USS Lowndes (APA-154)

Evidence

14 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-14).

1. [1]research packet m-packet.md (7 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED. No name collision found. — real identity: USS Lowndes; hull: APA-154; designation: attack transport (APA)

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-lowndes-apa154-pkt-m-packet-md

2. [2]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - transports, attack (APA) section, class no. 122 HASKELL rows (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 pp. 252-257 (PDF pp. 271-276), APA tables: dimensions row p.252, personnel row p.253, machinery row p.254, armament/cargo row p.256, construction row p.257; alphabetical index p.27 entry 'APA154 LOWNDES'

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries a per-hull row for LOWNDES APA-154 (table row 155): 455'0" overall / 436'6" waterline; beam 62'0"; 17.7 knots; 14,837 tons; machinery 1 Westinghouse turbine, 8,500 shp, with 2 Combustion Engineering header-type boilers at 465 psi / 750F ('C.E. hdr' column entry shared with Oregon-built sisters; boiler make differs from Calship-built Haskell's B&W); personnel 56 officers + 480 enlisted ship's company, troop accommodations 86 officers + 1,475 enlisted; armament 1 x 5"/38 cal (D.P.) + 4 twin and 1 quad 40mm; cargo 150,000 cu ft / 2,900 DWT; builder Oregon S.B. Corp., Portland, Oreg.; acquired 14 Sep 1944; date of first commission 14 Sep 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, machinery plant (including the CE boiler make), manning, builder, and key dates. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lowndes-apa154-01

3. [3]DANFS, 'Lowndes (APA-154)' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (updated Robert J. Cressman, 15 Jul 2024; live NHHC URL returns 404 - verbatim text retrieved via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20251209184321); corroborated by the Naval Historical Center Online Library USS Lowndes page (ibiblio HyperWar mirror) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry body text + spec block (capture 20251209184321); NHC Online Library summary https://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/OnlineLibrary/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-l/apa154.htm

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NHHC records: launched under Maritime Commission contract (M.C.V. Hull 120) by Oregon Shipbuilding Co., Portland, Oregon, 18 Jul 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Fred J. Lundberg; acquired by the Navy 14 Sep 1944; commissioned the same day, Cmdr. Charles H. Perdue in command. Spec block: displacement 6,873; length 455'0"; beam 62'0"; draft 24'0"; speed 17.0 knots; complement 536; troop capacity 1,561; armament 1x5-inch, 12x40mm, 10x20mm; class Haskell; type VC2-S-AP5. Service: departed San Pedro 23 Oct 1944 for amphibious training in Hawaii, landing rehearsals through year-end for Iwo Jima and Okinawa; departed Pearl Harbor 27 Jan 1945 via Saipan staging; arrived off Iwo Jima 19 Feb, lowered boats for the assault, stood by eight days while her beach party attended and evacuated casualties, salvaged boats, and cleared beaches; returned to Saipan 3 Mar. Sailed 27 Mar 1945 for the 1 Apr Okinawa invasion, arriving D-Day morning; waited in the retirement area until 12 Apr, then debarked troops and unloaded cargo under constant enemy air raids; returned to Saipan 18 Apr; training in the Saipan/Southwest Pacific area until she departed Guam 11 Jul for San Francisco. Aug-Oct 1945: western Pacific voyage carrying troops and cargo to the Philippines and Japan for occupation duty; Magic Carpet departure from Saipan 6 Oct for the United States; sailed to the east coast Feb 1946; decommissioned at Norfolk 17 Apr 1946; returned to the War Shipping Administration for disposal. Two battle stars.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1946

