Evidence
16 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-16).
-
[1]research packet at-packet.md (5 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-apl-55-apl55-pkt-at-packet-md
-
[2]shipscribe.com, 'USS APL-2 Class' construction/disposition tables, APL-55 ship note, and class notes (compilation of official Navy vessel-register and BuShips program records, compiled by Stephen S. Roberts) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Construction table row APL-55; Disposition table row APL-55; Ship Notes 'APL-55' entry; Class Notes 'APL 44-58' paragraph and closing paragraph naming the 1968-06-01 redesignation at NSA Saigon
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Shipscribe compilation of official Navy records (Ship Data U.S. Naval Vessels / BuShips Auxiliary Vessels Board program history): APL-55 ordered 1944-07-26, built by Tampa Shipbuilding (Tampa SB), keel 1945-03-05, launched 1945-06-09, in service ('Commiss.' column) 1945-07-18; disposition row shows strike 1972-11-27, disposal 1972-11-10, fate 'Trf.' (transferred). Ship note for APL-55: 'In service in reserve by Jan 47. Loaned to Army ca. May 1951. To YRBM-18 1 Jun 68. Transferred to South Vietnam 1972.' Class notes document the APL 44-58 group (recommended by the Auxiliary Vessels Board 1944-05-02 for the 1945 landing-craft program): standard non-self-propelled 2,000-ton 260-foot covered barges with a two-story barracks superstructure; class complement 71 + 583 troops; no machinery. APL-55 'became a Repair, Berthing & Messing Barge (YRBM-18) on 1 Jun 68 while serving at Naval Support Activity, Saigon.'
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1972
- Limitations
- Non-official secondary compilation of official data - the standard NVR-derived reference for unnamed auxiliaries. Build and disposition milestones independently match NavSource, NavalCoverMuseum, and shipbuildinghistory.com's TASCO production table, but the Army-loan and redesignation details rest on this compilation rather than a retrieved primary document. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, YRBM-18 ex APL-55 (navsource.net/archives/14/5518.htm), contributed by Tommy Trampp [other_primary]
- Locator
- YRBM-18 page: narrative block, Vietnam campaign table, specifications, awards display, Purple Heart listing, contributed photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Online Service Ship Photo Archive, YRBM-18 ex APL-55 page: 'YRBM-18 Class Repair, Berthing and Messing Barge (NSP)'; 'Converted in Japan from Barracks Craft APL-55 to Repair, Berthing and Messing Barge YRBM-18, date [unknown]'; Vietnam campaign participation list covers 11 campaigns from Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase II (March 1967) through Phase VII (to 30 June 1971); loaned to South Vietnam circa December 1970; struck, date unknown; 'Final Disposition, disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred to South Vietnam 1 October 1973'. Specifications: 700 t light / 2,700 t full (field renders as '2,70'); 261 ft x 48 ft x 9 ft; complement unknown; propulsion none. Awards display: Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal (2), Vietnam Service Medal (11), RVN Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, Vietnam Campaign Medal. Purple Hearts listed: GMG1 Herbert E. Belcher (KIA 1969-03-31) and CS1 Ward K. Patton (MIA 1968-07-27). Photo captions: APL-55 probably at Tampa, FL, soon after completion July 1945 (US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, a US Bureau of Ships photo); YRBM-18 moored in Vietnamese waters circa March 1967-June 1971. Page states 'There is no DANFS history available for APL-55 / YRBM-18 at Navsource.'
