Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]DANFS, Elusive (AM-225) (builder, dates, service narrative, disposal; verbatim NHHC text via Wayback capture 2025-01-25 - live NHHC page returns 404; cross-checked against the hazegray/losthistory transcription) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry 'Elusive' (AM-225), specifications block + service narrative (Wayback capture of history.navy.mil, 2025-01-25; mirror losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/mine/am225.htm)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: launched 10 June 1944 by American Shipbuilding Company, Lorain, Ohio; sponsored by Miss E. Sweat; commissioned 19 February 1945, Lieutenant Commander E. N. Cleaves, USNR, in command. Sailed from Lorain 22 February 1945 by way of Chicago and the Mississippi to outfit at Algiers, La.; training along the east coast, escort duty off Florida, antisubmarine exercises off Cuba; arrived San Pedro 21 July for final minesweeping training; sailed 16 August for the Far East; swept mines in Japanese waters and voyaged to Guam and Subic Bay; after removal of her guns and other demilitarization, arrived Shanghai 22 April 1946; decommissioned 29 May 1946 and transferred to the Chinese Maritime Commission through the State Department the same day. One battle star for World War II service. Spec block: dp. 530; l. 184'6"; b. 33'; dr. 9'9"; s. 15 k.; cpl. 104; a. 1 3"; cl. Admirable.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- American Shipbuilding Lorain construction trades 1943-44; wartime crew (design complement 104)
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. DANFS does not print a laid-down date for this hull (29 December 1943 rests on NAVSHIPS 250-011, NavSource, and uboat.net) and does not cover ROC service or fate. Live NHHC page 404s (standing batch-01 defect); Wayback capture of history.navy.mil cited, cross-checked verbatim against the losthistory.net/hazegray transcription.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elusive-am225-01
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[2]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II: Mine Vessels (less DM and CM), Patrol Vessels, Landing Ships and Craft, NAVSHIPS 250-011, 13 April 1945 (GPO 1945; scan via shipscribe.com) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAVSHIPS 250-011, Mine Vessels - Mine Sweepers (AM) tables: builder/date table (ELUSIVE AM225 row, p. 33 of the section), propulsion/generator table (p. 32), and AM214-311 class characteristics block (pp. 26-27)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official 1945 BuShips register names ELUSIVE, official number AM225, in the mine-sweeper tables: builder American S. B. Co., Lorain, Ohio; keel laid 29 Dec 43; launched 10 Jun 44; date of first commission 19 Feb 45. Propulsion/generator table: engine 'C. B. GSB-8' (Cooper Bessemer GSB-8), shaft horsepower 1,710, 'Nat. Sup.' (National Supply Co.) reduction gear. The AM214-311 class characteristics block prints: 2 propellers, geared 'Diesel' drive with single reduction gears; length 184'6" o.a., 180'0" w.l.; extreme beam 33'0"; full-load displacement 945 tons (at limiting draft); trial speed 14.8 knots; total accommodations 11 officers + 93 enlisted; armament 1 x 3"/50 cal. D.P. and 2 twin 40mm A.A. mounts; diesel-oil capacity 1,050 bbls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1945 (register data as of 13 April 1945)
- Population
- American Shipbuilding Lorain construction trades 1943-44; wartime crew
- Limitations
- Contemporaneous official register - establishes identity, builder, construction dates, and propulsion for this hull; contains no materials or asbestos information. The class block prints 'Diesel' (geared) drive for AM214-311, not 'diesel-electric' - secondary summaries (HyperWar data card: 'diesel-electric engines, twin screws, 1,800 h.p.') conflict with this table; the official table is carried and the conflict logged in ev-08. The 1,710 figure is the class-table shaft-horsepower entry and is not labeled per-engine or aggregate.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elusive-am225-02
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[3]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, Elusive (AM 225) (photo/data archive page; live host unreachable from this machine - read via Wayback capture 2024-12-16) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource AM-225 archive page, ship history block + specifications block + propulsion line + CO roster + photo captions (Wayback capture 2024-12-16 of navsource.org/archives/11/02225.htm)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource archive record for this hull: laid down 29 December 1943 by the American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, OH; launched 10 June 1944; commissioned USS Elusive (AM 225) 19 February 1945; decommissioned 29 May 1946 at Shanghai, China and turned over to the Chinese Maritime Commission through the State Department; renamed ROCS Yong Kang (PF 54); decommissioned and struck from the Chinese Navy list 6 January 1962; 'Fate unknown.' Call sign Nan-Charlie-Zebra-Mike. Spec block: 945 t (fl); 184'6"; 33'; 9'9"; 14.8 kts; complement 104; armament one 3"/50 DP mount, one twin 40mm mount, six 20mm mounts, one hedgehog, four K-guns, two depth-charge tracks; propulsion 'Two 1,710shp Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesel engines, National Supply Co. single reduction gear, two shafts' - consistent with the official NAVSHIPS table where they overlap. CO roster: LT Emery Nudd Cleaves, USNR (19 Feb 1945 - 12 Nov 1945); LTJG Charles James Kittredge, Jr., USNR (12 Nov 1945 - 29 May 1946). Photos document the hull on the Whangpoo River, Shanghai (c. May 1946 alongside LCI-195, Buoyant AM-153, and Delegate AM-217; 14 May 1946 outboard of Delegate AM-217) - the same Shanghai transfer group.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1962 (compiled)
- Population
- Construction trades 1943-44; wartime crew; ROC Navy crew 1946-1962
- Limitations
