USS Lehigh (AK-192)

Evidence

7 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-7).

1. [1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'Lehigh II (AK-192)' entry, NHHC - live page 404s; text verified via Wayback Machine capture 2024-05-26 [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Lehigh II (AK-192)' entry, full text (two paragraphs); Wayback capture https://web.archive.org/web/20240526182330/https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/l/lehigh-ii.html

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS: 'The second Lehigh (AK-192) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract by Walter Butler Shipbuilding Co., Superior, Wis., 8 June 1944; launched 25 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Stanley Butler; acquired by the Navy 30 July 1945; placed in service the same day for ferrying from Beaumont to Galveston, Tex.; placed out of service on the 31st; and commissioned at New Orleans 13 September 1945, Lt. George Kotnick in command. Because of the reduced need for cargo ships following World War II, Lehigh decommissioned 6 November 1945 and was turned over to the WSA the same day.' DANFS characteristic line: dp. 2,382; l. 338'6"; b. 50'; dr. 21'; s. 12 k.; cpl. 87; a. 1-3", 6-20mm; cl. Alamosa; T. C1-M-AV1. Namesake: 'A county in Pennsylvania.' (Note: the hazegray transcription of the 1969 print edition, Vol. 4 pp.83-84, reads 'Complement: 85' where the NHHC web edition reads cpl. 87.)

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1945

   Population

   Ship's crew (cpl. 87 per DANFS), September-November 1945

   Limitations

   Short-form official entry; contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information. Live NHHC DANFS page returned 404 on 2026-09-21 (standing NHHC link-rot condition per BATCH-01); content verified against the archived capture of the canonical page. DANFS gives no strike date.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lehigh-ak192-01

2. [2]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - USS Lehigh (AK-192) page (photo index, specification block, commanding-officer list, merchant-service list) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource page 130192.htm: header chronology, Merchant Service list, Specifications block, Commanding Officers table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource compiled record: laid down 8 June 1944 as MV Coastal Expounder (MC type C1-M-AV1, MC hull 2123) at Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, WI; launched 25 November 1944; acquired by the Navy 30 July 1945; commissioned USS Lehigh (AK-192) 13 September 1945 at New Orleans, LT. George Kotnick, USNR, in command; decommissioned 6 November 1945 and transferred to the War Shipping Administration at Galveston, TX, the same day for disposal, name reverting to MV Coastal Expounder; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown. Merchant service listed: GAA to T.J. Stevenson & Co. 6 November 1945; chartered to New York and Cuba Mail SS Co. 18 July 1946; GAA to Agwilines Inc. 7 November 1946; custody to Lloyd Brasileiro, Patrimonio Nacional 15 February 1947; sold to Lloyd Brasileiro 7 March 1947 for $693,862.00, renamed SS Rio Solimoes, reflagged Brazil. Specification block: 2,382 t. light / 7,450 t. full; 338'6" x 50' x 29'2" limiting; 11.5 kts; complement 15 officers + 70 enlisted; cargo 3,945 DWT, 227,730 cu ft non-refrigerated + 9,830 cu ft refrigerated; armament 1 x 3"/50 DP + 6 x 20mm AA; propulsion 1 Nordberg Diesel TSM6, two diesel-drive 250 kW generators, single screw, 1,750 shp. Single photo credited John Spivey / Bowling Green State University Historical Collection of the Great Lakes; no war-diary scan linked on the page.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1947

   Population

   Ship's crew; merchant crews under successive operators 1945-1947

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled secondary record, not a primary document - merchant-chain dates agree with the MARAD custody cards (ev-04) and are treated as corroborated; specification-block figures (draft, complement) differ from DANFS and are carried with the discrepancies logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos or materials information. 'Struck - date unknown' is NavSource's framing; Shipscribe supplies 28 November 1945 (ev-03).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lehigh-ak192-02

3. [3]Shipscribe (Stephen S. Roberts), U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships - ALAMOSA (AK-156) class page, construction, disposition, and notes tables [other_primary]

   Locator

   ALAMOSA (AK-156) class page: header data block, construction table row AK-192, disposition table row AK-192, notes column for hull 2123

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Class compilation from official Navy/MC data: AK-192 LEHIGH, MC hull 2123, keel laid 8 June 1944 at Walter Butler SB, Superior; launched 25 November 1944; Navy acquisition 30 July 1945; commissioned 13 September 1945. Disposition table: decommissioned 6 November 1945; struck 28 November 1945; disposed to MC 6 November 1945; to buyer 7 March 1947. Notes row for hull 2123: 'Delivered to MC in Great Lakes 29 Mar 45 and arrived at New Orleans 5 Jun 45. Reassembled by Samuelson SY, Beaumont, Texas and delivered to MC and Navy 9 Jul 45. Fitted out by Texas Coast SY, Galveston, Texas (in service for ferrying 30-31 Jul 45). No Navy operational service. Merc. COASTAL EXPOUNDER 1945, RIO SOLIMOES (Brazilian) 1947, scrapped 1969.' Class data (C1-M-AV1): 2,474 t light / 7,450 t limiting; 338.5 ft oa x 50.0 ft x 21.1 ft; complement 69 (1944); 11.5 kts; Nordberg TSM6 diesel, 1,750 hp, single screw; armament 1-3"/50 + 6-20mm.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1969

