Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
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[1]Naval History and Heritage Command, DANFS entries 'Targeteer' (full hull history: LSM-508 projection, LSM(R)-508, Gunnison River, YV-3 Targeteer) and 'Gunnison River' (cross-reference stub under G) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Targeteer' entry, full text (T section); companion stub 'Gunnison River' at https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/g/gunnison-river.html
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- LSM(R)-508 was originally projected as LSM-508, reclassified LSM(R)-508 in February 1945, and laid down 31 March 1945 at Houston, Tex., by Brown Shipbuilding Co., Inc.; launched 28 April 1945; commissioned at Houston 25 June 1945, Lt. Harry E. Montgomery, USNR. Fitting out at Galveston; rocket launchers and alterations at Charleston, S.C. (arrived 10 July); shifted to Little Creek, Va., 31 July; shakedown 1-15 August 1945 during which Japan capitulated. Operated out of Little Creek, off the Virginia Capes, and in the Caribbean (San Juan, Guantanamo Bay) into 1946; Baltimore repairs July 1946; transited the Panama Canal 30 November 1946; arrived San Diego for inactivation. Decommissioned 5 February 1947, Pacific Reserve Fleet San Diego; named Gunnison River 1 October 1955. Reinstated early 1960 and converted to drone aircraft catapult control ship; reclassified YV-3 on 26 May 1960; renamed Targeteer 26 June 1960; placed 'in service' March 1961; commissioned 7 April 1961, Lt. J. L. White. Homeported San Diego 1961-1968 under Commander, Fleet Training Group, with upkeep/repairs from Service Group 1; launched and recovered radio-controlled drone aircraft and surface drone unit targets maintained by Utility Unit 3 - 'the world's smallest aircraft carrier.' Decommissioned 31 December 1968 (NavSource states 13 December - see gaps); struck from the Navy list 1 January 1969; sold to American Ship Dismantling Co., Portland, Oreg., 10 December 1969 and scrapped soon thereafter.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-1969
- Population
- Ship's company (cpl. 138 per DANFS spec block); shipyard workers at Brown Shipbuilding (1945 construction); conversion-yard workers (unidentified, 1960-61)
- Limitations
- Authoritative Navy ship-history narrative establishing identity, construction, service, conversion, and disposition. Contains no asbestos, materials, insulation, or hazardous-condition statement - supports no asbestos claim. Does not document where the YV-3 conversion work was performed. DANFS prints the final decommissioning as 31 December 1968 vs NavSource's 13 December 1968 (unresolved).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gunnison-river-lsmr508-01
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[2]NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Targeteer (YV-3) ex Gunnison River (LSMR-508) ex USS LSM(R)-508, page 10/06/06508 (verified live at navsource.net; navsource.org is the dead mirror) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page 10/06/06508: timeline block, 'LSM(R) Specifications' block, awards display, commanding officers table, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Hull-level detail page confirming the designation timeline (commissioned 25 June 1945, LT Harry H. Montgomery USNR; decommissioned 5 February 1947 San Diego; Pacific Reserve Fleet San Diego Group; named Gunnison River (LSMR-508) 1 October 1955; reclassified Drone Aircraft Catapult Control Ship and renamed Targeteer 26 May 1960 [DANFS dates the rename 26 June - see gaps]; recommissioned USS Targeteer (YV-3) 7 April 1961; decommissioned 13 December 1968 [vs DANFS 31 December - see gaps]; struck 1 January 1969; sold for scrapping 10 December 1969 to American Ship Dismantling Co., Portland, OR). Carries the LSM(R) specifications: 2 x General Motors 16-278A (non-reversing, airflex clutch) diesel engines, direct drive, 1,440 BHP each @ 720 rpm, twin screws 2,800 shp; ship's service generators 4 x diesel-drive 100 kW 450V A.C. + 2 x diesel-drive 20 kW 120V D.C.; displacement 758 t light / 993 t attack / 1,175 t full; 206'3" x 34'6"; complement 6 officers + 137 enlisted; armament 1 x 5"/38 DP, 2 x twin 40mm, 4 x twin 20mm, 10 x twin continuous-loading 5" SS rocket launchers, 4 x 4.2" mortars; 10-lb STS/ASPP splinter armor. Lists WWII assignment as Asiatic-Pacific Theater, LSM(R) Flotilla Eighteen (CAPT C. F. Macklin USN), Group Forty-Three, Division 'One Hundred Sic' (printed verbatim - a typo for 'One Hundred Six' = Division 106, see gaps), and a four-ribbon award display including Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - both items conflict with the DANFS chronology placing the ship on the Atlantic coast/Caribbean through the war's end (see gaps). Commanding-officer roster printed; photo captions document LSM(R)-508 with LSM(R)-507 in the Panama Canal 9 November 1946 (vs DANFS transit date 30 November - see gaps) and YV-3 underway in the COMFLETRAGRU San Diego OpArea, 1962-63.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-1969
- Population
- Ship's company (6 officers + 137 enlisted, class spec)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer-maintained archival-mirror site used here for hull-level detail the official DANFS omits (unit assignment, CO roster, spec block, award display). Its specifications are class-level data printed on the hull page; its flotilla/group/division assignment and ribbon set are not corroborated by DANFS for this hull's wartime service and are flagged in gaps. Contains no asbestos information - supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gunnison-river-lsmr508-02
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[3]Naval History and Heritage Command photo catalog, USN 1066963 - 'USS Targeteer (YV-3)' (original creator: Albrecht; National Archives accession); also NHHC topic page 'Navy's Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles' captioning the same image [other_primary]
- Locator
- NHHC photo catalog record USN 1066963; caption text at https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/exploration-and-innovation/unmanned-aerial-vehicles.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official U.S. Navy photograph (NARA-sourced catalog record) captioned 'Aerial view of drone aircraft catapult control ship USS Targeteer (YV-3) underway off the coast of California. Note drone aircraft on deck' - dated 23 January 1963 on the NHHC unmanned-aerial-vehicles topic page. Confirms the ship's documented YV-3 configuration and mission: flight-deck drone aircraft launch/recovery operations off California, consistent with DANFS's description of radio-controlled drone and surface-target support for Pacific Fleet training.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1963 (image); 1961-1968 (YV-3 service)
- Limitations
