USS Atr-4 (ATR-4)

Evidence

11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).

1. [1]Shipscribe.com (Stephen S. Roberts), 'USS ATR-1 Class' page - construction table, disposition table, per-hull ship note 4, and class notes, compiled from Navy and Maritime Commission records [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipscribe.com/usnaux/ATR/ATR01.html - construction table row (ATR-4: ord. 3 Jun 42, Wheeler SB Whitestone, keel 29 Jan 43, launch 9 Dec 43, commiss. 27 Jan 44); disposition table row (decomm. 14 Jun 46, strike 3 Jul 46, disposal 31 Oct 47, MC/D, MA sale 31 Oct 47); ship note 4 (MC sale to United Towing & Salvage; LOUISE SIMARD 1947; LE BATEAU IVRE after 1968); class notes (wooden-hull design decision; ATR 1-40 program history)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Shipscribe (Stephen S. Roberts) compilation of Navy construction/disposition records for the ATR-1 class: construction table lists ATR-4 ordered 3 Jun 42, builder 'Wheeler SB, Whitestone' (Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp., Whitestone NY), keel 29 Jan 43, launch 9 Dec 43, commissioned 27 Jan 44. Disposition table lists decommissioned 14 Jun 46, struck 3 Jul 46, disposal 31 Oct 47, fate 'MC/D', MA sale 31 Oct 47. Ship note: 'Sold (delivered) by MC to United Towing & Salvage Co., Ltd., c/o Lunham & Moore International Corp., New York. Merc. LOUISE SIMARD (Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel, Canada) 1947. After 1968 was restaurant LE BATEAU IVRE in Ile-aux-Grues, Quebec.' Class notes: CNO directed construction of ATR 1-40 on 19 Jan 42 as part of the Maximum War Effort (1,799-vessel) program; the Navy deliberately chose wooden hulls and relatively simple triple-expansion steam machinery so the hulls could be built by small shipbuilders outside the main Navy program and engines by small local machine shops; one source attributes the design to the John G. Alden firm; follow-on batch ATR 101-140 was redirected to steel construction in mid-1943 partly because wooden tugs risked shipworm deterioration in the Pacific.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-1968

   Population

   Wheeler Shipbuilding construction workforce (Whitestone NY, 1943-44)

   Limitations

   Specialist compilation of official Navy/MC records, not itself a primary document - but the most granular located source for ordered/keel/launch/commission dates and the decommission/strike/MC-sale chain. The ship note's direct MC-sale-to-United-Towing chain (LOUISE SIMARD mercantile by 1947) conflicts with NavSource's Cuba-transfer sequence (10 DE OCTUBRE R-6, 1946-c.1952) - logged in gaps, not adjudicated. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-atr-4-atr4-01

2. [2]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - USS ATR-4, navsource.net/archives/09/40/40004.htm (page updated 8 July 2016) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource ATR-4 page - chronology block, campaign/ribbon tables, spec block, disposition paragraph, and photo captions (094000401-094000405: Le Havre Nov 1945, Southampton c.1945-46, Cuban service c.1948, Ile-aux-Grues restaurant)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Online Service Ship Photo Archive entry for ATR-4: 'Laid down, 29 January 1943, at Wheeler Shipbuilding Co., Long Island, N.Y. Launched, 9 December 1943. Commissioned USS ATR-4, 26 January 1944.' Campaign listing: Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater, 'Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944, Task Group 122.3 - Salvage and Fire Fighting Group (Wreck Dispersal Vessel)'; then Asiatic-Pacific Theater; Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 21 Jun-22 Aug 1945 and 26 Jan-16 Feb 1946. 'Decommissioned, date unknown. Struck from the Naval Register in 1946. Transferred to Cuba in 1946 and named 10 De Octubre (R-6). Disposed of [by] the Cuban government, date unknown. Sold in 1952 to Marine Industries Ltd., Montreal, Canada renamed: Louise Simard. Resold, date unknown, to G. Vezina Sores, Quebec, Canada.' Current disposition: 'beached on the island of Ile-aux-Grues (Crane Island), Quebec, Canada, in use as a restaurant named Le Bateau Ivre, owned since 1968 by Auberge des Dunes.' Spec block: 852 t light / 1,315 t full; 165'6" x 33'4" x 15'6"; 12.2 kts; 4 t boom; armament one 3"/50 DP + two single 20mm AA; complement 5 officers + 47 enlisted; fuel NSFO 1,620 Bbls; propulsion one Fulton Iron Works vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine, two Babcock & Wilcox 'D'-type boilers 200 psi saturated, two turbo-drive 60 kW 120V DC ship's-service generators, single propeller 1,600 hp. Photo captions document the hull pierside at Le Havre November 1945 and Southampton circa 1945-46, and 'Ex-USS ATR-4 underway, circa 1948, while in Cuban service as 10 De Octubre (R-6)' (contrib. Robert Hurst). Page states 'There is no DANFS history available for USS ATR-4.'

