USS Clamp (ARS-33)

Evidence

13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).

1. [1]research packet bn-packet.md (3 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: **VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-clamp-ars33-pkt-bn-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, 'Clamp' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Clamp' entry - spec block and full narrative; live NHHC URL (history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/clamp.html) returns 404 - verbatim text retrieved via Wayback capture 20251212142819 (continuing NHHC link-rot issue documented in Batch-01 report)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry (verbatim): 'A device which holds fast or binds things together.' Clamp was launched 24 October 1942 by Basalt Rock Co., Napa, Calif., under a Maritime Commission contract; commissioned 23 August 1943, Lieutenant L. H. Curtis in command. Spec line: ARS-33: dp. 1,441; l. 213'6"; b. 39'; dr. 14'8"; s. 15 k.; cpl. 120; a. 2 40mm.; cl. Diver. Service narrative: sailed San Pedro 30 September 1943; Pearl Harbor; Funafuti, Ellice Islands, 8 November; combat salvage supporting the Gilbert Islands invasion; five air attacks 10 November, no damage; salvage on LST-34; assisted Hoel (DD-533) off Betio Point 2 December; departed Funafuti 12 January 1944 for Midway; salvage operations on Macaw (ASR-11) 24 January-17 February; Pearl Harbor overhaul; Marshalls salvage and cargo duty April 1944; investigated sunken Japanese vessels off Saipan July, capturing 10 prisoners; salvaged 'LST-34' aground off Tinian August (MARAD assessment identifies the hull as LST-340 - discrepancy carried in gaps); Pearl Harbor overhaul November; Iwo Jima 19 February-2 March 1945; sailed to Leyte via Saipan, Guam, Ulithi, joined salvage and repair group clearing 21 March for Okinawa; based Kerama Retto 26 March-15 May; emergency aid to Indianapolis (CA-35) 31 March-5 April; steamed to Ie Shima 12 May to inspect two damaged destroyers; west-coast overhaul until 5 November 1945; Pearl Harbor until 6 March 1946, then Bikini Atoll for towing, diving, and demolition duties in Operation 'Crossroads'; returned Pearl Harbor 16 September, San Francisco 22 October; placed out of commission in reserve San Pedro 6 May 1947; four battle stars for WWII service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-1947

   Limitations

   Official secondary history compiled from Navy records; establishes identity, construction, service chronology, and awards. Contains no asbestos, materials, insulation, or hazmat statement; supports no asbestos claim. Tinian grounded-LST identification ('LST-34' vs MARAD's LST-340) is an unresolved internal conflict.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-clamp-ars33-01

3. [3]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - CLAMP (ARS-33), Ship History Detail 982, incl. digitized status card (CLAMP.pdf) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 982 - vessel data block, milestones table, status-card scan; status card PDF https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/documents/507d4684-e8df-43c4-8d19-6c98a6e849e1.pdf

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory database record for CLAMP (ARS-33): Year Built 1943; Shipyard Basalt Rock Company; General Type Naval Auxiliary, Specific Type 'ARS Salvage Ship'; length 213.50 ft, beam 39.00 ft, draft (lightweight) 13.00, displacement 1,897 (summer) / 1,630 (lightweight); Mission 'World War II'; fate 'Sold - Scrap'. Milestones: Entry and Acquisition 1962-10-25 (Suisun Bay custody); Entry/Acquisition 1995-04-24 CATEGORY X; Acquisition 1999-02-01 (title transfer); Cleared Historic Review 2009-06-17 ('Vessel cleared NHPA processing'); Withdrawal 2012-01-03 ('Dismantlement complete'). Digitized status card (CLAMP.pdf) confirms 'Navy Dept. Reserve Fleet' to 'Maritime Admin.' custody 10-25-62 at Suisun Bay and permanent transfer 7-1-63.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-2012

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody/disposal milestones. 'Year Built 1943' reflects completion/commissioning year vs the 1942 launch - a MARAD field convention, not a conflict. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-clamp-ars33-02

