USS AMc-168 (AMC-168)

Evidence

13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).

1. [1]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, file 09/23/23005 - 'USS APc-5' vessel page (G. P. Priolo compilation; photo credit Ash Family Trust 2017 via Neal Ash for Stanley Ash, BM USS APc-1) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive, USS APc-5 page 09/23/23005 (milestones list, awards line, specifications block, commanding-officers table, photo captions)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Per-hull record for APc-5: 'Originally planned as Coastal Minesweeper AMc-168. Laid down, 10 June 1942, at Herreshoff Manufacturing Co., Bristol, R.I. Launched, 1 September 1942. Commissioned USS APc-5, 1 December 1942, LTjg. Hillary, Holihan Jr. USNR in command. During World War II USS APc-5 was assigned to the Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations. Decommissioned, 28 January 1946, at San Francisco, CA. Struck from the Naval Register, 8 May 1946. Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) in 1947.' Post-Navy chain: acquired 1947 by Gilbert A. Hunter, Eureka, CA, as whaling vessel MV Dennis Gayle (call sign KPEK); 1964 Hunters Offshore Enterprises, Inc., Empire, OR; converted to fishing trawler for Eureka Fisheries / Hunter Enterprises in the 1970s; 2007 Stanwood A. Murphy, Jr., Fortuna, CA (yacht); 2009 Matthew Maurice, San Diego; sold 2015 to Woody Murphy of Humboldt Bay Forest Products; 'Final Disposition, sunk at her mooring, 28 February 2016, in Humboldt Bay at Fields Landing CA.' Awards: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal - no battle star listed. Specifications: 100 t (lt) / 234 t (fl) / 258 t (lim); 103'3" x 21'3" x 9'3"; 10 kts; complement 3 officers + 22 enlisted; troop capacity 66; 2-ton boom; four single 20mm AA; diesel fuel 145 bbls; one National Supply Corp. MML-6 diesel plus two diesel-drive 30 kW 120 V D.C. ship's service generators, single propeller, 300 shp. Call sign NCCS. Commanding-officer roster of six USNR officers: LTjg Hillary Holihan Jr. (Dec 1942-Mar 1943), LTjg Claudius Edwin (Claude) Fike (Mar 1943-Sep 1944), LTjg Francis S. Benjamin Jr. (Sep-Dec 1944), LTjg Ralph William Allen (Dec 1944-Jun 1945), LTjg Richard Allen Dempster (Jun-Dec 1945), LTjg Robert N. Taylor III (Dec 1945-28 Jan 1946). Photo caption places APc-5 nested with APc-1, APc-3, APc-22 and APc-20 in a Solomon Islands anchorage, 1944. NavSource states 'There is no DANFS history available for USS APc-5.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1942-2016

   Population

   Ship's company of a ~100-258 ton wooden coastal transport (1942-1946)

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation (the standard per-hull reference for small Navy craft), not a primary document. Its launch date (1 Sep 1942) conflicts with the builder's construction record and register-derived data (21 Sep 1942 - see correction row ev-13); engine attribution (National Supply MML-6, 300 shp) conflicts with the builder's record (Superior, 400 h.p.). Contains no materials or asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-168-amc168-01

2. [2]shipscribe.com, USS APc-1 Class page - register-derived construction table (APc-5 row), disposal table (APc-5 row), and ship note (APc-5) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipscribe.com/usnaux/APC/APC01.html - 'Construction' table row 5; 'Disposal' table row 5; 'Ship Notes' APc-5 entry; class header specifications

