Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]research packet bf-packet.md (9 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-amycus-arl2-pkt-bf-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS entry 'Amycus (ARL-2)', NHHC - live history.navy.mil URL returns 404 as of 2026-09-26; verbatim text verified via Wayback capture 20231208041049 and the independent HyperWar DANFS transcription (ibiblio.org) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS full entry text; Wayback https://web.archive.org/web/20231208041049/https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/amycus.html ; HyperWar mirror https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/ARL/arl2.html
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS (NHHC): named for Amycus, son of Poseidon and the Bithynian nymph Melia, king of the Bebryces; originally projected as LST-489, redesignated ARL-2 and named Amycus 1943-01-13; laid down 1943-01-17 at Richmond, Calif., by Kaiser Co., Inc.; launched 1943-04-02; delivered 1943-06-03 to Matson Navigation Co., San Francisco, for conversion to a landing craft repair ship; commissioned 1943-07-30, Lt. John J. Reidy, Jr., in command. WWII service: shakedown off California; departed San Diego 1943-09-20 for the South Pacific, Service Forces 7th Fleet, via Pago Pago, Noumea, Brisbane, Port Townsville, Milne Bay; arrived Buna, New Guinea, 1943-11-25 and joined TF 76; repaired small escorts and landing boats there until late April 1944. Departed 1944-04-25 for Cape Cretin and convoyed to Hollandia, arriving 1944-05-03; repair ship and flagship of the landing craft control officer at Humboldt Bay through summer/autumn 1944. Left Hollandia 12-20 for Seeadler Harbor, Manus; sortied a week later for the Lingayen Gulf landings; 1945-01-07 air attack during the transit (one enemy plane downed by a screening vessel). Anchored Lingayen Gulf 1945-01-09; repaired battle-damaged landing craft and fired intermittently at enemy aircraft; on 01-28 a friendly plane accidentally jettisoned a bomb exploding ~60 ft off the port quarter - shrapnel killed 3 and wounded 9 crewmen and caused minor hull damage. Remained at Lingayen through 1945-06-26, then operated under Service Squadron 3 at Subic Bay; departed for the U.S. 1945-10-27, reaching San Francisco 1945-11-30, then Portland, OR. Decommissioned 1946-11-15; Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River. Stricken from the Navy list 1970-06-01; 'sold for scrapping' 1971-08-13 to Zidell Explorations, Inc., Portland, OR. Two battle stars. DANFS spec line: dp. 2220; l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 14'4"; s. 11.6 k.; a. 1x3"; cl. Achelous.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1971
- Limitations
- Authoritative Navy history establishing identity, construction, conversion, service, and Navy disposition. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement; supports no asbestos claim. The 1971 sale is framed 'for scrapping,' but the hull is documented in commercial registry as freight barge Tyonek 1972-1989 - see correction row (ev-08).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-amycus-arl2-01
-
[3]NavSource Naval History, Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Amycus (ARL-2) page (archives/10/19/1902.htm, last updated 2024-12-06) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Page header data block, awards/campaign table, specifications block, CO table, disposition entries
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive page for USS Amycus (ARL-2): laid down as LST-489 at 'Kaiser Permanente Co.,' Richmond, CA; reclassified Landing Craft Repair Ship ARL-2 on 1943-01-13 while building; launched 1943-04-02; completed at Matson Navigation Co., San Francisco; commissioned 1943-07-30, LT. John J. Reidy, Jr., USNR, in command. Asiatic-Pacific campaigns: Hollandia operation 1944-04-27/06-01; Luzon operation - Lingayen Gulf landings 1945-01-07/18. Decommissioned 1946-11-15 at San Francisco; laid up Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group; struck from the Naval Register 1970-06-01; 'earned the Navy Unit Commendation for service in Salvage, Fire Fighting, and Rescue Unit, Service Force, 7th Fleet - Philippine Islands area, 6 January to 15 February 1945, and two battle stars.' Sold 1971-08-13 to Zidell Explorations, Inc., Portland, OR. Registered 1972 by Pacific Western Lines, Inc., Seattle, WA, as freight barge TYONEK, homeport Juneau, AK; moved to Seattle 1975; registered 1989 by Koncor Forest Products Co., Anchorage, AK, as freight barge TYONEK, homeport Juneau; 'Final Disposition, fate unknown.' Specs: 3,900 t lt / 4,100 t fl; 328' x 50' x 11'2" lim; 11.6 kts; largest boom 60 t; complement 22 officers + 233 enlisted; armament 1x3"/50 DP, 2x quad 40mm w/ Mk.51 directors, 6x twin 20mm; diesel fuel 4,715 bbls; 2x GM 12-567A diesels, single Falk reduction gear, 2 propellers 1,800 shp, twin rudders; ship's service generators 3x 100kW DC + 2x 100kW AC. Call sign NJQW. CO roster: Reidy 1943-07-30/1944-01-11; LT Louis E. Hirsch 1944-01-11/1944-06-03; CDR Edward W. Wunch, Jr., USN (Ret.) 1944-06-03/1946-06; LT George A. Roy 1946-06/1946-11-15.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1989
