USS Agile (AM-421)

Evidence

10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).

1. [1]DANFS, 'Agile' (MSO-421) - verbatim transcription at the losthistory.net/hazegray mirror (live history.navy.mil DANFS pages return 404 - standing link rot, same as BATCH-01/1169) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Agile' entry, specifications block + service narrative (losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/mine/mso421.htm)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official DANFS record for this hull: Agile-class ocean minesweeper (dp. 755; l. 172'; b. 35'; dr. 10'; s. 14k.; cpl. 78; a. 1 40mm., 2 .50-cal. mg. - DANFS prints '.60-cal.'; cl. Agile). 'The second Agile (MSO-421) was laid down on 22 February 1954 at Stamford, Conn., by the Luders Marine Construction Co. as AM-421; redesignated MSO-421 on 7 February 1955; launched on 19 November 1955; sponsored by Mrs. Alice Donohue; and commissioned at the New York Naval Shipyard on 21 June 1956, Lt. Herbert D. Mills, Jr., in command.' 'The non-magnetic ocean minesweeper' fitted out at New York, homeported at Charleston; shakedown Guantanamo Bay Aug-Sep 1956; Mediterranean deployments Feb-Jun 1957 (Jordan crisis), Sep 1958-Feb 1959 (Sardinia amphibious exercise), Apr-Oct 1961 (NATO Exercise 'Checkmate'), and May-Nov 1964 (northern-Europe cruise - England, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, France); propeller repairs at Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. ending 25 Sep 1957; Mine Defense Laboratory service at Panama City Oct-Dec 1957 and May-Jun 1962; Charleston Naval Shipyard overhauls Feb-Jun 1958, Jan-Apr 1960, Nov 1961-Jan 1962; West Indies deployments Jun-Sep 1960 (NATO 'Sweepclear V' off Nova Scotia) and Jul-Nov 1962 (Vieques amphibious exercise, Haiti show of force); fleet service mine test Jan 1963; NATO 'Sweepclear VIII' May 1963; OpTest&Eval service at Little Creek Jul 1963; Charleston Drydock & Shipbuilding Co. overhaul 29 Oct 1963-3 Jan 1964; post-1964 service in home waters - West Indies/Gulf deployments, Mine Warfare School ship, test platform for Mine Defense Laboratory (Panama City) and Naval Ordnance Facility (Fort Lauderdale). 'On 28 July 1972 ... Agile was placed out of commission at Charleston. Later that year she was moved to a permanent berthing area with the Norfolk Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet. There she remained for more than seven years. Her name was struck from the Navy list in September 1977, and she was sold to the Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. in February 1980 for scrapping.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1954-1980

   Population

   Luders Marine construction trades (1954-55); commissioned crew (design complement 78), 1956-1972; overhaul-yard workforces

   Limitations

   DANFS documents identity, builder, dates, and service narrative - not materials or asbestos content. Its '7 February 1955' redesignation date conflicts with NavSource's '5 February 1955' - flagged in ev-08. Its '.60-cal. mg.' armament line reads as a typographical error for the .50-caliber mounts NavSource records - flagged in ev-08. Mirror transcription cited because the live NHHC page returns 404.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-agile-am421-01

2. [2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Agile (MSO-421) ex-AM-421, file 11/02421; plus NavSource Mine Warfare index 11/02idx (class construction description) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 11/02421 - chronology block, spec block, propulsion line, CO list (12 COs, LT Mills through LCDR Henderson), photo credits; index 11/02idx MSO-class header

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource per-hull record: 'Agile Class Minesweeper'; laid down 22 February 1954 as AM-421 by Luders Marine Construction Co., Stamford, CT; 'Reclassified as an Ocean Minesweeper, MSO-421, 5 February 1955'; launched 19 November 1955; commissioned USS Agile (MSO-421) 21 June 1956 at New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, NY; decommissioned 28 July 1972 at Charleston, SC and laid up Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Norfolk Group; struck September 1977; 'Sold for scrap in February 1980 to Union Minerals and Alloys Corp. of New York for $35,000.' Spec block: 755 t; 172'; 35' beam; 10' draft; 14 kts; complement 78; one 40mm mount + two .50-cal. machine guns; propulsion 'Four 760shp Packard V-16 diesel engines (later replaced with four Waukesha diesel engines), Packard V-8 240kw ships service generator, one General Motors 6-71, 100kw generator, one General Motors 6-71 60kw generator, two controllable pitch propellers.' Photo captions document construction at Luders in 1954 (NARA identifiers 6933269, 6932482) and Mine Division 83 / Mine Squadron 8 service at Charleston alongside Bulwark (MSO-425), Aggressive (MSO-422), Bold (MSO-424). NavSource class index: the 1950s MSO program comprised 'Agile/Aggressive' hulls 421-507, Acme 508-518, Ability 519-522 - 'built primarily of wood, with bronze and stainless (non-magnetic) steel fittings to minimize their magnetic signature,' UQS-1 mine-locating sonar (later SQQ-14).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1954-1980