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Register-derived per-hull data for APc-5: construction row - ordered 19 Feb 42, Herreshoff Mfg, keel 10 Jun 42, launched 21 Sep 42, commissioned 1 Dec 42; disposal row - decommissioned 28 Jan 46, struck 8 May 46, disposal 17 Apr 47, fate MC/D, Maritime Administration sale 15 Apr 47; ship note - 'Ex AMc-168. Sold (delivered) by MC to G. A. Hunter, Eureka, Cal. Merc. Merc. DENNIS GAYLE 1947.' Class header data: design Navy APC-1; displacement 161 t light / 258 lim; 103.25' oa, 98.2' wl x 21.25' e x 9.25' lim; original armament 4-20mm single; complement 21 (1944); 10 kts; 400 HP diesel, 1 screw.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1942-1947

   Population

   Navy crew of APc-5 (1942-1946); Herreshoff construction trades (1942)

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation transcribing Naval Vessel Register and Maritime Commission records - authoritative for the construction/disposal chain but not a scan of the underlying documents. The MA sale date (15 Apr 47) precedes the disposal delivery date (17 Apr 47) in the same row - ordering quirk carried as printed. Contains no materials or asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-168-amc168-02

3. [3]shipscribe.com, USS APc-1 Class page - Class Notes (procurement history of the APc-1 class from the AMc-150-199 coastal-minesweeper order) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipscribe.com/usnaux/APC/APC01.html - 'Class Notes' section (AMc-to-APc procurement narrative)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Class-level procurement history documenting why 'AMc-168' exists as a designation: the Navy ordered AMc 150-199 (a second batch of 50 wooden coastal minesweepers, 96-ft fishing-boat-derived design) on 19 Jan 42; the Bureau of Ships issued a modified design in February 1942 (103 ft overall); on 13 Apr 42 the CNO requested the 50 vessels be built as 'raider transports, AP'; the District Craft Development Board recommended the change 20 Apr 42 and the category 'Coastal transport (small), APc' was created 22 April - AMc 150-199 became APc 1-50, 'though not respectively.' Intended roles: transport of 2 officers + 74 men for a 24-hour voyage; 50 men + 1,500 cu.ft. cargo for 24 hours; or 17 tons cargo for 2,500 miles, with a 2-ton boom on the foremast serving an 8x7-foot hatch. Wood hulls, diesel propulsion, ~10 knots. Program later scrambled by LCIL competition, British requisitions, and cancellations.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1940-1943

   Population

   Design/procurement context for the APc-1 class (115 units programmed, ~100 built)

   Limitations

   Class/program-level history, not a hull record - it documents the designation system and design intent, not this hull's materials. It establishes that AMc-168 was a pre-construction designation only (the APc category existed ~7 weeks before this hull's keel was laid). Contains no asbestos information; the 'wood hull' datum is design-level, consistent with all compiled sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-168-amc168-03

4. [4]Herreshoff Catalogue Raisonné (herreshoff.info), 'HMCo #429p APc5' - transcription of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company Construction Record (Vermilya/Bray ca. 2000; van der Linde), with Bristol Phoenix contemporary coverage and modern compiled sources [museum_official]

   Locator

   herreshoff.info/Docs/P00429_APc5.htm - Particulars block; offset-booklet HH.4.082 penciled note; Bristol Phoenix quotes (18 Sep 1942, 1 Dec 1942); Supplement (HMCo Construction Record transcription)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Builder's-record data for this hull: HMCo no. 429p, 'APc5', Navy Coastal Transport, designed by McInnis, Eldredge; contract 1942-2-19; launch 1942-9-21; wood construction; LOA 103' 2.5", LWL 98' 6", beam 21' 2.5", draft 8' 3.625"; displacement 112 short tons; 'Propulsion: Diesel, Superior, 400 h.p.'; one 3-blade propeller; built for U.S. Navy; contract amount $145,000; construction-record note 'U.S. Navy Troop Transports'; final disposition 'Sank and abandoned in February 2016 in Eureka, CA'; last year in existence 2016. Offset-booklet note (HH.4.082, Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection, MIT Museum) documents the hull model: 'Model of AMc Mine Sweepers [crossed out and replaced with] Transports, Apr[il] 1942 ... Templets made from Bureau of Ships Plans 446519 [and] 446513 and Eldridge-McInnis Design No. 287-C-728.' Bristol Phoenix 18 Sep 1942: Lt. Comdr. John D. Bulkeley would speak to Herreshoff shipbuilders and 'witness the launching of the APC5' on Monday (the 21st); sponsor Mrs. Rice, wife of the resident naval inspector. Bristol Phoenix 1 Dec 1942: 'The Herreshoff yards were also busy this morning with the commissioning of another APC boat [#429p APc5] previously launched some weeks ago' - the same morning APc-9 was launched. Maynard Bray (Herreshoff of Bristol, 1989): 22 of the type built Oct 1942-Jul 1943 at ~$145,750 each.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1942; 2016 disposition

