Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]DANFS, 'Climax' (AM-161) - verbatim transcription at the losthistory.net/hazegray mirror (live history.navy.mil page returns 404 - standing link rot, same as BATCH-01/1148/1180) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Climax' entry, specifications block + service narrative (losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/mine/am161.htm)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official DANFS record for this hull: Admirable-class minesweeper (dp. 530; l. 184'6"; b. 33'; dr. 9'9"; s. 15 k.; cpl. 104; a. 1 x 3"; cl. Admirable). Launched 9 January 1943 by Willamette Iron and Steel Corp., Portland, Oreg.; commissioned 24 March 1944, Lieutenant R. E. Danielson, Jr., USNR, in command. May-September 1944 school ship at U.S. Naval Small Craft Training Center, San Pedro, Calif.; brief overhaul; convoy escort to Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, and Ulithi, returning to Eniwetok 20 December 1944; Eniwetok-based convoy escort to Ulithi, Guam, and Saipan until 6 March 1945; escorted a resupply convoy to Iwo Jima 13 March, screening duty until 18 March; Eniwetok 29 March; resumed escort to Ulithi and Guam, submarine training ship, aided expansion of Eniwetok anchorage facilities. After overhaul at Guam: Saipan, Okinawa, and Wakayama, Honshu - sweeping operations 11 September - 18 October 1945 supporting the landing of Allied occupation troops; pilot vessel at Matoya Ko until 19 December 1945; cleared Nagoya for San Diego, arrived 16 February 1946; placed out of commission in reserve 31 May 1946; reclassified MSF-161, 7 February 1955. Two battle stars for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1942-1955
- Population
- Willamette Iron and Steel construction trades (1942-43); wartime crew (design complement 104); occupation-duty crew, Japan waters, Sep-Dec 1945
- Limitations
- DANFS documents identity, builder, dates, service narrative, and administrative status - not materials or asbestos content. Does not record the laid-down date (NavSource supplies 26 May 1942), the AMc-138 planned designation, a stricken date, or the disposal mechanism beyond nothing - the entry ends at the 1955 reclassification. Spec block (dp 530, 15 k.) differs from NavSource (650 t., 14.8 kts.) and the HyperWar class block (625 t., 15 kts., 10' draft) - drift flagged in ev-07. Mirror transcription cited because the live NHHC page returns 404.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-climax-am161-01
-
[2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Climax (MSF 161) ex-AM-161 ex-AMc-138, file 11/02161 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/02161 - chronology block, specifications block, propulsion line, CO list, photo credits
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource per-hull record: 'Admirable Class Minesweeper'; 'Originally planned as the Coastal Minesweeper Climax (AMc 138). Reclassified Minesweeper AM-161, 21 February 1942'; laid down 26 May 1942 by the Willamette Iron and Steel Corp., Portland, OR; launched 9 January 1943; commissioned USS Climax (AM 161), 24 March 1944; 'Decommissioned 31 May 1946 at San Diego, CA'; 'Naval Vessel Register of 1 January 1949 lists out of commission, in reserve as December 1945'; 'Reclassified as a Fleet Minesweeper (Steel Hull), MSF-161, 7 February 1955'; 'Scrapped in 1959.' Spec block: 650 t.; 184'6"; 33' beam; 9'9" draft; 14.8 kts.; complement 104; one 3"/50 dual-purpose mount, two twin 40mm mounts, one depth-charge projector (hedgehog), two depth-charge tracks; propulsion 'Two 1,710shp ALCO 539 diesel engines, Farrel-Birmingham, single reduction gear, two shafts.' Call sign November-Delta-November-Sierra. CO list: LT Richard E. Danielson, Jr., USNR (24 Mar 1944 - 31 Oct 1945). Photo credit: NHHC photo NH 81363, the hull in San Francisco Bay early 1946 flying her homeward-bound pennant.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1942-1959
- Population
- Willamette Iron and Steel trades (1942-43); wartime crew; reserve-fleet custodial personnel (San Diego, 1946-1959); scrapping-yard workers (1959)
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official. The NVR-1949 'in reserve as December 1945' note conflicts with the DANFS decommissioning date of 31 May 1946 (she only reached San Diego 16 Feb 1946) - flagged in ev-07. 'Scrapped in 1959' carries no date, place, purchaser, or stricken date - the stricken event is undocumented in every located source. Spec block differs from DANFS (650 t./14.8 kts. vs 530 dp/15 k.) - flagged in ev-07. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-climax-am161-02
