USS Curb (ARS-21)

Evidence

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

1. [1]research packet bm-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-curb-ars21-pkt-bm-packet-md

2. [2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Curb' entry (NHHC online edition, page published 2014-04-15, live through at least the 2024-05-26 Wayback capture; transcription mirrored at losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/ars21.htm) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC DANFS 'Curb (ARS-21)' page - live URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/curb-ars-21.html returns 404 as of 2026-09-26 (standing NHHC link-rot issue per BATCH-01); text verified via Wayback capture 2024-05-26 and the hazegray/losthistory.net transcription (identical wording)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Curb, verbatim: 'That which restrains or subdues. ARS-21: dp. 1,441 l. 213'6" b. 39' dr. 14'8" s. 15 k. cpl. 120 a. 2 x 40mm. cl. Diver. Curb (ARS-21) was launched 24 April 1943 by Basalt Rock Co., Napa, Calif.; sponsored by Mrs. H. Peterson; and commissioned 12 May 1944, Lieutenant C. Peterson, USNR, in command. Curb sailed from San Diego 22 June 1944, delivered a battle raft to Eglin Field, Fla., and arrived at Norfolk 26 July for war duty in the Atlantic. On 26 August she sailed for Argentia, Newfoundland, arriving 25 August for towing and salvage duties until she returned to Boston 16 November. She had similar duty at Bermuda from 27 November 1944 to 12 January 1945, serving the great number of ships training or assembling for convoys there. After a brief overhaul at Norfolk, Curb sailed on towing duty to San Francisco, arriving 3 April. On 16 April 1945 she departed San Francisco to operate in Alaskan waters until putting in to Seattle 14 March 1946. On 9 August she arrived at San Pedro, Calif., for towing duty, voyaging twice to Bremerton, Wash., until 28 October when she cleared for Orange, Tex., arriving 23 November. Curb was decommissioned 20 December 1946 and loaned to a private salvage firm 10 May 1947.' NHHC page header line: 'Curb (ARS-21) 1943-1946'.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-1947

   Population

   Ship's company (complement 120 per stats line)

   Limitations

   Authoritative service history for identity, milestones, and operations through 1947. Print gives no laid-down date. Internal typo: 'sailed 26 August ... arriving 25 August' for the Argentia passage is impossible as printed (carried in gaps). Entry ends at the 1947 loan - post-1947 custody (stricken 1981, reef 1983) is covered by ev-02/ev-03/ev-04. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or hazardous-material information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-curb-ars21-01

3. [3]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Curb (ARS-21) page 09/37/3721 - milestones, spec block, CO roster, ribbons, photo captions; page last updated 24 Jan 2025 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource ARS-21 page: milestone list, specifications block, CO roster, ribbon precedence, photo table (4 images incl. NAS Key West 1982-83 caption)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive page for USS Curb (ARS-21): milestone chain - laid down (date unknown) at Basalt Rock Co., Napa, CA; launched 24 Apr 1943; commissioned 12 May 1944, LT. Charles Peterson, USNR; decommissioned 20 Dec 1946 at Orange, TX; laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group; loaned to the commercial salvage firm Merritt Chapman & Scott 10 May 1947; returned for lay up in the Reserve Fleet (date unknown); struck from the Naval Register 30 Apr 1981; final disposition 'scrapped, 23 February 1982, hulk sunk as an artificial reef off Key West FL., 23 November 1983'. Spec block: displacement 1,897 t; 213'6" x 39' x 14'8"; 15 kts; complement 7 officers / 113 enlisted; largest boom 10 t; armament two twin 40mm AA mounts + four .50 cal. MG; fuel 2,300 Bbls diesel + 2,450 gal gasoline; propulsion four Cooper Bessemer GSR-8 diesel-electric engines, Fairbanks Morse main reduction gears, ship's-service generators two 200 kW + one 60 kW 120V D.C., twin propellers 3,000 shp. CO roster: LT. Peterson (12 May 44-27 Jul 45); LT. Alvin Timothy Pickett (27 Jul-22 Oct 45); LT. Arnold Leonard Larson (22 Oct 45-20 Dec 46). Radio call sign NJAB. Ribbons: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal. Photo captions incl. trials on the Napa River 16 May 1944 and 'Ex-USS Curb (ARS-21) and Ex-USS Gear (ARS-34) tied up at Naval Station Key West, circa 1982-1983'.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-1983

