Evidence
17 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-17).
-
[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Okala (ARS(T)-2)' entry - live NHHC ship-history page [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS Okala entry, full entry text verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02 (the standing NHHC link-rot defect does not affect this page; the prior batch-2688 record had to cite a 2010 Wayback capture)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS 'Okala (ARS(T)-2)' entry (Vol. V, 1979 text, republished on live NHHC page 2026): LST-1099 laid down 1 December 1944 by the Jeffersonville Bridge and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, Ind.; redesignated ARS(T)-2 on 8 December 1944; named Okala 23 December; launched 8 February 1945, sponsored by Mrs. Susie Saulsbury; placed in reduced commission 19 June 1945 for ferrying down the Mississippi River; commissioned in full at Algiers, La., 28 June 1945, Lt. Louis Silver in command. Fitted out in the New Orleans area; shakedown out of Galveston until 29 July 1945; brief Gulfport stop; sailed via the Panama Canal and Pearl Harbor to Buckner Bay, Okinawa, her base of operations from 27 September until shifting to Yokosuka in late November; remained in the Far East until 25 March 1946, then sailed via Guam and Pearl Harbor for Seattle and deactivation; decommissioned at Seattle 5 August 1946; struck from the Naval Vessel Register 15 October 1946; delivered to the Maritime Commission for later sale to the Columbia River Packers Association. Header specs: displacement 4,100; length 328'0"; beam 50'0"; draft 11'2"; speed 11.6 kts; complement 289; armament 8 x 40mm, 12 x 20mm; class Laysan Island. Named for the small island off the coast of Molokai, Hawaii.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- JeffBoat construction/conversion trades (1944-45); ferry and fitting-out crews; ship's company 1945-46
- Limitations
- DANFS documents identity, milestones, and service history, not materials or asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim. Prints the builder as 'Jeffersonville Bridge and Machine Co.' - the documented corporate name was Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co.; carried with the official rendering logged in ev-09. The companion LST-1099 entry compresses the naming date into the 8 December redesignation (see ev-02).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-01
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'LST-1099' entry - live NHHC ship-history page [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS LST-1099 entry, single-sentence entry verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS 'LST-1099' entry in full: 'LST-1099 was redesignated ARST-2 and named Okala (q.v.) on 8 December 1944.' Confirms that LST-1099 and ARST-2/USS Okala are one canonical hull, not separate vessels; the LST designation is a construction-phase alias.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944
- Limitations
- Identity-crosswalk evidence only. The entry compresses two events onto one date: the Okala entry itself separates them (redesignated 8 December; named 23 December). Supports no asbestos or materials claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-02
-
[3]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011, 15 April 1945), LST roster annotation and name index (shipscribe.com scan with text layer) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 text layer: LST roster line 'LST1099 / Now ARS(T)2' (OCR line ~5695); name index 'Okala (ex-LST1099) ... ARS(T)2 ... Auxiliary - Salvage Craft Tender' (OCR line ~137987); downloaded and text-extracted this session
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official Bureau of Ships Ships' Data 1945 Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011, 15 April 1945) records the conversion contemporaneously: the LST roster annotates 'LST1099 - Now ARS(T)2' and the name index carries 'Okala (ex-LST1099) - ARS(T)2 - Auxiliary - Salvage Craft Tender'. The same volume's LST design table documents the class machinery baseline (2 x GM diesels, ~1,700-1,800 shp, Falk reduction gears, 11.6 kts; the LST1081-1152 block - which includes this hull - carried GM 12-567A engines).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945 (publication); hull 1944-45
- Limitations
- Official contemporaneous BuShips roster/index - confirms designation lineage and the class design baseline. Contains no material or asbestos information; the design table establishes machinery, not insulation content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-03
-