   Limitations

   Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for service history, identity, and the WSA-disposal statement. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC page 404s (standing link rot, cf. BATCH-01); the Wayback capture is the verbatim NHHC text. Entry carries no laid-down date (keel date sourced separately from shipscribe).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lowndes-apa154-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Lowndes (LPA-154) ex-USS Lowndes (APA-154), file 10/03/03154 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 03154.htm - specifications block, Asiatic-Pacific campaign table, awards line, disposal entries, commanding-officer table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource records: laid down (date unknown) as MC type VC2-S-AP5 at Oregon Shipbuilding Group, Portland OR; launched 18 Jul 1944; acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission 13 Sep 1944 at Portland OR; commissioned 14 Sep 1944, CDR Charles H. Perdue USNR in command. Assigned TransRon Fifteen (CAPT W. S. Popham) / TransDiv Forty-Five (CAPT A. C. J. Sabalot); Asiatic-Pacific campaigns - Iwo Jima operation, assault and occupation 19-28 Feb 1945; Okinawa Gunto operation, assault and occupation 1-14 Apr 1945; occupation service in the Far East 25-29 Sep 1945; two battle stars; Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, Iwo Jima). Decommissioned 17 Apr 1946 at Norfolk VA; returned to the Maritime Commission 26 Apr 1946 for NDRF James River Group, Lee Hall VA; struck from the Naval Register 1 May 1946; reclassified LPA-154 1 Jan 1969; sold for scrapping 17 Sep 1983 to S.A. Desbar at Santander, Spain, delivered 17 Oct 1983, scrapping completed 17 Oct 1984. Spec block includes 1 Westinghouse geared turbine with two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers (465 psi/750F), double Westinghouse main reduction gears, three 300kW DC ship's service generators, single propeller, 8,500 shp; boats 2 LCM + 1 open LCPL + 1 covered LCPL (captain's gig) + 2 LCPR + 18 LCVP. CO table: CDR Perdue 14 Sep 44-3 Jan 46; LCDR Judin 3-11 Jan 46; CAPT Wentraub (Daniel Jacob) 11 Jan-17 Apr 46.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1984

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official. Consistent with NHHC except: acquisition recorded 13 Sep (vs 14 Sep in DANFS/SDB/shipscribe - adopted 14 Sep); troop enlisted figure printed 1,465 (vs 1,475 in SDB and the 1,561 total in DANFS - adopted 1,475/1,561); CO surname rendered 'Wentraub' (vs 'Weintraub' in the ship's own addendum signature - adopted Weintraub); disposal dates conflict with the MARAD cards (see ev-07). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lowndes-apa154-03

5. [5]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - 'LOWDES (LPA-154)' (sic - registry misspells the name), Ship History Detail 3086, plus five digitized status-card images read directly (Forms MA-383 reserve-fleet particulars, MA-571 reserve-fleet data, and MA-20 record of ship sales) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 3086 page + card scans /cards/3086_AF.jpg, 3086_AB.jpg, 3086_5741AF.jpg, 3086_5741BF.jpg, 3086_5741BB.jpg (images read directly)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD registry: year built 1944; shipyard Oregon Shipbuilding Company; general type Naval Auxiliary, specific type AP/APA/LPA; MARAD type VC2-S-AP5; fate Sold - Scrap; milestone table records disposition/withdrawal 10/17/1983 ('CUST 1946 EXCHANGE'). The digitized status cards document the custody chain directly: entered the James River fleet 4-26-46 (fleet JR unit 10; ownership listed WSA); fuel aboard at entry 1,074 bbl Bunker C plus 7 bbl diesel; a handwritten status note reads 'Mar 1/56 bids'; withdrawn 1 Jun 1966 0930 EDST and delivered to Norfolk Shpyd for drydocking & cathodic inspection (particulars card records a fleet 'entered' timestamp 2 Jun 1966 1745 EDST); finally withdrawn 10-17-83 1350 EDT - 'delivered to S.A. Desbar (Spanish) pursuant to Exchange contract for CONNECTICUT, Connecticut Transport, Inc. trade out scrap ships HYDE, LOWNDES. Contract No. MA-11431, dated 9-17-83. Ships to be scrapped in Spain.' The MA-20 sale card records: 510(i) Exchange Program; awarded to Connecticut Transport, Inc. c/o Ogden Marine, Inc., 280 Park Ave., NY, on Sept. 17, 1983; contract MA-11431; year built 9/1944; lightship tonnage 5,330; location James River Reserve Fleet; remarks - 'Ship immediately sold by Connecticut Transport to S.A. Desbar, Spanish corp., for scrapping in Spain. Ship delivered to Spanish breaker 10/17/84, completed scrapping January 16, 1984, in Santander. Bond Released - Spanish Gov't Guaranty, 2/28/84.' A second card notes a 'Felmotor oil pump (hand pump)' removed, whereabouts unknown, per condition report.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1946-1984