   Population

   Ship's company 7 officers / 113 enlisted per spec block

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled archival page transcribing Navy sources; milestones are consistent with DANFS (through 1947) and ShipScribe (full chain). '23 November 1983' sinking date conflicts with the FWC deployment record and ShipScribe (both 24 Nov) - see correction row. 'Scrapped, 23 February 1982' vs ShipScribe's 'scrap sale of 13 Jul 82 fell through' - carried as separate events. Spec data are equipment descriptions only - no asbestos content stated or implied.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-curb-ars21-02

4. [4]ShipScribe, USS Diver (ARS-5) class page - construction table, disposition table, ship notes, and class notes (compiled from official auxiliary-vessel register and Navy/MC records) [other_primary]

   Locator

   ARS-5 class page: construction table ARS-21 row; disposition table ARS-21 row; ship notes ARS-21 (CURB) entry; class-notes paragraphs

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   ShipScribe USN auxiliary-ships reference, DIVER (ARS-5) class page: construction-table row '21 CURB, Ord. 14 Mar 42, Basalt Rock, keel 1 Jan 43, launch 24 Apr 43, commiss. 12 May 44'; disposition-table row 'decomm. 20 Dec 46, strike 30 Apr 81, disposal 10 May 47, fate MC'; ship note verbatim: 'Loaned to MA 10 May 47 and delivered to Merritt-Chapman & Scott for operation under contract with BuShips as replacement for WILLET (ARS-12). In 1973 was under bare boat charter from the Navy's Supervisor of Salvage to Murphy Pacific Marine Salvage Co. In poor condition at Key West when scrap sale of 13 Jul 82 fell through. Trf. to the General Services Administration for donation as fish reef off southern Florida 17 Mar 83, sunk 24 Nov 83.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-1983

   Limitations

   ShipScribe (Stephen S. Roberts) is a compiled reference reproducing official auxiliary-ship register, BuShips, and MC/MA records - the standard published authority on USN auxiliaries, though not itself a primary document; its dates match DANFS/NavSource/FWC where they overlap. This note supplies the laid-down date (1 Jan 43), the Merritt-Chapman & Scott replacement-for-WILLET context, the 1973 Murphy Pacific bareboat charter, the failed 13 Jul 82 scrap sale, the 17 Mar 83 GSA transfer, and the 24 Nov 83 sinking (contra NavSource's 23 Nov). Contains no asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-curb-ars21-03

5. [5]Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Artificial Reef Program - statewide deployment database, reeflocations.xlsx (deployments as of 7 May 2026), row MO0016 / Monroe County [other_primary]

   Locator

   reeflocations.xlsx sheet1 row for DeployID MO0016 (downloaded and parsed 2026-09-26); download page https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/artificial-reefs/locate/

   Finding type

   environmental_record

   Finding

   Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission statewide artificial-reef deployment database ('Florida's Artificial Reef Deployments as of May 7, 2026', Division of Marine Fisheries Management) carries deployment MO0016: DeployID 'MO0016'; County 'Monroe'; DeployDate 1983-11-24 (Excel serial 30644); Deployment Name 'USS Curb'; Description '213' Navy Salvage Vessel, the "USS Curb" (ARS-21), Sunk by Navy, Upright'; Primary Material 'Salvage Vessel 300''; Tons 0; Relief 60 ft; Depth 185 ft; Jurisdiction 'Federal'; Coast 'Atlantic'; position 24 deg 26.212' N, 81 deg 46.127' W (24.4368623, -81.7687803 DD); Location Accuracy 'Low'.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1983-11-24