- Private photo/data archive, not an official source: the ROC name/pennant (Yong Kang PF 54), the 6 January 1962 Chinese Navy striking, the propulsion detail, CO roster, and photo captions rest on a secondary compilation - consistent with DANFS and NAVSHIPS where they overlap but not independently corroborated by an official source. ROC pennant conflicts with Wikipedia/uboat.net ('AM 54'); 'fate unknown' conflicts with the Colton yard table ('scrapped 1964') - both flagged in ev-08. No materials or asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elusive-am225-03
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[4]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation), 'AmShip Lorain, Lorain OH and Cleveland OH' yard table - hull #859 row (AM 225 Elusive) + yard history header [other_primary]
- Locator
- amshiplorain.htm - hull #859 row + yard history header; block sisters #856-858, #860
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Yard-table row for this hull: yard hull #859, 'Elusive (AM 225) | U.S. Navy | Minesweeper | 650d | 184 | Apr-45 | Transferred from Tampa SB, to China 1946 as Yung Kang, to Taiwan 1949, scrapped 1964.' The Lorain table carries the reallocated block around her - #856 Disdain (AM 222, to USSR 1945), #857 Dour (AM 223, to Mexico 1962 as DM-16), #858 Eager (AM 224, to Mexico 1962 as DM-06), #860 Embattle (AM 226, to China 1946 as Yung Hsing), #861-863 (AM 227-229) cancelled Jun-44. Yard history header: the Lorain yard began as Cleveland Shipbuilding (founded 1886 by Coffinberry and Wallace on the Cleveland waterfront), built a new yard at Lorain in 1897, was acquired by The American Ship Building Company ~1899 as its Lorain Division; a leading laker builder into the late 1970s; closed 1983; site sold for scrap processing, now a marina.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1964
- Population
- AmShip Lorain construction workforce (Lorain, OH, 1943-45)
- Limitations
- Compiler's yard table, secondary - corroborates builder, yard hull number (#859), type, and the 1946 China transfer as 'Yung Kang'; the delivery month (Apr-45) is the yard's delivery convention and post-dates commissioning (19 Feb 45). The disposition string 'scrapped 1964' conflicts with NavSource/Wikipedia/uboat.net ('fate unknown' after the 6 Jan 1962 strike) - flagged in ev-08, not resolved. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elusive-am225-04
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[5]National Archives and Records Administration, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' (guided research topic) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA guided-topic page, opening section
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- NARA officially recognizes that 'the use of asbestos in U.S. Navy materiel from 1941-1961 is a frequently requested topic' and maintains a dedicated research guide for documenting asbestos aboard naval ships of that period. Elusive was built 1943-44 and served 1945-46, entirely inside that window. Era inference for a geared-diesel minesweeper (no boilers, no steam distribution): engine-exhaust and muffler lagging; machinery-space thermal/acoustic insulation; gaskets and packing; electrical insulation; deck coverings and joiner/bulkhead insulation; winch and windlass brake linings - applications typical of the period, not ship-proven for this hull.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1941-1961 (guide scope); page live 2026-09-22
- Population
- WWII-era Navy crew and shipyard workers (era context)
- Limitations
- NARA's statement covers Navy materiel generally in 1941-1961 and does not name this hull; presence aboard AM-225 is inference from era and type, not a ship-specific record. The diesel (non-steam) plant makes even era-level inference weaker than for steam vessels of the same era. Establishes no quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elusive-am225-05
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[6]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 28(1):9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030; and 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
- PubMed record PMID 21016030; AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned wartime industrial-hygiene survey of pipe-covering operations at Navy and Navy-contract shipyards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite' - asbestos insulation was standard material in naval-vessel construction of exactly this hull's era; Corn & Starr document extensive wartime shipbuilding asbestos use and protective-policy history.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- survey ~1944-45; articles 1946/1987
- Population
- WWII pipe coverers and insulators at Navy and contract yards (era context)
- Limitations
- Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; neither source names this vessel, class, or builder yard (whether AmShip Lorain was among the surveyed contract yards is unverified), and 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-elusive-am225-06
-
[7]Batch-1203 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live + Wayback capture + hazegray/losthistory mirror), NAVSHIPS 250-011 Ships' Data 1945 (shipscribe.com scan), Naval Vessel Register, NavSource archive, uboat.net, Colton AmShip Lorain yard table, CourtListener opinion/docket indexes, VA BVA indexed decisions, NARA asbestos guide, general web index [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-elusive-am225-01 through sl-uss-elusive-am225-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed case naming USS Elusive / AM-225 / Yung Kang / Yong Kang was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The authenticated CourtListener API v4 sweep could not be completed on 2026-09-22 (HTTP 429 - shared 2,800/day quota exhausted by prior same-day batch work; not retried into a ban per batch rules); Google-indexed site:courtlistener.com results returned only unrelated asbestos dockets and name collisions. VA BVA indexed decisions naming this hull: none located. Marketing rosters (mesothelioma.com minesweeper jobsites table: 'USS Elusive | AM-225 | Admirable | 2/19/1945 | To China, 1946'; mesotheliomahelp.org minesweeper list) carry the name in generic ship tables - excluded per source rules; they carry no hull-specific evidence.