[4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. III (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 15 April 1945), Salvage Craft Tenders (ARS(T)) characteristics table (shipscribe.com scan with text layer) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 'AUXILIARIES - SALVAGE CRAFT TENDERS (ARS(T))' table (OCR lines ~147566-148000); downloaded and text-extracted this session
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. III (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 15 April 1945), 'Auxiliaries - Salvage Craft Tenders (ARS(T))' characteristics table names this hull directly: OKALA (ex-LST1099), ARS(T)2 - 328'0" oa / 316'0" wl, 50'0" beam, 11.6 kts trial speed, trial displacement 3,960 tons (4,100 t limiting), 2 propellers, G.M. Diesel 12-567A, 1,800 shp, complement 41 officers / 248 enlisted, 25-ton boom capacity. Sister rows: LAYSAN ISLAND ARS(T)1 (ex-LST1098), PALMYRA ARS(T)3 (ex-LST1100).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- ARS(T) design complement 41 officers / 248 enlisted
- Limitations
- Official design data naming this hull - the strongest ship-specific technical record located. Design table, not a material schedule: establishes machinery and accommodation figures, no insulation or asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-04
-
[5]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Okala (ARST-2), page 09/34/3402 - spec block, custodial chronology, awards, CO roster, photo captions citing NHHC and NARA image numbers [other_primary]
- Locator
- navsource.net 09/34/3402 verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02 (the dead navsource.org domain is not cited; the prior batch-2688 record cited a Wayback capture of the .org host)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource archival page for USS Okala (ARST-2): laid down as LST-1099 at Jeffersonville Bridge and Machine Co.; redesignated Salvage Craft Tender ARST-2 8 December 1944; named Okala 23 December 1944; launched 8 February 1945; reduced commission mid-June 1945 for the river transit to Algiers; fully commissioned 28 June 1945, LT Louis Silver USNR; Asiatic-Pacific Theater service; decommissioned 5 August 1946 Seattle; struck 15 October 1946; transferred to the Maritime Commission; final disposition 'sold by the Maritime Commission to Columbia River Packing Association, fate unknown'. Spec block: 4,100 t (lim), 328' x 50' x 11'2", 11.6 kts, complement 41 officers / 248 enlisted, boom 25 t, two quad 40mm + twelve single 20mm AA mounts, two LCVPs, diesel 6,830 Bbls / gasoline 17,850 gals, 2 x GM 12-567A diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, four 100 kW 120/240 V DC diesel-drive generators, twin rudders, twin propellers 1,800 shp. Radio call sign NAUH. Awards: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp). CO roster: Silver (to 7 Sep 1945), ENS Michael O. Miller USNR (to 23 Mar 1946), LT Darrell Arthur Stratton USN (to decommissioning). Photo captions document the 24 June 1945 yard departure, 26 June Memphis transit (NH 76090), NH 84686 underway view, and NARA 19-N-89698/19-N-86587A ferry-voyage images.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Ship's company 289 design complement; embarked salvage personnel
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled archival page quoting Navy sources and official photo captions; consistent with DANFS and SDB where they overlap. 'Columbia River Packing Association' rendering differs from DANFS 'Packers' - both carried. 'Twelve single 20mm' conflicts with shipscribe's 6-twin-mount line (12 barrels either way) - noted in gaps. Spec data are equipment descriptions only - no asbestos content stated or implied.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-05
-
[6]NHHC Online Library of Selected Images, 'USS Okala (ARS(T)-2), 1945-1946' page (HyperWar/ibiblio mirror of the Naval Historical Center page) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ibiblio HyperWar mirror page arst2.htm verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02; photo captions NH 84686 and NH 76090
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official NHHC Online Library of Selected Images page for this hull (accessed via the verbatim HyperWar/ibiblio mirror): 'USS Okala, a 4100-ton Laysan Island class salvage craft tender, was built at Jeffersonville, Indiana. Begun as the tank landing ship LST-1099, she was redesignated ARS(T)-2 and renamed Okala in December 1944, during the early stages of construction.' Photographs documented: NH 84686 (underway, circa mid-1945, Measure 31 camouflage) and NH 76090 (off Memphis 26 June 1945, mast folded for bridges).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Limitations