   Limitations

   Official state reef-deployment record - establishes sinking date (1983-11-24, contra NavSource's 23 Nov), position, depth, and material description. The 'Sunk by Navy' description simplifies the ShipScribe-documented GSA donation transfer; the 300-ft material field exceeds her actual 213-ft length (both carried as printed). Contains no asbestos or hazmat-preparation information - the pre-sinking material condition is undocumented here.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-curb-ars21-04

6. [6]ShipScribe, USS Diver (ARS-5) class page - class notes (compiled from General Board/SecNav directives, Auxiliary Vessels Board records, and BuShips contract records) [other_primary]

   Locator

   ARS-5 class page, class-notes paragraphs (steel design; ARS 19-27 authorization chain; ARS 21-27 wooden hull sheathing; Napa supervisor's kingpost proposal; NObs-36 termination and 18 Dec 47 CABLE/CURB charter)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   ShipScribe class notes for the DIVER (ARS-5) class: steel-hulled rescue/salvage design developed for Fleet and advanced-base work (contrast wooden BARS type considered suitable for coastal salvage); in mid-December 1941 the Navy began developing a maximum-war-effort ship list; on 12 Jan 42 the General Board submitted the additional-ships list including 9 more salvage ships (ARS 19-27); SecNav directed construction 16 Feb 42; after completion of the first units, stability concerns produced fixes - 'ARS 21-27 were fitted with wooden sheathing on the sides of their hulls' and ARS-8 received experimental buoyant blisters; the aft kingpost/boom arrangement was redesigned on a proposal dated 23 Jun 43 by the Navy's Assistant Supervisor of Shipbuilding at Napa, where the ships were being built. Wartime Navy Salvage Service contract NObs-36 with Merritt-Chapman & Scott terminated 11 May 47; the MC was to have sold the firm replacement hulls but could not, so the Navy chartered CABLE and WILLET, then on 18 Dec 47 chartered CABLE and CURB under a new contract for two east-coast salvage ships.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1941-1949

   Population

   WWII construction trades at Basalt Rock Co. (Napa); later civilian salvage crews under Navy charter

   Limitations

   Class/design-program documentation, not a hull record - establishes that this hull's class was a steel-hulled diesel-electric design authorized under the 16 Feb 42 SecNav directive, and documents the wooden sheathing fitted to ARS 21-27 (this hull included) plus the commercial-charter framework she operated under. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-curb-ars21-05

7. [7]ShipScribe DIVER class page (Navy ARS-5 design and machinery data) consolidated with era diesel/steel-hull auxiliary construction practice; no ship-level materials document located [other_primary]

   Locator

   ARS-5 class page spec block and class notes; inference framed on the documented diesel-electric, steel-hulled design

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Design-level inference for this hull: a steel-hulled, diesel-electric Diver-class salvage vessel (four Cooper Bessemer GSR-8 diesel engines, diesel-driven generators, twin screws ~3,000 shp - no boilers, no steam lines). For a 1943-44 steel-hulled diesel auxiliary, era-consistent asbestos applications concentrate in diesel exhaust/muffler lagging and flange gaskets, machinery piping gaskets and packing, electrical insulation and arc-resistant sheet (e.g., switchboard backing), accommodation and galley fireproofing/joiner panels, and winch/windlass and boom brake linings on salvage gear (10-ton boom, towing winch, beach gear). The diesel plant removes the boiler and steam-line lagging applications typical of contemporaneous steamships but does not eliminate machinery-space and outfit asbestos uses.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-1983

   Population

   Construction trades (Basalt Rock Co., Napa, 1942-44); ship's company ~120; civilian salvage crews 1947-1981

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no survey, specification, or material list naming this hull was located; the BuShips Navy ARS-5 spec package (RG 19) that would settle materials is an unretrieved archival lead. Establishes no quantities, no present-day presence, no individual exposure, and no causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-curb-ars21-06

