USS AMc-176 (AMC-176)

Evidence

7 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-7).

1. [1]ShipScribe, 'USS APc-1 Class' (shipscribe.com/usnaux/APC/APC01.html) - class notes, construction table row 41, disposition table row 41, ship note 41; ShipScribe, 'U.S. Navy Building Programs During World War II: FY 1942' (shipscribe.com/navyrefs/usnprog/fy42.html) - 50 AMc 150-199 award block and AMc 176-79 re-order line [other_primary]

   Locator

   APC01.html class notes paragraph; construction table '41 | APc-41 | 29 Apr 42 | Cryer & Sons | 15 Jun 42 | 26 Oct 42 | 10 Feb 43'; disposition table '41 | APc-41 | 25 Jan 46 | 25 Feb 46 | 24 Jan 48 | MC/D | 23 Jan 48'; ship note 41; fy42.html '50 AMc' block rows 176-79 (Snow, reordered) and '(AMc) (176-79) Re-order 29 Apr 42 W.J.Cryer To APc 41-44'

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   ShipScribe APc-1 class page (compiled from BuShips program/construction/disposition tables): the procurement history of the APc-1 class begins with the AMc coastal minesweeper - CNO directed construction of 50 minesweepers AMc 150-199 on 19 Jan 1942; BuShips issued modified 103-ft specifications for the batch in Feb 1942; on 13 Apr 1942 the CNO requested the 50 vessels be built as 'raider transports, AP'; the District Craft Development Board recommended the change 20 Apr 1942 and the category 'Coastal transport (small), APc' was created 22 April. FY 1942 program table: AMc 176-79 awarded 19 Feb 42 to Snow (Shipyards, Rockland ME), annotated 'Reordered'; re-order line '(AMc) (176-79) | Re-order | 29 Apr 42 | W.J.Cryer | To APc 41-44.' Construction row for APc-41: ordered 29 Apr 42, Cryer & Sons, keel 15 Jun 42, launched 26 Oct 42, commissioned 10 Feb 43. Disposition row: decommissioned 25 Jan 46, struck 25 Feb 46, disposal 24 Jan 48, fate 'MC/D' (Maritime Commission disposal), MA sale delivered 23 Jan 48. Ship note: 'Ex AMc-176. Earlier order: Snow SY (19 Feb 42). Sold (delivered) by MC to F. A. Wandtke, Mill Valley, Cal. Merc. FRANCES ANN 1948.' Class characteristics printed: 161 t light / 258 t limiting; 103.25 ft oa x 21.25 ft x 9.25 ft; complement 21 (1944); 10 kts; diesel 400 hp one screw; original armament four 20mm singles.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1942-1948

   Population

   Cryer & Sons construction trades (Oakland CA, 1942-43); wartime crew

   Limitations

   Specialist compilation reproducing official BuShips program, construction, and disposition tables - the most authoritative located source for this hull's procurement chain. Documents that AMc-176 was a contract designation only: the Snow award (19 Feb 42) was re-ordered to Cryer (29 Apr 42) and completed to the APc design, so no vessel ever served as AMc-176. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information - supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-176-01

2. [2]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - USS APc-41, navsource.net/archives/09/23/23041.htm [other_primary]

   Locator

   APc-41 page chronology block, specifications block, awards block, commanding-officer table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive entry for USS APc-41: 'Originally planned as Coastal Minesweeper AMc-176'; laid down 15 June 1942 at William J. Cryer and Son, Oakland CA; launched 26 October 1942; commissioned USS APc-41, 10 February 1943, LTJG Joseph E. Fuld, Jr., USNR in command; WWII assignment Asiatic-Pacific Theater - APc Flotilla Five (LT G. D. Winsor, USNR), APc Group Fifteen, APc Division Twenty-Nine; decommissioned 25 January 1946 at San Francisco; struck from the Naval Register 25 February 1946; transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) 1947; acquired 23 January 1948 by Gus Wandtke, Mill Valley CA, for use as a fishing boat named FV Frances Ann (NavSource also prints 'removed, 24 January 1948'); acquired 1959 by Submarex Corp., Santa Barbara, as an oil-exploration vessel; acquired 1967 by Pike Corporation of America, Santa Barbara, as a tugboat; acquired 1970 by Mary Elizabeth Conlan, Terminal Island CA, as a tugboat; final disposition 'out of documentation in 1989, fate unknown.' Spec block: 100 t light / 258 t full load; 103 ft; beam 21 ft 3 in; draft 9 ft 3 in; 10 kts; complement 3 officers + 22 enlisted; troop capacity 66; four single 20mm AA mounts; one Atlas 6HM2124 diesel, 400 shp, single propeller; two diesel 30 kW 120 V ship's-service generators; fuel 145 bbls diesel. Awards: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal - no battle stars. Commanding officers: Fuld (to 25 Jul 44), LT Robert N. Simon USNR (to Sep 44), LTJG James D. Gray USNR (to Jun 45), ENS William D. Higby USNR (to 25 Jan 46). Page notes explicitly: 'There is no DANFS history available for USS APc-41'; call sign November-Charlie-Xray-Tango (NCXT).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1942-1989

