USS Beaufort (ATS-2)

Evidence

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

1. [1]NHHC DANFS Online, 'Beaufort V (ATS-2)' (live URL 404 on 2026-09-26; verbatim text retrieved via Wayback capture 20240621052806) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Full entry text; live canonical URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/b/beaufort-v.html returned 404

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS 'Beaufort V (ATS-2)' entry (Mann & Francis, 23 Feb 2006): fifth Beaufort laid down 19 Feb 1968 at Lowestoft, England, by Brooke Marine Ltd.; launched 20 Dec 1968; sponsored by Mrs. Waldemar F. A. Wendt; delivered to the Navy at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., 5 Jan 1972; commissioned there 22 Jan 1972, Lt. Cmdr. Arthur R. Erwin in command. Spec block: displacement 3,063 (full load); length 283'; beam 50'; draft 18'; speed 17 knots; complement 110; armament 2 x 20mm, 4 x .50-cal. machine guns; class Edenton. Career narrative covers 1972-1981 (Pearl Harbor homeport; Operation End Sweep support off Haiphong 8-22 Jul 1973; Ream, Cambodia tows Aug 1973; towed Tripoli LPH-10 into Subic 10 Sep 1973; attempted refloat of USNS Sgt. Jack J. Pendleton T-AK-276 Sep-Oct 1973; PHNSY restricted availability Jan-May 1974; Alaska ops with USNS Silas Bent Aug-Sep 1974; WestPac 1975-76 incl. ROKN salvage training at Chinhae Dec 1975; Dillingham Shipyard overhaul Aug 1976-Aug 1977; 1977-78 WestPac incl. Swordfish SSN-579 support and Mar 1978 F-14 recovery in the Gulf of Thailand; PHNSY restricted availability Jan-Mar 1979; WestPac Apr-Oct 1979; WestPac Sep 1980-Apr 1981). 'Updates pending for 1981 through 1996.' Decommissioned 8 Mar 1996; struck 12 Dec 1996; disposed of through the Security Assistance Program, transfer and cash sale of the hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1968-1996

   Limitations

   Authoritative Navy history, but launch date (20 Dec 1968) conflicts with NVR (1 Dec 1968) and delivery date (5 Jan 1972) conflicts with NVR (1 Jan 1972) - see correction row and gaps. Entry explicitly does not cover 1981-1996 ('updates pending'). Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or abatement statement.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-beaufort-ats2-01

2. [2]Naval Vessel Register, ship detail BEAUFORT (ATS 2) (nvr.navy.mil; stricken-hull page no longer served live - retrieved via Wayback capture 20011103053326) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR ATS2 detail page, all fields

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Naval Vessel Register detail page for BEAUFORT (ATS 2): UIC 20153; class ATS 1 (Edenton); status 'Disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred, cash sale, ex-US fleet hull foreign military sale case number assigned'; date status changed 08/29/1996; custodian KOREA; award date 09/26/1967; keel 02/19/1968; launch 12/01/1968; delivery 01/01/1972; commission 01/22/1972; decommission 03/08/1996; stricken 12/12/1996; overall length 283 ft, waterline 264 ft; beam 50 ft; max navigational draft 17 ft; light displacement 2,615 t / full 3,495 t; propulsion type 'Diesel Engines'; accommodations 8 officers + 102 enlisted. Page note: 'No changes to this information were reported since 02/17/1999.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1967-1999

   Limitations

   Authoritative registry record. Launch date (1 Dec 1968) conflicts with DANFS/shipscribe (20 Dec 1968); delivery date (1 Jan 1972) vs DANFS delivery at Norfolk NSY (5 Jan 1972) - both conflicts logged, not resolved. No asbestos or materials content. Snapshot frozen 1999 - post-transfer Korean history out of scope.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-beaufort-ats2-02

3. [3]shipscribe.com, 'USS Edenton (ATS 1) Class' - U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships compilation (Stephen S. Roberts; special sources NARA RG 19 Entry P 26 Box 27) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Class header, construction and disposition tables, class notes, ship notes