   Population

   Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. construction workforce, Bristol RI (1942); sponsor Mrs. Rice; launch attendees incl. Lt. Comdr. John D. Bulkeley

   Limitations

   Builder's construction record via a museum's catalogue raisonné - the closest located source to a primary construction document, though read through transcriptions. The '1 September' launch in NavSource is contradicted by the builder record (21 Sep) and the contemporary Bristol Phoenix coverage (launch attended by Bulkeley on the Monday following the 18 Sep article); 21 Sep is carried. The 'Superior 400 h.p.' engine entry conflicts with NavSource's National Supply MML-6 / 300 shp - unresolved (see ev-13). Contains no materials or asbestos information; the offset-booklet note confirms BuShips plan numbers for the class but no insulation/materials specification.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-168-amc168-04

5. [5]NARA, Special List #44 (by ship number), index to U.S. Navy deck logs 1801-1947 held in the National Archives - 'APC-5' entries [other_primary]

   Locator

   sl-44-ship-number.pdf, 'APC-5 12/1/1942 3/31/1943' and 'APC-5 5/1/1943 3/31/1945' rows; digitized-logs listing at archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online (no APc-5 entry)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Special List #44 indexes this hull's deck logs in the National Archives deck-log collection (RG 24) under 'APC-5' in two ranges: 12/1/1942 - 3/31/1943 and 5/1/1943 - 3/31/1945 (pdftotext -layout verified). There is NO 'AMC-168'/'AMc-168' entry in the index - consistent with the planned-designation status (no minesweeper-phase logs were ever generated). April 1943 is not indexed (gap between ranges), and the final ~10 months of commissioned service (April 1945 - January 1946 decommissioning) are unindexed. The NARA 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' page contains no APC-5/APc-5 listing (page fetched and text-searched; no 'APC-' prefix entries at all) - the logs exist as physical holdings, undigitized.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1942-1945 (indexed coverage)

   Limitations

   Index-level finding only - the logs were not retrieved (no paid reproduction authorized) and their contents, including stations, operations, repairs, and any material events, are unknown. SL-44 indexes physical holdings, not digitization status. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-168-amc168-05

6. [6]NARA Catalog record NAID 134195071 - 'USS APc-5 - War Diary, 4/1-30/43' (Department of the Navy, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories series) [other_primary]

   Locator

   catalog.archives.gov proxy search '"APc-5" AND "war diary"' - NAID 134195071 result row

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The NARA catalog holds a war-diary record for this hull: 'USS APc-5 - War Diary, 4/1-30/43' (NAID 134195071), in the same RG 38-derived war-diary series whose APc-27 item was previously located digitized via DPLA/Wikimedia Commons. This fills part of the April 1943 gap in the SL-44 deck-log indexing (ev-05). Only this single month was located for APc-5 in the catalog search; other monthly submissions may exist in the same series.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-04 (record coverage)

   Limitations

   Catalog-level finding only - the record was identified via NARA catalog search; its scan images were NOT opened or read (catalog front end returned its JS shell to direct fetches; DPLA/Commons mirror not located - a Commons file search returned no APc-5 war-diary files). Whether the diary's contents cover operations, repairs, or material events is unknown. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-168-amc168-06

