Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]DANFS, 'Gum Tree' (YN-13) entry - verbatim transcription mirror (hazegray/losthistory.net); canonical NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-09-24 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS vol. III 'Gum Tree' entry, YN-13 statistics line and narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Gum Tree (YN-13) launched 20 March 1941 by Marietta Manufacturing Co., Point Pleasant, W.Va.; commissioned 16 September 1941 at Algiers, La., Lt. George H. Burrows in command. After Gulf/Mississippi shakedown, sailed for Newfoundland 25 September 1941, reaching Argentia 25 January 1942; 17 months laying and tending nets off Newfoundland; then stateside overhaul and Casco Bay, Maine home port for the rest of the war. Redesignated AN-18 on 20 January 1944. Experimental net operations at Melville, R.I., September 1945; arrived Orange, Tex. 6 December 1945; decommissioned there 20 June 1946; struck from the Navy List 7 February 1947; transferred 27 February 1948 to the Maritime Commission at Lake Charles, La.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1941-1948
- Limitations
- Official ship-history text via transcription mirror - NHHC canonical page 404s (standing link-rot issue, also seen in Batch 01). Entry omits keel date, post-1948 disposition, and complement; its figures (dp 700; 151'8"; 15 kts) conflict with the class data sheet (163.2' oa; 12.5 kts) - see correction row. No asbestos or materials content; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gum-tree-an18-01
-
[2]ShipScribe (R. Hurst), USS Aloe (AN-6) class data sheet - compiled from official Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels / Naval Vessel Register records [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Aloe class page, construction and disposal tables, AN-18 row and notes column
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Class data sheet for AN-18 GUM TREE: ordered 27 July 1940; builder Marietta Mfg; keel 19 September 1940; launched 20 March 1941; in service 16 September 1941; decommissioned 20 June 1946; stricken 7 February 1947; disposal 27 February 1948; fate MC/D (Maritime Commission disposal); MA sale dated 26 February 1948. Class notes: 'Ex YN-13 20 Jan 44. Comm. 19 Dec 42. Received her 3"/50 gun early, on 14 Nov 41. Sold (delivered) by MC to D. O. Wade, Houston, Texas. Merc. FALCON, ZAPARITA 1948.' Class characteristics: 560 t light / 805 t limiting; 163.2' oa x 146.0' wl x 30.5' x 11.7'; diesel-electric, 1 screw, 800 hp; 12.5 kts; complement 46 (1944); original armament 1-3"/23, later 1-3"/50 plus 20mm guns.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1940-1948
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of official Navy data sheets, not the primary sheets themselves. 'Comm. 19 Dec 42' is ambiguous - read as a later full-commissioning date vs. the 16 Sep 41 in-service date, unresolved. Keel date 19 Sep 40 conflicts with Wikipedia's 3 Oct 40 (correction row). Establishes construction/disposition facts; contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gum-tree-an18-02
-
[3]shipbuildinghistory.com (T. Colton), Marietta Manufacturing yard hull list, Point Pleasant WV; and Net Layers and Tenders AN/YN index [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Marietta yard table row 460; smallships/yn.htm index row YN-13
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Marietta yard list records hull no. 460 as 'Gum Tree (AN 18),' US Navy net layer, 560d tons, 151 ft, built 16-Sep-41 (delivery/in-service date), disposition 'YN 13, decommissioned 1946, later Falcon, Zaparita (Ven.), wrecked 1967.' Sister net tenders Holly, Elder, Larch were Marietta hulls 461-463. The AN/YN index confirms YN 13 / AN 18 / Gum Tree / Marietta SB, Point Pleasant WV, 'To NDRF 1948.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1941-1967
- Limitations
- Reputable secondary shipbuilding reference (Colton's yard lists), not an official register; the merchant-career chain (Falcon, Zaparita, Venezuelan flag, wrecked 1967) is not yet corroborated by a MARAD vessel record - MARAD ShipHistory search returned site errors on 2026-09-24 (see search_ledger). No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gum-tree-an18-03
-
[4]NavSource Online Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Gum Tree (AN-18) page - specifications, commanding-officer list, and NARA/US Navy photo captions (RG-19-LCM 19-N-71070; K-14 blimp salvage photo; Louisville KY AP Wirephoto 26 Aug 1941) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- NavSource AN-18 page: specifications block, CO table, photo captions 1-4
