USS Hazel (AN-29)

Evidence

13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).

1. [1]DANFS, 'Hazel' (YN-24) entry - verbatim transcription mirror (hazegray/losthistory.net); canonical NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-09-24 [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Hazel' entry, YN-24 statistics line and narrative

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The second Hazel (YN-24), originally Poplar but renamed soon after keel-laying, was launched 15 February 1941 by American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, Ohio, and was placed in service 27 October 1941. She commissioned 17 December 1942 at Newport (Lt. (j.g.) A. W. Brown commanding). After Portsmouth, N.H. and Boston outfitting she performed net-laying duties at Portland, Maine, and had returned to Boston by 7 December 1941; after Pearl Harbor she was assigned to Newport for patrol duties plus installing/maintaining the anti-submarine net, based at the Naval Net Depot, Melville, R.I., with occasional patrol and fire-fighting duties. Redesignated AN-29 on 20 January 1944; October-November 1944 at Portland; returned to Newport to train officers and men in net defenses and do experimental work for the net depot; arrived Boston 21 February 1945 for Boston harbor nets; departed Boston 20 April 1945 and arrived Cristobal 2 May 1945. She tended Canal Zone defense-system nets until war's end, then removed the defenses from the Canal and its approaches (completed 14 October 1945), returning to base at Coco Solo; remained in the 15th Naval District on miscellaneous duties at Coco Solo, Balboa, and other installations until 2 December 1957; arrived Mayport 9 December; decommissioned 11 February 1958; placed in reserve at Green Cove Springs until struck from the Navy List 1 September 1962. Statistics line: dp. 560; l. 163'2"; b. 30'6"; dr. 11'8"; s. 12 k.; cpl. 48; a. 1 3"; cl. Aloe.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1941-1962

   Limitations

   Official ship-history text via transcription mirror - NHHC canonical page 404s (standing link-rot issue, also seen in Batches 01 and 1764). Entry omits keel date (ShipScribe class sheet supplies 18 Oct 1940) and ends at the 1962 strike - disposal resolved by the MARAD status card (ev-03). Gives no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hazel-an29-01

2. [2]ShipScribe (S. S. Roberts), 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 table AN-29 row, disposal table AN-29 row, and ship-notes AN-29 entry

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Class data sheet rows for AN-29 HAZEL: ordered 1 August 1940; builder American SB, Lorain; keel 18 October 1940; launched 15 February 1941; in service column reads 27 August 1941 (vs DANFS/NavSource 27 October 1941 - see correction row). Disposal table: decommissioned 11 February 1958; stricken 1 September 1962; disposal 1 September 1962; fate MA/R (Maritime Administration reserve); MA sale 23 January 1974. Ship note: 'Ex YN-24 20 Jan 44. Ex POPLAR 16 Oct 40. Comm. 17 Dec 42. In USN reserve 1957-61. To NDRF 7 Apr 61. To buyer 14 Feb 74.' 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; 1958-63 armament for AN-29 listed as '4>3-20mm or none.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1940-1974

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation of official Navy data sheets, not the primary sheets themselves. In-service '27 Aug 41' conflicts with DANFS/NavSource '27 Oct 41' - likely yard delivery vs formal in-service; both carried, DANFS adopted for the record field. Establishes construction/disposition facts; contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hazel-an29-02

3. [3]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - HAZEL (AN-29), Ship History Detail 2129, incl. digitized vessel status card MA-393 [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 2129 milestone table plus status card image /cards/2129_3955AF.jpg (MA-393 Reserve Fleet - Ship Particulars)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD custody and disposal chain for this hull: database milestones record entry/acquisition 7 April 1961 with the annotation 'MARAD TITLE 9/1/62,' and disposition/withdrawal 14 February 1974; fate 'Sold -NTU' (nontransportation use). The status card (form MA-393, 'Reserve Fleet - Ship Particulars,' U.S. Dept. of Commerce Maritime Administration) records: name Hazel AN-29, ex YN-24 / ex Poplar; fleet James River; entered 7 April 1961, 1335 hours EST; builder 'American SB,' built 1941; type 'GM Diesel / Navy Built / Net Laying Ship'; category Mil. Aux.; title initially 'Temporary Custody / Navy Reimbursable' with red-pencil 'Marad Title Sept. 1, 1962'; light displacement 560 tons; LOA 163'2"; breadth 30'6"; trial speed 12.5 knots; complement 'Off.4 Enl.44'; arrival draft Fwd. 4'03" Aft 12'00"; withdrawn 2/14/74 at 1445 EDT, reason 'Sold for nontransportation use under PD-X-970, 1-23-74 to The Boston Metals Company for $17,666.66.' Other-data note: 'Navy Preservation: See Marad letter April 15, 1961 (FY 1961) Navy reply April 22, 1961, etc.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1961-1974

