Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]Shipscribe, USS ATR-1 class page (construction and fate tables compiled from official BuShips/Naval Vessel Register records); corroborated by NavSource USS ATR-57 page, NavalCoverMuseum ATR 57 entry, and ShipbuildingHistory Dachel-Carter yard output table [other_primary]
- Locator
- Shipscribe ATR-1 construction table row 57 and fate table row 57; navsource.net/archives/09/40/40057.htm; navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/ATR_57; shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/small/dachelcarter.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- ATR-57, ATR-1-class wooden-hulled rescue tug: ordered 1942-11-27 under the FY1943 program (VCNO directive 1942-08-05 covering ATR-50 through ATR-89); laid down 1943-09-30 at Dachel-Carter Shipbuilding, Benton Harbor, Michigan; launched 1944-05-27; commissioned USS ATR-57 on 1944-08-17 with LT Albert W. Vittek, USN, in command; decommissioned 1947-01-31; struck from the Naval Vessel Register 1947-03-14; custody transferred to the Maritime Commission 1947-06-05 (Maritime Administration sale recorded). Builder's table at Dachel-Carter lists ATR 57, US Navy tug, 850 GT, 165 ft, delivered 1944-08-17.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1942-1947
- Limitations
- Shipscribe and NavSource are secondary compilations of official records, not scanned originals; dates are consistent across three independent compilations but primary NVR/BuShips sheets were not viewed. NavSource and the yard table state only 'disposed of 1946/unknown' - the 1947 decommission/strike/disposal dates rest on the Shipscribe fate table corroborated by NavalCoverMuseum's 1947-06-05 WSA-transfer date. Establishes milestones only; contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-57-01
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[2]U.S. National Archives photo record, NARA Identifier 179036570 (original caption); NHHC/National Museum of the U.S. Navy photo page 80-G-700488 ('Surrender of German U-Boats, 1945'); corroborating captions via NavSource submarine archive 0850102 and U-boat Archive (uboatarchive.net) U-858 surrender pages [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog record 179036570 caption ('Boarding party from USS ATR-57 goes aboard'); NHHC photo page 80-G-700488 caption; navsource.org/archives/08/08501.htm (carries NARA identifier); uboatarchive.net/U-858A/U-858.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- On 14 May 1945, USS ATR-57 participated in the surrender of German submarine U-858 off Cape May, New Jersey: the National Archives-captioned photograph states that a boarding party from ATR-57 went aboard the surrendered U-boat after it was escorted in by destroyer escorts, and the U-858 crew was transferred to ATR-57 for landing at Fort Miles, Delaware Bay; US Navy photo captions also record Commander Noorfleet accepting the formal surrender from Kptlt. Thilo Bode aboard ATR-57. U-858 was the first German submarine to surrender to U.S. forces in American waters.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-05
- Population
- ATR-57 crew (~52); U-858 prisoners handled aboard
- Limitations
- The NARA catalog page is JavaScript-rendered and did not return text to automated fetch on 2026-09-26; the caption text was verified via NavSource's transcription, which carries the NARA identifier verbatim, and an independent caption copy at historylink101.com. NHHC photo page URL was indexed and snippet-verified but returned HTTP 404 on direct fetch (NHHC link rot). Establishes the ship's role in the event; no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-57-02
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[3]Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II, Chapter VII: 1945 (HyperWar/ibiblio transcription of the official Navy publication) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Chapter VII: 1945, 4 January, Atlantic section
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II records under 4 January 1945 (Atlantic): 'Car float YCF-59, fills with water while in tow of rescue tug ATR-57 while en route from New York to Philadelphia and is beached in Delaware River.' Documents routine Atlantic-coast towing operations for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-01-04
- Limitations
- Transcription of the official chronology hosted on ibiblio/HyperWar, not the original publication scan. Documents a towing casualty event only; no personnel, material, or asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-57-03
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[4]NavSource Online, USS ATR-57 service ship photo archive page (specification sheet and commanding officer list compiled from official sources); Shipscribe class data (design Navy ATR-1, 1 screw vertical triple expansion, 1,600 HP, complement 51 in 1944) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource ATR-57 specifications block, awards block, commanding officers table; shipscribe.com/usnaux/ATR/ATR01.html class header
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Specification data for this hull: displacement 852 t light / 1,315 t full load; 165'6" x 33'4" x 15'6"; 12 knots; armament one 3"/50 dual-purpose mount and two 20mm AA mounts; complement 5 officers and 47 enlisted; propulsion one Fulton Iron Works triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine with two Babcock & Wilcox 'D'-type boilers at 200 psi, two turbo-drive 60 kW 120 V DC ship's service generators, single propeller, 1,600 shp. Radio call sign NFVV. Awards: American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal. Sole commanding officer of record: LT Albert W. Vittek, USN, 1944-08-17 to 1946.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Ship's crew (~52)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of official BuShips/Ships' Data figures; complement figures conflict across sources (52 total vs 51 vs 35) - flagged in gaps. Machinery fit is documented for this hull; the spec sheet contains no insulation-material or asbestos statement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-57-04
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[5]Shipscribe ATR-1 class notes (citing BuShips correspondence of 1941-09-12 and CNO/VCNO directives); ShipbuildingHistory Dachel-Carter yard history and output table [other_primary]
- Locator