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-design compilation (shipscribe, compiled from NARA RG 19 and Naval Vessel Register data) names this hull in the Edenton (ATS 1) class tables: BEAUFORT ordered 26 Sep 1967; keel 19 Feb 1968; launched 20 Dec 1968; commissioned 22 Jan 1972; disposition row - decommissioned 8 Mar 1996, stricken 12 Dec 1996, disposal 29 Aug 1996, fate 'Trf' (transferred). Ship note: 'FY 1967. Trf South Korea 1996, PYEONGTAEK (ATS 27) (comm. 20 Feb 1997). Decomm. 28 Dec 2016 and transferred to Pyeongtaek City.' Class data: 2,592 light / 3,484 full tons; 283 ft oa x 264 ft wl x 50 ft x 17 ft max nav draft; 16 knots; 6,000 hp diesel, 2 screws; accommodations 9 officers + 108 enlisted. Class notes: ATS design SCB Project 719.66 promulgated 28 Dec 1964; ships procured in British yards in late-1965 reciprocal procurement decision; original machinery four Paxman diesel engines (replaced by Caterpillar diesels only in sister Edenton's 1997-99 Coast Guard conversion).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1964-2016

   Limitations

   Expert secondary compilation built from NARA/NVR - treated as corroborating registry-grade data, not a primary document itself. ROKN recommissioning date here (20 Feb 1997) differs from US INDOPACOM release (1 Apr 1997) - logged. Launch date agrees with DANFS (20 Dec 1968) against NVR (1 Dec 1968). No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-beaufort-ats2-03

4. [4]NavSource Online, Service Ship Photo Archive - USS Beaufort (ATS-2), file 09/31/3102 (volunteer-compiled; reproduces DANFS/official-caption material) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Full page: timeline, specifications, awards ribbon table, photo captions with NARA identifiers, CO table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive page for USS Beaufort (ATS-2): timeline matching NVR dates incl. launch 1 Dec 1968, commissioned 22 Jan 1972 (LCDR Arthur R. Erwin), decommissioned 8 Mar 1996, SAP sale to South Korea 29 Aug 1996, stricken 12 Dec 1996; ROKS Pyeongtaek (ATS-27) 'decommissioned by South Korea, 4 January 2017'; spec block 2,592 lt / 3,484 fl, 283 ft, beam 59 ft, draft 17 ft, complement 9 officers + 108 enlisted, diesel twin screws; awards list (Combat Action Ribbon, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Navy Unit Commendation, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation x3, Battle E x5, NDSM, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal (Boat People), Kuwait Liberation Medal); 13-officer commanding-officer table 1972-1996; captions cite NARA-held photos incl. Brooke Marine construction progress shots 1969-71 (NAIDs 7577229, 7577231, 7577232, 7577238), July 1979 recovery of a crashed VP-22 P-3B Orion in Subic Bay (photo nos. K-123735, K-123713, K-123738), and the ship at Mina Salman pier 1 Mar 1991 after Operation Desert Storm (NAID 6470138).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1968-2017

   Limitations

   Volunteer compilation - used for corroboration, awards list, and NARA photo identifiers, not as a sole source for any date. Its ROKN decommissioning date (4 Jan 2017) conflicts with the official U.S. INDOPACOM release and Korean press (ceremony 28 Dec 2016, effective 31 Dec 2016) - flagged. Its '59 ft' beam conflicts with NVR/DANFS 50 ft (59 ft appears to be a wider extreme-beam figure in the class infobox convention; not resolved). No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-beaufort-ats2-04

5. [5]U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (pacom.mil) News Article 1039650, 'Last U.S. Ship Transferred to Republic of Korea Navy Decommissioned in Ceremony' (NNS release) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Article body (fetched via the Print.aspx mirror; interactive page returned 403 to automated fetch)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official U.S. Navy news release distributed by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command: 'The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) decommissioned the ROKN ship Pyeongtaek (ATS-27), Dec. 28, closing the final chapter on the last U.S. ship transferred to the ROK Navy.' Ex-USS Beaufort (ATS-2), 'an Edenton-class salvage and rescue ship, joined the U.S. fleet in 1972 and served 24-years in the Indo-Asia-Pacific before being decommissioned in 1996... the hull was sold to the ROK on August 29, 1996, and was re-commissioned ROKS Peyongtaek on April 1, 1997.' ROK service included the Taean oil spill recovery (2008) and rescue/salvage after the 2010 [Cheonan] attack; after the Jinhae ceremony the ship was to be transferred to Pyeongtaek City.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1972-2016

   Limitations

   Official .mil source for ROKN disposition. Its recommissioning date (1 Apr 1997) conflicts with shipscribe (20 Feb 1997) - logged; it also loosely says the ship transferred 'one year later' though the sale date given (29 Aug 1996) precedes the 1997 recommissioning. Taean oil-spill response year given as 2008 while the spill itself occurred Dec 2007 (response extended into 2008). No asbestos or hazmat content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-beaufort-ats2-05

