Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]Shipscribe (Stephen S. Roberts, U.S. Navy auxiliary vessel data compiled from BuShips/NVR records), 'Rescue Tugs (ATR): ATR-1 class' - construction table row ATR-3, disposition table row ATR-3, ship note 'Sold by FLC 1947 to Cuba as 20 DE MAYO (delivered at New Orleans). Stricken 1960.' [other_primary]
- Locator
- ATR-1 class page: Construction table row 3; Disposition table row 3; Ship Notes row 3; class spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Construction and disposition record: ATR-3 was ordered 3 Jun 1942 and built by Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp., Whitestone (Queens), NY - keel laid 26 Dec 1942, launched 2 Nov 1943, commissioned 27 Dec 1943. Decommissioned 14 Aug 1946; struck from the Naval Vessel Register 10 Jun 1947; disposed of 21 Jul 1947 by Foreign Liquidation Commission sale to Cuba as 20 DE MAYO (delivered at New Orleans); stricken from Cuban service 1960. Class spec block: 852 t light / 1,315 t max; 165.4 ft oa x 33.3 ft x 15.8 ft max draft; armament 1 x 3-inch/50 + 2 x 20mm; complement 51 (1944); 12.2 kt; 1,600 hp, one screw, vertical triple-expansion machinery.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1942-1960
- Population
- Shipbuilders (Wheeler, Whitestone 1942-43); U.S. Navy crew 1943-46; Cuban Navy crew 1947-60
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of official BuShips/NVR data, not a primary document image; where it conflicts with NavSource (struck 1946; Wheeler 'Brooklyn'; launched 'unknown') this record adopts Shipscribe's precise dates because they are internally consistent (strike precedes disposal) and match the yard production list. Establishes identity, construction, and disposition only - contains no asbestos or insulation-material information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-3-atr3-01
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[2]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS ATR-3 page (09/40/40003) - campaign table, class specification block, transcribed USS ATR-3 war diary entries 6 Jun 1944 (Ref B), COMTASKFOR 122 action report excerpts, USS Bannock (ATF-81) war-diary excerpts, Cuban Navy photo captions [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 09/40/40003 - specs block; Europe-Africa-Middle East campaign table; image-caption document excerpts (Refs A-D)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Service record: USS ATR-3 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the Invasion of Normandy, 6-25 Jun 1944, in Task Group 122.3 - the Salvage and Fire Fighting Group - as a wreck dispersal vessel; she earned one battle star for WWII service. Transcribed war-diary entries for 6 Jun 1944 document her underway at 0622 on Bayfield (APA-33) despatch #060615 to assist LCT-362 'in sinking condition' off Utah Beach, mooring the LCT alongside at 0655, commencing salvage pumping at 0709, and being relieved by USS Bannock (ATF-81) at ~1225. Struck from the Naval Register 1946 (as stated; see limitation); transferred to Cuba 1947, renamed 20 de Mayo; disposed of by the Cuban government in the 1960s, fate unknown. Page carries Cuban Navy photographs of 20 de Mayo circa 1953-54 and states no DANFS history exists for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1947; Cuban service 1947-1960s
- Population
- U.S. Navy crew (off Normandy, Jun 1944); embarked salvage divers during operations
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled secondary archive; its war-diary and action-report excerpts are verbatim transcriptions of NARA-held primary documents (identified by name and date), but construction fields are incomplete ('laid down 1943 ... launched, date unknown ... commissioned, date unknown') and its 'struck ... in 1946' conflicts with Shipscribe's 10 Jun 1947. Establishes service events and specs; contains no asbestos or insulation-material information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-3-atr3-02
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[3]Commander Byron S. Huie, Jr., USNR, 'Salvage Operations in Normandy Invasion' (narrative dated 18 Aug 1944; U.S. Navy wartime report series, NHHC archives; HyperWar/ibiblio transcription) [other_primary]
- Locator