- NHHC mirror page - establishes identity, conversion 'during the early stages of construction,' and two dated photographs. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-06
-
[7]shipscribe.com, 'Laysan Island (ARST-1) Class' page - construction/disposition tables, class notes, ship notes, compiled from BuShips, Naval Vessel Register, and Maritime Commission records [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipscribe usnaux/ARST/ARST01.html construction table, disposition table, class notes, ship-note row for ARST-2 OKALA (verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02); companion photo page ARST01-p.html cites NARA RG-19-LCM photos 19-N-89698, 19-N-86587A, 19-N-86590A
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Shipscribe's ARST class page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from BuShips/NVR/MC records): construction table - OKALA reclassed 14 Dec 44, builder Jeffersonville Boat & Mach., keel 1 Dec 44, launch 8 Feb 45, commissioned 28 Jun 45; disposition table - decommissioned 5 Aug 46, struck 15 Oct 46, disposal 13 Aug 47, fate 'MC', MA Sale 25 Jul 47; ship note - 'Ex LST-1099 14 Dec 44. Ferry commission 19-28 Jun 45. To buyer 13 Aug 47 (in Navy records as 21 Aug 47, also reported as 2 Sep 47). Merc. SAIPAN 1948, SAIPAN MARU 1953.' Class notes: 14 Aug 44 ComServPac requested three LSTs be converted as salvage tenders to support salvage vessels and tugs in amphibious operations (carrying salvage pumps, air compressors, anchors, plate and timber repair stock, firefighting equipment, extra divers, repair facilities, boats, and lifting gear); 27 Oct 44 CominCh directed conversion of eleven new-construction LSTs to tenders (ARS(T) 1-3, ARVE 3-4, ARVA 5-6, AKS 16-19 later APB 45-48), built under their LST contracts and modified by the builder during construction; class line: Design 'Navy LST', 1,949 light / 4,100 lim tons, 328.0' oa / 316.0' pp x 50.0' x 11.2', complement 269, 11.6 kts, 1,800 HP, GM diesels 2 screws, original armament 2-40mmQ + 6-20mmT (1945, ARST 1-2).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1953
- Population
- JeffBoat construction trades; ferry crew; commissioned crew; post-sale merchant crews
- Limitations
- Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy/MC records - the most complete ship-specific chronology located, and the only located source carrying the merchant-name trail (SAIPAN 1948, SAIPAN MARU 1953) and the three-way sale-date reconciliation (MC sale 25 Jul 47; to buyer 13 Aug 47; Navy records 21 Aug 47 / also reported 2 Sep 47). Its 'Reclas. 14 Dec 44' conflicts with DANFS's 8 December redesignation - carried in ev-09/gaps. Its class-line complement 269 is the unconverted LST figure - see gaps. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-07
-
[8]A. D. Baker III, 'Historic Fleets,' Naval History Magazine, U.S. Naval Institute, Vol. 13 No. 1 (February 1999) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- USNI Historic Fleets article, Laysan Island-class paragraphs and Okala photo caption (verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- USNI 'Historic Fleets' (A.D. Baker III) documents the class context and this hull's service: LSTs 1098-1100 'were redesigned as salvage craft tenders ARS(T)-1 through ARS(T)-3 before their keels were laid in December 1944 by Jeffersonville Bridge and Machinery Co.'; the trio were distinguishable by the 25-ton amidships crane and the forward pilothouse, carried five 36-foot LCVP work boats (two in Welin davits aft), and retained functional bow doors and vehicle ramp for beaching salvage equipment; commissioned June-July 1945, 'too late for wartime service' but significant in postwar cleanup; 'Okala arrived at Okinawa on 29 September 1945 and departed the Far East from Yokohama on 25 March 1946; she decommissioned on 5 August 1946 and [was] sold by the Maritime Commission for commercial service on 21 August 1947.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Salvage-tender crew and supported salvage personnel, 1945-46
- Limitations
- Naval Institute historical account, not a registry or hull survey. Confirms conversion-program context and service dates; the Okinawa arrival (29 Sep vs DANFS 27 Sep), departure port (Yokohama vs Yokosuka), and sale date (21 Aug 47 = Navy-records date) variants are carried in gaps. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-08
-
[9]Source-discrepancy reconciliation across DANFS Okala/LST-1099 entries, BuShips SDB 1945 Vols. II-III, NavSource 09/34/3402, NHHC Online Library, shipscribe ARST-1 class page, USNI Historic Fleets, shipbuildinghistory JeffBoat page [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Cross-source date/name table as enumerated; each constituent source verified live this session