   Population

   Luders Marine trades (1954-55); crew 1956-1972

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official. Its '5 February 1955' reclassification date conflicts with DANFS's '7 February 1955' - flagged in ev-08. Its '$35,000' sale price conflicts with Combat Fleets' '$25,000' - flagged in ev-08. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim. The class-construction description (wood hull, non-magnetic fittings) is class-level, not a hull material record.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-agile-am421-02

3. [3]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation), 'Luders Marine, Stamford CT' yard table - AM 421 Agile row + sister-MSO block + yard history header [other_primary]

   Locator

   luders.htm - AM 421 Agile row; MSO block (422, 423, 468-471); yard-history header

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Yard-table row for this hull: 'Agile (AM 421) | U.S. Navy | Minesweeper | 744d | 172 | 21-Jun-56 | Scrapped 1980.' The Luders table carries a block of Agile/Aggressive-series sisters: Aggressive (AM 422, 755d, del. 25-Nov-53, scrapped 1980), Avenge (AM 423, 755d, del. 13-May-54, destroyed by fire 1969), Rival (AM 468), Sagacity (AM 469), Salute (AM 470), Skill (AM 471) - all 775d, 172 ft, delivered 1954-55. Yard history header: founded by Alfred E. Luders 1908 at Byram CT; moved to Harbor Drive, Stamford Harbor 1912; known for fine custom yachts; major WWII contributor; closed 1968; site now Brewer Yacht Haven Marina.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1954-1968

   Population

   Luders Marine workforce (Stamford, CT, 1954-56)

   Limitations

   Compiler's yard table, secondary - corroborates builder, type, delivery (21-Jun-56 = commissioning date) and scrapping year (1980). Its '744d' displacement conflicts with DANFS/NavSource's 755 t - flagged in ev-08. A yacht-yard table does not carry hull numbers (the yard's hull-number column is blank for this block). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-agile-am421-03

4. [4]Combat Fleets of the World (Wertheim naval almanac transcript, jwilliamcupp.name mirror) - MSO 421 Agile line + class table [other_primary]

   Locator

   CombFlt.htm - MSO 421 row + Agile/Aggressive class table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Almanac line for this hull: 'MSO 421 AGILE - Luders Marine - 22FEB54 - 19NOV55 - 21JUN56 - 28JUL72 decomm; 01NOV79 disposed - Scrapped by Union Minerals & Alloy Corp., N.Y., N.Y. $25,000. Removal date: 18OCT79.' Class table: 'AGILE Class, 421' as a single hull, 'AGGRESSIVE Class, 422-427, 432-449, 455-474, 488-496' following - 172 ft, 35 ft beam, 755/775 tons, 14 knots, Packard machinery rated 3,040 SHP (consistent with NavSource's four 760-shp Packard V-16s).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1954-1980

   Population

   Union Minerals & Alloys scrapping workforce (1979-80)

   Limitations

   Secondary almanac transcript - corroborates the build/commission/decommission spine and adds disposal-chain detail (removal 18 Oct 1979; disposed 1 Nov 1979; $25,000) that conflicts with NavSource's '$35,000 / sold February 1980' - flagged in ev-08 rather than merged. globalsecurity.org's parallel entry reads 'Transferred to MarAd, Nov 1979; sold for scrap Feb 1980,' consistent with a MARAD-custody disposal completed in 1980. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-agile-am421-04