- Photographic record documenting configuration and mission only; no materials, asbestos, or condition information. The date comes from the topic-page caption (the photo-catalog page itself prints no date).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gunnison-river-lsmr508-03
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[4]National Archives Catalog, file unit 'LSM(R)-508, 6/25/45-2/5/47' (NAID 126646250) - Navy deck logs spanning the entire first commission; plus 104 cataloged monthly deck-log file units for 'Targeteer (YV-3)' covering September 1960 - August 1968 (e.g., NAID 218515599 'Targeteer (YV-3) - November 1962'); also file unit NAID 2760985 'LSM-508 (LSM(R)-508)' [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov search title='LSM(R)-508' (2 hits) and title='Targeteer' (104 file-unit hits); NAIDs 126646250, 2760985, 218515599
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The National Archives Catalog catalogs ship-specific deck-log file units for this hull under both service identities: 'LSM(R)-508, 6/25/45-2/5/47' (NAID 126646250, covering commissioning through first decommissioning) and ~104 monthly 'Targeteer (YV-3)' file units spanning September 1960 - August 1968 (e.g., NAID 218515599, November 1962; earliest seen 210835317 September 1960; latest seen 215867332 August 1968). These are the primary onboard record source for any future condition/materials research on this hull.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-1947; 1960-1968
- Limitations
- Catalog-level verification only: the catalog's JSON proxy confirmed the file units exist and are named for this hull; parent-series attribution and page-level content were not retrieved/reviewed (the catalog UI is JS-rendered and its record-detail endpoint returned errors this session - search results only). Deck logs record movements, personnel, and musters - they do not document asbestos materials and are not an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gunnison-river-lsmr508-04
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[5]Naval History and Heritage Command, DANFS stub entry 'Gunnison River' [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Gunnison River' stub, full text (2 sentences)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS carries a separate one-line stub under 'Gunnison River': 'A river in west-central Colorado. LSMR-508 was named Gunnison River 1 October 1955; reclassified YV-3 in May 1960; and renamed Targeteer (q.v.) 26 May 1960.' The stub dates the rename to Targeteer at 26 May 1960 - conflicting with the full 'Targeteer' entry, which separates reclassification to YV-3 (26 May 1960) from the rename to Targeteer (26 June 1960). The rename date is a DANFS-internal discrepancy; NavSource follows the merged 26 May date.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1955-1960
- Limitations
- Access quirk: this page returns HTTP 404 to bare curl requests but renders full content to a browser/firecrawl fetch - verified live content 2026-09-30; the stub adds no facts beyond the name-entry and the conflicting rename date. The correct rename date (26 May vs 26 June 1960) is unresolved in this record; 26 June is carried in the timeline fields on the strength of the fuller 'Targeteer' entry.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gunnison-river-lsmr508-08
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[6]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 documenting that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during World War II - the program and era under which this hull was built (laid down March 1945 at a wartime Gulf Coast yard). Wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard Navy and merchant hulls of all types, including diesel-powered auxiliaries.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- 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, this class, or this builder, and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. Diesel-powered hull - no boiler/steam-plant lagging pathway can be asserted.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gunnison-river-lsmr508-05
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[7]NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, Elk River (IX-501) ex USS LSM(R)-501 page - lead-ship/class record for the LSM(R)-501 class [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page 10/06/06501: class heading, timeline, LSM(R) specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The LSM(R)-501 class was a series of purpose-built landing ships medium (rocket) constructed at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX, in 1945 (lead ship LSM(R)-501 laid down 24 March 1945, commissioned 27 May 1945). Class specifications identical to those printed for this hull (diesel propulsion, 10 twin 5-inch spin-stabilized continuous-loading rocket launchers, splinter armor on pilot-house/radio-room/rocket-control spaces). Several sisters received postwar conversions: LSM(R)-501 became deep-submergence support ship Elk River (IX-501), converted at Avondale Shipyards and San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard (Hunters Point).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- Class/background row only: establishes the build program and shared characteristics, not conditions aboard hull 508. Sister conversions (IX-501 at Avondale/Hunters Point) do not document where YV-3 conversion work on this hull occurred - that yard is unidentified in public sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-gunnison-river-lsmr508-06
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[8]Batch-5867 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS, NavSource, NARA catalog, CourtListener API v4, NVR, MARAD vesselhistory - see search_ledger rows [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-gunnison-river-01 through sl-uss-gunnison-river-15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement or conversion-contract materials statement, hazmat disclosure, or qualifying litigation naming LSM(R)-508 / Gunnison River / Targeteer (YV-3) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener opinion searches returned zero hull-number hits and only name-collision results on the names ('Gunnison River' -> Colorado river workers'-compensation appeals; 'Targeteer' -> the Colt .22 revolver model in a Florida capital appeal). Docket-level queries remained unsearched when the fleet-wide request budget was spent (see search_ledger, marked blocked). General web sweeps surfaced only law-firm marketing listicles - excluded by source policy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 2026-09-30
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1945-built hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the hull was scrapped in 1969-70 before modern hazmat documentation practices. The litigation sweep is partial: all CourtListener docket-level (type=r) queries remained unsearched at report time (blocked, not negative). 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-gunnison-river-lsmr508-07