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-2016

   Population

   ATR-4 crew (~52) 1944-1946; Cuban crew of 10 De Octubre (R-6); Louise Simard crew

   Limitations

   Volunteer-maintained secondary compilation, not an official record - corroborated against Shipscribe where they overlap (keel/launch dates agree). Conflicts: commissioning printed 26 Jan 44 vs Shipscribe 27 Jan 44 (Shipscribe carried - NARA deck-log run corroborates 27 Jan); decommission 'date unknown' vs Shipscribe 14 Jun 46; strike '1946' vs Shipscribe 3 Jul 46; and the entire Cuban-transfer sequence (Cuba 1946, disposal by Cuba, MIL sale 1952) conflicts with Shipscribe's documented MC sale to United Towing & Salvage delivered 31 Oct 47 and 'Merc. LOUISE SIMARD 1947' - the circa-1948 Cuban-service photograph argues a Cuba interlude did occur, likely post-MC-sale; reconciliation unverified, logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-atr-4-atr4-02

3. [3]U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Special List #44 (SL-44) ship-number index to WWII deck logs, archives.gov [other_primary]

   Locator

   SL-44 ship-number index PDF, ATR block - 'ATR-4 1/27/1944 6/30/1945' entry between ATR-3 (12/27/1943-6/30/1945) and ATR-43

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NARA Special List 44 (ship-number index to World War II deck logs) carries a run for ATR-4 covering 27 January 1944 through 30 June 1945 - i.e., deck logs exist for this hull from commissioning through the Normandy and post-Normandy period. The deck-log run's start date (27 Jan 1944) corroborates Shipscribe's commissioning date over NavSource's 26 January.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-1945

   Limitations

   SL-44 indexes which deck logs NARA holds and their coverage span; it does not itself describe contents and is not proof the logs are digitized in the online catalog - retrieval status unverified this session. Coverage ends 30 Jun 1945, so the Pacific/occupation period and decommissioning may be logged in a later series or not survive in this index. Not an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-atr-4-atr4-03

4. [4]uboat.net, HMS LST-404 ship page (event record compiled from Admiralty/Allied convoy records); corroborated by Haslar Heritage Group RN Medical Branch died-in-service compilation PDF [other_primary]

   Locator

   uboat.net HMS LST-404 'Notes on event' (tow by 'American rescue tug USS ATR-4' to St. Helen's Roads then Lee-on-Solent, arriving evening 16 Aug 1944); haslarheritagegroup.co.uk 1939-1945 died-in-service PDF (tow + beached Ryde Sands)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   On 15-16 August 1944 ATR-4 performed a documented open-water rescue tow: after U-741 torpedoed HMS LST-404 (ex-USS LST-404, transferred to the Royal Navy at completion) in convoy FTM-69 southeast of St. Catherine's Point, the landing ship - carrying wounded personnel and POWs - was taken in tow by USS ATR-4 to St. Helen's Roads, Isle of Wight, and then to Lee-on-Solent, arriving 16 August (uboat.net ship event record; corroborated by a Royal Navy medical-history compilation recording the tow and beaching on Ryde Sands). LST-404 later broke in two and was declared a total loss.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-08

   Population

   ATR-4 crew; LST-404 survivors and POWs under tow

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary databases compiled from official naval records - the only located sources naming ATR-4 in a specific operational action. Consistent with the hull's documented Salvage and Fire Fighting Group (TG 122.3) employment off Normandy and Channel salvage work, but not verified against the ship's own war diary or deck logs (which exist per SL-44). Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-atr-4-atr4-04