8. [8]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) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   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 program under which this hull was built (ordered March 1942, built 1943-44) - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in ship construction.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1940s era documented; article 1987

   Population

   WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or class and does not establish that asbestos was or is aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. The study's emphasis on steam-plant insulation applies only in reduced degree to this diesel-electric design.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-curb-ars21-07

9. [9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]

   Locator

   GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked to automated fetch, HTTP 403; content via product-page description - same limitation as batch-01)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas. This hull's stricken/reserve and commercial-charter years (1947-1981) overlap the policy era's start, but no hull-specific Navy survey or abatement record is located for her; she was stricken April 1981 and transferred to GSA for reef donation March 1983, before any systematic fleetwide ACM-inventory documentation would have applied to a reserve hulk.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1975-1983

   Population

   Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review

   Limitations

   Program-level documentation, not ship- or class-specific; carried to frame what Navy asbestos-management policy existed during this hull's 1975-1981 reserve/charter years and why no hull-specific survey is expected to surface. Full-text pull remains an open lead. The 1982-83 stripping and reefing preparation at Key West is undocumented in public sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-curb-ars21-08

10. [10]CourtListener API v4 search (via cl-auth-search.py): 'USS Curb' type=o count 0; 'ARS-21' type=o count 2 (both name collisions); 'Curb AND (salvage OR asbestos OR naval OR vessel)' type=o count 2,010 (non-qualifying noise); 'Curb' type=r pending under fleet pacing at write time [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-curb-ars21-08 through -11

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    CourtListener sweep (authenticated API v4 via cl-auth-search.py, 2026-09-26): 'USS Curb' opinion search returned count 0 - no opinion names the ship. 'ARS-21' opinion search returned count 2, both the same matter - J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. v. Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp., 712 F. Supp. 2d 70 (S.D.N.Y. 2010), where 'ARS' is 'auction rate securities' and the 'ARS-21' string is an exhibit/designation collision - name collisions, non-qualifying, not asbestos and not the vessel. 'Curb AND (salvage OR asbestos OR naval OR vessel)' opinion search returned 2,010 results dominated by generic asbestos and unrelated litigation with no hit naming the hull - non-qualifying noise; 'Curb' unqualified is a common-word collision risk (curb-market doctrine, curb damage, surnames) and a docket-index (type=r) sweep for 'Curb' remained queued behind the fleet pacing limiter at write time (helper exit 2) - documented residual coverage gap, not clearance.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    2026-09-26

    Limitations

    Coverage note: the opinion index is cleared for the ship's exact name (0) and hull number (2 collisions); the docket-index sweep was not completed before the fleet pacing budget closed - residual coverage gap, not clearance. Even a completed sweep shows only absence of located litigation, not absence of exposure.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-curb-ars21-09

11. [11]Batch-2657 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS via Wayback 2024-05-26 + losthistory/hazegray mirror; NavSource 09/37/3721; ShipScribe ARS-5 class page; FWC reeflocations.xlsx row MO0016; NVR; MARAD ShipHistory; NARA online deck-log index; CourtListener; shipyards.json [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-curb-ars21-01 through -14

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, reefing-prep materials certification, or adjudicated case naming this hull (USS Curb, ARS-21, official no. 254289) was found in the public sources searched - the DANFS entry, NavSource, ShipScribe, the FWC deployment record, NVR (absent - pre-1987 disposal), MARAD ShipHistory (no card), and CourtListener contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement for this hull (see search_ledger).