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-1973
- Population
- Ship's company plus embarked River Patrol Division personnel berthed/messed aboard (two divisions per the YRBM operating pattern)
- Limitations
- Volunteer-maintained archive transcribing official records and contributed firsthand material. Three internal conflicts flagged: (a) 'Converted in Japan' conflicts with shipscribe's redesignation at Naval Support Activity Saigon 1968-06-01 and a crew member's 'early 1968' recollection - carried as a discrepancy (ev-14); (b) '1 October 1973' SAP transfer conflicts with shipscribe/NavalCoverMuseum disposal 1972-11-10 and strike 1972-11-27 - discrepancy logged; (c) Belcher's casualty listing conflicts with the Virtual Wall unit record (RIVDIV 532, not this craft's crew) - see ev-06. Specifications differ from shipscribe class data (700 lt vs 1,300 lt; 48 ft vs 49.2 ft beam). No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-02
-
[4]Presidential Unit Citation (Navy) to Commander Task Group 194.9 for Operation Giant Slingshot, 6 December 1968 - 31 March 1969, full text and unit list transcribed by the Mobile Riverine Force Association (mrfa.org 'Citation 1'); the citation document itself is held in NHHC collections (certificate file noted in NHHC manuscript material) [other_primary]
- Locator
- MRFA 'Citation 1' page: citation text and 'Units cited for this Operation (Giant Slingshot)' table listing 'YRBM 18'; NHHC manuscript listing referencing 'President Richard Milhous Nixon - Presidential Unit Citation (Navy) - COMMANDER TASK GROUP 194.9' (history.navy.mil certificate-record search result)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Presidential Unit Citation (Navy) to Commander Task Group 194.9 (Units Participating in Operation GIANT SLINGSHOT), signed by President Richard Nixon: 'For extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance of duty from 6 December 1968 to 31 March 1969 while engaged in armed conflict against enemy forces in the Republic of Vietnam,' describing interdiction operations along the Vam Co, Vam Co Dong, and Vam Co Tay Rivers. The unit list for the award explicitly includes 'YRBM 18' among the units cited (Commander Task Force 116; River Divisions 515, 532-535, 553, 574, 591, 593, 594; SEAL Detachment A 6th Platoon; Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadrons 3 Det F and 4; YRBM 18; USS Askari (ARL 30); Mine Division 113; and NSA detachments at Tra Cu, Muc Hoa, Go Da Hau, Tay Ninh, Tuyen Nhon, and Tan An).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1968-1969
- Population
- YRBM-18 crew and embarked river-division personnel at Tan An / Giant Slingshot operating area, 1968-12-06 to 1969-03-31
- Limitations
- The citation text and unit list are a veterans'-association transcription of the official award document; the underlying signed citation is in official custody (NHHC holdings) but the primary document itself was not retrieved. Inclusion of 'YRBM 18' in the unit list is explicit in the transcription. The award establishes the craft's operational service and the conditions under which its crew served during the citation period; it contains no asbestos, materials, or condition information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-03
-
[5]Cdr. Richard L. Schreadley, USN, 'Sea Lords,' U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings 96/8/810 (August 1970); 'Sealords: The riverine interdiction campaign in Vietnam' (Texas Tech University thesis, hdl.handle.net/2346/60105), citing COMNAVFORV Monthly Historical Summaries (Operational Archives) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Proceedings article, Giant Slingshot basing section; thesis discussion of TG 194.9 base structure at Tan An
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, August 1970 (Vol. 96/8/810), 'Sea Lords' by Commander Richard L. Schreadley, USN - a serving-commander operational account of the SEALORDS campaign: 'The USS Askari (ARL-30) and the YRBM-18 were positioned at Tan An, pending the arrival of Mobile Base II.' Corroborating operational history: a Texas Tech University thesis ('Sealords: The riverine interdiction campaign in Vietnam,' citing COMNAVFORV Monthly Historical Summaries held at the Operational Archives) states 'YRBM-18 and LST USS Garrett County were the river boats' and crews' home and repair facilities. These two units were stationed at Tan An for easy access to both rivers' - i.e., the Vam Co Dong and Vam Co Tay.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1968-1970
- Population
- YRBM-18 crew; embarked River Patrol Division personnel (two divisions per YRBM operating pattern); repair personnel working aboard
