Evidence
15 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-15).
-
[1]research packet 855-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-alacrity-mso520-pkt-855-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Alacrity III (MSO-520) - construction at Peterson Builders, sponsor, Boston fitting-out and commissioning, full service narrative, 1973 AG-520 conversion, decommissioning and 1979 sale (live NHHC page verified via firecrawl) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS service narrative, spec block, and NH 96626 photo caption
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 5 March 1956 at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., by Peterson Builders, Inc.; launched 8 June 1957; sponsored by Mrs. Henry J. Armstrong, wife of the chief of staff and aide to the Commandant, 9th Naval District; ferried to Boston via the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River; fitted out at the Boston Naval Shipyard; commissioned there 1 October 1958, Lt. Theodore W. Pstrak in command. Moved to Charleston, S.C. November 1958; Atlantic Fleet Mine Force operations in the western Atlantic and West Indies; Mediterranean deployments late 1960-spring 1961, February-late summer 1964, 8 May-30 October 1969, August-October 1971, and final deployment 16 July-20 December 1974. May 1965 Dominican Republic crisis - nearly the entire month evacuating foreign nationals and supporting the inter-American force. 1966-spring 1969: tests for the Naval Ordnance Laboratory Test Facility, Fort Lauderdale, and training platform for the Mine Warfare School. 17 June-1 December 1970: regular overhaul at Avondale Shipyards, Inc., New Orleans. April and December 1972: Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 support off Cape Canaveral; January 1972 cold-weather amphibious exercise off Maine. 10 May-23 July 1973 modifications at Detyen's Shipyard, Mount Pleasant, S.C.; redesignated AG-520 1 June 1973; further alterations at Atlantic Drydock Co., Jacksonville, Fla., 7 August-19 October 1973. Decommissioned and stricken 30 September 1977 at Charleston; sold to Ampol Corp. for scrapping in December 1979. Spec block: dp. 934; l. 190'; b. 36'; dr. 12'; s. 15 k.; cpl. 83; a. 1 40mm., 2 .50-cal. mg.; cl. Ability. Page caption: 'Alacrity (MSO-520) off the Charleston Naval Shipyard, 17 April 1959. (NH 96626)'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1956-1979
- Population
- Peterson Builders construction trades (1956-57); crew (1958-77); Boston Naval Shipyard fit-out trades (1957-58); Avondale overhaul trades (Jun-Dec 1970); Detyen's Shipyard and Atlantic Drydock Co. conversion trades (1973)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. The DANFS narrative ends at disposal and does not identify the scrapping yard or any hazmat disposition. Yard entries (Boston NSY fit-out, Avondale overhaul, Detyen's and Atlantic Drydock modifications) are documented as events - their material/work scope is not described.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, Alacrity (AG 520) ex-Alacrity (MSO 520), archive 11/02520 - designation timeline, specifications, commanding officers, photo captions, disposal [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/02520.htm header block, specifications block, commanding-officer table, and photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 5 March 1956 by Peterson Builders, Inc., Sturgeon Bay, WI; launched 8 June 1957; commissioned USS Alacrity (MSO-520) 1 October 1958 at Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA; reclassified Miscellaneous Auxiliary AG-520, 1 June 1973, 'and used for sonar testing'; decommissioned 30 September 1977 at Charleston, SC; struck from the Navy Register 30 September 1977; 'Sold for scrap 1 July 1978' (conflicts with DANFS December 1979 - see gaps). Specifications: 934 t, 190', 36', 12', 15 kts, complement 83, one 40mm mount and two .50 cal. machine guns; propulsion 'Four General Motors diesel engines, two shafts, controllable pitch propellers' (conflicts with sister ship's detailed spec - see gaps). Photo captions document: off Charleston Naval Shipyard 17 April 1959 (NH 96626); Corinth Canal transit with Mine Division 45 en route Ionian Sea to Athens (All Hands, July 1961); Valletta, Malta c.1964; Naples c.1970 moored outboard of Yosemite (AD-19) and Sylvania (AFS-2); dry dock c.1970; departing La Spezia 21 September 1971. Eleven commanding officers listed, Lt. Theodore W. Pstrak (1 Oct 1958) through Lt. William C. Keller (to 30 Sep 1977). Call sign November-November-Kilo-Sierra.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1956-1979
- Population
- Construction trades (1956-58); crew (1958-77)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track DANFS/NVR but its 'sold for scrap 1 July 1978' conflicts with DANFS (December 1979) and NavalCoverMuseum (28 December 1979); the propulsion line conflicts with the sister ship's detailed spec block. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-02
-
[4]NavalCoverMuseum, ALACRITY AG 520 - ship name and designation history, postmarks [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavalCoverMuseum ALACRITY_AG_520, 'Ship Name and Designation History' table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Designation history for this hull: Ability Class Minesweeper, keel laid 5 March 1956, launched 8 June 1957; USS Alacrity MSO-520 commissioned 1 October 1958; reclassified Miscellaneous Auxiliary AG-520 1 June 1973; decommissioned 30 September 1977; struck from Naval Register 30 September 1977; 'Sold December 28 1979 the Ampol Corp for scrap.' Shipboard post office established 1964, disestablished 1977.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1956-1979