- Shipscribe ATR-1 'Class Notes' section; shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/small/dachelcarter.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- ATR-1-class design context: the Navy chose wooden hulls and relatively simple vertical triple-expansion steam machinery for the rescue tug program so that hulls could be built by small shipbuilders and engines by small local machine shops outside the main Navy shipbuilding effort; one source attributes the design to the John G. Alden firm. ATR-50 through ATR-89 were directed by VCNO on 1942-08-05. ATR-57 was one of six built by Dachel-Carter Shipbuilding, a Benton Harbor wooden-craft yard (founded 1915, ~600 employees at WWII peak, folded after the war).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1941-1945
- Population
- Dachel-Carter construction workforce (~600 peak employment)
- Limitations
- Class/program-level background explaining construction material (wood) and machinery choice; the Alden attribution is stated as 'one source' by the compiler. Does not document materials installed aboard this specific hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-57-05
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[6]NavSource USS ATR-57 specification sheet (machinery fit) read together with era shipbuilding practice documentation; see ev-uss-atr-57-07 for the peer-reviewed era source [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource ATR-57 propulsion block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- This hull's documented machinery - two Babcock & Wilcox 'D'-type boilers (200 psi saturated steam) feeding a Fulton Iron Works vertical triple-expansion engine with steam piping, valves, and auxiliaries - is of the type for which WWII-era U.S. naval and merchant practice used asbestos-containing insulation: boiler and steam-drum lagging, pipe and flange insulation, gaskets, valve-stem packing, and machinery insulation felts. Application aboard this specific hull is inferred from era practice, not from any hull-specific document.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- Construction trades (Dachel-Carter, Benton Harbor, 1943-44); engine-room crew
- Limitations
- The spec sheet names machinery types but contains no insulation-material statement. Asbestos application is an era-level inference for the machinery type, not a ship-proven fact; no survey, plan, or correspondence naming asbestos aboard ATR-57 was located. Does not establish quantity, present-day presence (hull disposed 1947), individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-57-06
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[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 a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during World War II - the era and program under which this wooden-hulled rescue tug's steam plant was built and installed - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in ship construction.
- 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 scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or this class and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-57-07
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[8]U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, 'Special List #44, by Ship Numbers' (deck-log inventory PDF, archives.gov) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SL-44 ship-number list, ATR section, row 'ATR-57 8/17/1944 6/30/1945'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List #44 (deck logs index) lists logbooks for ATR-57 covering 1944-08-17 through 1945-06-30 - the hull's commissioning-to-mid-1945 operating record, held at the National Archives. An unretrieved archival lead for ship-specific machinery, repair, and material documentation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Limitations
- The index establishes that deck logs exist for this hull for the stated period; the logs themselves were not retrieved or read, and their content regarding materials or insulation is unknown.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-57-08
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[9]CourtListener API v4 search (authenticated), type=o queries "ATR-57", "ATR 57", "USS ATR-57", type=r query "ATR-57"; collision opinion: Avocent Redmond Corp. v. Raritan Americas, Inc., No. 10 Civ. 6100(PKC) (S.D.N.Y.) [court_record]
- Locator
- CL search count=1 for "ATR-57" type=o; opinion 8722564 exhibit-citation pattern verified in opinion body (ATR-001...ATR-080 strings)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener sweep: opinion search for "ATR-57" and "ATR 57" returned a single hit, Avocent Redmond Corp. v. Raritan Americas, Inc., 921 F. Supp. 2d 229 (S.D.N.Y. 2013) - a patent-infringement case whose 'ATR-###' strings are trial-exhibit citations (ATR-001 through ATR-080+), not references to the vessel; classified as name collision. Opinion search for "USS ATR-57" returned no results. RECAP docket search for "ATR-57" returned three hits - Martinez v. Aero Caribbean (N.D. Cal.), Huguley v. Folks (M.D. Ala.), United States v. 57 South Deere Park Drive (N.D. Ill.) - an airline matter, a prisoner case, and a property forfeiture; none reference a Navy vessel. All hits classified as name collisions; no qualifying asbestos litigation located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- No qualifying asbestos litigation naming ATR-57 was located in the CourtListener opinion or RECAP docket indexes; all returned hits were name collisions on the 'ATR-57' token. Absence of located litigation does not prove absence of claims or exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-57-09
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[10]Batch-2984 search ledger (this record): NavSource vessel page (states no DANFS history exists); NHHC ship-history index; NARA catalog and SL-44 logbook index; MARAD vesselhistory database; CourtListener opinion/docket indexes; Dachel-Carter yard table; Shipscribe class file [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-atr-57-01 through sl-uss-atr-57-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, DANFS entry, or adjudicated/pleaded case naming USS ATR-57 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was disposed of in 1947, before asbestos survey programs existed.
- 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 - the 1943-44 steam plant makes era-typical insulation plausible. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present, and does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-57-10