7. [7]University of Southern Mississippi, McCain Library & Archives - 'Claude E. Fike World War II Diary' collection description (identifier M275; finding aid DOI 10.18785/fa.m275; Preservica digital-collections entry 'M275 Fike (Claude E.) Papers') [museum_official]

   Locator

   specialcollections.usm.edu/repositories/3/resources/622 (collection scope note); usm.access.preservica.com M275 folder and item mus_m275_0001; doi.org/10.18785/fa.m275

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The Claude E. Fike Papers (collection M275), McCain Library & Archives, University of Southern Mississippi, hold ship-specific primary records for this hull: per the collection description, the papers contain 'two copies of the APc-5's ship log kept from June 1943 to August 1944' plus a typescript of Fike's WWII memoirs, personal correspondence (Jun-Sep 1945), a scrapbook, and memorabilia. The description states the collection 'provides insight into the War in the Pacific at and around New Guinea, New Britain, and the Philippines' and describes Fike's service 'with the Seventh Fleet near New Guinea.' Fike is the second commanding officer on NavSource's roster (LTjg Claudius Edwin 'Claude' Fike USNR, March 1943 - September 1944) - the log copies span most of his command. The collection's one digitized item (Preservica, mus_m275_0001) is Fike's March-April 1942 diary covering his earlier SC-102 service, not the APc-5 material; the APc-5 log copies are physical holdings (M275, Box 1).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-06 to 1944-08 (log coverage); 1941-1945 (collection)

   Population

   LTjg Claude E. Fike USNR and the ship's company under his command (1943-1944)

   Limitations

   Repository finding-aid-level identification - the APc-5 log copies and memoirs were not retrieved or read (physical holdings, Hattiesburg MS; no paid reproduction authorized). The Seventh Fleet/New Guinea service attribution comes from the repository's description of Fike's papers, not from the documents themselves. Whether the log copies contain any materials, repair, or insulation references is unknown. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-168-amc168-07

8. [8]North Coast Journal (Eureka, CA), 'That Sinking Feeling - The effort to keep Humboldt Bay's derelict boats from going under,' Grant Scott-Goforth, 24 March 2016 (NavSource-mirrored PDF); Lost Coast Outpost sinking-day coverage 29 Feb 2016; Humboldt Bay Harbor Safety Committee / North Coast Area Contingency Planning Committee minutes (17 Jul 2014, 19 Mar 2015, 12 Sep 2019) [reputable_press]

   Locator

   navsource.net/archives/09/23/pdf/23005a.pdf (NCJ 24 Mar 2016 full text); lostcoastoutpost.com 29 Feb 2016 sinking report + update; humboldtharborsafety.org minutes PDFs 2014-07-17, 2015-03-19, 2019-09-12

   Finding type

   environmental_record

   Finding

   Documented hazmat and sinking record for this hull's final identity, MV Dennis Gayle: (a) 2009 - a California DFW Oil Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) specialist boarded the vessel and 'measured the fuel in its tanks and the oil in its engines and generators, finding a few thousand gallons of hazardous materials on board'; leveraging the cost of sister hull Allen Cody's (ex-APc-48) 2008 spill response, OSPR convinced the owner to have the hazardous materials pumped out of the boat's engine and tanks. (b) 28 Feb 2016 - the vessel sank at her mooring at the Humboldt Bay Forest Products dock, Fields Landing, turning on her side; a thin oil sheen appeared but 'its sinking didn't warrant a spill response' because of the prior hazmat removal; a caretaker known to stay aboard was initially unaccounted for and later found safe. (c) The USCG had designated her one of seven 'abandoned vessels' on Humboldt Bay; Harbor Safety minutes show she was too large for the Fields Landing boatyard Travelift (Jul 2014) and that a pending lawsuit between the vessel owner and the dock property owner was noted in Mar 2015 (an eviction-type property dispute - NOT asbestos litigation). (d) Sept 2019 Harbor Safety minutes still list the sunken Dennis Gayle as a nuisance/sunken-vessel concern - she was never raised. The NCJ article contains the only asbestos mention in hull-adjacent coverage: boatyard owner Leroy Zerlang's generic observation that 'There's pretty much always fuel, oil, batteries, asbestos or some other hazardous material involved' in demolishing derelict wooden boats - a statement about derelict vessels generally, not a finding for this hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   2003-2019 (buyback, boarding, sinking, post-sinking)

