Evidence
7 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-7).
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[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'Goldfinch II (YMS-306)' entry - Naval History and Heritage Command; verbatim text via Wayback capture 2023-10-01 (live NHHC page returns 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry 'Goldfinch II (YMS-306)', spec block + full service narrative + AM-395 footnote
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: second Goldfinch, a wooden-hulled motor minesweeper built as YMS-306 by Rice Brothers Corp., East Boothbay, Maine; commissioned 20 January 1944, Lt. (j.g.) K. B. Roberts in command. Departed Boston 6 February (1944) for shakedown off Norfolk; reported to Bermuda for minesweeping duty 16 April 1944; returned to Norfolk and prepared for Pacific duty; departed for California 18 July 1945; arrived San Pedro via the Canal 14 August; after extensive repairs departed for Pearl Harbor, arriving 2 January 1946; returned to the United States 5 February; sailed 7 April for the East Coast via the Panama Canal; arrived Charleston 1 May 1946 and began training/readiness operations with Mine Force, Atlantic Fleet - Charleston to Panama City and Key West, Fla., occasionally Argentia, Newfoundland; amphibious exercises in the Caribbean February 1950 and off Onslow Bay, N.C., November 1954. Named Goldfinch (AMS-12) 17 February 1947; designation changed to 'MSO(O)-12' (typo for MSC(O)-12) 7 February 1955; sailed Charleston to Philadelphia 15 July 1957; decommissioned 11 October 1957; Philadelphia Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet; struck from the Navy List 1 November 1957; sold 2 June 1960 to the Maine Vocational Technical Institute. Spec block: dp. 270; l. 136'; b. 24'6"; dr. 8'; s. 13 k.; cpl. 50; a. 1 3"; cl. YMS-136. Footnote: Goldfinch (AM-395), authorized 16 May 1945 to Defoe Shipbuilding Co., contract cancelled 1 November 1945 - a third, never-built namesake.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 1942-1960
- Population
- Construction trades (Rice Brothers, East Boothbay, 1942-44); crews and trainees 1944-1957 (DANFS spec block cpl. 50; NavSource 32 - unresolved)
- Limitations
- DANFS documents identity, construction, service, and disposal chain - not materials or asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim. Prints 'MSO(O)-12' where MSC(O)-12 is correct (NavSource milestone list confirms Coastal Minesweeper (Old)). Names K. B. Roberts as commissioning CO where NavSource's roster lists LT Richard A. Knapp - discrepancy carried in gaps. Live NHHC URL serves 404; Wayback capture of the canonical page cited.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-goldfinch-ams12-01
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[2]NavSource Online, Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Goldfinch (MSC[O] 12) ex-AMS-12 ex-YMS-306 (contributed archive; milestone list, spec block, commanding-officer roster, disposition chain) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19306 (Wayback capture 2024-12-27) - milestone list, specifications block, commanding-officers table, disposition chain
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull adds construction and disposition detail DANFS omits: laid down 7 September 1942 by Rice Brothers Corp., Boothbay, ME; launched 27 November 1942; completed 18 January 1944; commissioned USS YMS-306 20 January 1944; decommissioned 2 January 1947; named Goldfinch and reclassified Auxiliary Minesweeper AMS-12 17 February 1947; reclassified Coastal Minesweeper (Old) MSC(O)-12 7 February 1955; decommissioned 11 October 1957 at Philadelphia; struck from the Navy Register 2 November 1957; sold in 1961 to the Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute of South Portland, ME for use as a fishing boat, renamed Aqualab; acquired 1972 by Peter G. Bryant of Portland; acquired 1973 by Aqualab Off-Shore-Fisheries of South Portland; advertised for sale 1977 after sinking to deck level at a pier on Piscataway Creek, Fort Washington, MD, across the Potomac from Mount Vernon, VA; purchased 1978 by Captain Bott of Bott Marine International, salvaged, renamed Maida Lee for use as BMI's Key West, FL operations base; sunk as part of the Key West Gulfside artificial reef system. Specifications: 270 t.; 136' x 24'6" x 8'; 13 kts.; complement 32; one 3"/50 dual-purpose mount, two 20mm mounts, two depth-charge projectors; propulsion two 1,000-shp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines, Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts; call sign NPKF. CO roster: LT Richard A. Knapp (Jan-Mar 1944); LT William W. Turner (Mar 1944-Sep 1945); LTJG Kenneth R. Roberts (Sep-Dec 1945); LTJG Russell F. Apitz (Dec 1945-Jun 1946); ENS John E. Hart (Jun 1946); LT Robert D. Wood (1950-Sep 1951); LT G. P. Maskas (Sep 1951-Jun 1952); LTJG Hexter A. Williams (Jun 1952-).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 1942-1985