   Limitations

   Authoritative MARAD custody file - the digitized status cards are primary custody records. Two clerical anomalies carried verbatim: the registry title misspells the name 'LOWDES', and the sale card's 'delivered to Spanish breaker 10/17/84' is internally inconsistent with the same card's completed-scrapping date 'January 16, 1984' (delivery cannot postdate completion) - flagged in gaps rather than adjudicated. Contains no asbestos or materials information; the June 1966 drydocking/cathodic-inspection entry is a documented yard event but its scope is undescribed. Supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lowndes-apa154-04

6. [6]shipscribe.com U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships - Haskell (APA-117) class page, construction and fate tables (compiled from official sources) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipscribe.com/usnaux/APA/APA117.html - construction table row 154, fate table row 154, notes field

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The shipscribe Haskell-class construction table gives the per-hull row: APA-154 LOWNDES, acquired 14 Sep 44, builder Oregon SB, keel 26 May 44, launch 18 Jul 44, commission 14 Sep 44. The class fate table records: decommissioned 17 Apr 46; stricken 1 May 46; to Maritime Commission/Reserve 26 Apr 46; disposal 17 Sep 83. A per-hull notes field reads 'To buyer 17 Oct 83' and records MCV hull 120. Unlike sisters Laurens, Lycoming, and Napa, the Lowndes row carries no 'repaired while inactive' note - no 1955-56 Repair Program withdrawal is documented for this hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1983

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation consistent with NHDC/SDB on checkable points; supplies the keel date (26 May 1944) that neither DANFS nor NavSource carries. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lowndes-apa154-05

7. [7]'Narrative History of the U.S.S. Lowndes (APA 154) - From Date of Commissioning to 6 October 1945' + addendum 'From 7 October 1945 to Decommissioning' (signed D. J. Weintraub, Captain, U.S. Navy, Commanding Officer, 20 March 1946) + 'Disposition of the U.S.S. Lowndes' + war-diary excerpt February 1945 - privately hosted verbatim transcription of ship-submitted U.S. Navy documents [other_primary]

   Locator

   historysoft.com/lowndes/history.htm - narrative sections, commissioning program, mileage log, addenda, war-diary excerpt, disposition note