5. [5]Administrative History of U.S. Naval Forces in Europe, 1940-1946, Chapter IX Part I (official wartime history, HyperWar transcription); Narrative of Comdr. Byron S. Huie Jr. re Salvage Operations at Normandy, 18 Aug 1944 (HyperWar) [other_primary]

   Locator

   ComNavEu-9.html task-organization table (TG 122.3 sub-units incl. 122.3.2 '2 AT, 1 ATR'); ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/rep/Normandy/Salvage-Huie.html (group organization and combat-phase narrative)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The Normandy task organization to which ATR-4 was assigned is documented in the official Administrative History of U.S. Naval Forces in Europe, 1940-1946: in May 1944 a Salvage and Fire Fighting Group was organized under Commodore W.W. Sullivan within the Western Naval Task Force and designated Task Group 122.3; its sub-units (e.g., Combat Salvage and Fire Fighting Unit 'U' 122.3.2 under Lt.Comdr. M.L. McClung: '2 AT, 1 ATR') are itemized at vessel-type level. Cdr. Byron S. Huie Jr.'s first-person narrative describes the group's wreck-dispersal, fire-fighting, and combat-salvage work off the Normandy beaches. ATR-4's assignment to this group is the 'Wreck Dispersal Vessel' role shown in the NavSource campaign listing.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944

   Population

   TG 122.3 salvage craft crews, Normandy June-August 1944

   Limitations

   Official history documents the task group and mission ATR-4 served under but itemizes ATRs by type only - it does not name ATR-4 in the table; hull-level assignment rests on the NavSource campaign credit (official awards data). The group context explains the 'wreck dispersal vessel' wording: clearing sunken/obstructing wrecks from landing lanes. No asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-atr-4-atr4-05

6. [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); machinery facts from NavSource ATR-4 spec block [other_primary]

   Locator

   Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373; navsource.net/archives/09/40/40004.htm spec block

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Peer-reviewed historical 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 rescue tug was built at Wheeler Shipbuilding, Whitestone NY, in 1943-44. Unlike the diesel-electric ATA tugs, this class carried a steam plant (two Babcock & Wilcox 'D'-type boilers, 200 psi saturated steam, Fulton vertical triple-expansion engine, per the NavSource spec block), so the boiler-room and steam-line lagging application class that dominates steam-ship exposure applies in era terms; plausible era applications are boiler lagging, steam-line insulation, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, brake linings on towing gear and windlass, and electrical insulation.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   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); Wheeler Shipbuilding trades 1943-44

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or class and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. The wooden hull removes the fireproofed-steel-structure class but the steam machinery plant retains the boiler/lagging/gasket class in era terms. The hull remains extant (beached at L'Isle-aux-Grues) - whether original insulation survives or was removed during the 1967-68 conversion is undocumented.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-atr-4-atr4-06

7. [7]CourtListener API v4 search: '"ATR-4"' type=o (2 results, both collisions) and type=r (55 results, all collisions); '"USS ATR-4"' type=o (0) and type=r (0) [court_record]

   Locator

   Opinion result set reviewed: Kinzua Resources v. DEQ, Or. App. 2022; Stroup v. MRM Management, Tex. App. 2018. Docket result set (55) sampled top-20: Healthcare Resources Management v. EcoNatura (S.D. Fla. 2019), USA v. Penn (D. Colo. 2020 series), Euclid Realty Capital V bankruptcy (D.C. 2025), Nortel Networks bankruptcy (D. Del. 2009), etc. - none vessel-related

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener sweep (authenticated API v4, 2026-09-26): '"ATR-4"' returned 2 opinion hits - Kinzua Resources v. DEQ (Or. App., 2022-12-07) and Denise Stroup v. MRM Management, Inc. (Tex. App., 3d Dist., 2018-01-02) - both name collisions (a permit/exhibit reference and a non-vessel case respectively); neither names the vessel nor concerns asbestos. '"ATR-4"' on the RECAP docket index returned 55 hits, all name collisions (the string appears as an exhibit/Bates/document identifier inside unrelated criminal, bankruptcy, contract, and civil dockets). '"USS ATR-4"' returned 0 opinions and 0 dockets.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2026-09-26