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled postal-history reference; its 28 December 1979 sale date corroborates DANFS's December 1979 and is more precise than it. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-03
-
[5]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Index - 1950s MSO program class structure and construction description [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource archives/11/02idx.htm 'Minesweepers' program text and class hull listings
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The 1950s ocean-minesweeper program: sixty-five new minesweepers in three classes - Agile/Aggressive (hulls 421-507), Acme (508-518), and Ability (519-522). 'In contrast to the steel-hulled minesweepers of World War II... these new minesweepers were smaller and built primarily of wood, with bronze and stainless (non-magnetic) steel fittings to minimize their magnetic signature.' All carried UQS-1 mine-locating sonar, later updated with SQQ-14; capable of sweeping moored contact mines plus bottom magnetic and acoustic mines. Ability class = MSO-519 through MSO-522: Ability, Alacrity (reclassified AG-520), Assurance (reclassified AG-521), and MSO-522 (to Belgium as J. E. Van Haverbeke, M 902); MSO-523 through MSO-528 canceled 1968.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1950s program era
- Population
- 1950s MSO construction trades and crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Class-level construction description; establishes wood-hull/non-magnetic construction for the class that includes this hull, not any material list for this specific vessel. NavSource is a secondary compilation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-04
-
[6]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, Ability (MSO-519) - detailed class specification block for this hull's lead sister [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/02519.htm specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Detailed specification block for Ability-class lead ship MSO-519 (four-ship class including this hull): two 1,400-hp General Motors 8-498 diesel engines; Falk 3:1 reduction gear; two shafts; two Farrel-Birmingham controllable-pitch propellers; three 100-kW Delco generators driven by GM 6-71 diesels; magnetic-sweep 2,350-kW Westinghouse generator driven by one GM 8-489 diesel; acoustic-sweep 250-kW variable-frequency generator driven by one GM 8-268A diesel; one 2,000-gallon/day Badger distilling plant; 'Hotel steam provided by two 125psi CycloTherm firetube boilers.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1958-1977 service era
- Population
- Class crews (engine room, hotel services)
- Limitations
- Class specification published on the sister ship's NavSource page - a class-level plant description, not a confirmed equipment list for MSO-520. Alacrity's own NavSource page says 'four General Motors diesel engines, two shafts' - the engine-count variant is unresolved (see gaps). The two small firetube boilers are the lagging-relevant equipment aboard a diesel-propelled hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-05
-
[7]GAO, Navy's Efforts to Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979), including enclosed Department of the Navy letter Ser 4542/318054 of 5 Jan 1979 [gao]
- Locator
- HRD-80-2 summary, 'Navy's Policy on Use of Asbestos' section, and Enclosure I (Navy letter of 5 Jan 1979)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Government documentation covering this hull's entire service era: the Navy told GAO 'each ship has several types of asbestos containing materials installed; however, thermal insulation for machinery, equipment and piping systems has been the major application of asbestos,' and 'all ships presently in service contain some quantity of asbestos.' Itemized shipboard uses: electrical resistors in Navy electronic equipment; deck floor tiling; electric cabling on Navy galley ranges; piping-system gaskets and packing; ship equipment brakes and clutches. Insulation specifications began specifying asbestos-free materials in 1971 and required them by late 1973, yet purchased ship-sets kept installing asbestos - ships were delivered with asbestos thermal insulation as late as May 1978; the Navy-wide no-asbestos policy (NAVSEAINST 5100.2) issued 24 October 1975. GAO fieldwork examined asbestos-control programs at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards; it found both had comprehensive programs but deficient implementation (uncleaned asbestos dust aboard ships, exposed pipe ends, compressed-air cleaning by crews).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1979 report; documents era through May 1978 deliveries
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; ship crews Navy-wide (program context)
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation, not a hull record: GAO's fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk - not the yards that built, fitted out, overhauled, or converted this hull. The 'all ships contain some asbestos' statement describes the 1979 active fleet; Alacrity was decommissioned September 1977 and sold December 1979, so it covers her service era but establishes nothing about this hull's material content. Full text retrieved via firecrawl; direct curl returned HTTP 403.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-06
-
[8]Era inference built on: NavSource class construction text (wooden hull, non-magnetic fittings, ev-04); NavSource Ability-class spec block (GM diesel plant + two 125-psi CycloTherm firetube boilers, ev-05); the Navy's itemized shipboard asbestos applications in GAO HRD-80-2 Enclosure I (ev-06) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Composite of ev-04, ev-05, ev-06