6. [6]Kyunghyang Shinmun (2016-12-27, ROKN release); Defense Times (2016-12-27); SeoulPn/Seoul Shinmun (2023-07-11, 2023-12-12); Joongboo Ilbo project-status reports (2025) [reputable_press]

   Locator

   go.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20230711500075 ; khan.co.kr/article/201612271131001 ; joongboo.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=363732776 ; seoul.co.kr naming-ceremony item 2023-12-12

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Korean press coverage of the hull's disposition: ROK general order No. 16-1 retired Pyeongtaek effective 31 Dec 2016 (ceremony 28 Dec 2016 at Jinhae); the ship was lent to Pyeongtaek City on a no-cost basis for conversion to a public marine-safety experience facility; physical handover occurred Feb 2020 (berthed at Pyeongtaek New Container Terminal); hull moved to the waterside site beneath the Seohae Grand Bridge 9 Jul 2023; naming ceremony held aboard 12 Dec 2023; project reports describe interior demolition, reinforcement of the aging hull (documented leaks), and a planned pool installation, with cost growth to ~12.67 billion KRW and a reported 2028 opening target after earlier delay.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2016-2025

   Population

   Conversion workers and future visitors (context only)

   Limitations

   Press-level sourcing for post-2016 disposition; handover dating varies between the announced Jan 2017 loan and the Feb 2020 physical delivery - both milestones reported. No asbestos statement appears in any of the conversion coverage; interior demolition scope is documented without materials detail. Museum conversion remains incomplete - present-day ACM status unknown.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-beaufort-ats2-06

7. [7]U.S. General Accounting Office, HRD-80-2, 'Navy's Efforts to Protect Workers from Asbestos Exposure' (18 Oct 1979), incl. CNO response B-163375 [gao]

   Locator

   pp. 1-3 digest + CNO response letter (full text retrieved via Wayback capture 20210702001414 - gao.gov returns 403 to automated fetches, a standing limitation)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   GAO report HRD-80-2 (18 Oct 1979) on Navy asbestos practices records the CNO's 5 Jan 1979 statement (encl. 1 to CNO Ser 4542/318054): 'Each ship has several types of asbestos containing materials installed... all ships presently in service contain some quantity of asbestos' - specifically naming deck tile, piping-system gaskets and packing, equipment brakes and clutches, electrical cabling, and galley equipment; thermal-insulation specifications were changed to call for asbestos-free material beginning 1971 and 'by late 1973' were asbestos-free; the service-wide no-asbestos policy was promulgated as NAVSEAINST 5100.2 of 24 Oct 1975. This hull was delivered to the Navy in January 1972 - within the window before the insulation-spec change fully took effect.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1979 report covering practices through the 1970s

   Population

   U.S. Navy ship crews and shipyard workers (era context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level documentation: the report's ship attachment lists only vessels delivered since 1973 or under construction - ATS-2 (delivered Jan 1972) is NOT named. Establishes the institutional timeline and the Navy's own statement that all in-service ships contained some asbestos; does not establish asbestos aboard this hull, its location, quantity, condition, any individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-beaufort-ats2-07

8. [8]Hedley-Whyte J, Milamed DR, 'Asbestos and ship-building: fatal consequences,' Ulster Medical Journal 77(3):191-200 (2008), PMID 18956802 - UK/US shipbuilding asbestos use tables; corroborated by published Royal Navy dockyard mortality literature on insulation practices [other_primary]

   Locator

   UMJ 77(3):191-200, UK asbestos consumption table and shipbuilding discussion

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Peer-reviewed literature documents that asbestos insulation and lagging remained standard practice in British shipbuilding through this hull's construction period: UK asbestos consumption peaked in the mid-1960s and remained heavy through the 1970s; Royal Navy dockyard studies record amosite-section lagging in use through the early 1960s, crocidolite spraying until the mid-1960s, and chrysotile-containing materials thereafter. Beaufort was built at Brooke Marine, Lowestoft, England, 1968-1971 - within this documented-use era. Diesel propulsion means the hull lacked the steam-plant thermal insulation typical of older combatants, but gaskets, packing, deck coverings, electrical insulation, and accommodation materials are the era-typical ACM applications for such a hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   literature through 2008 covering practices to the 1970s-80s

   Population

   British shipyard workers and naval crews (era context)