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NavSource archive page documents: spec block (disp. 560/805 t; 163'2" x 30'6" x 11'8"; 12.5 kts; complement 4 officers + 44 enlisted; 12-ton boom capacity; armament 1x3"/50 DP + 1x40mm + 3x20mm; propulsion two Enterprise DSG-6 diesels, Westinghouse main reduction gear, two 60 kW 120V DC diesel-drive generators, single propeller 800 shp); awards (American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal); call sign NBKS; commanding officers (LCDR G.H. Burrows 16 Sep 41-Oct 43; LT R.F. Watson Oct 43-May 44; LT G.B. Waugh May 44-20 Jun 46). Photo captions document: YN-13 moored at Louisville KY 26 Aug 1941 ('believed to be the first navy vessel to sail the Ohio River,' AP Wirephoto); AN-18 assisting salvage of blimp K-14 (ZP-11, NAS South Weymouth) off Bar Harbor ME 6 Jul 1944 (US National Archives photo); AN-18 near Boston Navy Yard 20 Sep 1944 (NARA RG-19-LCM 19-N-71070, BuShips photo, showing 3"/50 and four 20mm guns on added platform).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1941-1948
- Population
- Ship's company 1941-1946 (complement ~48 per spec block)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer-run archive compiling official Navy/NARA photo captions and data sheets - reputable but not an official site; underlying NARA photo numbers are cited for audit. The 'first navy vessel on the Ohio River' line is a captioned belief, not a verified record. Armament/spec figures differ slightly from the class data sheet (40mm mount vs four 20mm in photo). No asbestos or materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gum-tree-an18-04
-
[5]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 fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the program and era under which this 1940-41 Navy net tender was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization, with the federal government reserving asbestos supply for shipbuilding.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarship; does not name this vessel, class, or builder, and does not establish that asbestos was aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gum-tree-an18-05
-
[6]NARA guided topic, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' - official research path for hull-specific asbestos documentation [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA guided topic page, RG 19 entry list; https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/special/ead/findingaids/0742/ (ECU Marietta records finding aid)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA officially treats 'the use of asbestos in U.S. Navy materiel from 1941-1961' as a documented research subject and prescribes the research path for this hull: RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) general/confidential correspondence 1940-1946 and 1947-1961, filed by hull designation ('AN18'/'YN13') and by class correspondence under the class namesake ('AN6' Aloe class); builder correspondence under Navy Filing Manual 'QM' code (QM/Marietta Manufacturing); General/Ship Information Books for machinery, piping, and insulation layouts. Complementary leads: WWII deck logs (RG 24, NARA II College Park) for Argentia/Casco Bay operations; RG 178 Maritime Commission disposal records for the 1948 sale to D. O. Wade; the Marietta Manufacturing Company Records (1899-2006) at East Carolina University (engineering drawings, blueprints, contracts, production files).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1940-1961 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. NARA's guide acknowledges asbestos in Navy materiel at the program level; it does not assert asbestos aboard any particular vessel.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gum-tree-an18-06
-
[7]Batch-1763 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (canonical 404 + hazegray mirror); NavSource AN-18; ShipScribe AN-6 class sheet; shipbuildinghistory Marietta list; MARAD ShipHistory (site error); NARA catalog 19-N-71070; CourtListener opinion+docket searches; e-WV/ECU builder history [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-gum-tree-an18-01 through -14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, NDRF condition record, or docketed case naming the Gum Tree hull was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener: 'Gum Tree' ship-name opinion hits were unrelated name collisions; exact ship-name and 'Gum Tree'+asbestos opinion searches returned zero; 104 'Gum Tree' docket hits were all Gum Tree Fabrics/Collections textile litigation; 'AN-18'+asbestos hits were token collisions; 'Marietta Manufacturing'+asbestos returned zero. See search_ledger.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 2026-09-24