   Limitations

   Primary government custody record (digitized status card, read directly) - resolves the 'date unknown' Boston Metals sale in secondary sources and places the NDRF lay-up at James River, not the Green Cove Springs fleet where the Navy had laid her up. The MARAD database 'Displacement, Lightweight 700.00 tons' contradicts the card's '560 Tons' (same field-error pattern as sister Holly's record); the card controls. Card 'GM Diesel' vs NavSource 'Enterprise DSG-6' - unresolved, both carried. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim. Scrapping location not recorded on the card (Boston Metals Co. was a Baltimore, MD yard; the tow destination is not stated).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hazel-an29-03

4. [4]NavSource Online Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Hazel (AN-29) page - specifications, commanding-officer list, awards, and photo captions [reputable_press]

   Locator

   NavSource AN-29 page (09/18/18029): specifications block, awards, CO table, photo captions

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NavSource archive page documents: laid down date unknown as yard net tender Poplar (YN-24) at 'American Shipbuilding Co., Cleveland, OH' (builder-city error - see correction row); renamed Hazel prior to launching; launched 15 February 1941; placed in service 27 October 1941 (LTjg Alfred W. Brown Jr. USNR); commissioned 17 December 1942; redesignated AN-29 20 January 1944; decommissioned 11 February 1958 at Mayport FL; laid up 13 February 1958 Atlantic Reserve Fleet Green Cove Springs FL; struck 1 September 1962; final disposition 'sold for scrapping to Boston Metals, date unknown.' Spec block: displacement 700 t.(fl) 805 t.(lim); length 162'2"; beam 30'6"; draft 11'8" (lim); speed 12.5 kts trial; complement 4 officers + 44 enlisted; armament one single 3"/50 cal dual-purpose mount, two .50 cal machine guns, one y-gun; largest boom capacity 12 t; fuel diesel 665 bbls; propulsion 'one Enterprise DSG-6 Diesel-electric engine, single Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears, two Diesel-drive 60Kw 120V D.C. Ships Service Generators, single propeller, 800shp.' Call sign NWFS. Awards: American Defense Medal (Fleet clasp), American Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal. Photos: underway, date/location unknown (US Navy Memorial collection); moored Pier 2 Cristobal, Panama, November 1945 (David Wright). Commanding-officer roster of 14 officers from Brown (1941) through LT Earl D. Christensen (9 Nov 1957 - 11 Feb 1958).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1941-1974

   Population

   Ship's company 1941-1958 (complement ~48 per spec block and MARAD card)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer-run archive compiling official Navy/NARA data and photo captions - reputable but not an official site. Builder city 'Cleveland' conflicts with DANFS, ShipScribe, and the AmShip Lorain yard list (Lorain controls); length 162'2" conflicts with DANFS 163'2" and the MARAD card; 'Enterprise DSG-6' conflicts with the MARAD card's 'GM Diesel'; 'final disposition... date unknown' is superseded by the MARAD status card (ev-03). No asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hazel-an29-04

5. [5]shipbuildinghistory.com (T. Colton), American Shipbuilding 'AmShip Lorain' yard hull list, Lorain OH [reputable_press]

   Locator

   AmShip Lorain yard table row 813 (netlayer run 812-817)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The AmShip Lorain yard list records hull no. 813 as 'Poplar/Hazel (YN 24),' U.S. Navy netlayer, 560d tons, 162 ft, delivered Aug-41, disposition 'AN 29, scrapped.' The Lorain yard's netlayer run was hulls 812-817: 812 Palm (YN 23, AN-28), 813 Poplar/Hazel (YN 24, AN-29), 814 Redwood (YN 25, AN-30), 815 Rosewood (YN 26, AN-31), 816 Sandalwood (YN 27, AN-32), 817 Sycamore/Nutmeg (YN 28, AN-33).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1941