   Limitations

   National-industry/era documentation - the paper does not name this hull, this class, or Brooke Marine, and its dockyard-exposure evidence concerns Royal Navy refit yards rather than this commercial builder. Supports only the era proposition that a 1968-71 British-built naval hull is consistent with ACM installation; does not establish presence aboard this hull, quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-beaufort-ats2-08

9. [9]CourtListener API v4 opinion and RECAP docket searches via authenticated fleet helper [court_record]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-beaufort-ats2-06 through sl-uss-beaufort-ats2-08

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener API v4 sweep (authenticated fleet helper): exact-phrase '"USS Beaufort"' opinion search returned count 0 (clean HTTP 200). Broad '"Beaufort" asbestos ship' opinion search returned 4 hits, all classified non-qualifying: Totman v. A. C. and S., C.A. No. 00-5296 (R.I. Super. Ct. 2002), an asbestos summary-judgment decision whose match derives from its internal citation of Nichols v. R.R. Beaufort & Associates (a corporate name collision, not the ship); plus three unrelated maritime in rem opinions (Continental Insurance v. Lone Eagle Shipping, 952 F. Supp. 1046 (S.D.N.Y. 1997); In re Tecomar S.A. (M/V Tuxpan), 765 F. Supp. 1150 (S.D.N.Y. 1991); Coca Cola Co. v. SS Norholt, 333 F. Supp. 946 (S.D.N.Y. 1971)). Residual sweeps ('ATS-2' hull-number opinion search; 'Beaufort'/'USS Beaufort' RECAP docket searches) were rate-limit blocked by the fleet-wide pacing limiter (HTTP 429 stand-down, not the daily quota) on 2026-09-26 - logged as blocked, pending a later pass.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2026-09-26

   Limitations

   Name/hull-number search cannot prove no filing exists - pleadings that omit the hull name or index only a party name would not surface, and RECAP coverage is incomplete for older federal and for state dockets. 'Beaufort' collides with a RI corporate name (R.R. Beaufort & Associates), a sea, and several place names; classify any future hit against the vessel, not the string. Two sweep queries remain unexecuted (pacing block).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-beaufort-ats2-09

10. [10]Batch-3029 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS, NVR, shipscribe, NavSource, US INDOPACOM, Korean press, MARAD ShipHistory, VA BVA index, CourtListener, general web sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-beaufort-ats2-01 through sl-uss-beaufort-ats2-13

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed case naming USS Beaufort / ATS-2 / ROKS Pyeongtaek was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). VA Board of Veterans' Appeals index returned no decision naming the ship (all 'Beaufort' hits are Beaufort, S.C. stationing claims). MARAD ShipHistory holds no record (vessel never in MARAD custody - direct Navy-to-ROKN SAP sale). Korean coverage of the museum conversion documents interior demolition and hull reinforcement but contains no asbestos statement. No law-firm 'Navy ships' list enumerating this hull was 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 hull built in England 1968-1971 and delivered in Jan 1972 predates the Navy's asbestos-free insulation specifications, and the Navy's own 1979 statement holds that all in-service ships contained some asbestos. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-beaufort-ats2-10

11. [11]NARA record-group mapping (RG 24 Navy deck logs at College Park; RG 19 Bureau of Ships; still-picture NAIDs as cited in NavSource photo captions) + DSCA FMS case file + ROKN records [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy and /digitized-logs; NAID numbers from NavSource page captions; NARA catalog API is JS-gated (no programmatic result)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (1) NARA RG 24 deck logs for Beaufort, 1972-1996, held at NARA College Park - Vietnam-era Navy deck logs were digitized under the Blue Water Navy digitization program and post-1981 logs may require a reference request (archives2reference@nara.gov). (2) NARA RG 19 Bureau of Ships records - SCB/SAIP Project 719 design files (shipscribe cites RG 19 Entry P 26) and the Brooke Marine construction-contract file, which would carry any material specifications for this hull. (3) NARA still pictures: Brooke Marine construction progress photographs for ATS-2, 1969-1971 (NAIDs 7577229, 7577231, 7577232, 7577238, and local IDs 19-NN-ATS-2-*), plus in-service photographs (e.g., K-123735 series, NAID 6403806, NAID 6470138). (4) DSCA/DoD Foreign Military Sales case file for the 1996 Security Assistance Program transfer to Korea - any hazardous-material or 'as-is' disclosure documentation for the hull sale. (5) ROK Navy records for Pyeongtaek (ATS-27) service and disposal-to-city documentation.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1967-2016 records

    Limitations

    Record-group and identifier mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; whether any file in these series documents asbestos aboard this hull is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-beaufort-ats2-11