Evidence
6 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-6).
-
[1]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, "Diver" (ARS-5) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, closing paragraph (post-war disposition)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- From 9 to 16 February 1946, Diver was at New York to assist in relieving harbor congestion caused by a tugboat strike. She served on towing duty between New London and Portsmouth, N.H., 18 April to 13 May, and on 27 May arrived at Orange, Tex., where she was decommissioned 27 July 1946. Diver was sold 12 April 1949.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1946-1949
- Limitations
- Establishes decommissioning and sale dates only. DANFS does not state the purchaser, renaming, or subsequent commercial/civilian fate of the hull; those details are not asserted in this record (see gaps). Contains no asbestos or materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-diver-ars5-03
-
[2]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 Navy auxiliary hull was built (Basalt Rock Co., Napa, 1942-1943), and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and merchant-type hulls alike.
- 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 Navy crews (class/era context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel, this builder, or this ship class, and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-diver-ars5-04
-
[3]Feres v. United States, 340 U.S. 135 (1950) [court_record]
- Locator
- U.S. Reports, Vol. 340, p. 135
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- The Feres doctrine (Feres v. United States, 340 U.S. 135 (1950)) holds that the United States is not liable under the Federal Tort Claims Act for injuries to active-duty service members arising out of or in the course of activity incident to military service. This doctrine has been applied by federal courts to bar active-duty Navy personnel from suing the government directly for service-related asbestos exposure aboard naval vessels, in contrast to WWII merchant mariners (civilian War Shipping Administration crews), who are not barred by Feres and have brought such claims (compare the WSA merchant-fleet litigation posture documented for other Atlas hulls, e.g. SS John W. Brown, SS Jeremiah O'Brien).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1950-present (doctrine); applies to 1943-1946 Navy service period of this hull
- Limitations
- General legal-doctrine context explaining the litigation landscape for active-duty Navy asbestos claims; does not name this vessel, this ship class, or any individual claimant, and does not itself establish or negate any asbestos exposure aboard this hull. Provided as structural context for why ship-named asbestos litigation is comparatively rare for commissioned Navy auxiliaries versus government-operated merchant hulls, not as a finding about Diver.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-diver-ars5-05
-
[4]CourtListener API v4 search, query "USS Diver ARS-5", type=opinion [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-diver-ars5-04 and sl-uss-diver-ars5-05
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming the Diver (ARS-5) hull was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener opinion search for "USS Diver ARS-5" returned 27 total results; the first 20 (page 1, full page_size) were individually reviewed and classified as name collisions (occupational "diver"/"divers," unrelated "USS"-prefixed party names, unrelated Navy court-martial opinions, and unrelated admiralty/asbestos cases with no connection to this hull) - none named this vessel or documented conditions aboard her. The remaining 7 results (page 2) were not retrieved in this session (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 this hull during its 1943-1946 Navy service or 1949+ commercial service - it establishes only that no qualifying record was found in this research pass. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure, causation, or legal eligibility. Only page 1 (20 of 27) of the broad CourtListener opinion results was reviewed; page 2 (7 results), narrower re-queries, and a RECAP/docket-type search were attempted or planned but blocked by the fleet-wide pacing limiter during this session; not yet completed (see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-diver-ars5-06
-
[5]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, "Diver" (ARS-5) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, class-line specification and opening paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- USS Diver (ARS-5: dp. 1,441; l. 213'6"; b. 39'; dr. 14'8"; s. 15 k.; cpl. 120; a. 2 40mm.; cl. Diver) was launched 19 December 1942 by Basalt Rock Co., Napa, Calif.; sponsored by Mrs. F. M. Young; and commissioned 23 October 1943, Lieutenant A. T. Terrio in command. Diver is lead ship of the Diver class of rescue and salvage ships.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1942-1943
- Limitations
- Establishes identity, builder, launch/commissioning dates, and official class-line dimensions/complement/armament. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-diver-ars5-01
-
[6]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, "Diver" (ARS-5) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, wartime-service narrative paragraph and battle-star line
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Diver arrived at Falmouth, England, from Norfolk 15 February 1944. After 3 days of salvage training at Rosneath Bay, Scotland, she reported to Portland, England, 27 March, for preparations for the Normandy invasion. On 26 June she got underway for Baie de la Seine, France, attached to the Salvage, Wreck Disposal, Mine Disposal, and Hydrographic Survey Unit. She rescued 30 survivors of the Norwegian freighter Norfolk, sunk by mine en route to Cherbourg, on 20-21 July, then reported for salvage operations at "Utah" and "Omaha" beaches. She arrived at Le Havre 11 November to continue salvage work. On 28 December, sailing to aid a torpedoed British transport, Diver struck an unmarked submerged obstacle and returned to Le Havre for emergency repairs; permanent repairs were made at Dieppe, 6-21 January 1945, after which she returned to Le Havre salvage work. She sailed for Bremerhaven, Germany, 15 June 1945, via Ostend, Belgium, and Den Helder, Holland, serving from 22 June as guard, ready-duty, salvage, and local escort vessel; on 23 August she moved to Brake, Germany, to stand by for damage to shipping in the Weser River. She left Bremerhaven 4 October 1945 with 41 naval passengers and arrived at Norfolk 22 October for overhaul. Diver received one battle star for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- WWII Navy salvage/engineering crew aboard Diver
- Limitations
- Establishes WWII operational history including Normandy-area salvage service. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Does not establish which compartments or machinery the crew serviced, nor any hazardous-materials exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-diver-ars5-02