- Limitations
- Near-primary operational source (a commander of the force writing in a professional journal) plus a citation-grade secondary work. Establishes the craft's station at Tan An and its home/repair-facility role for River Patrol Division crews during Giant Slingshot; contains no asbestos, materials, or condition information. A repair-and-berthing role implies embarked repair personnel and rotating riverboat crews lived and worked aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-04
-
[6]Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (dpaa.mil), service-member profile for CS1 Ward Karl Patton (COMNAVSUPPACT SGN DET YRBM-18); the Virtual Wall casualty entry for Patton (panel W50 line 20) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DPAA profile narrative and unit field; virtualwall.org/dp/PattonWK01a.htm
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency official service-member profile for Commissaryman First Class Ward Karl Patton, USN (unit: COMNAVSUPPACT SGN DET YRBM-18): on July 27, 1968 Patton 'was crossing from another barge onto the deck of YRBM 18 when he lost his footing and fell into the My Tho River in the vicinity of grid coordinates XS 248 365'; boat, helicopter, and ground searches were unsuccessful, his remains were not recovered, and he is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing. The profile establishes YRBM-18 anchored on the upper My Tho River in July 1968 (the Virtual Wall entry for Patton adds 'near the Cho Lach District Town' and records the incident at about 10:30 PM).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1968-07-27
- Population
- YRBM-18 crew (ship's company aboard at the time of the incident)
- Limitations
- Official DoD casualty record - authoritative for the incident, unit assignment, and the craft's July 1968 anchorage; incident is a personnel casualty, not hostile fire. Confirms a second craft alongside (Patton crossed 'from another barge') and documents underway-free, anchored berthing operations. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-05
-
[7]Virtual Wall casualty record for PO1 Herbert Eugene Belcher (virtualwall.org/db/BelcherHE01a.htm, panel W28 line 96); NavSource YRBM-18 Purple Heart listing; family remembrance at vietvet.org tapsgal1.htm [other_primary]
- Locator
- Virtual Wall unit field 'RIVDIV 532, TF 116'; NavSource 'Purple Hearts' line listing Belcher under YRBM-18
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Casualty attribution discrepancy: NavSource lists GMG1 Herbert E. Belcher (KIA 1969-03-31) among YRBM-18's Purple Heart entries, but the Virtual Wall casualty record assigns Herbert Eugene Belcher to 'RIVDIV 532, TF 116, USNAVFORV' - River Division 532, a CTG 194.9 unit berthed and supported by YRBM-18 at Tan An during Giant Slingshot, not the craft's own crew. Family-posted remembrance (vietvet.org) records he was killed in Vinh Binh province by artillery, rocket, or mortar. The attribution conflict is logged rather than resolved in either direction.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1969-03-31
- Population
- River Division 532 personnel (supported unit) - possibly berthed aboard
- Limitations
- The discrepancy is itself the finding: NavSource's listing groups casualties of supported units with the barge's crew; the casualty record names RIVDIV 532. It is plausible that RIVDIV 532 personnel berthed aboard YRBM-18 at Tan An (the craft's function was berthing/messing two River Patrol Divisions), but no located source confirms Belcher was aboard the craft. Whether he lived aboard is unresolved; the casualty nonetheless reflects the population the craft served.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-06
-
[8]NavalCoverMuseum.org (Universal Ship Cancellation Society), YRBM 18 page - Ship Name and Designation History timeline plus contributed crew-member historical note [museum_official]
- Locator
- YRBM 18 page: Ship Name and Designation History table; Historical Note quoting C. Gaylen Gage
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Naval Cover Museum (Universal Ship Cancellation Society archive) YRBM 18 page - designation history: keel laid March 5, 1945; launched June 9, 1945; placed in service as Barracks Craft APL-55 (date unrecorded); loaned to U.S. Army 1951; returned to U.S. Navy (date unrecorded); redesignated Repair, Berthing and Messing Barge YRBM-18 in 1968; out of service December 1970; transferred (loaned) to South Vietnam December 1970; sold to South Vietnam November 10, 1972; struck from the Naval Register November 27, 1972; fate unknown. Historical note from crew member C. Gaylen Gage (EN3, diesel engine repair/rebuild specialist): 'the name change from APL55 to YRBM18 was in early 1968'; the craft carried three diesel engines for electrical generators and two boilers for cooking; it was towed by Mike boats with freshwater and 'beer' barges towed behind.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-1972
