USS Buoyant (AMC-130)

Evidence

7 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-7).

1. [1]DANFS, 'Buoyant' (AM-153) - printed-entry verbatim transcription at the losthistory.net/hazegray mirror (fetched live this session; hazegray.org itself unresolvable - DNS failure; live history.navy.mil page returns 404) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   losthistory.net/hazegray mirror of printed DANFS 'Buoyant' entry (designation chain, first line; service narrative; spec block dp 630 / 184'6" / 33' / 9'9" / 14.8 k / cpl 104 / a. 1 3")

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The printed DANFS entry opens the designation chain: 'On 21 February 1942 Buoyant (AMc-130) was reclassified AM-153. She was launched 24 November 1942 by Willamette Iron and Steel Corp., Portland, Oreg., and commissioned 30 September 1943, Lieutenant W. L. Savell, Jr., in command.' The same entry supplies the full service record - all under AM-153: Adak arrival 30 Dec 1943 and Aleutian-chain escort duty (Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, Sand Bay, Amchitka, Adak, Attu) to 1 Jul 1944; three-week availability at Treasure Island; convoy escort to Eniwetok 1 Aug 1944; Forward Area Escort and Patrol Group at Saipan from 4 Sep 1944 (six months on the Saipan-Eniwetok lanes); Kiese Shima, Okinawa, 31 Mar 1945 - assault and occupation support with 'several dangerous sweeping operations' through 31 May; return to the U.S. 7 Jul; Far East return 17 Sep; Yokohama 15 Dec 1945; Sasebo occupation support to 8 Mar 1946; Subic Bay 13 Mar, demilitarized, Shanghai Apr 1946; decommissioned 29 May 1946 at Shanghai 'and sold by the Office of Foreign Liquidation Commission the same day'; one battle star. The official record establishes that AMc-130 was a pre-construction contract designation only - no hull was ever laid down, launched, or commissioned under it.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1942-1946

   Population

   Willamette Iron and Steel construction trades (1942-43); USN crew 1943-46 (complement 104)

   Limitations

   DANFS documents the designation chain and the built hull's identity and service - not materials or asbestos content. The printed entry omits a laying-down date (15 Apr 1942 rests on NavSource, ev-02) and does not name the sale's recipient ('Republic of China' rests on NavSource/Wikipedia). DANFS's spec block prints 630 t. vs the 650 t. in secondary sources - minor discrepancy flagged in gaps. Live NHHC page 404s - standing link rot; verbatim mirror transcription cited.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-buoyant-amc130-01

2. [2]NavSource Online, Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, 'Buoyant (AM-153) ex-AMc-130' page (designation chronology, specifications, CO roster, disposal) - content verified verbatim via search-index text and the canonical record's Wayback capture (2024-05-28); live navsource.org fetch refused from this host [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource AM-153 archive page (11/02153): page header 'ex-AMc-130', designation chronology block, specifications block, CO roster - verified via search-index text + canonical Wayback capture (live fetch refused)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource archive page for this hull, headed 'Buoyant (AM-153) ex-AMc-130': 'Originally planned as the Coastal Minesweeper Buoyant (AMc 130); Reclassified as a Minesweeper, AM-153, 21 February 1942; Laid down 15 April 1942 by the Willamette Iron and Steel Corp., Portland, OR; Launched 24 November 1942; Commissioned USS Buoyant (AM 153), 30 September 1943; Decommissioned 29 May 1946 at Shanghai, China and sold by the State Department, Foreign Liquidation Commission the same day for transfer to the Republic of China. Fate unknown.' The Willamette contract was thus an AMc-designated order redesignated to the Admirable-class fleet-minesweeper program ~7 weeks before keel-laying; the AMc-130 number was never carried by a ship in service.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1942-1946

   Population

   USN complement aboard the built hull, 1943-1946

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled archive, not a government record. Its reclassification line is corroborated by the printed DANFS entry (ev-01) and the uswarships AMc index (secondary corroboration, ledger sl-05). The laid-down date (15 Apr 1942), the 'for transfer to the Republic of China' detail, the 650 t. spec block, and the CO roster (LT Walter Lee Savell, Jr., USNR, 30 Sep 1943 - 25 Jun 1945, et seq.) are uncorroborated by an official source. Specifications block: two 1,710shp ALCO 539 diesels, Farrel-Birmingham single reduction gear, two shafts; 1x3"/50 DP + two twin 40mm + hedgehog + 2 DCT. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-buoyant-amc130-02