5. [5]Consolidated era/design inference - documented construction and machinery (DANFS 'non-magnetic ocean minesweeper'; NavSource class index 'built primarily of wood, with bronze and stainless (non-magnetic) steel fittings'; NavSource spec block: four Packard V-16 diesels + three generators, two CPPs - later replaced by Waukesha diesels) + documented builder and construction era (DANFS; Colton) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 11/02idx class header; NavSource 11/02421 propulsion line; DANFS 'non-magnetic ocean minesweeper'; Colton luders.htm

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull is a 1954-56-built wooden-hulled non-magnetic ocean minesweeper with a diesel direct-drive plant (four 760-shp Packard V-16s, later replaced by Waukesha diesels; Packard V-8 240-kW + GM 6-71 100-kW and 60-kW generators; two controllable-pitch propellers) - no steel hull to insulate, no boilers, no steam distribution. Its insulation load was materially lighter than a steam combatant's and lighter even than a steel-hulled diesel minesweeper's. Era-typical asbestos applications for a 1950s naval vessel of this type: exhaust-system and muffler lagging on the diesel plant; machinery gaskets and packing; electrical-cable insulation; accommodation and galley joiner materials; deck coverings/floor tile; winch and windlass brake linings. Exposure-relevant populations if any material was present: Luders Marine construction trades (Stamford, 1954-55); fitting-out trades at New York Naval Shipyard (1956); the commissioned crew (~78) across 1956-1972; yard workers at the documented availabilities (Charleston NSY 1956/1958/1960/1961-62, Newport News 1957, Charleston Drydock & Shipbuilding 1963-64); the machinery change-out (Packard-to-Waukesha engine replacement - date undocumented); and the 1980 Union Minerals & Alloys scrapping workforce.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1954-1980

   Population

   Luders trades (1954-55); NY Naval Shipyard fit-out trades (1956); crew 1956-1972; overhaul-yard workers; scrapping workforce 1980

   Limitations

   Inference from documented design, machinery type, and construction era - NOT a hull materials record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming AM-421/MSO-421 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. The wooden hull and diesel (non-steam) plant make even era-level inference weaker than for steel or steam vessels of the same era. The Packard-to-Waukesha engine replacement is documented as an event by NavSource but its date, yard, and scope are not.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-agile-am421-05

6. [6]GAO HRD-80-2, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure' (1979-80); and T.J. Bigley (Navy) letter to GAO, 5 Jan 1979, as quoted in 'The Asbestos Health Hazards Compensation Act,' Journal of Legislation (Notre Dame) 10(1) [gao]

   Locator

   GAO HRD-80-2 product/PDF (gao.gov/assets/hrd-80-2.pdf); Notre Dame J. Legislation 10(1), 'The Asbestos Health Hazards Compensation Act' (scholarship.law.nd.edu/jleg/vol10/iss1/3) quoting Bigley letter of 5 Jan 1979

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   Program-level documentation of the asbestos window this hull's entire career falls inside: GAO HRD-80-2 records that the Navy's product specifications for thermal insulation were changed in 1973 to specify asbestos-free materials, but asbestos materials already purchased were still installed - 'some ships were delivered with asbestos insulation as late as May 1978'; the Navy's elimination policy issued October 1975. A Navy letter to GAO dated 5 January 1979 (T.J. Bigley to Robert F. Hughes, quoted in the Notre Dame Journal of Legislation) states: 'all ships presently in service contain some quantity of asbestos.' Agile was built 1954-56 and in commission 1956-1972 - entirely within the pre-1973 as-built asbestos era and the 1979 all-ships statement's window.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1973-1979 policy window documented; hull era 1954-1972

   Population

   Navy personnel and shipyard workers, service-wide (era context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level documentation; neither source names this vessel, class, or builder. GAO's fieldwork concerned shipyard workers (Long Beach, Norfolk). The 'all ships ... contain some quantity of asbestos' statement is quoted from a primary letter via a law-review source - the letter itself was not retrieved. gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch (standing, same as BATCH-01); the PDF text was confirmed via search-snippet extraction, not full-text pull. Establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure - and for a wooden-hulled diesel ship the proposition applies with materially reduced scope.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-agile-am421-06