- Population
- Ship's company operating generators, galley boilers, and messing facilities
- Limitations
- Philatelic/associational archive - the timeline independently corroborates shipscribe's disposition dates (1972-11-10 sale, 1972-11-27 strike) and the 1951 Army loan, but the crew-member note is a single firsthand recollection: 'early 1968' is consistent with the 1968-06-01 redesignation date, while the machinery details (generators, galley boilers, towed freshwater/beer barges) are unverified against a specification document. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-07
-
[9]shipbuildinghistory.com, 'Tampa Shipbuilding TASCO' yard production table (compiled by Tim Colton from official shipbuilding records) [other_primary]
- Locator
- TASCO table, row for yard hull 152 / APL 55
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- shipbuildinghistory.com TASCO (Tampa Shipbuilding Company) production table lists yard hull 152 as APL-55 for the U.S. Navy, displacement 1,300 (tons), delivered 18-Jul-45, annotated 'Later YRBM 18, to Vietnam 1972' - corroborating the builder, yard number, tonnage, and delivery date of the craft.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Construction trades at Tampa Shipbuilding (TASCO), Tampa FL, 1945
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of yard production records - corroborates shipscribe milestones (delivery 1945-07-18; Tampa SB builder) and supplies the yard hull number (152). The 'to Vietnam 1972' note compresses the loan/transfer sequence documented elsewhere. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-08
-
[10]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); design description per shipscribe APL-2-class notes [other_primary]
- Locator
- AJIM 11(3):359-373, abstract and article; shipscribe class notes for hull design type
- 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 and program under which this 1945-built steel accommodation craft was constructed at Tampa Shipbuilding, Tampa, Florida. The APL design is a non-self-propelled 2,000-ton, 260-foot covered barge with a two-story barracks superstructure; era-consistent asbestos applications for an accommodation hull include thermal insulation on plumbing and heating lines, joiner and sheet insulation panels, floor/deck tile, gasket and packing material, and galley/messing equipment insulation. The craft has no propulsion machinery, so the highest-density asbestos application of the era (boiler and steam-plant insulation) is absent by design; the later YRBM configuration added repair-shop functions (machine shop, welding, pipe-fitting per the type's operating pattern) and, per a crew account, two cooking boilers - activities era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945 construction; 1967-68 conversion; article 1987
- Population
- Construction trades (Tampa Shipbuilding, 1945); conversion-yard workers (location disputed - Japan per NavSource, or in-country); berthing occupants and repair/maintenance crews
- Limitations
- Era/design-level inference only - neither source names this hull or itemizes its materials. Application list is extrapolated from the accommodation and repair functions of the design, not from a specification sheet or survey. Does not establish that asbestos was, or remains, aboard; no quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-09
-
[11]U.S. General Accounting Office, HRD-80-2, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure (1979) [gao]
- Locator
- Report digest text and letter body (content verified via the GAO product page and indexed PDF text)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO report HRD-80-2, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure' (October 18, 1979), documents the program-level context: 'although all ships contain some asbestos in such components as clutches and electric cables, most ships delivered in the last several years or now under construction have little or no asbestos as thermal insulation, which was the Navy's major use of asbestos aboard ships' - i.e., thermal insulation was the Navy's principal shipboard asbestos application in the era when this craft was built; 'other Navy ships contain large quantities of asbestos.'
