name this hull, does not find asbestos conditions aboard any specific vessel, and establishes only the litigation posture for WWII/WSA merchant-fleet claims. Reporter citation confirmed: 891 F.2d 31.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lebanon-ak191-10

11. [11]Batch-867 search ledger (this record): DANFS Wayback mirror; MARAD ShipHistory 1026 + three status cards + transfer ledger; NavSource; shipscribe; shipbuildinghistory (Walter Butler Superior); NVR hull check; NavalCoverMuseum; HyperWar index; CourtListener; web-wide litigation search; NARA catalog; Congress.gov; shipindex.org / Lloyd Brasileiro fleet list [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lebanon-ak191-01 through sl-uss-lebanon-ak191-14

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming USS Lebanon / AK-191 / MC hull 2122 / Coastal Archer / Rio Paraguacu / Irazu was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull left U.S. custody in 1956 via foreign-flag sale to Brazil - predating the Navy's asbestos-control programs of the late 1970s and NESHAP demolition rules - so no U.S.-regulated abatement record was ever expected to exist for this hull. The ship appears on bulk law-firm marketing lists of Navy hulls (e.g., freeasbestostesting.com 'Auxiliary Ships' page, duboselawfirm.com 'US Navy Cargo Ships' page) that enumerate every Navy ship and carry no ship-specific evidence - classified non-qualifying and not cited.

    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 1944-45 C1-M-AV1 hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials. CourtListener coverage is partial: the authenticated "AK-191" opinion query completed (one docket-number collision, non-qualifying); the "USS Lebanon"/"Coastal Archer"/"Rio Paraguacu" queries were rate-limited (429, shared 2,800/day quota exhausted by other work, ~10.7h residual) and NOT completed - a Google-indexed check returned no hull-naming opinion, but an exhaustive opinion/docket sweep was not completed; residual litigation-discovery risk is noted rather than resolved. Brazilian-registry operations 1956-c.1986 are outside U.S. disclosure regimes; any asbestos-condition documentation from that era was not located. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lebanon-ak191-11

12. [12]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS 'Lebanon II' (Wayback mirror); NavSource AK-191 page; MARAD Detail 1026 status cards and transfer ledger; shipscribe AK-156 class page; NavalCoverMuseum LEBANON AK 191 page; shipbuildinghistory Walter Butler Superior yard table; shipindex.org / oceania.pbworks Lloyd Brasileiro list (post-1956 names) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Per-item: DANFS entry text vs NavSource CO table and chronology; shipscribe disposition table; MARAD cards 1GM_01 / 1026_AF / 1026_1867AF and ledger PDF; navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/LEBANON_AK_191; shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/butlersuperior.htm hull-40 row; shipindex.org/ships/rio_paraguacu