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies reconciled: (a) Builder name - DANFS and BuShips-derived sources print 'Jeffersonville Bridge and Machine Co.'/'Jeffersonville Bridge and Machinery Co.'; the documented corporate name was Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co. (shipbuildinghistory yard history: organized 1938 by American Barge Line on the former M.A. Sweeney site, leased the Navy-condemned Howard Shipyard & Dock Co. tract from 1942; renamed Jeffboat 1957; closed 2018). 'Boat & Machine' is carried; 'Bridge' is the official-source rendering error. (b) Redesignation date - DANFS 8 December 1944 (NavSource agrees) vs shipscribe construction table and ship note 'Reclas. 14 Dec 44'; DANFS adopted, variant logged. (c) Naming - DANFS Okala entry 'named Okala 23 December' vs the DANFS LST-1099 entry compressing it into 'redesignated ARST-2 and named Okala ... on 8 December 1944'; the Okala entry's separate dates adopted. (d) Complement - 289 (41 officers/248 enlisted: SDB Vol. III ARS(T) table, DANFS header, NavSource) vs 269 (shipscribe class line, Wikipedia) = the unconverted LST design figure; 289 adopted for the ARST configuration. (e) Buyer name - DANFS 'Columbia River Packers Association' vs NavSource 'Columbia River Packing Association'; both carried. (f) Sale sequence - MC sale 25 Jul 1947 (shipscribe 'MA Sale' column, matching Wikipedia's 'sold 25 July 1947'); delivered to buyer 13 Aug 1947; Navy records show 21 Aug 1947 (the date USNI prints); also reported 2 Sep 1947.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947 (events); source publications 1945-2026
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies; none affects hull identity or the service timeline materially. The builder-name call rests on shipbuildinghistory's yard history plus shipscribe's 'Jeffersonville Boat & Mach' table rendering against the DANFS/BuShips 'Bridge' printings - sister-hull DANFS usage also prints 'Boat' per the prior batch-2688 record. No asbestos content in any source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-09
-
[10]shipbuildinghistory.com (Tim Colton's shipbuilding reference), 'JeffBoat - Self-Propelled Vessels' construction table and yard-history narrative [reputable_press]
- Locator
- JeffBoat page self-propelled-vessels table row 'LST 1099' and yard-history paragraphs (verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Builder-yard record: shipbuildinghistory.com's JeffBoat self-propelled-vessels table carries row 'LST 1099 | US Navy | Landing Ship | 1,625d | 328 | 28-Jun-45 | Redesignated Okala (ARST 2), sold 1947' - corroborating the builder, the LST-1099 -> Okala/ARST-2 conversion, the 28 June 1945 delivery/completion date, and the 1947 sale year. Yard history: Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co. organized 1938 by American Barge Line; wartime LST construction on the Navy-condemned Howard yard tract; employment peaked at approximately 13,000.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1945 (hull); 1938-2018 (yard)
- Population
- JeffBoat construction workforce (peak ~13,000 across the WWII program)
- Limitations
- Reputable compiled reference, not an official record; corroborates builder identity and milestones, no asbestos or materials content. Yard employment ~13,000 is a program-scale figure, not a hull crew figure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-10
-
[11]Consolidated era inference - BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. II LST design/machinery tables and Vol. III ARS(T) characteristics table (diesel plant, no boilers; conversion outfit per shipscribe class notes and USNI) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 ARS(T) characteristics table; SDB1945v2 LST machinery table; shipscribe ARST01 class notes; USNI Historic Fleets description
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Class/era inference for this diesel-powered LST-design hull completed as a salvage craft tender: no boilers - asbestos-relevant applications concentrate in GM diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, ship's-service generator insulation, deck coverings, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, electrical insulation/cable, and winch/crane brake linings; the ARS(T) outfit (salvage pumps, air compressors, divers' facilities, workshops, 25-ton rotating crane, five LCVP work boats) added interior-outfitting scope of the type where era insulation products were applied. Construction-to-sale span 1944-1947 brackets the peak WWII insulation era; nothing ship-specific documents asbestos aboard.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- JeffBoat construction trades (1944-45); fitting-out workforce at Algiers/New Orleans (1945); ship's force and salvage personnel (1945-46); MC/merchant-phase workers (1947+)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no ship-specific asbestos record exists for this hull. The design documents establish machinery, not insulation materials. Does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-11