7. [7]Batch-1334 search ledger (this record): DANFS via hazegray/losthistory mirror; NavSource 11/02421 + 11/02idx class index; Shipbuilding History Luders yard table; Combat Fleets transcript; globalsecurity MSO-421 unit page; NVR; CourtListener API v4 (throttled) + site-scoped web search; NARA catalog [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-agile-am421-01 through sl-uss-agile-am421-12

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for USS Agile / AM-421 / MSO-421: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, preservation record, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming this hull was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener's authenticated API returned HTTP 429 mid-session (shared 2,800/day quota exhausted by prior batch work; reset ~8h) - a single unauthenticated probe of '"MSO-421"' type=o returned count 0 before the protocol was re-verified; no further unauthenticated queries were run, and the remaining opinion/RECAP sweeps are logged as blocked. Site-scoped web search of courtlistener.com surfaced only 'Agility Public Warehousing' name collisions - no vessel association. Non-authoritative marketing rosters (mesothelioma.com minesweepers jobsites table: 'USS Agile | AM-421 | ... 6/21/1956 | Scrapped, 1980'; mesotheliomahelp.org minesweeper list; mesotheliomaveterans.org Charleston Naval Shipyard page listing 'USS Agile II (MSO-421)' among vessels 'serviced at' the yard) carry the name in generic ship tables - excluded per source rules; they carry no hull-specific evidence.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   2026-09-22

   Limitations

   Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1954-56 naval vessel is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials even accounting for its wooden hull and lighter diesel insulation load. The hull was scrapped in the U.S. in 1980, so no present-day survey pathway exists. The CourtListener sweep is incomplete (quota) - residual risk that a differently-phrased hull reference exists is logged as a gap. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-agile-am421-07

8. [8]Source-discrepancy resolution - DANFS (hazegray mirror) vs NavSource 11/02421 vs Colton Luders yard table vs Combat Fleets transcript vs globalsecurity vs Wikipedia infobox [other_primary]

   Locator

   losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/mine/mso421.htm; navsource.net/archives/11/02421.htm + 11/02idx.htm; shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/yachtsmall/luders.htm; jwilliamcupp.name/Story/CombFlt.htm; globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/mso-421-unit.htm; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Agile_(MSO-421)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies logged, not silently merged: (a) MSO redesignation date - DANFS 'redesignated MSO-421 on 7 February 1955' vs NavSource 'Reclassified ... MSO-421, 5 February 1955' - DANFS's 7 February carried in prose with the conflict stated; both recorded. (b) Disposal price - NavSource '$35,000' vs Combat Fleets '$25,000' - both flagged, unresolved. (c) Disposal timeline - DANFS/NavSource 'sold February 1980 for scrapping' vs Combat Fleets 'Removal date: 18OCT79 ... 01NOV79 disposed' vs globalsecurity 'Transferred to MarAd, Nov 1979; sold for scrap Feb 1980' - reconciled as stricken Sep 1977 -> MARAD custody/removal Oct-Nov 1979 -> sale completed Feb 1980; flagged not merged. (d) Displacement - DANFS/NavSource 755 t vs Colton '744d' - DANFS carried. (e) Armament - DANFS spec block prints '2 .60-cal. mg.' vs NavSource 'two .50 cal. machine guns' and Wikipedia '.50 cal (12.7 mm)' - the Navy fielded no .60-cal MG; DANFS's '.60-cal' treated as typographical error for .50-cal. (f) Class grouping - NavSource index header 'Agile Class (AM-421)' single hull then 'Aggressive Class'; NavSource narrative groups the 1950s program as 'Agile/Aggressive, hull numbers 421 to 507'; Combat Fleets 'AGILE Class, 421' + 'AGGRESSIVE Class, 422-427, 432-449, 455-474, 488-496'; Wikipedia article title 'Agile-class minesweeper' applied broadly - Agile treated as the one-ship lead class of the Agile/Aggressive series, sisters Aggressive (MSO-422) et seq. (g) Name numbering - DANFS 'second Agile'; the first (AMc-111, 1941-1946) is a different hull excluded from this record.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1954-1980

   Limitations

   Resolves publication-level discrepancies among the official DANFS text and secondary compilations, adopting the better-supported values and flagging the rest. None of the sources bears on asbestos; the disposal chain is reconciled at the level of custody events (stricken -> MARAD removal -> sale) because the component sources emphasize different milestones.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-agile-am421-08