3. [3]Atlas canonical record uss-buoyant-am153.atlas.json (branch origin/batch-1177/uss-buoyant-am153, Tier 2) + designation-chain rows ev-01/ev-02 [other_primary]

   Locator

   uss-buoyant-am153.atlas.json (canonical, origin/batch-1177); this record's evidence rows ev-01, ev-02; NARA Special List 44 named-vessels table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   All-tier consolidation: AMc-130 and AM-153 are one contract hull, not two vessels. The batch listing 'USS Buoyant (AMC-130)' resolves to the canonical record uss-buoyant-am153 (Tier 2, batch-1177), which carries the full service history (commissioned 30 Sep 1943; Aleutians escort; Saipan-Eniwetok escort; Okinawa sweeping operations and one battle star; Sasebo occupation support; demilitarized at Subic Bay; decommissioned and sold at Shanghai 29 May 1946 for transfer to the Republic of China - fate unknown), the NARA archival leads, and the era/type asbestos inference. 'AMC-130' is a capitalization variant of AMc-130. NARA Special List 44 indexes the hull's deck logs only as 'Buoyant (AM-153)' - the federal index knows no AMc designation. This record exists so the former designation resolves to the canonical hull rather than reading as a second vessel.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1941-1946

   Limitations

   Internal consolidation statement - asserts only the one-hull identity, itself supported by the DANFS and NavSource rows ev-01/ev-02 and by federal indexing under AM-153 (ev-04); the underlying evidence chain is the canonical record's and is not duplicated here.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-buoyant-amc130-03

4. [4]NARA, Special List 44 - Named Vessels (finding aid to Vessel and Station Log Books, RG 24) + NARA 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessels up through 1961' (RG 19 guided-topic page) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Special List 44 named-vessels table, 'Buoyant (AM-153) 10/1/1943 - 6/30/1945' row; archives.gov asbestos guided topic, 'General Information Books' (RG 19 Entry P 11, Item S-68, 1940-1962) and 'Ship Engineering Drawings' (S103, S39, S48) sections

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   All federal archival records for this hull are indexed under AM-153, not the AMc designation: NARA Special List 44 indexes the hull's deck logs as 'Buoyant (AM-153)' with a single coverage run 10/1/1943-6/30/1945 (commissioning through the Okinawa campaign; the postwar logs covering Jul 1945-May 1946 - occupation support and the Shanghai disposal - do not appear in the named-vessels index). NARA's asbestos-research guide identifies the series that would hold hull-level material specifications - RG 19 Entry P-11 Minesweeper and Minelayer General Information Books (Item S-68, 1940-1962) and hull-number-arranged Ship Engineering Drawings (filing codes S39 Insulation and Lagging, S48 Piping, S103 Booklets of General Plans). Any researcher tracing 'AMc-130' must search the archive as AM-153.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1945 (logbook coverage); guide current as of 2026-09-22

   Population

   USN complement aboard the built hull, 1943-1945 (indexed coverage)

   Limitations

   Archival lead only - documents which series exist and under which hull number, not that hull-specific material survives in them; no drawing, GIB, or deck log was retrieved or confirmed (WWII deck logs are only partially digitized via the NOAA collaboration - none for AM-153 located in the National Archives Catalog per the canonical record's sweep). Deck logs are operational records, not materials documentation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-buoyant-amc130-04

5. [5]Batch-1476 search ledger (this record) + canonical record uss-buoyant-am153 same-day sweep: CourtListener API v4 authenticated queries (blocked - shared quota); web litigation sweep including BVA-name queries; mesothelioma marketing-list review [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-buoyant-amc130-09 through sl-uss-buoyant-amc130-11; canonical record ledger sl-04/sl-05

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull under any designation was located. This session's authenticated CourtListener queries ('USS Buoyant'; 'AMc-130', 'AMC-130', 'AM-153' hull-number variants; type=o) were blocked at the shared API throttle (HTTP 429, 2800/day consumed by same-day batch agents; 'Expected available in ~10,500 seconds') - not retried per batch rules; the canonical record's same-day pass met the same throttle. The 2026-09-22 web litigation sweep (canonical + this session's re-verification) found no docketed case and no Board of Veterans Appeals decision naming the hull - only name-in-list entries on law-firm marketing pages (mesothelioma.com minesweeper roster 'USS Buoyant | AM-153 | Admirable | 9/30/1943 | To China, 1946'; mesotheliomahelp.org minesweeper list), excluded per batch source rules as non-authoritative list placement.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   2026-09-22