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies logged, not merged: (a) Decommissioning year - DANFS prints '15 November 1946' while NavSource, NavalCoverMuseum, shipscribe, the MARAD custody card (WSA redelivery 11-15-45), and the Galveston postmark (1945-11-15) all document 1945; DANFS's '1946' is a typo (a 1946 decommissioning is also internally inconsistent with the same paragraph's wartime-surplus framing and the documented November 1945 merchant hand-off). 1945 adopted. (b) Commissioning commanding officer - DANFS records 'Lt. Robert K. Stuart in command' while NavSource's CO table carries 'LT. Jerold M. Wallman, USNR, 26 September 1945 - 15 November 1945'; unresolved - both disclosed, neither independently corroborated by a primary record located. (c) Strike date - NavSource/NavalCoverMuseum 'date unknown' vs shipscribe disposition table 28 Nov 45 - shipscribe adopted with variance disclosed. (d) Complement - DANFS cpl. 85 and NavSource 15 officers + 70 enlisted (85) agree for this hull; shipscribe class table carries 69 and the MC Design AV intent was 75 (8 officers + 67 men) - DANFS adopted. (e) Dimensions/tonnage - length 338'6" (DANFS/NavSource) vs 338.5' oa (shipscribe, MARAD detail page) vs 321'4" register (MARAD sale card); draft 21' (DANFS partial '21-') vs 29'2" limiting (NavSource) vs 29' depth (MARAD); displacement 2,382 lt / 7,450 fl (DANFS/NavSource) vs 8,370 immersion (MARAD); DWT 6,022 (MARAD card) vs 3,945 cargo capacity (NavSource) vs 6,000 design intent (shipscribe); speed 12 kts (DANFS) vs 11.5 (NavSource/shipscribe); power 1,750 shp (NavSource/shipscribe). Variances reflect register vs full-load vs design conventions; logged, not merged. (f) Builder entity - DANFS 'Walter Butler Shipbuilding Co.' vs MARAD card/NavSource/shipscribe 'Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc.' - the Inc. form adopted (it is the yard entity of record on the custody card). (g) Merchant chronology - DANFS compresses to 'chartered to Lykes Bros ... renamed Coastal Archer,' omitting West India SS (1945), Overlakes (1946), and Waterman (1948) documented on the MARAD card; MARAD adopted. (h) shipbuildinghistory yard-table disposition 'Transfer to USN as Lebanon (AK 191) cancelled, sold 1947' conflicts with the documented commission (transfer not cancelled) and the 1956 Brazil sale (not 1947) - imprecise; disclosed. (i) Final fate - NavSource 'fate unknown' vs shipscribe 'scrapped 1986 as IRAZU' with intermediate resale to Romen Inc. S.A. (Panama) 1976 per shipindex.org/oceania.pbworks - compiled references only, carried as partial. (j) West India delivery date - card face reads 11-25-45 1:00PM CST at Galveston while the handwritten transfer ledger groups the WSA->West India row under the 11-15-45 redelivery date cell; NavalCoverMuseum carries 25 Nov 45 - card/NCM value adopted.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1944-1986 (dates reconciled 2026-09-21)

    Limitations

    Resolves nothing by fiat - records which source says what so downstream consumers inherit the conflicts honestly. Where a primary record and a compiled reference disagree, the primary record (MARAD card, DANFS) is adopted and the variant disclosed. The Stuart/Wallman commanding-officer conflict is left unresolved - no primary commissioning document located. No asbestos content in any reconciled source.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lebanon-ak191-12

13. [13]NARA record-group guidance: RG 24 deck logs (post-1941 at Archives II, College Park); RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) Construction Division records; RG 26 merchant logbooks (regional distribution); MARAD sale documentation (MA-1243 referenced on status cards) [other_primary]

    Locator

    archives.gov/research/military/logbooks (post-1941 Navy deck logs at College Park); archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/178.html; catalog.archives.gov returned only its JS application shell to automated query on 2026-09-21 - no digitized AK-191 log confirmed

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction orders; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for AK-191 (the seven-week commission, Sep-Nov 1945, New Orleans/Galveston) at Archives II, College Park - the commissioning document would resolve the Stuart/Wallman CO conflict; (b) NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) Construction Division records may hold the MC hull 2122 contract and C1-M-AV1 outfitting specifications for Walter Butler yard no. 40; (c) the 'old cards' referenced on the MARAD custody card ('For Prev. info. see old cards') - earlier WSA-era card faces not digitized in this file; (d) MARAD sale file / contract MA-1243 (1956) and the PL 496 transaction file for any condition or survey statements; (e) RG 26 merchant-vessel logbooks for COASTAL ARCHER 1945-48 (distributed to regional NARA facilities by port of submission - Gulf ports for this hull's documented operation); (f) Brazilian-registry records for RIO PARAGUACU (Companhia Nacional de Navegacao Costeira / Lloyd Brasileiro) and Panamanian-registry records for IRAZU (Romen Inc. S.A.) - foreign-registry documentation of the 1976 resale and 1986 scrapping.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1944-1986 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-lebanon-ak191-13