4. [4]MARAD, National Register Eligibility Assessment - Vessel: USS Clamp (ARS-33) (Clamp_NHPA_History.pdf), 2009-05-12 [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   Full six-page assessment: Vessel History, Historic Context, Description/Characteristics, Statement of Significance, Integrity, National Register Eligibility Statement (full text extracted and searched - no asbestos/hazmat/insulation-material statement appears anywhere in the document)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD National Register Eligibility Assessment for USS Clamp (ARS-33), dated 2009-05-12: keel laid March 2, 1942 (conflicts with NavSource/uboat February 3, 1942 - carried in gaps); launched October 24, 1942; commissioned San Francisco August 23, 1943. Built under Maritime Commission contract; intended as HMS Atlantic Salvor (BARS-3) - her pre-launch transfer to the USN 'made it this country's first steel-hulled Navy salvage vessel designed and built as such.' Class context: Diver class, 16 steel-hulled 213-ft ships built at Basalt Rock Co., Napa. War narrative supplements DANFS: 72 general-quarters calls in April 1945 at Okinawa (3 days, 17 hr, 32 min at battle stations); War Hawk (AP-168) assistance at Lingayen 1945-01-10; towed the disabled ex-Japanese battleship Nagato 1946-03-30 arriving Eniwetok four days later; led the salvage force into the lagoon after the ABLE shot; placed monitors aboard Salt Lake City (CA-25); surveyed and salvaged Skate (SS-305) and towed it to Mare Island; repairs at Commercial Iron Works, Portland, OR after Okinawa. Characteristics: 213.6 ft; beam 39; draft 13; displacement 1,530 standard / 1,970 full load; diesel-electric, four Cooper-Bessemer engines replaced by Caterpillars in the 1960s-70s; 3,000 hp; 14.8 knots; complement 69; 'two 44 mm guns' (sic - 40mm). Salvage outfit: 20-ton forward / 10-ton aft booms; 75-ton bow lift rollers; towing machine with 2,100 ft of 2-in wire; two fixed 1,000-gpm fire pumps plus four portable; multi-point mooring; eight sets of beach gear; one double recompression chamber; two diving stations; two 35-ft work boats. Condition in 2009: 'very poor,' out of operation >60 years, equipment removed over the years to support memorial ships including USS Slater (DE-766). Determination: NOT ELIGIBLE.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-2009

   Limitations

   Federal NHPA Section 106 eligibility document prepared from the NHHC ship file and published sources; establishes detailed history, characteristics, salvage fit, and 2009 condition. Contains NO asbestos, hazmat, or insulation-material statement - its silence is logged, not read as absence. Complement printed as 69 conflicts with DANFS/NavSource 120; laid-down date conflicts with NavSource; both carried in gaps. Supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-clamp-ars33-03

5. [5]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - USS Clamp (ARS-33), file 09/37/3733 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource page 09/37/3733 - chronology block, Asiatic-Pacific campaign table, spec block, awards line, commanding-officers table (navsource.org DNS unreachable this pass; .net mirror used)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive, Clamp (ARS-33) page (file 09/37/3733): laid down 3 February 1942 as HMS Atlantic Salvor (BARS-3) under Maritime Commission contract at Basalt Rock Co., Napa, CA (conflicts with MARAD's March 2 - carried in gaps); reallocated to the US Navy prior to launch; launched 24 October 1942; commissioned 23 August 1943, LT Lebbeus H. Curtis USNR in command. Campaigns: Gilbert Islands operation 27 November-8 December 1943; Marianas (Saipan) 4 July 1944; Iwo Jima 19 February-2 March 1945; Okinawa Gunto 26 March-16 May 1945. Assigned Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.2.7 Target Vessel Group - Salvage Units for Operation Crossroads, Bikini Atoll, July 1946. Decommissioned 6 May 1947, Pacific Reserve Fleet San Pedro; MARAD custody 25 October 1962, permanent 1 July 1963; towed to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard 7-11 March 1966 for spare-parts removal; struck 1 July 1973; four battle stars; title transfer MARAD 1 February 1999; sold for scrapping $462,223.31 to Marine Metals Inc., Brownsville TX, 12 April 2011; withdrawn from NDRF Suisun Bay 23 May 2011. Spec block: displacement 1,630 lt / 1,897 fl; length 213'6"; beam 39'; draft 14'1"; speed 18.8 kts (conflicts DANFS 15 / MARAD 14.8 - gaps); complement 7 officers + 113 enlisted; armament one 3"/50 dual-purpose mount, two twin 40mm AA, four single .50 cal; Cooper-Bessemer diesel-electric, Fairbanks-Morse reduction gear, twin propellers, 3,000 shp. Awards: Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive 10 November 1943), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4), WWII Victory Medal; call sign NHEO. Commanding officers: LCDR Lebbeus Harold Curtis USNR 1943-08-23 to 1945-10-01; LT Saleem DeWitt Frey USN 1945-10-01 to 1947-05-06.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-2011

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled secondary index - used for the awards block, spec block, CO table, and post-Navy timeline details corroborated by MARAD/DANFS. Contains no asbestos or materials statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-clamp-ars33-04