   Population

   OSPR/USCG/boarding personnel (2009); dock and response personnel, caretaker (2016); Humboldt Bay maritime community

   Limitations

   Reputable local/regional journalism plus public-meeting minutes - ship-specific for the hazmat-removal, abandoned-vessel, and sinking events (as MV Dennis Gayle), but no source names an asbestos material aboard; the single 'asbestos' word is generic derelict-boat commentary and is carried as such, not as a hull finding. OSPR's boarding report itself is not public in the sources located; quantities ('a few thousand gallons') are the reporter's paraphrase. The wreck's exact surveyed position and current condition are unpublished.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-168-amc168-08

9. [9]Herreshoff Catalogue Raisonné 'HMCo #429p APc5' - modern text sources block: Williams, Greg H., 'World War II Vessels in Private Hands' (2013) p. 12; California Bureau of Marine Fisheries Fish Bulletin No. 74 (1949); California Dept. of Fish and Game 44th Biennial Report 1954-1956 (1956) p. 57; Matthew Maurice letter, Wooden Boat 216 (Sep/Oct 2010); Dennis G. Hunter candidate biography (SmartVoter, 2005) [other_primary]

   Locator

   herreshoff.info/Docs/P00429_APc5.htm 'Other Modern Text Source(s)' block - Williams 2013 p.12 transcription; Fish Bulletin 74 quote; 44th Biennial Report quote; Maurice letter quote; SmartVoter biography quote

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Merchant-documentation chain for the post-Navy hull (compiled by Williams from U.S. vessel documentation): 'APc-5. Built in 1942 by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Co., Bristol, Rhode Island. Commissioned on November 30, 1942 ... decommissioned on January 29, 1946 at San Francisco. Registered in 1947 by Gilbert A. Hunter, 3150 F St., Eureka, California, as the 198-ton whaling vessel Dennis Gayle, call sign KPEK and WA4147 in 1949. In 1954 the address of record was Rt. 1, Box 485, Bayside, California, and in 1963 Hunter moved the boat to Coos Bay, Oregon. Registered in 1964 by Hunters Offshore Enterprises, Inc., Box 456, Empire, Oregon, as the 198-ton whaling vessel Dennis Gayle, homeported at Coos Bay, call sign WA4147. In 1970 the address of record was c/o Eureka Fisheries, Box 217, Fields Landing, California, and in 1989 the boat was registered as a fishing boat at San Francisco. In 2006 the call sign was WTU8933 and the address was Box 217, Fields Landing, California. Registered in 2007 by Stanwood A. Murphy, Jr., Fortuna, California, as the 187-ton yacht Dennis Gayle homeported at Eureka. Currently registered since 2009 by Matthew Maurice, San Diego, California, as the 198-ton yacht Dennis Gayle. ON 252763.' Era corroboration: Fish Bulletin No. 74 (1949) names the Dennis Gayle the largest boat in the California trawler fleet at 103 feet; the 44th Biennial Report (1956) lists two licensed whale catchers working out of San Francisco Bay - the Dennis Gayle (ex-Fields Landing station) and the Donna Mae (ex-APc-10); Dennis G. Hunter's 2005 biography describes watching his father Gib Hunter's whaling boat Dennis Gayle tow whales into the Fields Landing whaling station; owner's 2010 letter describes the hull as 'Douglas-fir planking over oak frames' and claims Pacific service 'as part of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's fleet leading up to the invasion of the Philippines.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1947-2016