- Limitations
- Secondary transcription archive (Navy-compiled data + contributed photos), not a primary document; consistent with DANFS on construction, commissioning, stricken, and the 1971 sale. Adds detail DANFS lacks: the NUC citation period, decommissioning location (San Francisco), and the post-Navy barge registrations that contradict a strict 'scrapping' reading. Builder name rendered 'Kaiser Permanente Co.' (informal variant of Kaiser Cargo/Permanente Metals at Richmond Yard No. 4). No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-amycus-arl2-02
-
[4]shipscribe.com, 'USS Achelous (ARL-1) Class' register page (usnaux.shipscribe.com/ARL/ARL01.html), compiled 2007 from BuShips Ships' Data and OpNav records [other_primary]
- Locator
- Construction table row ARL-2; Disposition table row ARL-2; Class Notes paragraphs; Ship Notes row 'AMYCUS'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- shipscribe.com U.S. Navy auxiliary register (S.S. Roberts, compiled from BuShips/OpNav records), ARL-1 class page: construction table lists ARL-2 AMYCUS reclassified 1943-01-13, builder 'Kaiser Cargo, Richmond #4', keel 1943-01-17, launch 1943-04-02, commission 1943-07-30. Disposition table: decommissioned 1946-11-15, struck 1970-06-01, disposal 1971-08-13 'Sold' (MA Sale column blank - a Navy sale, not a Maritime Administration disposal). Ship note: 'Ex LST-489 13 Jan 43. Converted by Matson Navigation, San Francisco, Cal. (delivered as LST 3 Jun 43). In USN reserve 1946-70.' Class notes: FY1943 hulls (ARL 2-3) built under LST contracts and reclassified/fitted as ARLs before entering service; on 1942-12-03 COMINCH directed conversion of three LSTs to landing-craft repair ships; ARL/ARB/AGP designations approved by SecNav 1943-01-13; ships transited from building yards to conversion yards as LSTs, assuming ARL designations upon entering the conversion yard; seven of the nine ARL-1-class ships were converted at Bethlehem-Key Highway, Baltimore, and the other two (Amycus and Agenor) at San Francisco; Gibbs & Cox was design agent for all LST conversions; bow doors on the U.S. units were welded shut; a 50-ton A-frame hoist was fitted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1971
- Limitations
- Independent authoritative register reconciling BuShips/OpNav records; corroborates DANFS dates and adds the conversion chain (Matson Navigation, San Francisco; delivered as LST 1943-06-03) and the class-program context. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-amycus-arl2-03
-
[5]NARA Catalog (catalog.archives.gov): 'USS AMYCUS - War History' naId 77581253 + war-diary file units (Rolls A852/A819/A914/A1108/A1205/A1241/A1387/A1880/A1926), RG 38; 'Amycus (ARL-2) 7/30/43-12/1/46' muster rolls naId 125365736, Roll 194 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog search q='Amycus' - fileUnit hits listed above; each carries Fold3/Ancestry-scanned digital objects
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Digitized ship-specific primary records exist for this hull in the National Archives catalog: (a) RG 38 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories' series - 'USS AMYCUS - War History' (naId 77581253, microfilm Roll A1970) and monthly war diaries for 1943-12 (naId 78329125), 1944-01 (naId 78298012), 1944-03 (naId 78390287), 1944-07 (naId 78584629), 1944-09 (naId 139754916), 1944-10 (naId 139762832), 1944-12 (naId 139845662), 1945-08 (naId 77499514), 1945-09 (naId 77540229), all scanned under the NARA-Fold3 partnership with public digital objects; (b) 'Amycus (ARL-2), 7/30/43-12/1/46' muster rolls (naId 125365736, microfilm Roll 194, NARA College Park, scanned under the NARA-Ancestry partnership). These are the authoritative ship-level operational and personnel records for the hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1946 records
- Population
- Ship's complement named in muster rolls (1943-1946)
- Limitations
- Existence and digitization verified at catalog level; individual page contents NOT reviewed (hundreds of scanned pages; no asbestos statement is expected in operational diaries or muster rolls, but unreviewed contents cannot be characterized). Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-amycus-arl2-04
-