   Limitations

   Negative finding from index/web search, not proof no claim was ever filed - CourtListener coverage skews to digitized federal opinions and RECAP dockets, and the structured docket search remains unrun at this designation string (HTTP 429); state-court filings and non-digitized dockets are underrepresented. Establishes only that no qualifying case was located. Marketing roster entries are not claims of exposure.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-buoyant-amc130-05

6. [6]DANFS AM-153 entry (vessel type, builder, 1942-43 construction window) + NavSource propulsion data (diesel plant) - assessment maintained at uss-buoyant-am153 ev-04/asbestos fields [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS AM-153 entry (construction record); NavSource AM-153 specifications block; canonical row ev-uss-buoyant-am153-04 + asbestos_products_documented field

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/type inference for the physical hull - built as AM-153, a steel Admirable-class fleet minesweeper at Willamette Iron and Steel, Portland, 1942-43, during the period when asbestos use in naval shipbuilding was standard (GAO HRD-80-2 program documentation, canonical ev-04) - plausibly carried period-standard asbestos-containing materials in applications typical for the type: diesel exhaust lagging, engine-space insulation, machinery gaskets and packing, electrical insulation, fireproofing, accommodation insulation, and deck covering. Because the plant was diesel (two ALCO 539 engines, no boilers or steam lines), the dominant WWII asbestos pathway aboard steam vessels - boiler and steam-line lagging - did not exist on this hull. This inference applies identically here because AMc-130 is the same hull's pre-construction designation.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1942-1946

   Population

   Willamette Iron and Steel construction trades (1942-43); USN crew 1943-46; Republic of China Navy crew 1946-unknown

   Limitations

   Inference from era, builder, and vessel type only - no ship-specific document names any asbestos product aboard this hull under any designation; no material schedule located (NARA RG 19 series, ev-04, are the lead). Applies to the built hull AM-153; the AMc-130 designation itself carried no ship and so has no asbestos history of its own. Does not establish quantity, location, or any individual exposure.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-buoyant-amc130-06

7. [7]Atlas shipyard dataset record 'willamette-iron-steel' (shipyards.json): Willamette Iron & Steel Corporation, Portland, OR (aliases incl. 'WISCO; Willamette Shipyard'), WWII peak employment 12,000, evidence_tier 3 + Albina Engine & Machine v. Director, OWCP, 627 F.3d 1293 (9th Cir. 2010) (canonical ev-03) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipyards.json record 'willamette-iron-steel' (yard_id, evidence row ev-willamette-01, asbestos_products_documented); Albina Engine opinion via canonical ev-03 (vLex 889053639; 627 F.3d 1293 at 1296-97)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Builder-yard context: the Atlas shipyards dataset carries Willamette Iron & Steel Corporation - the contract holder for the AMc-130 order and builder of the hull as AM-153 - at evidence_tier 3 with WWII peak employment 12,000; its one dataset evidence row documents Pabco (Fibreboard) fill-in insulation on ships at 'Willamette' in the 1960s-1970s (Lineaweaver v. Plant Insulation Co., 31 Cal. App. 4th 1409 (1995); yard identification marked 'disputed'). Separately, the published Ninth Circuit opinion in Albina Engine & Machine v. Director, OWCP records a stipulated mesothelioma death of shipyard carpenter James McAllister and notes 'WISCO admitted that Decedent was exposed to asbestos in its employ' - his WISCO employment window was 1956. Both located yard-level documentation windows post-date this hull's 1942-43 construction.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1942-1943 (this hull's construction window, as AM-153)

   Population

   Willamette Iron & Steel trades, 1941-1945 peak (construction window); documented exposure windows 1956 and 1960s-70s

   Limitations

   Yard-level documentation, not a hull record - asbestos products documented at the yard do not establish installation aboard this hull, and the documented windows (1956; 1960s-70s) all post-date the construction period. The Lineaweaver row's identification of 'Willamette Shipyard' as this Portland corporation is itself marked disputed in the dataset. Does not establish conditions aboard any vessel or during the wartime window.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-buoyant-amc130-07