- HyperWar transcription - task-group organization section and post-storm reinforcement passage naming 'the ATR 3'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Normandy salvage-force assignment: TG 122.3 (Salvage and Fire Fighting Group, Commodore W.W. Sullivan) fielded two combat salvage units - one under CDR Byron S. Huie, Jr. for assault Force 'O' (Omaha), and one under LCDR Marshall L. MacClung for assault Force 'U' (Utah), the latter the unit in which ATR-3 served at Utah Beach. Huie's narrative records that during the 19-22 Jun 1944 gale that wrecked the artificial harbors, 'the USS Bannock and the ATR 3 were assigned to our unit off OMAHA Beach' after the Utah-side strandings were cleared.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- Jun-Jul 1944
- Population
- U.S. Navy salvage-unit crews, Normandy anchorages, Jun-Jul 1944
- Limitations
- Primary participant narrative (the salvage-unit commander speaking for the record Aug 1944), transcribed by HyperWar; it names ATR-3's unit assignment but gives no detail of her individual evolutions and no material/construction information. The underlying paper record is held at NARA/NHHC archives - the transcription was not checked against the original.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-3-atr3-03
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[4]Roger Burns, 'The Loss of the Leopoldville' (Maritime Archaeology Trust published history PDF); corroborating participant memoir: Richard Hersey, 'A Ship With No Name' (2011, self-published) as summarized by the Recollections of WWII project [reputable_press]
- Locator
- MAT PDF - abandonment-phase passage naming 'Navy rescue tug ATR-3'; memoir description at recollectionsofwwii.blogspot.com/2011/10/ship-with-no-name.html
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Leopoldville rescue attempt, 24 Dec 1944: when the troopship SS Leopoldville was torpedoed by U-486 off Cherbourg, ATR-3 was among the rescue craft that came alongside - the published account records that 'when ropes were thrown by Navy rescue tug ATR-3, there was no one who knew what to do with them' amid the abandoned-ship confusion; over 750 U.S. troops were lost. The role is corroborated by the memoir of ATR-3's wartime executive officer, Richard Hersey ('A Ship With No Name,' Createspace, 2011), whose account covers Normandy salvage, the Leopoldville response, and the ship's 1945 Atlantic crossing home.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 24-25 Dec 1944
- Population
- ATR-3 crew during rescue evolutions; Leopoldville troops alongside
- Limitations
- Published secondary history plus a self-published participant memoir summarized by a third-party blog - the memoir itself was not obtained; both agree on ATR-3's presence at the rescue. Establishes a documented wartime service event only; contains no asbestos or material information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-3-atr3-04
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[5]Rushworth, Denis H., 'The Navy and Asbestos Thermal Insulation,' Naval Engineers Journal 117(2):35-48 (2005) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Naval Engineers Journal 117(2):35-48; abstract and article
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed engineering-journal history documents that asbestos was used in U.S. Navy shipboard pipe and machinery thermal insulation and in many other shipboard products, describing the evolution of thermal insulation systems in WWII and post-WWII ships - the fleet-wide material environment within which this steam-driven rescue tug was built (1942-43) and served (1943-46).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- WWII insulation era documented; article 2005
- Population
- Navy engine-room personnel and shipyard/insulation workers (era context)
- Limitations
- Fleet/era-level documentation; does not name this hull or class and does not establish that asbestos was aboard this vessel, its quantity, location, or any individual exposure. Applied to ATR-3 only as era-consistent inference for a 200-psi saturated-steam plant.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-3-atr3-05
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[6]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 and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization - the procurement environment under which the ATR-1 rescue-tug program (including this hull) was mass-produced in 1942-45.