   Limitations

   No qualifying asbestos litigation - indeed no litigation of any kind naming this hull - was located in the searched indexes. 'No qualifying litigation found' is a finding about the searched indexes, not proof no suit was ever filed: unindexed or non-public complaints, and non-U.S. actions (Cuban/Canadian service era), are outside CourtListener's coverage. All 'ATR-4' hits were individually classified as name collisions (exhibit/document identifiers), which is expected for a short alphanumeric hull string.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-atr-4-atr4-07

8. [8]Le Devoir (Montreal), 'Le "Bateau ivre" est mis en vente,' Dave Noel, published/updated 13 August 2025 [reputable_press]

   Locator

   Le Devoir article 909363 - sale listing (CAD $25,000, judicial seizure, Etude Coulombe Dube), owner/mayor quotes, and the 'Normandie' history section (1943 launch, Normandy wreck dispersal, 1946 retirement, Cuba sale ~1948, Louise Simard 1952 via MIL Sorel, 1967 cession to Gabriel Vezina, concrete/stone ballast fill, dynamited channel, two-storey deck building)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Present status and 1967-2025 custody: Le Devoir (13 Aug 2025) reports the beached hull 'Le Bateau ivre' at L'Isle-aux-Grues - originally USS ATR-4, the paper identifies it as the last surviving of the 89 wartime rescue tugs of its category - was listed for sale at CAD $25,000 on Facebook Marketplace under a judicial seizure executed by bailiffs Etude Coulombe Dube; sold 'without legal warranty, at buyer's risk,' described by the bailiff as a metal sale requiring the buyer to have it cut into pieces, with scrapping ('l'envoi a la ferraille') among the contemplated scenarios. Owner Nicolas Marcoux stated he had the seizure lifted; the mayor of Saint-Antoine-de-l'Isle-aux-Grues declined municipal acquisition. The article's history recap: launched late 1943 for the U.S. Navy, participated in the June 1944 Normandy landing as a 'wreck dispersal' ship, its wooden hull allowing it to work through German magnetic minefields; retired 1946, served in Far East waters, sold to the Cuban government about two years later, became Louise Simard in 1952 after acquisition by Marine Industries Limited (MIL) of Sorel; in 1967 it was serving as an accommodation ship for MIL crews when ceded to auberge owner Gabriel Vezina, who moored it in front of his inn the same year after having the hold filled with concrete and large stones (a 5-meter channel dynamited for the beaching); a two-storey building erected on deck housed the restaurant, bar, and dance hall frequented by painter Jean Paul Riopelle.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1967-2025

   Population

   Auberge/restaurant workers and patrons aboard the converted hull (1967-2025)

   Limitations

   Reputable-press reporting; the 'wooden hull let it work through magnetic minefields' line is the reporter's gloss, not engineering documentation - carried as context only. Confirms hull survival and current legal limbo but contains no asbestos, hazmat, or survey disclosure - the sale coverage does not address hazardous materials. History recap tracks the NavSource Cuba sequence (sold to Cuba ~1948) rather than Shipscribe's direct MC sale.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-atr-4-atr4-08

9. [9]Auberge-Pourvoirie Isle-aux-Grues official site, 'Bateau Ivre / ATR-4' history page (custodian-published history) [other_primary]

   Locator

   auberge-pourvoirieiag.com/atr-4 - 'LE BATEAU IVRE et Gabriel Vezina' section (1967 purchase, Mont-Saint-Louis tow, dynamited channel, impending Gulf scuttling averted) and history bullets (1943 build, 9 Dec 1943 launch, TG 122.3 Normandy, MIL 1952 Louise Simard, sister tug Claire Simard)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Operator-custodian detail from the current keeper's official site: the Auberge-Pourvoirie Isle-aux-Grues (successor name of Auberge des Dunes until 2020) recounts that the hull - 'un navire de guerre americain' built 1943, launched 9 December 1943 - served at Normandy 6-25 June in Task Group 122.3; that Marine Industries Ltd. of Sorel bought ATR-4 in 1952 and renamed it Louise Simard (paired with sister tug Claire Simard); that the Louise Simard was being used to lodge sailors near Sorel-Tracy and was destined to be scuttled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (a common disposal practice for end-of-life hulls at the time) when Gabriel Vezina learned of it; Vezina bought it in 1967, renamed it Le Bateau Ivre after the Rimbaud poem, and had it towed by the tug Mont-Saint-Louis (Capt. Henri Lebel), dynamiting a channel to beach it in front of the auberge.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1952-2025