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The ship's own narrative history records: commissioned 0900 14 Sep 1944 at U.S. Naval Station, Astoria, Oregon (Capt. Ponto, station CO - program renders 'A. H. Ponto', narrative text 'A. R. PONTO'; Cmdr. Charles H. Perdue USNR assumed command; LCDR A. Merritt T. Berner XO); ten days loading at Astoria, departed 25 Sep for Seattle, equipment tests in Puget Sound, first cruise 29 Sep to Long Beach Naval Station; shakedown 5-22 Oct 1944 including ~24 hours in dry dock at Terminal Island, San Pedro, and repairs/adjustments alongside Pier 3 Berth 32; departed 23 Oct for Pearl Harbor with USS Hendry, Pickens, and Barrow, mooring Berth X-7 East Lock at 1200 on 28 Oct; Capt. A. C. J. Sabalot (ComTransDiv 45) hoisted flag aboard 30 Oct as Commander TU 13.10.16; embarked 398th RCT, 98th Infantry Div. at Port Allen, Kauai (1-5 Nov); amphibious training off Malea Bay, Maui, through 31 Dec with 98th Infantry and 4th Marine Division units; embarked RCT 23, 4th MarDiv at Kahului Pier 2 (29-31 Dec); TG 51.11 exercises under RAdm. Turner 12-19 Jan; Berth X-11 East Lock 19-26 Jan. Iwo Jima (narrative + war-diary excerpt): departed Pearl Harbor 27 Jan 1945; troops landed on Yellow Beach Two on D-Day 19 Feb (task-group designation shifted to 53.2 on arrival, Commodore H. C. Flanagan in USS Bayfield); beach party landed Blue Beach One morning of D+1, relieved USS Mifflin's party, and held Yellow Beach Two through D+5 taking 16 casualties (2 killed - PhM1c Bowman and HA1c Richards - 13 wounded, 1 missing); ship received and treated 365 wounded (6 died, 27 transferred to hospital ships, 12 returned to duty, remainder to U.S. Naval Hospital No. 111 at Guam); 8 LCVPs lost (1 gunfire, 3 flooded/sunk at beach, 4 broached); broken anchor winch kept her anchored near the beach overnight under mortar fire within ~600 yd; departed for Saipan arriving 3 Mar. Okinawa: retirement area 3-11 Apr; ordered to Hagushi Beach transport area 11 Apr, arrived next morning during the worst air raid of the invasion; debarked troops 13 Apr; departed 14 Apr. Postwar itinerary (mileage log): Saipan-Tulagi (6-5 to 6-11)-Espiritu Santo (6-16 to 6-17)-Guam (6-26 to 7-4); Guam-San Francisco (7-12 to 7-27); SF-Eniwetok (8-21 to 9-1)-Ulithi (9-3 to 9-7)-Batangas P.I. (9-7 to 9-11)-Leyte (9-13 to 9-15)-Aomori, Japan (9-18 to 9-25)-Saipan (9-29 to 10-4); Magic Carpet Saipan-Seattle (10-6 to 10-18), passengers debarked Pier 90, shifted to Pier 2 Kirkland Shipyard Lake Washington 19 Oct; Navy Day open ship 27 Oct; Magic Carpet orders 3 Nov for Samar, modified 15 Nov to Manila via San Bernardino Strait; Seattle-Manila (11-4 to 11-21); departed Manila 23 Nov, recalled next morning ahead of typhoon for two-day layover, sailed 26 Nov, arrived SF 13 Dec (Pier 15, then anchorage 12 berth 9); final Magic Carpet run departed 29 Dec for Manila, diverted to Pearl Harbor where Perdue relinquished command 1130 on 3 Jan 1946 (Berth A12); LCDR L. A. Judin officer-in-charge; Capt. D. J. Weintraub USN (USNA 1927, qualified airship aviator, prior Commander LSM Flotillas Two and Six) assumed command 11 Jan; SF Pier 45D 21 Jan; ordered to Norfolk for decommissioning 7 Feb; Panama Canal transit 16 Feb (0952 pilot aboard, 1056 entered channel, 1901 anchored Berth 23 Limon Bay); four-day layover Cristobal/Colon; departed 21 Feb; heavy seas off Florida 24 Feb (~24h delay); anchored anchorage F Hampton Roads 1231 on 27 Feb; commission pennant hauled down 17 Apr 1946. Disposition addendum: traded 17 Sep 1983 pursuant to P.L. 95-177 by MARAD to Connecticut Transport, Inc., New York, together with nine other vessels, in exchange for the tanker CONNECTICUT; immediately sold and transferred to S.A. Desbar, a Spanish corporation, for scrapping in Spain; 'This scrapping was complete as of 16 January 1984, in Spain.'

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-09-14 to 1946-04-17 (narrative coverage); disposal addendum through 1984-01-16

   Population

   Ship's company (~536) and embarked troops (up to ~1,561); beach party and boat crews at Iwo Jima

   Limitations

   Privately hosted transcription of ship-originated U.S. Navy documents (narrative history, CO-signed addendum, war-diary excerpt, disposition note) - the underlying records are authentic ship submissions of the same genre NARA holds for sister ships, but transcription fidelity is unverified; adopted only where corroborated by NHHC/NavSource/MARAD and for detail no official source carries (commissioning site Astoria, itinerary-level dates). The document carries several internal date slips: 'arrived at Saipan on 13 April 1945' after the Okinawa leg contradicts its own mileage log (14-18 Apr) and DANFS (18 Apr); both narrative and war-diary excerpt date the Iwo Jima departure '29 February 1945' (1945 had no 29 Feb; the mileage log records Iwo Jima-Saipan 1-3 Mar); narrative-vs-log one-day conflicts on Pearl Harbor arrival (28 vs 29 Oct 1944), Pearl Harbor departure (27 vs 28 Jan 1945), Saipan arrival (11 vs 10 Feb 1945), and Saipan departure for the Southwest Pacific (4 vs 5 Jun 1945); the winch-failure/mortar night is dated 28 Feb in the narrative while the diary excerpt times eight bursts to 2130 on 27 Feb. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. The documented repair/drydock events (Terminal Island Oct 1944; Norfolk Shipyard Jun 1966) are exposure-pathway-relevant facts, not asbestos findings.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lowndes-apa154-06