   Population

   Wartime crew (1943-1946); merchant/fishing and tug crews (1948-1989)

   Limitations

   Volunteer-maintained secondary compilation, not an official record - corroborated against ShipScribe's BuShips-derived tables where they overlap. Sole source for the theater organization (Flotilla Five/Group Fifteen/Division Twenty-Nine), the CO roster, the call sign, and the entire post-1948 chain (Wandtke/Frances Ann, Submarex 1959, Pike 1967, Conlan 1970, out of documentation 1989) - none located in any corroborating source. Its buyer name 'Gus Wandtke' conflicts with ShipScribe's 'F. A. Wandtke,' and its 'transferred to MARAD 1947' compresses the MC disposal/sale sequence - see correction row. Spec conflicts vs ShipScribe/HyperWar logged in correction row. Contains no asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-176-02

3. [3]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton), 'Coastal Transports (APc)' table - APc-41 row and program header; Cryer & Sons yard table - O/N 255456 row [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/auxapc.htm - APc-41 row and header paragraph; shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencysmall/cryer.htm - '255456 | AMc 176/APc 41' row

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation): the APc program header reads 'In World War II, the Navy built 100 wooden-hulled fast coastal transports and four modified C1-M-AV1s, primarily to ferry troops around the Pacific Theater.' APc table row: 'APc | 41 | Cryer & Sons | Oakland CA | 100 | 103 | 1942 | To MARAD 1947.' The companion Cryer & Sons yard table carries the hull under U.S. Official Number 255456: 'AMc 176/APc 41 | US Navy | coastal freighter | 100 t | 147 ft | delivered 10 Feb 1943 | sold 1947 as Frances Ann.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1942-1948

   Population

   Cryer & Sons construction workforce (Oakland CA, 1942-43)

   Limitations

   Compiler's yard tables, secondary - corroborate builder (Cryer & Sons, Oakland), wooden-hull class profile, delivery date (10 Feb 1943 = commissioning), merchant ON 255456, and 1947-48 sale as Frances Ann. The yard table's '147 ft' length figure is the documented merchant-register length, inconsistent with the 103-ft naval design length - flagged in the correction row. 'Sold 1947' compresses the Jan 1948 MC disposal/delivery - also flagged. Contains no asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-176-03

4. [4]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

   Era-level inference only: peer-reviewed scholarship documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and program under which this wooden-hulled coastal transport was built. Period marine diesel installations and auxiliary machinery commonly used asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, and exhaust-system insulation; aboard a ~103-ft, 258-ton wooden diesel transport with no boilers and no steam plant, the plausible applications, if any, would be confined to such machinery fittings.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1942-1946

   Population

   Cryer & Sons construction trades (Oakland CA, 1942-43); wartime crew (design complement 3 officers + 22 enlisted; up to 66 embarked troops)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarship only - does not name this vessel or the APc-1 class and does not establish that asbestos was or is aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. No class- or design-specific material documentation for APc coastal transports was located; the diesel/wooden-hull profile limits plausible scope relative to steam-driven vessels. The machinery-fitting applications named are general era practice, not documented aboard this class.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-176-04

5. [5]ShipScribe APc-1 class page (ship note 41, class characteristics, disposition table) vs NavSource APc-41 spec block vs Shipbuilding History APc/Cryer tables vs HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy 1940-1945' APc header [other_primary]

   Locator

   Same citations as ev-01 through ev-03; HyperWar ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/ships-apb.html APc spec header ('Displacement: 234 tons (full load)')