9. [9]Wineland v. Air & Liquid Sys. Corp., 539 F. Supp. 3d 1149 (W.D. Wash. 2021), Cause No. C19-0793RSL (Judge Lasnik) - order granting Crane Co.'s motion for summary judgment (Dkt. #304); companion orders grant other defendants' MSJs (e.g., Alfa Laval Dkt. #313; Anchor/Darling Dkt. #309; Carrier Dkt. #427) [court_record]

   Locator

   539 F. Supp. 3d 1149 (W.D. Wash. 2021); docket 2:19-cv-00793-RSL (W.D. Wash.); order PDF mirrors brownsims.com (Dkts. 302, 304, 309, 313, 427, 550)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Class-adjacent asbestos litigation exists for this vessel type: plaintiffs alleged decedent John Dale Wineland was exposed to asbestos-containing products while working engine rooms aboard Navy ships 1963-1984, including Agile/Aggressive-series ocean minesweepers USS Dynamic (MSO-432, 1963-66), USS Pledge (MSO-492, 1966-67), USS Loyalty (MSO-457, 1970-72), and USS Esteem (MSO-438, 1978-80) - sisters of this hull in the same wooden-hulled, diesel-engined MSO design family. The opinions record machinery-space work on 'diesel engines, pumps, air compressors, and valves' and litigation-stage product-identification evidence (e.g., Alfa Laval purifiers and DeLaval lube-oil pumps in the aft engine rooms of Dynamic, Loyalty, Esteem, Pledge). Disposition per litigation-stage discipline: the located rulings are summary-judgment-stage defense wins (Crane Co. MSJ granted, 539 F. Supp. 3d 1149; companion MSJs granted) - merits-level negatives for that plaintiff, not exposure findings; the vessel/product allegations are pleadings and motion-stage record assertions, not adjudicated facts. No appellate disposition was located.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   2019-2021 litigation; exposure period alleged 1963-1980

   Population

   MSO engine-room sailors (class context), 1963-1980

   Limitations

   Context only - the cited case does not name or involve USS Agile/AM-421/MSO-421, and its sister-ship allegations never reached a merits finding on exposure. It establishes only that asbestos claims were litigated at the pleading/SJ stage for the same MSO type and diesel machinery spaces. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility for this hull. CourtListener API was quota-blocked at session time; the reporter citation and docket are verified via vLex metadata and the order PDFs mirrored at brownsims.com (defense firm); a CourtListener opinion URL was not resolved.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-agile-am421-09

10. [10]Archival leads - NARA RG 24 deck logs for this hull's June 1956 - July 1972 commission; WWII-era-and-later muster rolls; NARA still photographs 6933269 and 6932482 (Agile under construction at Luders, 1954 - cataloged per NavSource credits); NARA RG 19 Bureau of Ships records / General Information Books and the Navy contract file for the Luders MSO block; RG 181 Charleston Naval Shipyard overhaul job files (1958, 1960, 1961-62); MARAD vessel status/disposal file for the 1979-80 custody transfer and Union Minerals & Alloys sale [other_primary]

    Locator

    archives.gov RG 19/24/181 group guides; NavSource 11/02421 photo credits (NARA IDs 6933269, 6932482)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized; NARA catalog returns only its JS application shell to automated fetch): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs, Jun 1956 - Jul 1972; (b) muster rolls for the commission period; (c) NARA still photographs cataloged under identifiers 6933269 and 6932482, showing Agile under construction at Luders Marine in 1954 (per NavSource credits) - construction photography is the closest existing thing to a material record for this hull; (d) NARA RG 19 BuShips records and the Navy contract file for the Luders MSO block (AM 421; sisters 422-423, 468-471) - the plausible home of hull-level material schedules for the Agile/Aggressive design; (e) RG 181 Charleston Naval Shipyard overhaul job files for the 1958, 1960, and 1961-62 regular overhauls and the 1956 post-shakedown availability; (f) the MARAD vessel status card / disposal file documenting the Oct-Nov 1979 custody transfer and Feb 1980 sale to Union Minerals & Alloys.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1954-1980 records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for MSO-421 is unknown until surveyed in person. Deck logs, muster rolls, and contract files are personnel/operations records, not materials documentation; the BuShips design file is the best candidate for a material schedule. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-agile-am421-10