6. [6]Bartholomew, Charles A., and William I. Milwee Jr., Mud, Muscle, and Miracles: Marine Salvage in the United States Navy (Naval Sea Systems Command / U.S. GPO) - govinfo GOVPUB-D211-PURL-gpo58404 [other_primary]

   Locator

   Chapter 'World War II Begins' (~p. 88, British-intended hulls retained); Pacific-theater chapter (Funafuti/Tarawa, Macaw, Iwo Jima flagship, Kerama Retto, Clamp work list); Operation Crossroads chapter (ABLE/BAKER lagoon salvage, radiation hot spots) - verified in full text

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official Navy salvage history (Bartholomew & Milwee, Mud, Muscle, and Miracles, Naval Sea Systems Command/NAVSEA, GPO): Clamp (ARS-33) and Gear (ARS-34) were the two of four British-intended hulls retained and commissioned in the U.S. Navy; 'Clamp, the first steel-hulled salvage ship to enter service, arrived in Funafuti on 8 November 1943, in time to support the invasion of Tarawa'; under air attack five times (text prints '10 December' - DANFS and the MARAD assessment give 10 November; discrepancy in gaps); hauled LST-34 off the beach and refloated Hoel (DD-533) at Betio Point. Macaw detail: Clamp came from Abemama Atoll, laid beach gear, pulled two days, then hauled Macaw off in a gale more than three weeks after arrival - Macaw sank in the entrance channel 'taking much of Clamp's salvage gear with her.' Iwo Jima: 'Captain Lebbeus Curtis, who flew his pennant in Clamp, the salvage ship commanded by his son, led this group' - Clamp as salvage-force flagship. Okinawa: first salvage and repair unit into the Kerama Retto anchorage 27 March (Clamp 'still wearing the broad command pennant'); Commodore Carter: 'The large salvage pumps on the Clamp and Gear proved valuable in keeping damaged ships afloat until temporary underwater patching was effected'; Clamp refloated Tolman (DM-28), put out fires on LST-559, and made emergency repairs to Laffey (DD-724) after five kamikazes hit that destroyer. Crossroads: 'the salvage unit, led by Clamp, entered the lagoon to extinguish the fires and control the damage on the target ships' after ABLE; after BAKER, salvage crews and divers 'had to deal with high levels of radiation in seemingly random hot spots' - documented radiological-hazard context, distinct from asbestos.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-1946

   Population

   Crew and embarked salvage divers (1943-1946) - operational context only

   Limitations

   Official institutional history at service level; establishes operational detail beyond DANFS incl. the salvage-flagship role and post-detonation lagoon entries on contaminated targets. Prints '10 December' for the five air attacks vs DANFS/MARAD '10 November' - carried in gaps. Contains no asbestos or materials statement; the documented hazard is radiological, not asbestos; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-clamp-ars33-05

7. [7]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., 'A Health Survey of Pipe Covering Operations in Constructing Naval Vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol. 1946 Jan;28:9-16 (PMID 21016030) [other_primary]

   Locator

   PubMed record PMID 21016030 (J Ind Hyg Toxicol 1946;28:9-16); article text via Toxic Docs archive - pipe-covering materials section and Table 2 dust analyses for Navy Yards A-B and Contract Yards C-D

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era construction practice for this hull's documented origin - Navy-contract new construction 1942-43 under a Maritime Commission contract at Basalt Rock Co., Napa: the contemporaneous U.S. Public Health Service / Navy industrial-hygiene survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite' asbestos, and identified asbestosis cases among pipe coverers at Navy yards and Navy contract yards. Clamp's documented plant is diesel-electric (four Cooper-Bessemer diesels, twin screw, ~3,000 shp) with no boilers or steam propulsion system, so the era-typical boiler/steam-line lagging profile does not apply; plausible applications for the type are engine-exhaust and pipe insulation/lagging, flange and valve gaskets, machinery packing, joiner/accommodation and electrical materials, and brake linings on salvage winches and windlass.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-1947 construction and service era

   Population

   Construction trades (Basalt Rock Co., Napa, 1942-43); Navy crew and embarked salvage divers (1943-47); shipbreaking crews (Marine Metals, Brownsville, 2011-12) - inference only, no ship-specific exposure record

   Limitations

   Era/class inference only - the study surveyed Navy yards and contract yards and does not name Basalt Rock or this hull; asbestos presence aboard this specific vessel is not established. The document establishes that asbestos pipe covering was standard USN construction practice in this period, nothing more: no hull-specific installation, quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-clamp-ars33-06

8. [8]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; this hull's construction (1942-43) and entire Navy-service period (1943-1947) fall inside that era.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   WWII era through early 1970s