8. [8]Cross-source reconciliation: NHHC DANFS (Wayback 20251209184321), BuShips SDB 1945 v3, NavSource 03154, shipscribe class tables, MARAD status cards, and the ship's narrative-history transcription [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 03154.htm vs DANFS Wayback text vs SDB1945v3 pp. 252-257 vs MARAD cards 3086_AF/AB vs historysoft.com/lowndes/history.htm

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies resolved or flagged: (a) Navy acquisition date - NavSource records 13 Sep 1944; DANFS, SDB 1945 v3, and shipscribe all record 14 Sep 1944, adopted in this record. (b) Troop enlisted accommodations - NavSource prints 1,465; SDB's personnel row and the narrative transcription both carry 1,475, and DANFS's 1,561 total requires 1,475 (86+1,475) - adopted. (c) Commanding officer surname - NavSource 'Wentraub' vs the ship's addendum signature 'D. J. Weintraub' - Weintraub adopted. (d) Disposal chain dates - NavSource 'delivered 17 Oct 1983, scrapping completed 17 Oct 1984' conflicts with the ship's disposition addendum and the MARAD card continuation, both recording completion 16 Jan 1984 in Santander, Spain; the card's own 'delivered to Spanish breaker 10/17/84' is internally inconsistent with that completion date. Completion 16 Jan 1984 adopted; delivery-date digit unresolved (flagged in gaps). (e) Disposal agency wording - DANFS says 'returned to the War Shipping Administration for disposal' while NavSource says returned to the Maritime Commission 26 Apr 1946; the fleet card lists ownership as WSA. WSA disposal functions passed to the Maritime Commission at war's end; both formulations are used in the sources and both are reported. (f) Guam departure for San Francisco - DANFS 11 Jul 1945 vs the ship's mileage log 12-27 Jul - unresolved minor conflict, flagged in gaps. (g) Internal date slips inside the narrative-history transcription and its embedded war-diary excerpt: 'arrived Saipan 13 Apr 1945' after Okinawa contradicts the same document's mileage log (14-18 Apr) and DANFS (18 Apr); the Iwo Jima departure is dated '29 February 1945' in both narrative and diary excerpt though 1945 had no 29 Feb - the mileage log records Iwo Jima-Saipan 1-3 Mar and DANFS concurs on arrival 3 Mar; one-day narrative-vs-log conflicts on Pearl Harbor arrival (28 vs 29 Oct 1944), Pearl Harbor departure (27 vs 28 Jan 1945), Saipan arrival (11 vs 10 Feb 1945), and Saipan departure for the Southwest Pacific (4 vs 5 Jun 1945); the winch-failure night is dated 28 Feb in the narrative while the diary excerpt times the mortar bursts to 2130 on 27 Feb; the commissioning program prints 'Captain A. H. Ponto' where the narrative text reads 'A. R. PONTO'. Narrative-text dates are used in the prose with the log's variant flagged where they differ.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1984

   Limitations

   Reconciles secondary/official conflicts item by item; every adopted value names its source. None of the compared sources contains asbestos information; this row supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lowndes-apa154-07

9. [9]Consolidated era/design inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row for this hull + VC2-S-AP5 type data [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 machinery table row 155 (p.254); MARAD cards 3086_5741AF/5741BF (1966 drydocking entry); narrative-history transcription (Oct 1944 drydock)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull carried a single-screw geared-steam plant (one Westinghouse turbine, two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers at 465 psi / 750F superheat) built at the peak of 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 (capacity 1,561) added interior insulation scope. Documented ship-specific disturbance-phase events: ~24 hours in dry dock at Terminal Island during shakedown (Oct 1944); ~37.5 years of NDRF lay-up at James River (1946-1983) including a drydocking and cathodic inspection at Norfolk Shipyard (1-2 Jun 1966); and breaking at Santander, Spain (1983-84). None of these events is documented to involve asbestos.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1984