- 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 on WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or the ATR-1 class, does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, and does not establish quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-3-atr3-06
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[7]Shipscribe, 'Rescue Tugs (ATR): ATR-1 class' - Class Notes section citing the 12 Sep 1941 BuShips letter to CNO, the 19 Jan 1942 CNO construction directive, and the wooden-hull procurement rationale [other_primary]
- Locator
- ATR-1 class page - Class Notes (post-Disposition-table text block)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Program context for the class: on 12 Sep 1941 the Chief of the Bureau of Ships argued for rescue tugs able to 'tow in disabled vessels' - good seaworthiness, 1,500+ hp, towing machinery, long radius, firefighting equipment, salvage pumps - and on 19 Jan 1942 CNO directed construction of ATR 1-40 under the Maximum War Effort program. To keep the program off the main shipbuilding track, the Navy built the type 'of wood and equipped with relatively simple triple expansion steam machinery' so small boatyards and local machine shops could build hulls and engines; the design is attributed to the John G. Alden firm.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1941-1945 program period
- Population
- Small-yard shipbuilders and machine shops (program context)
- Limitations
- Compiled class-design history quoting primary directives; establishes why the type is wooden-hulled with a small reciprocating-steam plant - relevant to bounding (not establishing) the asbestos scope aboard. No material-content statement is made for ATR-3 itself.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-3-atr3-07
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[8]CourtListener API v4 searches: '"ATR-3"' type=o; '"ATR-3" asbestos' type=o; '"USS ATR-3"' type=o and type=r (2026-09-26) [court_record]
- Locator
- API result sets: cluster 534810 (American Technology Resources v. United States) and cluster 4293804 (Jimenez v. State) - both classified name collision
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener sweep (authenticated API v4, 2026-09-26): opinion search '"ATR-3"' returned 2 hits, both name collisions and non-qualifying - American Technology Resources v. United States, 893 F.2d 651 (3d Cir. 1990), a tax case matching A.F.T.R. reporter-citation tokens, and Jimenez v. State (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2015), a token collision unrelated to any vessel; '"ATR-3" asbestos' returned 0; '"USS ATR-3"' returned 0 opinions and 0 dockets. No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull was located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- Index coverage through 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Search coverage limitation: a numbered-only hull name is collision-prone in free-text indexes, and cases in which ATR-3 appears only in pleadings (not opinions) would not surface in type=o results; RECAP dockets were checked for the exact phrase only. Absence of a located case is a search result, not proof that no claim was ever filed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-3-atr3-08
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[9]Batch-2963 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS index, NavSource, Shipscribe, HyperWar NHHC-mirror documents, shipbuildinghistory.com Wheeler yard table, Maritime Archaeology Trust, NARA record-group guides, Naval Vessel Register, CourtListener API v4 [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-atr-3-atr3-01 through sl-uss-atr-3-atr3-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, insulation specification, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS ATR-3 (or Cuban Navy 20 de Mayo) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). None is expected to exist: the hull left U.S. custody in 1947 and was disposed of by the Cuban government in the 1960s, so no modern survey interval ever applied.
- 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 saturated-steam plant is era-consistent with asbestos-containing lagging, gaskets, and packing, and the hull's Cuban disposal precludes verification. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-3-atr3-09
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[10]NARA record groups: RG 24 (Navy deck logs) and RG 38 (CNO war diaries) for USS ATR-3, 1943-1946; RG 19 (BuShips) contract/design records; FLC surplus-disposal records; NARA NPC photo/film holdings per NavSource captions [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.archives.gov/research/military ; NAIL identifier 428-NPC-20783 per NavSource caption
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival lead (not retrieved - requires NARA research room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): USS ATR-3's WWII war diary (Jun 1944 excerpts already located only via NavSource transcription) and deck logs (RG 24), BuShips design/contract records for the Wheeler-built hulls (RG 19), Foreign Liquidation Commission sale records for the 1947 Cuba transfer, and NARA Naval Photographic Center still/motion files (the NavSource captions identify NAIL 428-NPC-20783, 'Normandy Invasion Religious Service Before D-Day'). Any of these may document repair, refit, or disposal details bearing on materials.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1942-1960 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-atr-3-atr3-10