   Limitations

   Reputable secondary shipbuilding reference (Colton's yard lists), not an official register; hull-number attribution independently confirms the Lorain yard (against NavSource/Wikipedia 'Cleveland') and an August 1941 delivery that likely underlies ShipScribe's 'in service 27 Aug 41.' The '162 ft' figure is the yard list's own dimension convention (official class length 163.2' oa). No asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hazel-an29-05

6. [6]Net Tender Story #16 Vol. VI - crew memoir by Bill Bingman (USS Hazel AN-29, 1957), compiled by Glenn Paulson (USS Anaqua AN-40), NavSource archive PDF [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource PDF 18029a.pdf, single page

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   First-person crew account naming this hull: the writer reported aboard USS Hazel (AN-29) in the Panama Canal Zone in June 1957 at Coco Solo on the Atlantic side, went aboard as a Gunner's Mate striker and became a Storekeeper 3rd class. He records the ship's job as 'to remove all the anti-submarine nets from the mouth of the Panama Canal on the Atlantic Side' on tropical working hours (5 a.m. to 1 p.m.), that when the work finished 'the base was closed and we went to Green Cove Springs, FL to be decommissioned in February 1958,' and that a destroyer out of Norfolk was the next assignment. Compiler's note expresses surprise that nets were still being worked at the Canal in 1957.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1957-1958

   Population

   Ship's company, final 1957 cruise (~48 complement)

   Limitations

   Veteran memoir compiled for a reunion-newsletter series - a genuine first-person source naming this hull but not an official record; written decades after the fact and uncorroborated in detail (e.g., 'remove all' overstates - DANFS records the wartime removal completed 14 Oct 1945 and the 1957 work as residual net duty). No asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hazel-an29-06

7. [7]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-hazel-an29-07

8. [8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (18 October 1979) [gao]

   Locator

   GAO product page and report digest, HRD-80-2

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   GAO documented that thermal insulation was the Navy's major use of asbestos aboard ships, that 'all ships contain some asbestos in such components as clutches and electric cables,' and that the Navy did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - placing this 1940-41 naval auxiliary entirely inside the documented asbestos-use era for her full 1941-1958 active service and 1958-1974 reserve/NDRF lay-up. Fieldwork for the report covered the Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1979 report; documents pre-1970s Navy practice

   Population

   Navy ships and shipyard workers (program-level)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level review; does not name this vessel or class and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. Fieldwork yards are not this ship's builder or berthing sites.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hazel-an29-08

9. [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, after this ship's 1958 decommissioning and during its James River NDRF lay-up. Does not establish what was installed aboard this hull; as a diesel-electric vessel it had no steam-plant piping of the type this spec principally governed. Spec content per index listing; full text not re-pulled.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hazel-an29-09

10. [10]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://lib.bgsu.edu/findingaids/repositories/4/resources/479 (BGSU HCGL AmShip finding aid); https://hub.catalogit.app/lorain-historical-society/folder/american-ship-building (Lorain Historical Society AmShip collection)

    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 ('AN29'/'YN24') and by class correspondence under the class namesake ('AN6' Aloe class); builder correspondence under Navy Filing Manual 'QM' code (QM/American Ship Building); General/Ship Information Books for machinery, piping, and insulation layouts. Complementary leads: deck logs (RG 24, NARA II College Park) covering her 1941-45 East Coast/Narragansett service and the 1945-57 Canal Zone decade; MARAD James River reserve-fleet records (the status card references a MARAD letter of 15 April 1961 and Navy reply of 22 April 1961 concerning Navy preservation); the American Ship Building Company and Predecessors records 1867-1989 at Bowling Green State University's Historical Collections of the Great Lakes (naval architectural drawings incl. warships, specifications and contracts, subject files); and the Lorain Historical Society's American Ship Building photo collection.

    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-hazel-an29-10

11. [11]Batch-1775 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (canonical 404 + hazegray mirror); MARAD ShipHistory Detail 2129 + status card; ShipScribe AN-6 class sheet; shipbuildinghistory AmShip Lorain list; NavSource AN-29 page + Net Tender Story PDF; NARA asbestos guided topic; CourtListener opinion/docket searches; NVR; DLA/GAO spec and report indexes; uboat.net corroboration [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-hazel-an29-01 through -17