   Population

   Postwar commercial crews: whaling (1947-1970s), trawling (Eureka Fisheries era), yacht caretakers

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation of U.S. merchant-vessel documentation records plus contemporaneous California fishery reports and personal accounts - the underlying USCG documentation files were not pulled. Williams' commissioning (Nov 30) and decommissioning (Jan 29) dates conflict by one day with NavSource/shipscribe (Dec 1 / Jan 28) - flagged in ev-13. The 'MacArthur's fleet' line is owner framing, not a unit citation; no battle star is listed for the hull. The boatinfoworld 'recreational, 198 gt, 96.60 ft' registration is flagged by the Catalogue Raisonné editors as possibly belonging to a different Herreshoff hull (#414p Defiance AMc-73) - carried as a possible misattribution, not confirmed identity. No asbestos information in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-168-amc168-09

10. [10]Design-bounded assessment compiled from NavSource and shipscribe/HMCo specifications for this hull (ev-01, ev-02, ev-04) and the documented APc-1 class design history (ev-03) [other_primary]

    Locator

    navsource.net/archives/09/23/23005.htm specifications block; shipscribe.com/usnaux/APC/APC01.html class header + class notes; herreshoff.info/Docs/P00429_APc5.htm particulars + HH.4.082 offset note

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    Design-level assessment of the asbestos-relevant profile: this craft carried a single diesel engine (builder's record: Superior, 400 h.p.; NavSource: National Supply MML-6, 300 shp) on one screw in a ~100-258 ton WOODEN-hulled transport (Douglas-fir planking over oak frames per the 2010 owner letter) - no boilers, no steam distribution system, no turbines. The principal asbestos vectors documented aboard steam-era naval vessels - boiler and steam-drum lagging, steam-line insulation, turbine and condenser insulation - are absent by design in this type. Residual era-typical applications remain plausible but are undocumented for this hull: diesel exhaust and muffler insulation, engine gaskets and packing, electrical insulation (two 30 kW DC generators aboard), accommodation/joiner materials, and brake linings on the 2-ton boom and windlass gear. Unlike the converted-fishing-vessel AMc/YP small craft, provenance here is resolved: she was ordered 19 Feb 42 as a Navy-contract build to the BuShips-modified AMc-150-199 design (BuShips plans 446519/446513, Eldredge-McInnis design no. 287-C-728 per the offset-booklet note), so naval small-craft specifications applied - but the class's specific materials/insulation specification is not documented in any located source.

    Verification

    inferred

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1942-1946

    Population

    Ship's company (~21-25 by competing sources) plus embarked troops; construction trades at Herreshoff, 1942

    Limitations

    Class/design inference, not a ship-specific finding: the absence of a steam plant removes the dominant asbestos vectors but does not prove the absence of asbestos aboard - WWII-era gaskets, packing, electrical components, and interior materials could still contain asbestos, and the yard's fitting-out practice is undocumented. Nothing in the cited sources names an asbestos product installed on this hull. Does not establish presence, absence, exposure, or causation for any individual.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-amc-168-amc168-10

11. [11]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 under which this small wooden diesel transport was built at a Rhode Island yard in 1942 - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in ship construction.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1940s era documented; article 1987

    Population

    WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (era context)

    Limitations

    Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel, its class, or Herreshoff and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. Applies most plausibly to the construction trades at the builder's yard rather than to a wooden diesel hull's crew.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-amc-168-amc168-11

12. [12]Batch-1516 search ledger (this record): NavSource per-hull page; shipscribe register-derived tables and ship note; Herreshoff Catalogue Raisonné builder record; NARA SL-44 and catalog; USM M275 papers; CourtListener API (throttled) plus web-index fallback; NCJ/LoCO/Harbor Safety coverage of the 2016 sinking [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-amc-168-amc168-01 through sl-uss-amc-168-amc168-15

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat-asbestos disclosure, or docketed case naming this hull under either designation (AMc-168 / APc-5) or its mercantile name (Dennis Gayle, ON 252763) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The litigation-adjacent item located - a 'pending law suit' between the vessel owner and the dock property owner noted in March 2015 Harbor Safety minutes - is an eviction-type property dispute, not asbestos litigation. CourtListener opinion search could not be executed: the authenticated API returned HTTP 429 daily-quota throttling at research time (same shared-quota exhaustion reported by sibling AMc batches today); the web-index fallback returned no vessel hits.

