Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
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[1]DANFS, 'Brant' (Minesweeper No. 24 / AM-24 / AT-132 / ARS-32) - official NHHC entry text, verified verbatim via the hazegray transcription mirror corroborated by a 2025-02-22 Wayback capture of hazegray.org/danfs/mine/am24.htm; live history.navy.mil returns 404 for all URL patterns - standing link rot, same as BATCH-01/1135/1173/1197 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Brant' entry, specifications block + full service narrative (hazegray transcription losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/mine/am24.htm; identical to Wayback capture 20250222040543 of hazegray.org/danfs/mine/am24.htm)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official DANFS record for this hull: Lapwing-class minesweeper (dp. 950; l. 187'10"; b. 35'6"; dr. 10'4"; s. 14 k.; cpl. 78; a. 2 3"). Launched 30 May 1918 by Sun Shipbuilding Co., Chester, Pa. (sponsored by Miss Lois Graham); commissioned 6 September 1918, Lt. J. W. Stoakley in command; Minesweeping Force, 5th Naval District, sweeping convoy courses off Virginia; lightship off Virginia December 1918; Director of Tugs, 5th Naval District, Norfolk, from May 1919; Train, Pacific Fleet, San Diego from 17 September 1919 - west coast minesweeper/target vessel/fleet tug until June 1941 with periodic east coast, Caribbean, Panama Canal, and Hawaiian deployments; Atlantic Fleet from 1 August 1941 (arrived New York Navy Yard), mine-testing between Washington DC and Solomons Island, Md.; NOB Argentia, Newfoundland, 26 November 1941-June 1942 (towing, picket, escort; aided Norwegian steamer Anderson 10-13 Feb 1942; assisted British steamer Kitty's Brook 16 Feb; duty at Great St. Lawrence Harbor near grounded Pollux (AKS-2) and Truxton (DD-229) 18-24 Feb; rescued SS Magnhild crew off Virgin Rocks 6 May). Arrived Boston 29 June 1942 for extensive overhaul; designated AT-132 on 1 June 1942 and ARS-32 on 1 September 1942; Mediterranean salvage operations 25 November 1942-16 December 1943 (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, Italy; Sicilian occupation 9-15 July 1943; Salerno landings 9-21 September 1943); accidentally shelled by friendly naval forces off Sicily 10 August 1943 after recognition signals failed - extensive fires controlled, 10 killed, 20 wounded; repaired at Licata. Returned to U.S. January 1944, yard overhaul at Norfolk; Falmouth, England from 8 March 1944; logistic support to the Normandy invasion 6-19 June 1944; salvage in English/French waters to June 1945; Bremerhaven June-26 July 1945; decommissioned New York Navy Yard 19 December 1945; transferred to the Maritime Commission 19 August 1946; three battle stars WWII.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1917-1946
- Population
- Sun Shipbuilding construction trades (Chester, PA, 1917-18); ship's company 1918-1945 (design complement 78 as minesweeper); Argentia rescue-work crews (1941-42); Boston overhaul and Norfolk yard-overhaul workforces (1942, 1944); Mediterranean salvage crews (1942-43); Normandy-support and UK salvage crews (1944-45)
- Limitations
- DANFS documents identity, builder, dates, and service narrative - not materials or asbestos content. Does not name the Boston or Norfolk yard facilities (city-level references only); does not identify the friendly-fire shooter; does not give a stricken date or post-1946 fate; spec block is the as-built minesweeper configuration, not the ARS-32 configuration. Live NHHC URLs 404 across all patterns - verbatim mirror transcription cited; no Wayback capture of the official history.navy.mil page was located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brant-am24-01
-
[2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Brant (ARS 32) ex-AT-132 ex-AM-24 ex-Minesweeper No. 24, file 11/02024 (live navsource.net mirror; navsource.org DNS resolution failed this session, same as batch-1197) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource file 11/02024: header chronology, spec block, photo-caption entries incl. NH 72113, NH 54315, NH 42539, NARA 19-N-32381, CO list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource per-hull record: 'Lapwing Class Minesweeper'; laid down 8 December 1917 by Sun Shipbuilding Co., Chester, PA; launched 30 May 1918; commissioned USS Brant (Minesweeper No. 24) per header chronology 5 September 1918 - while NavSource's own commanding-officer table starts LT John Watts Stoakley's command 6 September 1918, an internal inconsistency; designated AM-24 17 July 1920; assisted