   Population

   Construction trades at Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland (1944); wartime crew and embarked troops; NDRF lay-up/inspection and 1983-84 breaking-yard workers at Santander

   Limitations

   Inference from the documented machinery plant, construction era, and custody events - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming APA-154 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lowndes-apa154-08

10. [10]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 - 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 (class 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-lowndes-apa154-09

11. [11]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

    PubMed record PMID 21016030; article pp. 9-16 (pipe covering material section)

    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

    survey ~1944-45; published 1946

    Population

    WWII pipe coverers and insulators at Navy and contract yards (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. (The study's exculpatory 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion has since been heavily criticized - see the 2026 critique at DOI 10.1177/10482911261446696.)

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lowndes-apa154-10

12. [12]Pruitt v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., C.A. No. 18-1101-MN-SRF (D. Del., In re Asbestos Litigation / MDL-875 track) - Report and Recommendation (2020-07-30) and Memorandum Opinion, verified via ded.uscourts.gov opinion PDFs [court_record]

    Locator

    Report & Recommendation, Facts section (plaintiff's ship assignments); https://www.ded.uscourts.gov/sites/ded/files/opinions/18-1101_1.pdf

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    The located attack-transport asbestos docket resolves to another class: plaintiff John W. Pruitt Sr. alleged mesothelioma from asbestos exposure as a machinist mate stationed in 1958 on 'the USS Bayfield, an attack transport' (APA-33, Bayfield class) and in 1959 on USS Tolovana (AO-64, Cimarron-class oiler). No docketed asbestos opinion naming USS Lowndes or APA-154 was located in authenticated CourtListener sweeps or indexed sources.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    opinions 2020; service 1958-1963

    Population

    Navy veterans of APA-type auxiliaries (type context)

    Limitations

    Different hull and class - carried only to document that the APA-type litigation surface exists while no Lowndes-specific docket was found. Deposition-stage exposure descriptions are allegations, not findings.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lowndes-apa154-11

13. [13]Batch-2226 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via Wayback; NavSource 03154; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 3086 + five status-card scans; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; shipscribe class tables; ship's narrative-history transcription; CourtListener authenticated sweeps; indexed-web litigation checks; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lowndes-apa154-01 through sl-uss-lowndes-apa154-15

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, material schedule, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Lowndes / APA-154 / LPA-154 / M.C.V. Hull 120 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Authenticated CourtListener sweeps: 'USS Lowndes' 0 opinions / 0 dockets; 'APA-154' 2 opinions and 35 dockets, all Administrative Procedure Act / document-token collisions across both result pages (none the ship). A law-firm marketing page (asbestos-ships.com) asserts era-typical asbestos content ('over 300 different products') 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 transport is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and her ~37.5 years in NDRF custody, documented 1966 drydocking/cathodic inspection, and 1983-84 Spanish breaking are disturbance phases whose materials scope is undocumented. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lowndes-apa154-12

14. [14]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel - Navy deck logs), RG 38 (Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations - WWII war diaries and ship-submitted narrative histories), RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357 (Records of the Maritime Administration) [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/038.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Lowndes 1944-1946 (RG 24, NARA College Park); the ship-submitted narrative history and war-diary originals that the privately hosted transcription reproduces (WWII war-diaries collections, RG 38; no digitized copy of this hull's history was located on Wikimedia Commons, unlike sister Colbert's NAID 77635590); BuShips records incl. VC2-S-AP5 contract plans and Booklets of General Plans (RG 19); USMC construction-contract records for M.C.V. Hull 120 at Oregon Shipbuilding (RG 178); MARAD/NDRF custody files covering the 1946-1983 lay-up, the June 1966 Norfolk drydocking requisition, and the MA-11431 sec. 510(i) exchange contract file (RG 357).

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1944-1984 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-lowndes-apa154-13