-
[3]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation), 'Willamette Iron & Steel (Wisco), Portland OR' yard table - hull #12 row (AM 161 Climax) + yard history header [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/small/willamette.htm - hull #12 row + yard history header; sisters #3-16 (AM-152 through AM-165)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Yard-table row for this hull: '12 | Climax (AM 161) | U.S. Navy | Minesweeper | 650d | 185 | 24-Mar-44 | Scrapped 1959.' The Willamette table's minesweeper block runs #3-16 (Bond AM-152 through Counsel AM-165): sisters AM-152 through AM-158 went to the USSR under Lend-Lease or to China, while AM-159 through AM-165 - Climax's block - remained U.S. hulls disposed by scrapping 1959-1973 (Counsel AM-165). Yard history header: established 1865 as Willamette Iron Works, a general foundry; renamed Willamette Iron & Steel 1904; continued as a repair yard after WWII until closing 1990; yard at foot of N.W. 17th Avenue, Portland.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1942-1959
- Population
- Willamette Iron & Steel (WISCO) construction workforce (Portland, OR, 1942-43)
- Limitations
- Compiler's yard table, secondary - corroborates builder, delivery date (24-Mar-44 matches commissioning), type, tonnage (650d consistent with NavSource, not with DANFS's 530 dp), and 'scrapped 1959' disposition. Carries no stricken date and no disposal detail (purchaser, site). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-climax-am161-03
-
[4]uboat.net Allied Warships of WWII - USS Climax (AM 161) ship page 5279 [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5279.html - data block + CO list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- uboat.net per-hull record: Admirable-class minesweeper, pennant AM 161; 'Built by Willamette Iron and Steel Corp. (Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.)'; ordered 30 Dec 1941; laid down 26 May 1942; launched 9 Jan 1943; commissioned 24 Mar 1944; 'End service 31 May 1946'; 'Decommissioned 31 May 1946 at San Diego, California.' CO list: Lt. Richard E. Danielson, Jr., USNR, from 23 Mar 1944.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1941-1946
- Population
- Wartime crew
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation - corroborates builder, order date (30 Dec 1941 - not in DANFS or NavSource), laid-down/launch/commission/decommission dates. CO start '23 Mar 1944' is one day earlier than NavSource's '24 March 1944' (the commissioning date) - flagged in ev-07. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-climax-am161-04
-
[5]Atlas shipyard dataset record 'willamette-iron-steel' (shipyards.json; tier 3 - single product row: Pabco/Fibreboard fill-in insulation 'used only as fill-in at Willamette in the 1960s and 1970s' per Lineaweaver v. Plant Insulation Co., 31 Cal. App. 4th 1409 (1995), verification_status 'disputed' - the opinion names only 'Willamette Shipyard' with no corporate name or state) + Admirable-class specifications (steel hull; ALCO 539 diesel propulsion, no boilers) per DANFS specs block and NavSource class data [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipyards.json record 'willamette-iron-steel' (ev-willamette-01); DANFS/NavSource Admirable-class specification blocks
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/class inference: a steel-hulled Admirable-class minesweeper built 1942-43 would have carried period-standard asbestos materials typical of WWII combatant construction - exhaust and engine-room thermal lagging, machinery-space acoustic and fire insulation, joiner/bulkhead fireproof panels, gaskets and packing, electrical insulation, winch and windlass brake linings, deck coverings. Her diesel propulsion (ALCO 539, no boilers) narrows the profile versus steam-driven vessels. Builder Willamette Iron & Steel resolves in the Atlas yard dataset at tier 3, but its only product row is disputed and describes 1960s-70s repair-era fill-in insulation - it does not document asbestos use during this hull's 1942-43 construction.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1942-1959
- Population
- Willamette Iron & Steel construction trades 1942-43; wartime crew 1944-46; reserve-fleet caretakers 1946-59; scrapping workers 1959