- Limitations
- Volunteer-maintained archival compilation, not an official source - consistent with DANFS on the main milestone sequence but conflicts on three points carried in gaps: complement 32 vs 50; struck 2 November vs 1 November 1957; sold 1961 vs 2 June 1960 (and buyer name 'Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute of South Portland' vs DANFS 'Maine Vocational Technical Institute'). Its 2 January 1947 decommissioning is absent from DANFS. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim. The diesel twin-screw plant detail is asbestos-relevant only as context - no boilers or steam system aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-goldfinch-ams12-02
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[3]U.S. Dept. of the Navy / DOE, Final EIS/OEIS for Disposal of Decommissioned, Defueled Ex-Enterprise (CVN 65), DOE/EIS-0524 (June 2023), Section 3.2.2.1.1; DOE/EA-1889 (2012) ('Asbestos insulation is commonly found in older ships'); Corn & Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' Am J Ind Med 11(3):359-373 (1987), doi:10.1002/ajim.4700110311; class designation per DANFS spec block 'cl. YMS-136' and NavSource 'YMS-1 Class Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper' with two GM 8-268A diesels [other_primary]
- Locator
- EIS-0524 Section 3.2.2.1.1 era statement; DOE/EA-1889 asbestos section; AJIM 11(3):359-373; DANFS spec block 'cl. YMS-136'; NavSource propulsion entry
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/class context: the Navy's own disposal EIS states asbestos-containing material 'is found throughout Navy ships in insulating materials on piping systems, in electrical cables, and on ship structures,' and the 2012 companion EA states 'asbestos insulation is commonly found in older ships' - era-generic statements covering a 1942-44 Navy build; Corn & Starr document extensive asbestos use as fireproofing and insulation in WWII-era U.S. shipbuilding. This hull was a YMS-1-class wooden-hulled motor minesweeper with a diesel plant (two GM 8-268A diesels, twin screw - no boilers, no steam system), so the era-typical asbestos footprint is materially smaller than a steam combatant's - principally engine exhaust lagging, valve/flange gaskets, pump and shaft packing, electrical cable insulation, deck coverings, and winch/windlass brake linings.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 1942-1957 (service); 1987/2012/2023 (documentation)
- Population
- Construction trades (East Boothbay, 1942-44) and crews 1944-1957 (class context)
- Limitations
- Generic Navy-wide era statements plus class-design inference only - prioritizes research; it is NOT a ship-specific finding. No material list, survey, or hull record for this vessel exists in located sources. Does not establish presence, quantity, condition, individual exposure, or causation aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-goldfinch-ams12-03
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[4]DANFS, Goldfinch II home-port narrative + Atlas shipyard dataset, Charleston Naval Shipyard record (tier 2: fiber-measurement study; OSHA inspection 100361849; Whalen v. John Crane and Twidwell v. Aerco verdicts) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS narrative (Charleston arrival 1 May 1946; departure 15 July 1957); shipyards.json 'charleston-naval-shipyard' record
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents this hull homeported at Charleston, S.C., from 1 May 1946 through 15 July 1957 - eleven years co-located with Charleston Naval Shipyard, a yard whose Atlas record documents asbestos fiber measurements, an OSHA asbestos-standard citation, shipboard ACM product types (pipe insulation 5-50% asbestos, boiler coatings, spray-on insulation, gaskets, packing, brake linings, electrical insulation), and two large Navy-era verdicts (Whalen 2014; Twidwell 2018). Routine maintenance and availabilities at the co-located yard are plausible but no specific yard period, repair, or abatement record for this hull was located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 1946-1957
- Population
- Crew (design complement 32-50) and any Charleston yard workers who may have serviced the hull 1946-1957 - unverified
- Limitations
- The homeporting itself is ship-specific (DANFS); the asbestos dimension is entirely contextual - no document ties a Charleston yard availability, asbestos product, or exposure to this hull. Whalen and Twidwell are yard-level litigation involving other vessels/periods, not this ship. This row exists to cross-link the documented homeport with a documented asbestos yard; it supports no shipboard finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-goldfinch-ams12-04