    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 Hazel hull was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener (all queries authenticated via the fleet helper): 'USS Hazel' opinions and dockets each returned zero; 'AN-29'+'Hazel' and 'Hazel'+'AN 29' each returned the same single name collision (O'Harra v. Collier, Tex. App. 2025 - 'Hazel' a person, 'AN-29' an exhibit/docket fragment); 'YN-24'+'Hazel', 'Hazel'+'net tender'+asbestos, and 'Hazel'+'net laying'+asbestos each returned zero; 'Hazel'+asbestos+ship returned 13 hits, all name collisions (surnames, street names, other shipyards' cases - none names a vessel Hazel); 'American Shipbuilding'+asbestos returned 8 hits, all non-qualifying builder-name collisions/other litigation (Ingalls, Bath Iron, Lumbermens/S-W Industries coverage dispute, Lennar) naming no Hazel hull. 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 in continuous service through 1958 is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and scrapping in 1974 leaves no museum/abatement documentation trail. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-hazel-an29-11

12. [12]Cross-source reconciliation: hazegray DANFS mirror vs NavSource AN-29 vs ShipScribe class data sheet vs MARAD ShipHistory/status card vs shipbuildinghistory AmShip Lorain list vs uboat.net vs Wikipedia summary [other_primary]

    Locator

    losthistory.net/hazegray yn24.htm; navsource.net 18029; shipscribe.com/usnaux/AN/AN06.html; vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov Detail 2129 + card 2129_3955AF.jpg; shipbuildinghistory.com amshiplorain.htm hull 813; uboat.net ship/8373.html; en.wikipedia.org USS Hazel (AN-29)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies recorded: (a) Builder city - DANFS 'American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, Ohio,' ShipScribe 'American SB, Lorain,' and the AmShip Lorain yard list (hull 813) all place construction at Lorain; NavSource, Wikipedia, and uboat.net say 'Cleveland' (AmShip corporate HQ city - loose attribution). Lorain adopted. (b) In-service date - DANFS/NavSource 'placed in service 27 October 1941' vs ShipScribe table '27 Aug 41' and yard list 'delivered Aug-41'; the August date is likely yard delivery vs the formal Navy in-service date; both carried, DANFS adopted. (c) Rename timing - ShipScribe 'Ex POPLAR 16 Oct 40' (two days before keel 18 Oct) vs DANFS 'renamed soon after keel-laying'; the dated ShipScribe entry controls. (d) Length - DANFS 163'2" and MARAD database 163.10 ft vs NavSource 162'2" and yard list 162 ft; 163'2" adopted. (e) Propulsion - MARAD card 'GM Diesel' vs NavSource spec block 'one Enterprise DSG-6 Diesel-electric engine'; unresolved, both carried (spec block may be class-generic). (f) MARAD database 'Displacement, Lightweight 700.00 tons' contradicts its own card 'Light Displacement 560 Tons' - card controls (same MARAD field-error pattern as sister Holly Detail 2229). (g) uboat.net lists 'Commissioned 27 Oct 1941' - conflates placed-in-service with commissioning (actual 17 Dec 1942); corroboration lead only. (h) NavSource 'Final Disposition, sold for scrapping to Boston Metals, date unknown' - resolved by the MARAD card (PD-X-970, 23 Jan 1974, $17,666.66, delivered 14 Feb 1974).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    1940-1974

    Limitations

    Resolves publication-level discrepancies among secondary compilations against primary records (DANFS text, MARAD status card, builder yard list); underlying primary BuShips/Navy records were not themselves retrieved. No asbestos content in any of the compared sources.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-hazel-an29-12

13. [13]shipbuildinghistory.com (T. Colton), AmShip Lorain yard history header - yard lineage and wartime role [reputable_press]

    Locator

    amshiplorain.htm history header paragraph

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    The Lorain yard began as Cleveland Shipbuilding (founded 1886 on the Cleveland waterfront), built a new shipyard at Lorain in 1897 and relocated there, and was acquired by The American Ship Building Company two years later, becoming AmShip's Lorain Division - a leading builder of Great Lakes 'lakers' until the late 1970s (closed 1983; the site later became a Spitzer scrap-processing facility, then a marina). This lineage explains both the 'Cleveland' attribution error in secondary sources and the Lorain yard's role building six Navy netlayers (hulls 812-817) in 1941.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    1886-1983 yard history; 1940-1941 construction

    Population

    American Shipbuilding Lorain construction workforce (yard-level)

    Limitations

    Yard-level history - supports construction-site context and the Lorain/Cleveland correction only; contains no asbestos or materials information about the yard's output, and no hull-specific detail beyond the hull-list row (ev-05).

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-hazel-an29-13