    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 1943-44 diesel-electric steel auxiliary is era-consistent with asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, exhaust lagging, electrical insulation, accommodation fireproofing, and brake linings even though its diesel plant narrows the footprint relative to steamships. The 1982-83 stripping/reefing-prep period at Key West is undocumented. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-curb-ars21-10

12. [12]NARA record-group framework (RG 24 deck logs, RG 38 war diaries, RG 19 BuShips records); NARA online deck-log index (archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online) checked for Curb/ARS-21 - absent; FWC Artificial Reef Program permit/report framework (per the program's locate page) [other_primary]

    Locator

    NARA digitized deck-log index, 'C' ship list (Curb/ARS-21 not listed; index covers selected hulls by year); catalog.archives.gov API returned empty response to automated fetch - no NAID retrieved

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads confirmed at series level, unretrieved: NARA RG 24 Entry 118 deck logs for ARS-21 (May 1944-Dec 1946 commission; the NARA online digitized deck-log index lists no Curb/ARS-21 - physical holding only, digitization unverified); NARA RG 38 WWII war diaries for ARS-21 (microfilm series, digitization unverified); BuShips RG 19 records for the Navy ARS-5 design plans/specifications and the salvage-service contract files (wartime NObs-36; postwar Merritt-Chapman & Scott charters incl. the 18 Dec 47 contract; 1973-era Murphy Pacific bareboat charter; the failed 13 Jul 82 scrap-sale file and the 17 Mar 83 GSA reef-donation transfer) - the document sets that would carry any materials or insulation specification for this design and any condition/hazmat certification for the 1982-83 stripping and sinking; the Monroe County/FWC artificial-reef permit file behind deployment record MO0016.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1942-1983 records

    Limitations

    Archival lead, not an asbestos finding: deck-log, design-record, contract-file, and reef-permit existence is asserted at series level; no hull-specific NAID or permit document was retrieved (catalog.archives.gov API returned an empty response to automated fetch this session). These are the document sets that would carry any asbestos-specific record for this hull - whether any exists is unknown until surveyed.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-curb-ars21-11

13. [13]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS entry vs NavSource milestones/spec block vs ShipScribe construction/disposition tables and ship note vs FWC deployment MO0016 vs HyperWar compiled listing vs Wikipedia infobox [other_primary]

    Locator

    DANFS 'Curb' entry; NavSource 09/37/3721; ShipScribe ARS-5 class page; FWC reeflocations.xlsx MO0016; ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/ships-ar.html ARS-21 row; Wikipedia USS Curb infobox

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies mapped: (a) sinking date - NavSource '23 November 1983' vs ShipScribe ship note 'sunk 24 Nov 83' and FWC deployment record MO0016 DeployDate 1983-11-24 - the official state deployment record and ShipScribe agree; 24 Nov carried. (b) 'Scrapped, 23 February 1982' (NavSource milestone) vs ShipScribe 'scrap sale of 13 Jul 82 fell through' - carried as separate disposal-chain events; NavSource's date read as a stripping/scrapping-contract action preceding the failed sale. (c) Displacement - DANFS stats 1,441 vs NavSource spec 1,897 t vs ShipScribe class data 1,478 light / 1,940 lim vs HyperWar compiled listing 1,630 - condition-of-loading spread; DANFS figure carried in the identity block. (d) Complement - DANFS stats line cpl. 120 and NavSource 7 officers + 113 enlisted vs ShipScribe class data 'Complement 96 (1944)'. (e) Draft - DANFS/NavSource 14'8" vs ShipScribe class data 14.1' lim vs Wikipedia infobox 14'4". (f) 1947 loan wording - DANFS 'loaned to a private salvage firm 10 May 1947' vs NavSource 'loaned to the commercial salvage firm, Merritt Chapman & Scott' vs ShipScribe 'loaned to MA 10 May 47 and delivered to Merritt-Chapman & Scott ... as replacement for WILLET (ARS-12)' - ShipScribe's fuller chain carried. (g) DANFS internal typo 'sailed 26 August ... arriving 25 August' (Argentia passage) - impossible as printed. (h) Length in secondary dive literature (~300 ft) matches the FWC material field 'Salvage Vessel 300'' rather than the actual 213 ft - both carried as printed.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1943-1983

    Limitations

    Correction row reconciling publication-level discrepancies; the official FWC deployment record and ShipScribe are preferred for the sinking date, DANFS for service-period facts, with both sides of each conflict documented rather than resolved by assertion. No asbestos content in any reconciled source.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-curb-ars21-12