-
[12]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
- AJIM 11(3):359-373 (1987), DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700110311 - verified via CrossRef API this session (returns the Corn & Starr title verbatim)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical scholarship 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 hull was built (1944-45, wartime inland yard at Jeffersonville, IN).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (era context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarship on 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. Citation note: DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700120402 resolves to an unrelated lead-exposure article (Verschoor et al., AJIM 12(4):341-351) - that DOI is in error for this paper wherever it appears in sibling records.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-12
-
[13]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (18 October 1979), incl. Navy response letter [gao]
- Locator
- GAO HRD-80-2 product page and full report PDF (gao.gov/assets/hrd-80-2.pdf) both retrieved via Firecrawl this session; direct curl to gao.gov returns HTTP 403 - access path noted
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO's 1979 review of Navy asbestos protection documents the program-level picture: the Navy's own response letter states that 'thermal insulation for machinery, equipment and piping systems has been the major application of asbestos' in Navy ships, that 'all ships presently in service contain some quantity of asbestos' (deck tile, galley-range cabling, piping gaskets/packing, brakes and clutches among listed applications), and that insulation specifications were changed to require asbestos-free materials by late 1973, with insulated ships delivering as late as May 1978. This hull left federal custody in 1947 - decades before the substitution program - so original-era materials, if present, would not have been subject to systematic Navy removal during her service life.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979 (report); program era reviewed
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers and shipboard personnel (program context)
- Limitations
- Program-level Navy documentation that postdates this hull's entire federal existence - she was sold in 1947. Context for the era fleet picture only: supports the inference that any 1945-era materials were not systematically removed during Navy service, but establishes nothing about what was aboard. The fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk - not this hull's sites.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-13
-
[14]Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, OPNAVINST 5100.19F, Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, 5 May 2019, ch. B1 para. 3.d (archived copy; live med.navy.mil PDF requires interactive session) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Chapter B1, paragraph 3.d; Wayback capture 2025-02-08 confirmed available via the archive.org availability API this session (labeled archived per citation-hygiene rule)
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- OPNAVINST 5100.19F states that for active-ship asbestos management any Navy ship whose keel was laid before 1980 is considered to contain friable asbestos thermal-system insulation and must maintain an emergency asbestos response team. This hull's keel was laid 1 December 1944. The presumption is a modern administrative-management baseline promulgated decades after this ship left Navy custody (1947) - it cannot establish what material she carried, what was removed, or any individual's exposure.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2019 policy; keel laid 1944
- Population
- Navy shipboard and maintenance personnel (policy context)
- Limitations
- A 2019 presumption for active Navy ships, not a contemporaneous drawing, sample, survey, or work record for this hull. The ship was stricken and sold in 1946-47 - the instruction postdates her Navy existence by ~73 years.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-14
-
[15]CourtListener API v4 sweeps via cl-auth-search.py (authenticated, fleet-paced): batch-2688 session results carried per relaunch rule; batch-6587 session attempts logged in this record's search_ledger [court_record]