[6]Consolidated era inference - BuShips Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels Vol. 2 (Jan 1945) LST/ARL machinery and class data (shipscribe scan); NavSource spec block for this hull [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB-1945 v2 LST/ARL design tables; NavSource archives/10/19/1902.htm specifications block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for a diesel-powered LST-hull auxiliary: the ship had no boilers (2x GM 12-567A diesels, 1,800 shp). Asbestos-relevant applications typical of the type and era: diesel exhaust lagging and manifold gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation-space insulation, machinery packing - plus ARL-specific repair-shop outfit (machine, welding, and fitting shops) contemporaneously stocked with asbestos-containing consumables such as welding blankets, insulation cement, and gasket sheet stock. The construction (Kaiser Richmond Yard No. 4, Jan-Apr 1943) and conversion (Matson Navigation, San Francisco, Jun-Jul 1943) periods fell inside the window when the federal government had reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1989
- Population
- Construction workforce (Kaiser Richmond Yard No. 4, 1943); conversion workforce (Matson Navigation, San Francisco, 1943); wartime crew and serviced landing-craft crews; 1971 sale-yard and 1972+ barge-conversion workforces
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no document names this hull's materials. Diesel plant means no boiler insulation (the largest asbestos mass on steam ships); listed applications are era-typical, not ship-proven. Does not establish quantity, location, present-day presence (hull's final fate unknown after documented 1989 barge registration), individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-amycus-arl2-05
-
[7]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 fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and program under which this LST-hull conversion was built and fitted - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and merchant-type hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarship; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-amycus-arl2-06
-
[8]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030 [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed record PMID 21016030; article pp. 9-16 (pipe covering material section)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned industrial-hygiene survey of WWII pipe-covering operations at two Navy yards and two Navy contract yards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite' - i.e., asbestos insulation was standard material in wartime naval-vessel construction of exactly this hull's era and type.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- survey ~1944-45; published 1946
- Population
- WWII pipe coverers and insulators at Navy and contract yards (era context)
- Limitations
- Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; does not name this vessel, class, or builder yard (whether Kaiser Richmond or Matson's San Francisco conversion facility was among the surveyed yards is unverified) and establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure. (The study's exculpatory 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion has since been heavily criticized - see the 2026 critique at DOI 10.1177/10482911261446696.)
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-amycus-arl2-07
-
[9]Cross-source reconciliation: NHHC DANFS entry (via Wayback 20231208041049 and HyperWar transcription); NavSource archives/10/19/1902.htm; shipscribe usnaux ARL-1 class register; HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy 1940-45' ARL-2 spec page; shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net repair-ships table (secondary) [other_primary]
- Locator
- As cited in ev-01/-02/-03 locators; shipbuildinghistory https://shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net/us-navy-large/ar/
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies resolved/logged: (a) Disposal - DANFS frames the 1971-08-13 sale to Zidell Explorations as 'for scrapping,' but NavSource documents the hull registered as freight barge TYONEK (Pacific Western Lines, Seattle, 1972, homeport Juneau AK; moved to Seattle 1975; Koncor Forest Products, Anchorage, 1989) with 'Final Disposition, fate unknown'; shipbuildinghistory's table reads 'sold 1970 and converted to barge.' The documented record supports sale-then-barge-service, not 1971 breaking; final fate unknown. (b) Buna arrival - 1943-11-25 (DANFS transcription) vs 11-29 (Wikipedia rendering). (c) Lingayen bomb incident - 1945-01-28 (DANFS) vs 01-29 (Wikipedia). (d) Decommissioning locale - San Francisco (NavSource) vs the Portland/Columbia River framing implied by the DANFS narrative sequence; shipscribe gives only the date 1946-11-15. (e) Reserve group - Columbia River Group (DANFS text; NavSource text) vs Stockton Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet (NavSource photo caption showing Amycus and Atlas in reserve). (f) Builder naming variants - 'Kaiser Co., Inc.' (DANFS), 'Kaiser Permanente Co.' (NavSource), 'Kaiser Cargo, Richmond #4' (shipscribe), 'Permanente Metals Corporation' (secondary infoboxes). (g) Displacement - DANFS 2,220 vs NavSource 3,900 lt/4,100 fl vs shipscribe 2,125 lt/4,100 lim vs HyperWar 3,775. (h) Complement - 255 (22+233, NavSource) vs 253 (shipscribe 1944 class figure).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1989