   Population

   Construction trades (Walter Butler, Superior WI; Samuelson Shipyard, Beaumont TX; Texas Coast Shipyard, Galveston TX), 1944-45

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation reproducing official construction/disposal data - the strike date (28 Nov 45), '9 Jul 45' MC/Navy delivery, 'No Navy operational service' assessment, and the 1969 scrapping are shipscribe-only details not in DANFS; treated as authoritative-compiled, not independently verified to the underlying MC file. Contains no asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lehigh-ak192-03

4. [4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - LEHIGH (AK-192), Detail 9144, incl. two digitized vessel status cards (USMC Form MC-7146a and merchant-side card, O/N 248945) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 9144 characteristics block and name history; status-card scans /cards/4H7_01.png and /cards/c4dd1272-96d5-4ba0-b6dc-20456348aeca.png

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record: LEHIGH (AK-192), built 1945 by Walter Butler Shipbuilders, MARAD type C1-M-AV1, length 338.50 ft, beam 50.00 ft, gross 3,800 / net 2,123 tons, displacement 2,382 light / 7,450 summer, Official No. 248945, fate 'Sold - Foreign Flag Op.'; name history COASTAL EXPOUNDER / LEHIGH (AK-192). Status card (Navy side): Hull No. 2123 built by Walter Butler SB, Inc. at Superior, Wisc., completed 3-29-45; basis 3-29-45 6:00 PM CWT at Superior, delivered by builder to USMC Prod. Div.; allocated to Navy Department with notation '(Reassembled by Samuelson Shipyard at Tex. 7-30-45 3:30PM CWT)' BB/LB at Beaumont, Tex.; then T.J. Stevenson & Co. GAA 11-6-45; New York & Cuba Mail BB 7-18-46; Agwilines, Inc. GAA 11-7-46; Brazilian Government Purchase 3-7-47; 'Renamed "RIO SOLIMOES"'. Status card (merchant side, O/N 248945, home port Duluth, Minn.): 'Basis to W.S.A. 11-6-45 12Noon CST @ Galveston, Texas from Navy Dept. LB/BB'; T.J. Stevenson & Co. GAA at Galveston 11-6-45 12 Noon CST; New York & Cuba Mail SS Co. Int. BB at New York 7-18-46 8:00 AM EDT; Agwilines Inc GAA at Baltimore 11-7-46 3:30 PM EST; Lloyd Brasileiro, Patrimonio Nacional custody at Baltimore 2-15-47 Noon EST; Lloyd Brasileiro purchase at Baltimore 3-7-47 5:45 PM EST with '(Title passed simultaneously @ Wash., DC)' and '(transferred to Brazilian flag)', $693,862.00.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945-1947 (carded custody chain); to 1969 (disposal era)

   Population

   Merchant crews under T.J. Stevenson, New York & Cuba Mail, Agwilines, and Lloyd Brasileiro, 1945-1969

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody milestones; handwritten card entries OCR-aided and partially legible. The two cards disagree in minor figures (DWT 5,962 vs 5,010; gross 3,800 vs 3,805; completion 3-29-45 vs 1-9-45) - logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lehigh-ak192-04

5. [5]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII, the era and emergency shipbuilding program under which this C1-M-AV1 Maritime Commission hull was built in 1944-45, and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard U.S.-built hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1940s era documented; article 1987

   Population

   WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel, does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, and does not establish quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. This hull's diesel propulsion removes the steam-plant boiler-insulation inference applied to steam hulls.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lehigh-ak192-05

6. [6]Batch-868 search ledger (this record): DANFS entry (archived NHHC page + print-edition transcription); NavSource photo index; Shipscribe class compilation; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 9144 + status cards; CourtListener name/hull/merchant-name searches attempted but blocked (throttled all session); NVR check; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-lehigh-ak192-01 through sl-uss-lehigh-ak192-08

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located in the archival/official sources searched: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or government claim naming USS Lehigh (AK-192), MC hull 2123, Coastal Expounder, or Rio Solimoes (see search_ledger). Coverage hole: the litigation layer could NOT be searched - CourtListener authenticated API requests were throttled for the entire session (shared key at its 2,800/day cap; 'expected available in ~10 hours' at last check 08:26 CT), so vessel-level opinion/docket absence is unverified, not a negative result.

   Verification

   partial

   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 Maritime Commission hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials in construction, and no survey was located either way. The archival negative finding is verified; the litigation negative is unverified because the docket search could not execute. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lehigh-ak192-06

7. [7]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 38 (Office of the Chief of Naval Operations - war diaries/deck records), RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission construction records), plus MARAD/USMC disposition files [other_primary]

   Locator

   archives.gov Guide to Federal Records: RG 38, RG 24, RG 178 group pages; MARAD custody/sale file references on the status cards

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) RG 38 WWII war diaries for the September-November 1945 commission period - whether a diary exists for this ~54-day commission is itself unverified; no scan is linked from the NavSource page. (b) RG 24 Navy deck logs for July-November 1945 (NARA, College Park). (c) RG 178 USMC Construction Division records for MC hull 2123 / Walter Butler contract, incl. outfitting specifications and the Samuelson Shipyard reassembly contract - the likeliest source for any materials itemization. (d) MARAD/USMC disposition file for the 1947 Lloyd Brasileiro sale (the custody cards reference act-of-1946 authority for the foreign-flag transfer).

   Verification

   unverified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1947 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-lehigh-ak192-07