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A wooden-hulled, diesel-propelled ocean minesweeper built 1956-57 and in service 1958-1977 sits entirely inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era. Era-standard applications aboard a ship of this type and period: thermal insulation/lagging on the class's two 125-psi CycloTherm firetube hotel-steam boilers; diesel-engine exhaust and muffler lagging; piping-system gaskets and valve packing; deck tiling; electric cabling on galley ranges; asbestos-bodied electrical resistors in Navy electronic equipment; and brake/clutch linings on winches and deck machinery. The diesel plant means no propulsion-boiler or turbine lagging pathway, but the confined-volume exposure dynamic applies with full force aboard a 190-foot, 83-man hull.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1956-1979
- Population
- Peterson Builders construction trades (1956-57); crew (1958-77); yard trades at Boston NSY (1957-58 fit-out), Avondale (1970 overhaul), Detyen's and Atlantic Drydock (1973 conversion); post-1979 shipbreakers
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for MSO-520/AG-520. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity, location, condition, or fiber content established for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-07
-
[9]Savoie v. Huntington Ingalls, Inc., No. 15-30514 (5th Cir. Mar. 22, 2016) - federal officer removal opinion [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion, pp. 1-4 (background) and 12-13 (disposition); Dkt. 00513434249, filed 2016-03-22
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Published Fifth Circuit opinion reciting the asbestos environment of this hull's 1970 overhaul yard: 'From 1952 through 1976, the great majority of ocean-going vessels built at Avondale Shipyard in Louisiana fulfilled contracts from the federal government. The specifications for these Navy and Coast Guard vessels required asbestos insulation through at least 1968.' The case concerned a worker who 'allegedly contracted mesothelioma' from asbestos exposure working on vessels at the yard; the opinion decides federal-officer-removal jurisdiction only - it vacates the district court's remand order and remands for resolution of the remaining jurisdictional requirement (whether the defendants' federal defenses are colorable). No exposure finding for any vessel was made.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1952-1976 (recited era); opinion 2016
- Population
- Avondale Shipyard trades, 1952-1976 federal-contract construction era
- Limitations
- Jurisdiction-stage opinion, not an exposure finding: the specification statement is background recitation in a removal-jurisdiction ruling; the underlying exposure claims remained allegations. The recited spec window runs through 1968, while Alacrity's documented Avondale availability was 17 June-1 December 1970 - after the spec window and concerning overhaul work, not new construction. Does not establish that asbestos was aboard this hull or disturbed in her overhaul.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-08
-
[10]Hotard v. Avondale Industries, Inc., No. 20-1877 (E.D. La.) - Order and Reasons on summary-judgment motions (govinfo courts collection) [court_record]
- Locator
- Order and Reasons, Background section (pp. 1-4); USCOURTS-laed-2_20-cv-01877
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Federal court record of alleged asbestos exposure at this hull's 1970 overhaul yard in the adjacent window: the decedent worked at Avondale Shipyards' Main Yard (Bridge City, LA) 2 September 1969 - 27 March 1970 as a pipefitter's helper and tack welder; per the opinion he 'never handled or used asbestos or asbestos-containing materials himself' but 'allegedly inhaled asbestos fibers at Avondale Shipyards while working on the construction of vessels' near insulation and wallboard materials 'known to contain asbestos,' developing mesothelioma (diagnosed ~April 2020). The opinion resolves vessel-owner liability questions (care/custody/control) under summary-judgment standards.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1969-1970 (alleged exposure); litigation 2020-2023
- Population
- Avondale Main Yard trades, 1969-70 window
- Limitations
- Pleading/allegation-stage material classified down per litigation-stage discipline: exposure is described as alleged; the decision resolves summary-judgment issues and makes no finding that any plaintiff was exposed to asbestos. The vessels named are Exxon-contract supertankers, not this Navy hull. Yard-level documentation adjacent in time (Sep 1969-Mar 1970 vs the hull's Jun-Dec 1970 overhaul) - not ship evidence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-09
-
[11]Robichaux v. Huntington Ingalls Inc., No. 22-cv-610 (E.D. La. Jul. 27, 2023) - Order and Reasons granting partial summary judgment re settlement releases (govinfo courts collection) [court_record]
- Locator
- Order and Reasons, Doc. 407 filed 2023-07-27, Background pp. 1-3; USCOURTS-laed-2_22-cv-00610
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Federal court record of alleged asbestos exposure spanning this hull's overhaul window at the same yard: Felton Robichaux 'worked as an insulator and carpenter at Avondale Shipyard from 1961 to 1979, and alleges he was exposed to asbestos through his work, as well as through his contact with other employees at Avondale Shipyard.' He had previously joined the 1991 Orleans Parish mass asbestos filing (In re Asbestos Plaintiffs v. Borden, No. 91-18397), settled claims, was diagnosed with mesothelioma January 2022, and died July 2022; the order grants Avondale's partial summary judgment establishing the releases of certain non-parties.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1961-1979 (alleged exposure window); litigation 1991-2023
- Population