- Population
- Post-Navy barge crews and conversion workers (1971-1989+, unquantified)
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies by recording each source's exact statement rather than merging. The barge-registration record (NavSource) is carried as the post-Navy status because it is more specific than DANFS's 'sold for scrapping' framing; the hull's documented survival to 1989 materially changes the exposure window (commercial barge service). Does not affect identity. No asbestos content in any source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-amycus-arl2-08
-
[10]CourtListener API v4 - pacing-limited sweep attempt (helper cl-auth-search.py, 5 spaced attempts, all exit 2); supplementary web litigation search [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-amycus-arl2-06 through sl-uss-amycus-arl2-09
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion-index and RECAP sweeps for this vessel were attempted but could not be executed during the 2026-09-26 session: the fleet-wide pacing budget (cl_ratelimit, ~114/hr shared across concurrent batch sessions) was continuously spent across five spaced attempts over ~50 minutes (helper exit 2 each time). Queries queued for next pass: '"Amycus"' (type=o), '"ARL-2"' (type=o), '"LST-489"' (type=o), '"Amycus"' (type=r). Supplementary non-CL coverage completed: an indexed-web litigation search ('"USS Amycus" OR "ARL-2" asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit') returned only decisions naming other hulls (USS McGinty, USS Rowan, USS Badger), and a BVA-decisions web search surfaced no Amycus-named claim.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Incomplete sweep - the fleet pacing budget was exhausted and no CourtListener query executed; litigation coverage rests on indexed-web checking and the BVA search only. 'Amycus' is a low-collision name (mythological figure, essentially unique to this hull), so a completed sweep is expected to return few or no hits - but the sweep is a logged gap, not a completed negative finding. Re-running the four queued queries is the documented next pass.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-amycus-arl2-09
-
[11]Batch-2610 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via Wayback + HyperWar transcription; NavSource 10/19/1902; shipscribe ARL-1 class register; NARA catalog (9+ digitized file units); CourtListener sweeps (pacing-blocked); indexed-web and BVA litigation checks [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-amycus-arl2-01 through sl-uss-amycus-arl2-14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Amycus / ARL-2 / LST-489 / MC hull 1009 / barge Tyonek was found in the public sources searched - DANFS, NavSource, shipscribe, HyperWar, the NARA catalog records (war diaries and muster rolls, existence verified, contents unreviewed), and the indexed-web litigation checks (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943-built amphibious auxiliary is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the hull's undocumented barge conversion (1971-72) and decades of commercial service are unexamined disturbance phases. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. CourtListener coverage was incomplete this session (see ev-09).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-amycus-arl2-10
-
[12]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel - deck logs); NavSource photo credits (19-N series BuShips photos 19-N-51874/19-N-51875); USCG vessel-documentation path for barge Tyonek [other_primary]
- Locator
- RG 19 guide; NARA deck-log guidance (archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy); NavSource 1902.htm photo captions
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized): NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) holds conversion plans/specifications for the LST-to-ARL program - Gibbs & Cox was design agent and Matson Navigation performed this hull's conversion at San Francisco, so design-agent files and any surviving Matson work orders/contracts are the likeliest documents for a ship-specific materials schedule; BuShips design records also hold the S3-M-K2 hull contract file (MC hull 1009). WWII deck logs for USS Amycus (RG 24, NARA College Park) were not located in the digitized catalog (the digitized muster rolls and war diaries noted in ev-04 are distinct series). Post-Navy documentation - the 1971 Navy-to-Zidell sale file, the 1972 Pacific Western Lines registration, and the 1989 Koncor Forest Products registration for barge TYONEK (USCG documentation/merchant-vessel records) - is the unexplored track for the hull's post-Navy material condition and fate.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1989 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed. Whether any asbestos-specific document exists for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-amycus-arl2-11