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1941 naval auxiliary is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the hull's 1948 sale into foreign-flag merchant service (wrecked 1967) forecloses the museum/abatement documentation trail that survives for preserved ships. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gum-tree-an18-07
-
[8]e-WV (West Virginia Encyclopedia), 'Marietta Manufacturing Company' - builder history and wartime production [reputable_press]
- Locator
- e-WV entry 2423; ECU Joyner Library finding aid 0742 (digital.lib.ecu.edu)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Marietta Manufacturing Company operated a shipyard at Point Pleasant, WV from 1916/1917 to 1970; during WWII it built four Navy net tenders (the yard's hulls 460-463, including this vessel), 16 Army mine planters, and 53 Army landing tugs, employing up to roughly 2,200-3,000 workers including women wartime hires, and received the Army-Navy 'E' Award in 1944. The company's records (1899-2006), including engineering drawings, blueprints, contracts, and production files, are archived at East Carolina University.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1940-1945
- Population
- Marietta Manufacturing construction workforce (yard-wide, ~2,200-3,000 at peak)
- Limitations
- Yard-level history - employment and production figures are yard-wide, not allocated to this hull; supports construction-workforce context only. Contains no asbestos or materials information about the yard's output.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gum-tree-an18-08
-
[9]MIL-I-2781D (SHIPS), Insulation, Pipe, Thermal - Interim Amendment 4, 9 January 1973 (Naval Ship Engineering Center), per DLA ASSIST/quicksearch spec index [other_primary]
- Locator
- DLA ASSIST/quicksearch entry for MIL-I-2781D Interim Amendment 4 (SHIPS), 9 Jan 1973
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- The Navy's thermal pipe-insulation military specification was amended in January 1973 to require insulation 'composed of asbestos-free and silica-free heat-resisting compounds' - evidencing that the incumbent Navy specification for thermal pipe insulation had permitted asbestos-bearing product (85% magnesia pipe covering of the era is documented as roughly 15% asbestos fiber for strength and bond).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1973 amendment; documents pre-1973 spec practice
- Population
- Navy ships and shipyard workers (spec-era context)
- Limitations
- Specification-level, not hull-level: documents that asbestos-bearing insulation was standard under Navy spec until 1973, decades after this ship's 1946 decommissioning and 1948 disposal. Does not establish what was installed aboard this hull; the ship had left federal custody 25 years before the amendment. Spec content per index listing; full text not re-pulled.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gum-tree-an18-09
-
[10]Cross-source date/spec reconciliation: DANFS (hazegray mirror) vs ShipScribe AN-6 class data sheet vs NavSource spec block vs Wikipedia summary [other_primary]
- Locator
- hazegray yn13.htm; shipscribe.com/usnaux/AN/AN06.html AN-18 row; navsource.net 18018 spec block; en.wikipedia.org USS Gum Tree (AN-18)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies recorded: (a) keel date - class data sheet gives 19 Sep 1940; Wikipedia gives 3 Oct 1940; the data sheet (compiled from official Ships' Data) is adopted pending primary confirmation. (b) commissioning - DANFS/NavSource record 'commissioned 16 Sep 1941' while the class data sheet lists 'In Serv. 16 Sep 41' plus 'Comm. 19 Dec 42' - probable in-service vs full-commission distinction, unresolved; record carries both. (c) dimensions/speed - DANFS gives 151'8" x 10'6", 15 kts vs class sheet 163.2' oa x 11.7' lim, 12.5 kts; class-sheet figures adopted (the DANFS statistics line is abbreviated). (d) complement - 40 (secondary summaries) vs 46 (class sheet, 1944) vs 48 (NavSource spec block); reported as a range.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1940-1948
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies among secondary compilations; underlying primary sources (Navy Ships' Data sheets, BuShips records) were not themselves retrieved. No asbestos content in any of the compared sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gum-tree-an18-10