stranded Norwegian freighter Anderson 11 February 1942 at St. Shots Bay, Newfoundland, and transported survivors to Argentia 13 February; assisted British freighter Kitty's Brook off shoal at Argentia 16 February; reclassified fleet tug AT-132 1 June 1942; reclassified salvage ship ARS-32 1 September 1942; decommissioned 19 December 1945 at the New York Navy Yard; transferred to the Maritime Commission 19 August 1946; 'Fate unknown.' Spec block: 950 t., 187'10", beam 35'6", draft 8'10", 14 kts., complement 73, two 3" mounts (two 20mm added September 1942); propulsion two 200-psi Babcock & Wilcox header boilers, one 1,400-shp Harlan and Hollingsworth Corp. vertical triple-expansion engine, one shaft. Photo documentation: Brant and Tern (AM-31) moored together (NHHC NH 72113); Mare Island subase December 1920 with Eider (AM-17), Eagle boats, and F-class submarines (NHHC NH 54315 - NHHC's circa-1919 caption corrected to December 1920 by researcher via yard journals); 'Red Lead Row' San Diego Destroyer Base end of 1922 with Partridge (AM-16) (Navy photo NH 42539); Measure 12 (modified) camouflage, Placentia Bay, c. June 1942 (NARA); near the Norfolk Navy Yard 14 August 1942 (NARA 19-N-32381, via Shipscribe). Commanding-officer list, 16 entries, Stoakley (6 Sep 1918) through Otterman (to 19 Dec 1945).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1917-1946
- Population
- Ship's company across configurations (cpl. 78 per DANFS / 73 per NavSource spec blocks); subjects of documented rescue activity: Anderson, Kitty's Brook, and Magnhild crews; Pollux/Truxtun disaster-scene duty (1942)
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official. Conflicts with DANFS carried unmerged: header commissioning date '5 September 1918' vs DANFS 6 September (and vs NavSource's own CO table, which reads 6 September - probable transcription error); spec block differs from DANFS (draft 8'10" vs 10'4"; complement 73 vs 78) - configuration or transcription variance, flagged not resolved. Photo captions are compiler/researcher-supplied; the NARA/NHHC photo numbers are authoritative anchors but caption dates are approximations.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brant-am24-02
-
[3]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation), 'Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Chester PA' yard table - Brant row, Sun hull #24 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Sun yard table, hull #24 row (shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/large/sun.htm); header paragraph on yard history
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Yard-table row for this hull: Sun yard hull #24, 'Brant (AM 24) | US Navy | Minesweeper | 950 | keel 30-May-18 | launch 30-May-18 | delivery 6-Sep-18 | 0 days on ways | 99 days in water | 99 total days | Reclassified 1936 as ATA-132, 1942 as ARS-32, sold 1946.' Independent corroboration of builder, hull number, launch and delivery dates, tonnage, and a 1946 disposal. Yard context from the table header: Sun was developed by Sun Oil in 1916 as a tanker builder and became the largest single shipyard in the country during WWII (28 ways, 40,000+ workers).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1917-1946
- Population
- Sun Shipbuilding construction trades (Chester, PA, 1917-18)
- Limitations
- Compiler's yard table, secondary. Row contains two apparent errors, flagged not adopted: keel '30-May-18' equals the launch date with '0 days on ways' (DANFS/NavSource give laid down 8 December 1917 - Colton's keel cell is corrupt), and 'Reclassified 1936 as ATA-132' is wrong on both year and designation (DANFS/NavSource: fleet tug AT-132, 1 June 1942 - no ATA designation or 1936 event exists for this hull; the '1936' text appears copy-pasted from sister Teal's row above, which did reclassify to AVP-5 in 1936). 'Sold 1946' is consistent with the 19 Aug 1946 Maritime Commission transfer. Table gives no materials or outfitting detail.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brant-am24-03
-