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[5]DANFS, Goldfinch II decommissioning narrative + Atlas shipyard dataset, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard record (tier 3: named ACM products incl. Unibestos/Kaylo/Garlock; Merwitz 2014 verdict; OSHA inspection 17999079) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS narrative (Philadelphia arrival 18 July 1957; decommission 11 October 1957; sale 2 June 1960); shipyards.json 'philadelphia-naval-shipyard' record
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents this hull decommissioning at Philadelphia on 11 October 1957 and lying with the Philadelphia Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet until struck 1 November 1957 and sold 2 June 1960 - roughly two and a half years physically present at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, a yard whose Atlas record is tier 3 with named asbestos products (Eagle-Picher Super 60, Thermasil, Unibestos, Cary block, Kaylo, Garlock gaskets and packing, Johns-Manville pipe insulation), a 2014 mesothelioma verdict (Merwitz, shipfitter 1965-1970), and a 1989 OSHA asbestos citation. Decommissioning and mothballing-period work on the hull is plausible but undocumented for this vessel.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 1957-1960
- Population
- Decommissioning/mothballing crews at Philadelphia, 1957-1960 - unverified
- Limitations
- The Philadelphia presence is ship-specific (DANFS); the asbestos dimension is entirely contextual - no document ties a Philadelphia availability, preservation work, asbestos product, or exposure to this hull. Merwitz's exposure window (1965-1970) postdates the hull's presence. This row exists to cross-link a documented location with a documented asbestos yard; it supports no shipboard finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-goldfinch-ams12-05
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[6]Batch-1683 search ledger (this record): DANFS via Wayback; NavSource via Wayback; CourtListener API v4 opinion and docket searches (all designations); VA BVA indexed sweep; shipyards.json slug lookup; MARAD ShipHistory; shipbuildinghistory.com corroboration [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-goldfinch-ams12-01 through sl-uss-goldfinch-ams12-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, docketed case, or VA decision naming YMS-306, AMS-12, MSC(O)-12, USS Goldfinch, Aqualab, or Maida Lee was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener returned zero opinions for 'USS Goldfinch' and 'YMS-306', two OCR/exhibit-noise collisions for 'AMS-12', and 79 opinion / 427 docket hits for 'Goldfinch' that are all party-name collisions (persons and businesses named Goldfinch) with zero asbestos mentions. The ship does appear in a law-firm 'minesweeper asbestos' listicle - excluded under the batch source rules, not cited.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 2026-09-23
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - era materials in a 1942-44 diesel minesweeper would still be consistent with class inference. CourtListener opinion coverage is not exhaustive for unreported or settled matters; undocketed litigation naming this hull could exist. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-goldfinch-ams12-06
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[7]Archival leads (not yet retrieved): NARA RG 24 deck logs for YMS-306/AMS-12/MSC(O)-12 (1944-1957); Bureau of Ships RG 19 design/construction files for the YMS-1 type and the Rice Brothers contract; Philadelphia Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet mothballing/preservation records (1957-1960); Navy disposal file for the 2 June 1960 sale to the vocational institute [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA Records of the Bureau of Ships (RG 19) / deck logs (RG 24) / Reserve Fleet records (RG 181); Navy disposal records
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads where a hull-level material record would live: the ship's deck logs (NARA RG 24) covering Bermuda sweeping, the 1945-46 Pacific transit and San Pedro repair period, and eleven Charleston years; Bureau of Ships design and contract files (RG 19) for the YMS-1 type and the Rice Brothers Corp. build; Philadelphia Group mothballing/preservation records for the 1957-1960 lay-up; and the Navy sale file for the 1960 transfer. The documented 'extensive repairs' at San Pedro (Aug 1945 - late 1945) is the single most likely Navy-period event to have generated a material-level record.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-23
- Study period
- 1942-1960 records
- Limitations
- Leads only - existence of these record classes is standard NARA/agency practice for the period, but no AMS-12-specific document was located, retrieved, or verified; the NARA catalog API requires a key not held in this session. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-goldfinch-ams12-07