- Locator
- Prior-session sweep detail documented in the uss-okala-arst2 record (ev-uss-okala-arst2-09, opinion-level results enumerated); this session's requests: 'LST-1099' type=o completed (noise), 'Okala' type=o and type=r attempts exited with the fleet-pacing stand-down
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion-layer sweeps for this hull's designations (completed 2026-09-26 under the prior batch-2688 session, authenticated cl-auth-search.py v4): 'Okala' type=o returned 5 opinions, all name collisions - In the Interest of L.-M.C.L. (Ga. App. 2022); Dalk v. Allen (Fla. App. 2000); Matter of Pizza of Hawaii, Inc. (D. Haw. 1984); Aba, Inc. v. District of Columbia (D.D.C. 2014); Seabrooke v. Bray (S.C. Ch. 1702). 'LST-1099' type=o returned 50 hits of full-text numeric noise; the only asbestos-docket-adjacent hit, Powell v. Metropolitan Life Insurance (La. App. 1999), concerns an Exxon roustabout's Jones Act claim aboard Exxon's own converted-LST fleet - a collision, not this hull. 'ARST-2' type=o returned 239 hits of full-text noise, none involving this hull. No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull was located at the opinion layer. This session (2026-10-02) the authenticated helper returned the fleet-wide pacing stand-down on repeated spaced attempts; one 'LST-1099' type=o request succeeded and returned numeric-noise hits consistent with the prior sweep; docket-layer (type=r) sweeps for all designations remain uncompleted.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-09-26 (prior sweeps); 2026-10-02 (this session)
- Limitations
- Opinion-layer sweep is complete at collision-only status; docket-layer (RECAP type=r) coverage is incomplete - fleet pacing interrupted retries in both sessions. A name match is not automatically a case; every surfaced hit was classified as a collision. RECAP coverage is thin for pre-2000s filings; absence of a located docket does not prove no suit was ever filed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-15
-
[16]Batch-6587 search ledger (this record): live NHHC DANFS Okala + LST-1099 entries; NavSource 09/34/3402 and LST index (navsource.net live); NHHC Online Library via HyperWar/ibiblio mirror; BuShips SDB 1945 Vols. II-III (shipscribe scans, text layer); shipscribe ARST-1 class page + photo page; USNI Historic Fleets; shipbuildinghistory JeffBoat; MARAD Vessel History Database; NVR; NARA catalog; GAO HRD-80-2 (full text via Firecrawl); CourtListener authenticated sweeps; Atlas shipyards.json; web-index asbestos/litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-okala-lst1099-01 through -19
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, material schedule, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming LST-1099 / USS Okala / ARS(T)-2 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944-45-built converted LST is era-consistent with asbestos-containing outfitting. The hull left federal custody in 1947 and passed into merchant service (SAIPAN 1948, SAIPAN MARU 1953) with subsequent fate undocumented, so no survey opportunity is known to exist. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-16
-
[17]NARA Guide to Federal Records - RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) and RG 24 (Navy deck logs) record-group mapping; photo numbers per NavSource/shipscribe captions; MARAD Vessel History Database search [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov guide pages RG 19/RG 24; catalog.archives.gov is JS-rendered and was not machine-searchable this session; vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov ShipList search 'Okala' returned 'No results found' (live response)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room access or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (1) NARA RG 19 Bureau of Ships records, including the documented photo set 19-N-89698, 19-N-86587A, 19-N-86590A (RG-19-LCM per shipscribe captions) plus any ARS(T) conversion specifications/work packages; (2) NARA RG 24 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations' (NAID 594258) - Okala's June 1945 - August 1946 deck logs would document the Okinawa/Yokosuka salvage workload and availabilities; (3) Maritime Commission status/disposal card for the 1947 sale and the purchaser/merchant-registry trail for SAIPAN (1948) / SAIPAN MARU (1953) - MARAD's Vessel History Database holds no digitized record under Okala.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1953 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping and photo-number leads only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-okala-lst1099-17