   Population

   Navy ships and shipyard workers generally (program-level)

   Limitations

   Program-level finding, not hull evidence - does not name this vessel. GAO full text is unreachable to automated fetch (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 - standing issue per Batch-01 report); product-page description used. Does not establish asbestos aboard, quantity, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-clamp-ars33-07

9. [9]California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region - 'Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet Consent Order Fact Sheet'; Item 7 staff report, April 2010 agenda; Item 7B staff report, September 2017 agenda (consent-decree compliance retrospective); consent judgment in Arc Ecology et al. v. U.S. Maritime Administration et al., E.D. Cal. No. 2:07-cv-02320-GEB-KJN (Judge Garland Burrell, approved April 2010; case number per MARAD SBRF page) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Water Board consent-order fact sheet; https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb2/board_info/agendas/2010/April/7_SSR.pdf ; https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb2/board_info/agendas/2017/September/7b_ssr.pdf

   Finding type

   environmental_record

   Finding

   As a non-retention vessel of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, Clamp fell under the consent judgment in Arc Ecology et al. v. U.S. Maritime Administration et al., E.D. Cal. No. 2:07-cv-02320-GEB-KJN, approved by Judge Garland Burrell in April 2010 - resolving litigation by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, Arc Ecology, San Francisco Baykeeper, and NRDC over pollutant discharges from the 'Mothball Fleet.' MARAD's own 2007 study found more than 20 tons of heavy metals had discharged from non-retention vessels to Suisun Bay, with over 60 tons potentially to follow. The judgment required MARAD to: remove accumulated paint chips and debris from decks within 120 days; clean all non-retention vessel exteriors of flaking paint within two years; drydock-clean vessels of marine growth and above-waterline flaking paint before removal; remove the 20 worst-condition ships by 2012-09-30 and all 57 non-retention vessels by 2017-09-30. Clamp departed under this regime 2011-05-23.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2006-2017

   Limitations

   Environmental enforcement context for the disposal path - the consent judgment addressed heavy-metal discharge, flaking paint, and marine growth, NOT asbestos. Per litigation-stage discipline this is a settled consent judgment (post-January-2010 merits ruling for plaintiffs on Clean Water Act liability), classified as a fleet-level environmental record; it is not exposure evidence and makes no statement about asbestos aboard any vessel, including this one.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-clamp-ars33-08

10. [10]MARAD press release 'Two More Ships To Depart Suisun Bay Fleet' (May 2011), mirrored at marinelink.com/news/depart-suisun-ships338708; U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, S.L. Morison, 'Former Naval Ships Disposed of by the Navy/Maritime Administration' (2012); East Bay Times, 'Mare Island dismantler gets no traction on new contract bids,' 2011-04-25 [reputable_press]

    Locator

    MarineLink mirror of the MARAD release (verbatim); USNI PDF https://www.usni.org/sites/default/files/magazine_uploads/uploads/Morison%20May%2012.pdf ; https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2011/04/25/mare-island-dismantler-gets-no-traction-on-new-contract-bids/

    Finding type

    vessel_history

    Finding

    Disposal path: MARAD sold Clamp (with sisters Bolster ARS-38, Reclaimer, and Sagamore) to Marine Metals Inc., Brownsville, TX - Clamp's price $462,223.31; the four-hull award totaled ~$1.85 million (East Bay Times, citing MARAD contracts posted 2011-04-25). Clamp and Bolster departed the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet under tow Monday 2011-05-23 - the 22nd and 23rd vessels removed under the October 2009 cleanup commitment - after drydock cleaning at BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair limited to marine growth and loose exterior paint, then towed via the Panama Canal to Brownsville for recycling. USNI Proceedings' 'Former Naval Ships Disposed' column records both Clamp and Bolster sold to Marine Metal Inc. for $462,223.31 each and departed under tow 23 May. MARAD's milestone table records Withdrawal 2012-01-03: 'Dismantlement complete.'