    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 1942 naval small-craft fit-out is era-consistent with residual asbestos applications (gaskets, packing, exhaust lagging, electrical insulation). The CourtListener check is incomplete and must be re-run after quota reset before 'no docketed case' can be asserted at full confidence; the web fallback covers opinion text only coarsely. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-amc-168-amc168-12

13. [13]Source-conflict and coverage reconciliation across NavSource, shipscribe register data, Herreshoff builder's record and Bristol Phoenix coverage, NARA SL-44 and catalog, USM M275 description, merchant-documentation compilation, and NHHC/NVR availability checks [other_primary]

    Locator

    navsource.net/archives/09/23/23005.htm; shipscribe.com/usnaux/APC/APC01.html; herreshoff.info/Docs/P00429_APc5.htm; sl-44-ship-number.pdf; ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/ register tables; navsource.net/archives/09/23/23idx.htm

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Publication-level discrepancies reconciled or logged: (a) Launch - 21 Sep 42 (shipscribe register data; HMCo Construction Record; Bristol Phoenix coverage of the Bulkeley-attended Monday launch) vs 1 Sep 42 (NavSource) - resolved in favor of 21 Sep on the strength of the builder's record plus contemporary press; NavSource's date logged. (b) Commissioning - 1 Dec 42 (NavSource, shipscribe, Bristol Phoenix 1 Dec 42 article describing that morning's commissioning at the yard) vs 30 Nov 42 (Williams 2013) - 1 Dec carried; Williams logged. (c) Decommissioning - 28 Jan 46 San Francisco (NavSource, shipscribe) vs 29 Jan 46 (Williams) - 28 Jan carried. (d) Propulsion - 'Diesel, Superior, 400 h.p.' (HMCo builder's record for this hull) vs National Supply Corp. MML-6, 300 shp (NavSource) vs class figure 400 HP, 'some units 500 HP' (shipscribe) - unresolved; builder's record is hull-specific but the conflict is carried, not resolved. (e) Displacement - 112 short tons (HMCo) vs 100 lt / 234 fl / 258 lim (NavSource) vs 161 lt / 258 lim (shipscribe class) - differing measure bases, unresolved. (f) Complement - 3 officers + 22 enlisted (NavSource) vs 21 (shipscribe class figure, 1944); unresolved. (g) Designation - 'AMc-168' is documented only as a planned designation: three independent compilations (NavSource 'Originally planned as Coastal Minesweeper AMc-168'; shipscribe ship note 'Ex AMc-168'; NavSource APc index 'APc-5 ex AMc-168') plus the class procurement history show the APc category was created 22 Apr 42, ~7 weeks before keel-laying - she was never a commissioned or administered minesweeper. (h) Register coverage - APc small transports are absent from the HyperWar Navy register-derived tables checked (ships-minecraft, ag, an, at, ix, sc, av). (i) NARA SL-44 indexes 'APC-5' logs only - no 'AMC-168' entry exists. (j) Registration caveat - the boatinfoworld '198 gt, 96.60 ft, recreational' entry is flagged by the Catalogue Raisonné editors as possibly belonging to a different Herreshoff hull (#414p Defiance AMc-73); treated as a possible misattribution, not asserted.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1942-2019 records

    Limitations

    Documents publication-level discrepancies so the record is auditable; does not alter identity or the service timeline. None of the conflicting figures bear on asbestos documentation; they are carried so downstream users do not treat either compilation as definitive.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-amc-168-amc168-13