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-era construction context; report 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (fleet-level program context)
- Limitations
- gao.gov intermittently returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches (standing defect noted in BATCH-01); content verified through the GAO product-page description and indexed PDF text excerpts. Program-level statement about Navy ships generally - fieldwork covered Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards; it does not name this hull or any service craft. Establishes era context, not a ship-specific finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-10
-
[12]CourtListener API v4 search: 'YRBM-18' type=o (1 result - collision) and type=r (8 results - all collisions); 'APL-55' type=o (558 unquoted collisions; 0 exact-phrase); '"APL-55"' type=r (8 results - all collisions); '"USS APL-55"' type=o (0); '"APL-55" asbestos' type=o (0); '"YRBM-18" asbestos' type=o (0) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion and RECAP/docket index queries via the fleet-paced authenticated helper; all hits screened individually to case level
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener authenticated API v4 searches returned: 'YRBM-18' type=o (opinions) - 1 result, screened as a name collision (Brown, Robert Ford III, Tex. App., docket WR-71,460-04, filed 2015-04-01: a criminal appeal in which the token appears as OCR noise in the opinion text; no relation to the vessel); 'YRBM-18' type=r (dockets/RECAP) - 8 results, all screened individually as name collisions (document-text token matches in unrelated matters: State of Washington v. U.S. Dept of State; Students for Fair Admissions v. U.S. Naval Academy; Q.E.D. Systems v. JCI Metal Products; SharkNinja Schedule A case; Carter Bryant v. Mattel; U.S. v. QTC Medical Services; Citizens for a Healthy Community v. BLM; U.S. v. Davis, D. Nev. 2:09-cr-00078); 'APL-55' type=o unquoted - 558 results reflecting mass token collision ('55 Apl.' docket-number strings and 'APL/NVF' party names), with zero on exact-phrase '"APL-55"'; '"APL-55"' type=r - 8 results, all collisions (pharmaceutical patent and American President Lines maritime matters); '"USS APL-55"' type=o - 0; '"APL-55" asbestos' type=o - 0; '"YRBM-18" asbestos' type=o - 0. No opinion or docket naming the craft was located, and no asbestos litigation referencing the hull was found.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Search coverage is the CourtListener opinion and RECAP docket indexes; PACER-only and state-court filings not fully represented. 'APL-55' and 'YRBM-18' are short alphanumeric strings prone to collision - all hits were screened and classified as name collisions. Absence of a located case does not prove no claim was ever filed; VA administrative claims and settled maritime filings are not indexed here.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-11
-
[13]Batch-2509 search ledger (this record): shipscribe; NavSource; NavalCoverMuseum; shipbuildinghistory.com TASCO; USNI Proceedings; Texas Tech thesis; MRFA unit-award transcription; DPAA; Virtual Wall; NHHC/DANFS; NHHC COMNAVFORV monthly summaries; NVR quickfind; NARA SL-44; CourtListener; VA BVA/general asbestos queries [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-apl-55-apl55-01 through sl-uss-apl-55-apl55-15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, environmental report, or docketed case naming APL-55 / YRBM-18 was found in the public sources searched. The craft has no live Naval Vessel Register record (stricken 1972; quickfind returns no entry), no DANFS entry, and no logbook coverage in NARA Special List 44. 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 1945-built accommodation craft that later carried repair shops is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the craft's post-1972 fate under South Vietnamese (and possibly post-1975) custody is undocumented, so any surviving material record is outside U.S. public archives. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-12
-
[14]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) and RG 181 (Naval Districts and Shore Establishments); NARA Special List 44 ship-logbook finding aid; NHHC COMNAVFORV monthly-summary scan series; NHHC collection checklist COLL-353 (Naval Advisory Group Vietnam / NAVFORV records) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov RG-19/RG-181 guides; SL-44 ship-number sequence (no APL-55 entry); history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/commander-naval-forces-vietnam/monthly-summaries-{1966-1970}; NHHC COLL-353 checklist PDF