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Source discrepancies documented, not reconciled: (a) buyer name - ShipScribe prints 'F. A. Wandtke, Mill Valley, Cal.'; NavSource prints 'Gus Wandtke, Mill Valley, CA' - likely the same party, unresolved. (b) disposal sequence - ShipScribe prints MC disposal 24 Jan 1948 with MA sale delivered 23 Jan 1948; NavSource prints 'Acquired, 23 January 1948 ... removed, 24 January 1948' and 'Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) in 1947'; shipbuildinghistory prints 'To MARAD 1947' and 'sold 1947.' The MC-sale framing in ShipScribe (the Maritime Commission handled APc disposals) is adopted as controlling for the transfer mechanism, with dates carried as printed. (c) displacement - NavSource spec block 100 t light / 258 t full load; ShipScribe class table 161 t light / 258 t limiting; HyperWar compilation 234 t full load - variant figures across sources. (d) length - naval design 103 ft (103.25 oa per ShipScribe) vs the Cryer yard table's merchant-register '147 ft' - likely a documentation/measurement artifact, unresolved. (e) complement - NavSource 3 officers + 22 enlisted with 66 troop capacity; ShipScribe class table complement 21 (1944); HyperWar leaves complement blank. (f) armament - four single 20mm per NavSource and ShipScribe 'original armament'; ShipScribe notes later 2x20mm on certain numbered units (APc 87-90, 93-98, 110-111) - not this hull. (g) ordering detail - 'Earlier order: Snow SY (19 Feb 42)' per the ShipScribe ship note is corroborated by the FY42 program table (AMc 176-79 awarded to Snow 19 Feb 42, 'Reordered').

   Verification

   disputed

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1942-1989

   Limitations

   Resolves nothing - documents genuine multi-source conflicts so a future pass does not silently pick one figure. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-176-05

6. [6]NARA, Special List #44 by ship number (sl-44-ship-number.pdf, 'APC-41 2/10/1943 6/30/1945'); NARA 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' list [other_primary]

   Locator

   SL-44 ship-number list, APC block, line 'APC-41 2/10/1943 6/30/1945'; archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online (APC-41 absent from digitized list)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA Special List #44 (List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947, by ship number) indexes one deck-log run for this hull under 'APC-41': 2/10/1943 - 6/30/1945 - commissioning through June 1945. The logs are held in Record Group 24 at the National Archives at College Park (Archives II). No APc-41 or AMc-176 logs appear on NARA's published list of fully digitized Navy deck logs in the National Archives Catalog, so the run is retrievable only via Archives II textual reference. Coverage limitation: nothing is indexed for July 1945 through the 25 January 1946 decommissioning.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1945 records

   Limitations

   Verifies that NARA indexes a log run for this specific hull and its date coverage - not the logs' content, which is unsurveyed (no box-level retrieval performed; no spend authorized). The indexed run does not cover July 1945-January 1946 (final operations and decommissioning); whether logs for that gap exist but are unindexed is unknown. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-176-06

7. [7]Batch-1525 search ledger (this record): ShipScribe/NavSource/shipbuildinghistory/HyperWar; NARA SL-44 + digitized-log list; NHHC site search; CourtListener API + web UI attempts; fallback web litigation search; NVR; MARAD ShipHistory; master-hull-list.json [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-amc-176-01 through sl-uss-amc-176-14

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed case naming USS APc-41, AMc-176, or the fishing vessel/tug Frances Ann (ON 255456) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). No DANFS entry exists for this hull (NavSource notes none; NHHC site search returns nothing). Litigation coverage is incomplete rather than negative: CourtListener API v4 returned HTTP 429 (authenticated request; 2,800/day shared quota exhausted, expected availability ~4,165s at last probe) and the public web UI returned HTTP 403, so the required exact-name and hull-number searches could not be run this pass; a fallback general web search surfaced only ship-history pages and name collisions - 'Frances Ann, Inc.' (a New Jersey fishery plaintiff in Hall v. Evans, 165 F. Supp. 2d 114 (D.R.I. 2001)) and the Upper Mississippi Towing towboat 'Frances Anne' (West v. Upper Mississippi Towing Corp., 221 F. Supp. 590 (D. Minn. 1963); Sioux City & New Orleans Barge Lines v. Upper Mississippi Towing Corp., 221 F. Supp. 737 (1963)) - different vessels, no qualifying case naming this hull.

   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-built vessel is era-consistent with asbestos-containing machinery fittings even accounting for its lighter diesel insulation load. The CourtListener block means the litigation surface was not fully searched, so 'no litigation' is a coverage limitation, not a finding. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-amc-176-07