[4]Consolidated era/design inference - documented propulsion plant (NavSource spec block: 2x Babcock & Wilcox 200-psi header boilers + 1x 1,400-shp Harlan & Hollingsworth vertical triple-expansion engine, one shaft) applied to WWI-era marine insulation practice; same construction era, class, and yard block as sister USS Widgeon (AM-22, Sun hull #22) record batch-1197 and USS Quail (AM-15) record batch-1173 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource spec block (propulsion); DANFS (Boston overhaul June 1942, reclassifications, 10 Aug 1943 fire damage/repair, Norfolk yard overhaul 1944, salvage career); NavSource photo captions (Norfolk Navy Yard 14 Aug 1942)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: this hull is a 1917-18-built steel Lapwing-class minesweeper with a full steam plant - two header boilers and a vertical triple-expansion engine, unlike the diesel-electric WWII minesweepers - so its insulation load was that of a steam vessel, not a diesel one. Machinery and construction materials of the WWI era were commonly asbestos-containing: boiler casing and fireroom insulation, steam-line lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, compartment and joiner insulation, and brake linings. Her documented service adds exposure-relevant events: the June 1942 Boston 'extensive overhaul' coinciding with the AT-132/ARS-32 salvage-ship conversion; August 1943 battle damage with 'extensive fires' aboard and subsequent repair at Licata and alongside a repair ship at Bizerte (secondary account); the early-1944 Norfolk yard overhaul; and a career of salvage work on damaged and grounded vessels - a disturbance-character activity.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1917-1946
- Population
- Sun Shipbuilding trades (1917-18); ship's company (1918-45); Boston overhaul and conversion workforce (1942); Licata/Bizerte repair workers (1943); Norfolk yard-overhaul workforce (1944); Maritime Commission disposal workforce (1946)
- Limitations
- Inference from documented design, machinery type, construction era, and documented events - NOT a hull materials record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming AM-24/AT-132/ARS-32/Minesweeper No. 24 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, condition, or individual exposure. Salvage activity on damaged ships is documented but whether disturbed material contained asbestos is undocumented. Does not establish or defeat any claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brant-am24-04
-
[5]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - meaning every insulation installation aboard this hull (1917-18 construction, 1942 overhaul/conversion, 1943 damage repair, 1944 Norfolk overhaul) predates the substitution era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1979 report on earlier practice
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers and crews (program-level context)
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; GAO fieldwork was at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards decades after this hull was built and within its repair era only at program level - not a finding about this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov returns 403 to automated fetches - product-page description used, same as BATCH-01/1173/1197).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brant-am24-05
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[6]Batch-1214 search ledger (this record): DANFS (hazegray mirror + 2025 Wayback capture); NavSource (navsource.net mirror); Colton Sun yard table; uboat.net; NVR; Shipscribe; MARAD ShipHistory; general web-index litigation substitute; CourtListener (see ledger for final status) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-brant-am24-01 through sl-uss-brant-am24-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, preservation record, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Brant / AM-24 / AT-132 / ARS-32 / Minesweeper No. 24 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). A general web-index substitute surfaced only generic roster listings on mesothelioma marketing pages (mesothelioma.com minesweeper table lists 'USS Brant | AM-24 | Lapwing | 9/5/1918 | To Maritime Commission, 1946'; mesotheliomahelp.org lists 'USS Brant' in a minesweeper roster) - name-list mentions only, no hull-specific evidence, excluded as non-authoritative per batch rules.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 2026-09-22
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the hull was disposed of in 1946 with whatever era insulation she carried. The litigation negative finding's completeness depends on the CourtListener sweep status recorded in the ledger (authenticated API returned HTTP 429 throttling this session); 'Brant' is also a common surname, raising the name-collision risk for any future docket sweep - searches must use the quoted phrase 'USS Brant' plus hull designators, not the bare name. Absence from the web index is not absence from the docket database. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brant-am24-06
-