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no source names asbestos aboard this specific hull. No boiler or steam-line insulation inference applies (diesel plant). The yard-level row is weaker than most: the product identification itself is 'disputed' in the dataset and the documented period (1960s-70s repairs) postdates this hull's construction - though, unlike her Project Hula sisters, this hull did survive into the 1959 U.S. scrapping window, so the yard's postwar repair-era row is at least temporally adjacent to her custodial tail. Does not establish quantity, location, or any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-climax-am161-05
-
[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); and Fleischer, W.E., et al., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030 [other_primary]
- Locator
- AJIM 11(3):359-373 (article); PubMed PMID 21016030
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and wartime construction program under which this hull was built at Willamette Iron & Steel, Portland. The USMC-commissioned 1944-45 industrial-hygiene survey of pipe-covering operations at Navy and contract yards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; articles 1946/1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (era context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding and naval-vessel construction generally; neither source names this vessel, class, or builder yard. Pipe-covering findings are less applicable to a diesel (non-steam) minesweeper than to steam vessels. Establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-climax-am161-06
-
[7]Source-discrepancy resolution - DANFS (losthistory/hazegray mirror) vs NavSource 11/02161 vs Colton Willamette yard table vs uboat.net 5279 vs HyperWar class block and per-hull page vs Wikipedia infobox vs navalmarinearchive small-ships table [other_primary]
- Locator
- losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/mine/am161.htm; navsource.net/archives/11/02161.htm; shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/small/willamette.htm; uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5279.html; ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AM/AM-161_Climax.html and ships-dm.html class block; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Climax; navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/smallships/minesweepers1.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged, not silently merged: (a) Reserve-status date - NavSource cites the Naval Vessel Register of 1 January 1949 listing Climax 'out of commission, in reserve as December 1945,' while DANFS places her out of commission in reserve 31 May 1946 (she reached San Diego 16 Feb 1946) - the December 1945 figure is inconsistent with the documented service chronology and is carried as an NVR-print quirk, not adopted. (b) Propulsion label - HyperWar's class block and per-hull page read 'Diesel-electric engines, twin screws, 1,800 h.p.'; NavSource documents two ALCO 539 diesels through a Farrel-Birmingham single reduction gear (geared direct drive, not diesel-electric) - NavSource carried; HyperWar treated as a compilation label error (same pattern as sister hulls). (c) Specs - DANFS dp 530 / 15 k. / 9'9" vs NavSource 650 t. / 14.8 kts. / 9'9" vs HyperWar 625 t. / 15 kts. / 10' - DANFS carried for the specs block; tonnage variance (530/625/650) flagged. (d) Builder name - 'Willamette Iron and Steel Corp.' (DANFS, NavSource, uboat.net, Colton) vs 'Willamette Iron and Steel Works' (Wikipedia infobox) - 'Corp.' carried; 'Works' treated as a name-form error. (e) CO start - NavSource 24 Mar 1944 (commissioning day) vs uboat.net 23 Mar 1944 - one-day variance flagged, not reconciled. (f) MSF reclassification - 7 February 1955 (DANFS, NavSource) vs 'MSF 161 1956' (navalmarinearchive small-ships table) - 1955 carried. (g) Stricken date - absent from every located source (DANFS, NavSource, Colton, uboat.net, Wikipedia); only 'scrapped 1959' is documented - carried in gaps. (h) NavSource 'one depth charge projector (hedgehog)' conflates the hedgehog with a depth-charge projector - armament wording carried as printed.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1942-1959
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies among the official DANFS text, secondary compilations, and a Wikipedia infobox, adopting the better-supported values and flagging the rest. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-climax-am161-07
-
[8]Batch-1185 search ledger (this record): DANFS via losthistory/hazegray mirror; NavSource 11/02161; Shipbuilding History Willamette yard table; uboat.net 5279; HyperWar class block + per-hull page; Naval Vessel Register site; CourtListener API v4 (blocked - shared quota); web litigation sweep incl. VA/BVA-name queries; mesothelioma marketing-list review [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-climax-am161-01 through sl-uss-climax-am161-08
