Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]ShipScribe (Stephen S. Roberts), 'USS ATR-1 Class' compilation of official Navy vessel-register and Maritime Commission disposition data [other_primary]
- Locator
- Construction table row 62; Disposition table row 62 (Decomm 1 Jul 46 / Strike 31 Jul 46 / Disposal 25 Jun 48 / MC/D / MA Sale 18 May 48); per-hull notes row ATR-62
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- ATR-62 was ordered 1942-11-25 as part of the ATR-1 class of wooden-hulled rescue tugs (ATR 50-89 group directed by VCNO 1942-08-05 under the Navy's Maximum War Effort program); built by Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp., Whitestone, N.Y.; laid down 1943-05-14; launched 1944-05-30; commissioned 1944-07-14. Disposition per ShipScribe class table: decommissioned 1946-07-01; struck 1946-07-31; Maritime Commission disposal dated 1948-06-25 with sale awarded 1948-05-18. Notes table: 'Sold (awarded) by MC to Foss Launch & Tug Co., Tacoma, Wash. Converted to trawler WESTERN ACE 1952, burned near Panama City, Fla., 4 Dec 70.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1942-1970
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation transcribing official BuShips/NVR and Maritime Commission records, not the registers themselves; dates cross-confirmed against NavSource (keel, launch) and NARA Special List 44 deck-log coverage start (1944-07-14, consistent with the ShipScribe commission date). Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-62-atr62-01
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[2]NavSource Naval History, USS ATR-62 service-ship photo archive page (compilation of official specifications, campaign listings, and medal data) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ATR-62 page - narrative, campaign/medal tables, and specification block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource's USS ATR-62 page records: commissioned 1944-07-30 under LT J. M. Brown, Jr.; assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; credited with the Okinawa Gunto operation (assault and occupation, 1945-04-15 to 1945-06-30); one battle star for WWII service; postwar Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 1945-09-03 to 09-11, 1945-10-08 to 10-25, and 1945-11-13 to 11-15; China Service Medal (extended) 1945-11-17 to 1946-01-23; 'Sold for commercial service in 1946, renamed Western Ace. Final disposition, fate unknown.' Specification block (class-standard ATR-1 plant): 852 t. light / 1,315 t. full load; 165'6" x 33'4" x 15'6"; one Fulton Iron Works vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine; two Babcock & Wilcox 'D'-type boilers, 200 psi saturated; two 60 kW 120 V DC turbo ship's-service generators; single propeller, 1,600 shp; complement 5 officers, 47 enlisted; armament one 3"/50 DP and two 20mm AA mounts. NavSource expressly notes 'There is no DANFS history available for USS ATR-62.'
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Ship's crew (approx. 52), 1944-1946
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation, not a primary register: the commanding officer, campaign, and medal listings are not independently verified here against a primary NAVPERS or unit-record source, though the ship's Okinawa presence is independently corroborated by the NHHC DANFS Narraguagas entry (see ev-uss-atr-62-atr62-03). Commission date (30 Jul) conflicts with ShipScribe and NARA log coverage (14 Jul) - see correction row ev-uss-atr-62-atr62-04. Spec block is class-standard data republished on this hull's page. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-62-atr62-02
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[3]Naval History and Heritage Command, DANFS entry 'Narraguagas (AOG-32)' (expanded online text) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Narraguagas DANFS entry, 1945 narrative (TU 30.9.23 passage); verbatim text confirmed via search-engine index - the live NHHC page returns HTTP 404 to automated retrieval (standing NHHC link-rot defect documented since BATCH-01); the 2024-12-16 Wayback capture of the same URL carries the shorter pre-expansion text without this passage
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The NHHC Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships entry for Narraguagas (AOG-32) names ATR-62 as a member of Task Unit 30.9.23: Narraguagas 'sailed for Okinawa late in the morning watch on 8 June [1945]' under Tolowa (ATF-116) as OTC, 'Other ships included ... the rescue tugs ATR-38 and ATR-62, the harbor tugs (big) Washakie (YTB-386) and Canuck (YTB-379); two submarine chasers, SC-1315 and SC-1360, served as escorts for the task unit.' The unit arrived at Kerama Retto on the morning of 1945-06-13 (Tolowa logged 0636 arrival; Air Flash RED at 0647 sent the ships to general quarters).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-06
- Population
- Ship's crew, June 1945
- Limitations
- Official NHHC history content naming this hull, but cited from the search-index rendering because live history.navy.mil pages return 404 to automated fetchers (house-known defect). Establishes ATR-62's presence at Okinawa in June 1945 and task-unit assignment only; contains no asbestos, material, or condition information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-62-atr62-03
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[4]ShipScribe ATR-1 class tables vs NavSource ATR-62 page; corroborating log-coverage start date in NARA Special List 44 [other_primary]
- Locator
- ShipScribe construction/disposition/notes rows for ATR-62; NavSource ATR-62 narrative; NARA Special List 44 (sl-44-ship-number.pdf) ship-number listing
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies recorded and resolved: (a) Commission date - NavSource gives 1944-07-30, while ShipScribe's class construction table gives 1944-07-14 and NARA Special List 44 lists this hull's deck-log coverage beginning 1944-07-14; the 1944-07-14 date is adopted as controlling (two independent sources consistent with each other). (b) Decommission/strike - NavSource lists both dates as 'unknown'; ShipScribe gives decommissioned 1946-07-01 and struck 1946-07-31, adopted here. (c) Merchant timeline - NavSource compresses disposal as 'sold for commercial service in 1946, renamed Western Ace'; ShipScribe's Maritime Commission sale dates (awarded 1948-05-18, disposal 1948-06-25, buyer Foss Launch & Tug Co., Tacoma) and the note 'converted to trawler WESTERN ACE 1952' are adopted, i.e., the Western Ace identity dates to the 1952 conversion, not 1946.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1952