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    2011-2012

    Population

    Shipbreaking crews, BAE Systems San Francisco drydock and Marine Metals Brownsville (2011-12) - documented event, no exposure data

    Limitations

    Trade/press documentation of the contract award, departure, cleaning scope, and completion milestone (MARAD table). The documented pre-tow cleaning scope was marine growth and loose exterior paint at BAE drydock - an exterior-water-quality measure under the consent decree, not an interior hazmat/abatement record. No asbestos survey, manifest, or abatement scope for this hull is stated in any located disposal document.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-clamp-ars33-09

11. [11]CourtListener API v4 search results, 2026-09-26 (three opinion sweeps completed; docket sweeps pacing-blocked) [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-clamp-ars33-09 through sl-uss-clamp-ars33-13

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    CourtListener API v4 authenticated searches, 2026-09-26: exact-name opinion search '"USS Clamp"' returned 0 results. Hull-number opinion search '"ARS-33"' returned 5 results, all name collisions - the string matches Arizona Revised Statutes citations and unrelated docket text (In re Acosta, Bankr. D. Ariz. 1995; B & P Development v. Walker, W.D. Pa. 1976; Blackmore v. Honnas, Ariz. App. 1984; Lewis v. Ehrlich, Ariz. App. 1973; Appalachian Railcar Services v. Boatright Enterprises, W.D. Mich. 2008) - classified no qualifying result. Asbestos-scoped opinion sweep '"Clamp" asbestos ship' returned 11 results, all non-qualifying - matches on 'clamp' as a device/surname in product-liability, veterans-claims, admiralty limitation, and construction-defect cases (Hooker v. Super Products; McGinty v. Brown; Dunn v. Southern Charters; two In re Ta Chi Navigation limitation proceedings; Pulte Home v. Parex; Saena v. Zenith Optical; Beegle v. Thomson; In re Forum Studio/Clayco; Bizios v. Town of Lakewood Village; East Texas Medical Center Gilmer v. Birder Porter); none names USS Clamp or any naval vessel. Both docket-level (type=r) sweeps were attempted and blocked by the shared fleet pacing budget - logged, not run to conclusion. The one known litigation matter touching this hull is environmental (Arc Ecology et al. v. MARAD, E.D. Cal. 2:07-cv-02320-GEB-KJN - see ev-08): no asbestos, exposure, or personal-injury case naming this vessel was located.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1942-2026

    Limitations

    Opinion coverage is limited to published/indexed material; a settled, sealed, or unpublished asbestos claim naming this hull would not appear. Both docket-level sweeps are incomplete (pacing-blocked at batch time) - coverage is logged honestly rather than claimed exhaustive. Absence of a located case is not proof no claim was ever filed and does not establish or defeat exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-clamp-ars33-10

12. [12]Batch-2668 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via Wayback; MARAD ShipHistory 982 + NHPA assessment + status card; NavSource 09/37/3733; govinfo MMM; CourtListener name/hull sweeps; NVR; Water Board documents; MARAD release mirrors; USNI; NARA guidance; shipyards.json [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-clamp-ars33-01 through sl-uss-clamp-ars33-19

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, condition report, or docketed asbestos case naming Clamp, ARS-33, or HMS Atlantic Salvor (BARS-3) was found in the public sources searched. The MARAD NHPA assessment (full text searched) contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazmat statement; DANFS, MARAD ShipHistory and the status card, NavSource, and the NAVSEA salvage history contain none; the NVR excludes pre-1987 disposals; web-level 'shipyard asbestos' claims touching builder Basalt Rock appear only on law-firm/marketing sites - excluded as non-authoritative per batch rules.

    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 aboard - a 1942-43 Navy-contract steel hull scrapped in 2011-12 is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials having been present, and reserve-fleet mooring and commercial scrapping are documented disturbance contexts. This row establishes only that no public ship-specific asbestos record was located; it does not establish presence or absence and does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-clamp-ars33-11

13. [13]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 24 (deck logs), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission); NARA guided topic 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961'; MARAD NHPA assessment source list (Clamp Ship File, NHC) [other_primary]

    Locator

    NARA asbestos guidance page (RG 19 research path, 1941-1961); https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/019.html ; .../groups/024.html ; .../groups/178.html

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - research-room or reproduction order required; no spend authorized): (a) the 'Clamp Ship File,' Naval Historical Center/NHHC, Washington, D.C. - cited as a source in the MARAD assessment; (b) NARA RG 24 deck logs for ARS-33's commissioned period (1943-1947), which would document daily operations, repair events, and material disturbances; (c) RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) construction/outfitting correspondence for this Maritime Commission-contract hull - the record group NARA's own asbestos-research guidance identifies as operative for ship-specific material questions, 1940-1961; (d) RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) contract/construction records for the Basalt Rock build (BARS-3 contract); (e) MARAD pre-disposal condition surveys and hazmat/ship-inventory documents for the 2011 removal, not posted in the public ShipHistory file - a FOIA or records-center lead; (f) Joint Task Force 1 / Operation Crossroads radiological records relevant to the documented post-detonation salvage entries (non-asbestos hazard context).

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1942-2012 records

    Limitations

    Record-group and file mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific construction, maintenance, or disposal documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person or via FOIA. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-clamp-ars33-12