- Avondale Shipyard insulators/carpenters, 1961-1979
- Limitations
- Allegation-stage yard-level record: the opinion resolves release scope, not exposure; the insulator/carpenter trades and 1961-79 employment window cover Alacrity's June-December 1970 overhaul. No vessel named, no exposure adjudicated - documentation of asbestos litigation attached to the yard, not to this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-10
-
[12]Gavin Jackson, 'Charleston asbestos-related deaths are higher than state, national average,' The Post and Courier (Mar. 25, 2016) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Post and Courier article text (mortality figures; yard asbestos-work description)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Press documentation for this hull's homeport yard: the Charleston Naval Shipyard 'is a primary reason why Charleston County's annual asbestos-related mortality rate is double the state's rate' - 8.8 deaths per 100,000 residents, an average of 29 deaths a year (Environmental Working Group Action Fund figures). 'Workers installed and removed hazardous asbestos insulation, known for its fireproofing and anti-corrosive properties, from vessels without proper precautions through the 1980s.' Alacrity homeported at Charleston for her entire career (1958-1977) and is photographed off the Charleston Naval Shipyard in April 1959 (NH 96626).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- yard operations through the 1980s; article 2016
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard workforce; Charleston County residents (county-level measure)
- Limitations
- Yard- and county-level documentation, not hull evidence: homeport presence does not establish that shipyard work was performed on this hull at Charleston, and no availability or asbestos record for MSO-520 at the yard was located. Mortality figures describe the county, not the yard workforce or any ship population.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-11
-
[13]NIOSH, Walk-through survey report, Peterson Builders, Inc., Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (survey December 15, 1978; report 1979) - Levine & Schott [other_primary]
- Locator
- CDC Stacks record cdc/233468, NIOSH description
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Government industrial-hygiene documentation at this hull's builder: NIOSH conducted a walk-through survey of Peterson Builders, Inc. (SIC-3731 ship building and repairing), Sturgeon Bay, on 15 December 1978, investigating health and safety hazards of paint materials for a proposed epidemiological study of the painting trades. Approximately 731 employees worked in the boat production yard; the company had no industrial hygiene program; ventilation in painting areas was poor and personal respirators were in use.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1978 survey
- Population
- Peterson Builders workforce (~731 employees, 1978)
- Limitations
- Yard-level survey two decades after this hull's 1956-58 construction, scoped to paint hazards - asbestos was not an evaluated exposure in this report. Documents that NIOSH evaluated the builder yard and found no industrial hygiene program; establishes nothing about materials aboard MSO-520.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-12
-
[14]NARA RG 24 deck logs, USS Alacrity (MSO-520/AG-520), 1958-1977 - National Archives and Records Administration, College Park [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA RG 24, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel - deck logs series, College Park, MD (no NAID located this session)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Deck logs for this hull's full commissioned life (1958-1977) are held in NARA RG 24 at College Park - the primary archival lead for port calls, yard availabilities, drills, and any recorded material events. The post-1956 deck-log series is not publicly digitized.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1958-1977
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: catalog.archives.gov is JS-rendered and its API returned non-JSON to programmatic queries this session; log contents unverified and unfetched. Presence of logs is inferred from the standing RG 24 deck-log series coverage, not from a cataloged entry confirmed this session.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-13
-
[15]Batch-7615 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS; NavSource ship page, class index, and sister-ship spec; NavalCoverMuseum; NVR; MARAD ShipHistory; GAO HRD-80-2 full text; Fifth Circuit and E.D. La. opinions (Savoie, Hotard, Robichaux); NIOSH/CDC Stacks; NPS Charlestown Navy Yard history (zero asbestos mentions); NARA deck-log series; CourtListener (blocked); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-alacrity-mso520-01 through -15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum documentation, or verified litigation naming USS Alacrity (MSO-520/AG-520) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - the authenticated helper reported the daily quota exhausted with ~4.2 h to reset; logged as blocked, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material is law-firm marketing content (mesothelioma.com minesweepers page listing 'USS Alacrity AM-520' - a designation this hull never carried - without primary sourcing), excluded by source policy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 2026-10-03
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the Navy's own 1979 statement that all ships in service contained some quantity of asbestos covers her era. The litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (throttled, not run). Deck logs, yard work packages, and scrapping-contract records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alacrity-mso520-14