- 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 1943-44-built vessel is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials even accounting for its lighter diesel insulation load, and the hull's post-1946 life in Republic of China hands is a Western-documentation blind spot. The blocked CourtListener API pass means the litigation negative finding rests on indexed web results only - residual risk logged as a gap, not a clean negative. Does not establish that asbestos is or was not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elusive-am225-07
-
[8]Source-discrepancy resolution - DANFS (Wayback NHHC + hazegray mirror) vs NAVSHIPS 250-011 vs NavSource 11/02225 vs Colton AmShip Lorain table vs uboat.net ship/5295 vs Wikipedia infobox vs HyperWar data card [other_primary]
- Locator
- web.archive.org DANFS capture + losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/mine/am225.htm; shipscribe.com/pubs/SDB1945v2.pdf pp. 26-33 of the AM section; navsource.org/archives/11/02225.htm (Wayback 2024-12-16); shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/large/amshiplorain.htm hull #859; uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5295.html; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Elusive_(AM-225); ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AM/AM-225_Elusive.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged, not silently merged: (a) ROC pennant - 'ROCS Yong Kang (PF 54)' (NavSource) vs 'Yung Kang (AM 54)' (Wikipedia infobox, uboat.net) - both variants carried, neither resolved. (b) Ultimate fate - NavSource, Wikipedia, and uboat.net print 'fate unknown' after the 6 Jan 1962 Chinese Navy striking; the Colton yard table alone reads 'to Taiwan 1949, scrapped 1964' - carried as an unresolved conflict, not as fact. (c) Propulsion - official NAVSHIPS table and NavSource concur on 'two Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesels, 1,710 shp, National Supply Co. single reduction gear' (geared drive); the HyperWar data card prints 'diesel-electric engines, twin screws, 1,800 h.p.' - official table carried. (d) Displacement - 530 t (DANFS spec block) vs 945 t full load (NAVSHIPS class block, NavSource) vs 650 long tons / 650d (Wikipedia, Colton) - different load states; none states materials content. (e) Wikipedia-only narrative detail - 'damage below the waterline while passing through Lake Erie and the Mississippi ... drydocked for repair at the insistence of Lieutenant Commander E.N. Cleves' (sic) and demilitarization 'at the Subic Bay naval base' - uncorroborated by DANFS, NavSource, or uboat.net; not asserted. (f) Complement - 104 (DANFS design figure) vs 11 officers + 93 enlisted accommodations (NAVSHIPS class block) - consistent at 104; actual wartime manning unverified.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1964
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies among the official DANFS text, the official NAVSHIPS register, and secondary compilations, adopting the better-supported values and flagging the rest. Wikipedia's Lake Erie/Mississippi damage narrative is a lone-source claim resting on no cited primary record. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elusive-am225-08
-
[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 Elusive 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-elusive-am225-09
-
[10]Archival leads - NARA record groups per the NARA asbestos research guide, plus BGSU Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, 'American Ship Building Company and Predecessors records, 1867-1989' (GLMS 75); ROC/Taiwan naval records [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov/research/military/navy/guided-topics/asbestos (RG 19/24/38 mapping); lib.bgsu.edu/findingaids/repositories/4/resources/479 (GLMS 75); NavSource 11/02225 (ROC service outline)
- 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 19 Bureau of Ships general correspondence is filed by hull designation - 'AM225' for this ship and 'QM/American Shipbuilding Co.' for builder contract files; RG 19 Entry P 11, Minesweeper and Minelayer General Information Books (1940-1962); RG 38 Entry P 1-H, Minecraft Material Inspection Reports (1940-1978), the InSurv series that would contain this hull's pre-commissioning survey; RG 19 ship engineering drawings (19-Hull, by hull number) are where S39 'Insulation and Lagging' and S48 'Piping' drawings for AM-225 would sit if they survive; RG 24 deck logs and muster rolls for the Feb 1945 - May 1946 commission. (b) BGSU HCGL GLMS 75, the American Ship Building Company and Predecessors records (1867-1989; 569 cu ft plus drawings and microfilm) - the builder's own archive, including naval architectural drawings, specifications, reports, and financials for Lorain-built hulls; the most plausible surviving home of any hull-level material schedule. (c) ROC/Taiwan naval records for Yung Kang/Yong Kang (1946-1962 service, striking, disposal) - held in Taiwanese archives, inaccessible this session.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1962 records
- Limitations
- Record-group and repository mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for AM-225 is unknown until surveyed in person. Muster rolls and deck logs are personnel/operations records, not materials documentation. The ROC half of this hull's life (1946-1962) is undocumented in located Western sources. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-elusive-am225-10