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) construction and outfitting specifications for WWII APL-class craft and the Tampa Shipbuilding contract file - the source of the located RG-19-LCM photo of this hull - which could contain material schedules. (b) NHHC-hosted COMNAVFORV Monthly Historical Summary scans (June/August/December 1968, March/October 1969, December 1970 downloaded; image-only scans without a text layer) - the Naval Support Activity Saigon sections are the likeliest primary record of the 1968-06-01 redesignation and of YRBM-18's station assignments at Tan An/My Tho. (c) NHHC Operational Archives NAVFORV/NAG collection 353 checklist records. (d) Security Assistance Program / Foreign Military Sales transfer records reconciling the 1972-11-10 sale with NavSource's 1973-10-01 SAP date. (e) NARA deck logs: Special List 44 lists no APL-55 coverage (sister APL-21 is listed) - location of this craft's logs unconfirmed. (f) Republic of Vietnam Navy records for the craft's post-1972 designation and 1975 status.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-1975 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. The COMNAVFORV monthly summaries could not be full-text searched (image scans); the SL-44 absence may reflect retention, transfer, or loss of this craft's logs rather than their nonexistence. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-13
-
[15]Cross-source reconciliation: shipscribe construction/disposition rows and ship note vs NavSource YRBM-18 narrative/specs vs NavalCoverMuseum designation history vs Virtual Wall casualty record [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipscribe class notes closing paragraph; NavSource narrative block and specifications; NCM timeline; Virtual Wall unit fields
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged: (a) Conversion location and date - NavSource asserts the craft was 'converted in Japan' from APL-55 to YRBM-18 (date unrecorded), while shipscribe records the redesignation effective 1968-06-01 'while serving at Naval Support Activity, Saigon' and a crew member recalls 'early 1968'; the administrative redesignation date is adopted as controlling and the Japan-conversion claim is carried as unverified - a Japan yard period for the physical conversion before deployment is plausible but undocumented here (sister YRBM conversions YRBM-16/17 were performed at Yokosuka). (b) Disposition - shipscribe/NavalCoverMuseum record sale to South Vietnam 1972-11-10 and strike 1972-11-27, while NavSource reports a Security Assistance Program transfer dated 1973-10-01; both sequences are disclosed, with the NVR-derived shipscribe dates adopted. (c) Arrival in Vietnam - NavSource's campaign list implies participation from March 1967 (Counteroffensive Phase II) but no located source states a transit or arrival date. (d) Specifications - NavSource lists 700 t light / 2,700 t full, beam 48 ft, draft 9 ft, while shipscribe class data gives 1,300 t light / 2,600 t full and 49.2 ft beam; the NVR-derived class figures are adopted. (e) Casualty attribution - GMG1 Belcher is listed under YRBM-18 at NavSource but assigned to RIVDIV 532 in the casualty record (see ev-06).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-1973 milestones; sources 2000-2026
- Limitations
- Resolves or discloses publication-level discrepancies between registry-derived compilations and narrative sources; none affects identity or the asbestos assessment. Controlling primary records (the redesignation correspondence, transfer documents, deck logs) were not retrieved.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-14
-
[16]rivervet.com, 'Operation Giant Slingshot: A History (Part 1)' - transcription/derivative of the operational history of TG 194.9 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Giant Slingshot history, force-structure section describing the YRBM role and depot-vs-intermediate repair hierarchy
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Operational context: per the Operation Giant Slingshot history (rivervet.com transcription of the operational record), 'A YRBM is an APL which has been converted to a boat (PBR) repair barge with additional capability of berthing and messing the personnel of two River Patrol Divisions' - establishing the craft's role as an intermediate-level repair facility and floating barracks for rotating river-patrol crews. The repair function involved machine-shop work aboard in support of PBRs and assault craft operating on the Vam Co rivers.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1968-1970
- Population
- Repair personnel and embarked river-division crews working/living aboard the YRBM (type-level operating pattern)
- Limitations
- Veterans'-site transcription of operational history - the quoted description is consistent with USNI Proceedings and the PUC record. It describes the type's function (berthing/messing two River Patrol Divisions plus PBR repair) rather than this hull's individual material condition; repair work aboard implies grinding, welding, and pipe work but no specific asbestos application is documented. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-55-apl55-15