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for USS Climax / AM-161 / AMc-138 / MSF-161: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, preservation or reserve-fleet record, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming this hull was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Unlike her Project Hula sisters, this hull remained U.S. property through a 13-year reserve-fleet layup (San Diego, 1946-1959) and domestic scrapping in 1959 - a custodial path on which layup, survey, or disposal records could have been generated - but none surfaced in digitized public sources; NARA/MARAD paper records are the open lead (ev-10). The only web mentions pairing 'Climax' with asbestos are name-in-list entries on law-firm marketing pages (mesothelioma.com minesweepers table row 'USS Climax | AM-161 | Admirable | 3/24/1944 | Scrapped, 1959'; mesotheliomahelp.org ship list) - list placement, not a ship-specific claim. No VA/BVA decision naming the hull surfaced.
- 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 - a 1942-43-built vessel is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials even accounting for its lighter diesel insulation load. The CourtListener structured pass is incomplete (shared API key quota exhausted, HTTP 429; logged blocked, not failed-by-omission) - litigation status is 'no qualifying case found' on the web sweep, with the structured docket search deferred. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-climax-am161-08
-
[9]Air & Liquid Systems Corp. v. DeVries, 586 U.S. 446 (2019), CourtListener 4601080 [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener opinion 4601080
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No case located names this hull (see negative_finding row and search_ledger). Doctrinal context only for the vessel's type: claims arising from WWII-era Navy-vessel asbestos exposure ran under maritime law against equipment manufacturers, and the Supreme Court's DeVries decision settled the 'bare-metal defense' framework - manufacturers that supplied bare equipment had a duty to warn where their products required asbestos-containing parts. It illustrates the litigation posture claims arising from service aboard a WWII diesel minesweeper would have faced; no such claim naming Climax was located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 2019 decision
- Limitations
- Doctrinal context only - the cited case does not name or involve this hull, and DeVries addressed manufacturers' duty to warn for asbestos-containing components on Navy vessels generally. Classification note: a complaint's vessel list would be a pleading allegation, not a finding; no pleading naming this hull was located. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-climax-am161-09
-
[10]Archival leads - NARA RG 24 deck logs and WWII muster rolls for this hull's March 1944 - May 1946 commission; NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) General Information Books and the Navy contract file for the Willamette Admirable-class block (ordered 30 Dec 1941 per uboat.net); Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group layup/inspection records (1946-1959) and the 1959 disposal/sale file (NARA/MARAD); NHHC photograph NH 81363 (hull in San Francisco Bay, early 1946, per NavSource credit) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov RG 19/24 group guides; NavSource 11/02161 photo credit line (NH 81363)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized; NARA catalog returns only its JS application shell to automated fetch): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs and muster rolls covering this hull's ~26-month U.S. commission; (b) NARA RG 19 Bureau of Ships records / General Information Books and the Navy contract file for the Willamette Admirable-class block - the plausible home of hull-level material schedules; (c) Pacific Reserve Fleet San Diego layup, preservation, and periodic-inspection files plus the 1959 disposal documentation (sale/scrapping record, possibly MARAD-mediated) - the custodial records that could contain material or abatement detail for a hull that spent 13 years in U.S. reserve before domestic scrapping; (d) NHHC still-photo NH 81363.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1942-1959 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for AM-161 is unknown until surveyed in person. Muster rolls, deck logs, and disposal files are personnel/operations records, not materials documentation. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-climax-am161-10