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level date discrepancies between two secondary compilations; the adopted dates remain secondary-compilation data, not direct register entries (NARA log-coverage start is the nearest primary anchor). No asbestos content in any cited source; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-62-atr62-04
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[5]NavSource ATR-62 specification block (class-standard ATR-1 machinery); class hull material per ShipScribe class notes ('the Navy decided to have the vessels built of wood and equipped with relatively simple triple expansion steam machinery') [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource ATR-62 page specification block; ShipScribe ATR-1 class notes paragraph 2
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The ATR-1 class plant installed on this hull's design - two Babcock & Wilcox 'D'-type boilers producing 200-psi saturated steam driving a Fulton Iron Works vertical triple-expansion engine with turbo-driven generators - is a steam propulsion plant of the type that, in U.S. WWII construction, was typically insulated with asbestos-containing materials (boiler casing and drum insulation, steam-line and exhaust lagging, valve/flange gaskets, machinery packing). The wooden hull bounds the inference: less structural insulation and shorter steam runs than a steel combatant, but the boilers, steam lines, and machinery joints remain era-typical candidates.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1944
- Population
- Construction trades (Wheeler Shipbuilding, Whitestone, 1943-44); engineering/plant crew
- Limitations
- Class/design documentation and era inference, not a hull record: no insulation specification, material list, survey, or worker account naming ATR-62 or the ATR-1 class was located. Neither cited source itself uses the word 'asbestos' - the asbestos content is inferred from the documented steam-plant type and WWII construction era. Does not establish quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or present-day presence (hull destroyed 1970).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-62-atr62-05
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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
- historical_record
- 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 emergency-construction program under which this wooden-hulled rescue tug was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard both 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 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.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-62-atr62-06
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[7]National Archives and Records Administration, Special List 44, 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations, 1941-1983,' ship-number listing [other_primary]
- Locator
- SL-44 ship-number index, ATR-62 entry: 'ATR-62 7/14/1944 6/30/1945'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List 44 (the official finding aid for the series 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations,' RG 24) lists deck logs for ATR-62 covering 1944-07-14 through 1945-06-30 - the primary-source trail for the ship's entire commissioned WWII career, including the Okinawa period. Retrieval of the log contents was not performed in this session; digitization status in the NARA Catalog could not be verified (catalog.archives.gov is JavaScript-rendered and returned no parseable result to automated retrieval).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1945 (log coverage)
- Limitations
- Finding-aid-level record only - the logs exist and their coverage dates are documented, but their contents (including any material-condition, repair, or insulation references) were not retrieved. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-62-atr62-07
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[8]CourtListener API v4 search (opinion type=o and docket type=r), via required fleet-authenticated helper cl-auth-search.py [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-atr-62-atr62-08 and sl-uss-atr-62-atr62-09
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener authenticated search (fleet helper, API v4) returned no qualifying litigation naming this hull. Opinion index: exact phrase "ATR-62" 0 hits; "ATR 62" tug 0 hits; "Western Ace" tug 0 hits. Docket/RECAP index: "ATR-62" returned 1 hit - Brown v. Florida Atlantic University, No. 9:16-cv-80251 (S.D. Fla. 2016), an employment-discrimination case; the token match is inside docket documents, not a vessel reference - classified NAME COLLISION, not qualifying.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Sweep covered the CourtListener opinion and RECAP docket indexes only; PACER-only dockets, state courts, MDL-875 pleading-level vessel lists not indexed by name, and asbestos claims that never produced a filed document naming the hull are outside coverage. A negative sweep does not prove no claim was ever filed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-62-atr62-08
-
[9]Batch-2990 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS; NavSource; ShipScribe; ShipbuildingHistory Wheeler yard table; NARA Special List 44; MARAD Vessel History Database; CourtListener [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-atr-62-atr62-01 through sl-uss-atr-62-atr62-09
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming ATR-62 or Western Ace was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Structural gaps: NHHC DANFS has no entry for this hull (NavSource concurs; canonical URL pattern 404s), and the MARAD Vessel History Database - which holds status cards for six other ATR hulls (ATR-9, -68, -70, -78, -79, -81) - holds no record for ATR-62 or Western Ace despite the Maritime Commission disposal documented by ShipScribe.
- 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 1944 steam-powered hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing machinery insulation. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atr-62-atr62-09