[7]Specification and date conflicts, documented not resolved: DANFS (official) vs NavSource chronology/spec block and vs NavSource's own CO table; uboat.net corroboration; Colton row errors [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Brant' entry vs NavSource file 11/02024 header + CO table + spec block; uboat.net ship/5177; Colton Sun yard table hull #24 row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Sources conflict on the commissioning date and spec block: DANFS records commissioning 6 September 1918 and Colton's delivery column reads 6-Sep-18, while NavSource's header reads 'Commissioned ... 5 September 1918' - yet NavSource's own commanding-officer table starts LT Stoakley's command on 6 September 1918, and uboat.net independently reads 6 Sep 1918; the DANFS/Colton/CO-table 6 September date is carried and NavSource's 5 September flagged as a probable transcription error. Spec blocks differ: DANFS draft 10'4" and complement 78 vs NavSource draft 8'10" and complement 73 - variance flagged, both carried. Casualty count: DANFS reads 10 killed and 20 wounded in the 10 Aug 1943 friendly-fire shelling; a secondary inquest-derived account (Wikipedia/liquisearch) reads 5 known dead, 5 missing, 18 wounded - the 10-dead total reconciles, the wounded figure varies. Colton's row misdates the AT-132 reclassification to 1936 and styles it 'ATA-132' (actual: AT-132, 1 June 1942) and gives a corrupt keel date (30-May-18 = launch date, '0 days on ways'; actual laid down 8 December 1917).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1918-1946
- Limitations
- This row asserts the existence of the conflicts and the resolution rule applied (DANFS controls, corroborated by Colton delivery, uboat.net, and NavSource's own CO table), not an independent adjudication. NavSource's 5 September could reflect a clerical source rather than error - no primary commissioning document located. The inquest-derived casualty breakdown rests on secondary accounts (Wikipedia) describing a Bizerte inquest of 24 Aug 1943 - the inquest record itself is unretrieved (archival lead ev-08).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brant-am24-07
-
[8]Archival leads - NARA deck logs/muster rolls for AM-24/AT-132/ARS-32/Minesweeper No. 24 (1918-1945); NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) General Information Books and the Sun Shipbuilding Navy contract file (Sun yard hull #24 block); Boston Navy Yard industrial records (June 1942 overhaul and salvage-ship conversion work orders); the Navy board-of-inquest record for the 10 Aug 1943 friendly-fire casualty (secondary accounts describe a formal inquest at Bizerte 24 Aug 1943); Norfolk Navy Yard records (Aug 1942 presence, early-1944 overhaul); NARA photo originals NH 72113, NH 54315, NH 42539, 19-N-32381; Maritime Commission/WSA disposal file for the 19 Aug 1946 transfer [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov RG 19/24/181 group guides; NARA/NHHC photo anchors already surfaced via NavSource credits (NH 72113, NH 54315, NH 42539, 19-N-32381)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized; NARA catalog API requires a key this session, same constraint as batches 1173/1197): (a) NARA deck logs and muster rolls for AM-24/AT-132/ARS-32 across 1918-1945 (personnel/operations records, not materials); (b) NARA RG 19 Bureau of Ships General Information Books and the Navy contract file for the Sun minesweeper block (Sun hull #24) - the plausible home of hull-level material schedules; (c) Boston Navy Yard industrial records for the June 1942 'extensive overhaul' and AT-132/ARS-32 conversion - conversion work orders are the likeliest single source of hull-specific material documentation for this ship; (d) the Navy board-of-inquest/investigation record for the 10 August 1943 friendly-fire casualty (a formal inquest at Bizerte on 24 Aug 1943 is described in secondary accounts) - would document fire-damage extent and repair scope; (e) Norfolk Navy Yard records for the 14 Aug 1942 presence and the early-1944 yard overhaul; (f) the Maritime Commission disposal file for the 19 Aug 1946 transfer - the likeliest source for final fate.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1917-1946 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for AM-24/AT-132/ARS-32 is unknown until surveyed in person. Muster rolls, deck logs, inquest proceedings, and action reports are personnel/operations records, not materials documentation. The Bizerte inquest detail (24 Aug 1943) rests on secondary accounts, not a located primary record. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brant-am24-08