   Population

   Custodian staff; restaurant patrons

   Limitations

   Custodian self-published history - firsthand for the 1967 acquisition/beaching narrative (Vezina purchase, towing detail, scuttling plan averted) but secondary for the U.S.-service period; its TG 122.3 dates print '1945' in one line where 1944 is meant (Normandy was June 1944) - treated as a typo. Corroborates the MIL-1952/Louise Simard and Cuba-side sequences over Shipscribe's 1947 direct-sale framing; unresolved conflict logged in gaps. No asbestos, survey, or hazmat statement.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-atr-4-atr4-09

10. [10]NARA guided topic 'Researching Asbestos aboard U.S. Naval Vessels up through 1961' (RG 19 S39/S48/S103 guidance); DPLA item 6aff1abc1dbc778c05225c1089d63cd4 (NARA College Park - Cartographic); NARA SL-44; MC disposal records (unlocated); Canadian vessel registry (unlocated) [other_primary]

    Locator

    NARA guided-topic page (Beginning Research; Cartographic Branch S103/S39/S48 lines); dp.la/item/6aff1abc1dbc778c05225c1089d63cd4 (Outboard Profile & Deck Plan, Contract Plan - U.S. Rescue Tugs ATR 1 thru 40 Inc., 9/18/1947, College Park Cartographic); SL-44 ATR-4 run

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (1) NARA's asbestos research guide 'Researching Asbestos aboard U.S. Naval Vessels up through 1961' points to Bureau of Ships RG 19 records - the Ship Engineering Drawings S-Code series, especially S103 (Booklets of General Plans), S39 (Insulation and Lagging), and S48 (Piping) - as the ship-by-ship path for Navy asbestos questions, applicable to this hull's 1943-44 construction file if it survives; (2) a located NARA College Park cartographic record exists for the class design: 'Outboard Profile & Deck Plan, Contract Plan - U.S. Rescue Tugs ATR 1 thru 40 Inc.,' Department of the Navy drawing dated 9/18/1947 (indexed via DPLA); (3) NARA WWII deck logs for ATR-4 exist covering 27 Jan 1944-30 Jun 1945 (SL-44) - war-diary and operational detail for the Normandy period would sit alongside them (RG 24/RG 38); (4) Maritime Commission disposal records for the 31 Oct 1947 sale to United Towing & Salvage may clarify the contested Cuba interlude; (5) Canadian vessel-registry records for LOUISE SIMARD (Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel) could fix the 1947-vs-1952 flag-transfer question.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1943-1947 records

    Limitations

    Record-group and repository mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. The DPLA-indexed contract plan covers the class design (ATR 1-40) - whether it or a companion S39 insulation sheet itemizes lagging materials is unknown. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-atr-4-atr4-10

11. [11]Batch-2974 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS; NavSource; Shipscribe ATR-1 class page; NARA SL-44; HyperWar ComNavEU administrative history; uboat.net; shipbuildinghistory.com; Le Devoir; Auberge-Pourvoirie Ile-aux-Grues; CourtListener API v4; Atlas shipyards.json dataset; class-profile worktrees [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-atr-4-atr4-01 through sl-uss-atr-4-atr4-13

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, environmental filing, court finding, or docketed case naming ATR-4 / USS ATR-4 / 10 De Octubre / Louise Simard / Le Bateau Ivre was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). No individual DANFS entry exists for the hull (NavSource states 'There is no DANFS history available for USS ATR-4'; NHHC URL returns 404). The hull remains extant as a beached hulk at L'Isle-aux-Grues - surveyable in principle, but no survey has been located.

    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 1943-44 steam-driven hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing boiler and steam-line insulation, and the hull's survival (beached, ballasted with concrete/stone since 1967, converted to a stationary restaurant) means era materials could persist undocumented in machinery spaces or under later finishes. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-atr-4-atr4-11