Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]DANFS, 'Improve' (AM-247) entry, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (verbatim transcription mirror at hazegray/losthistory.net - live NHHC page returns 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry body text + spec block (hazegray mirror of NHHC DANFS)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC records for this hull: laid down 1 June 1943 by Savannah Machine & Foundry Co., Savannah, Ga.; launched 26 September 1943, sponsored by Mrs. J. E. Poythress; commissioned 29 February 1944, Lt. P. W. Howle, Jr. in command. Shakedown then Mine Warfare School, Yorktown, Va., as school ship; convoy duty, sailed for Africa 23 Jul 1944, arrived Mers-el-Kebir 10 Aug; off southern France for sweeping duty 25 Aug; helped sweep a channel into Mentone 9-10 Sep and assisted sinking a one-man torpedo on the 10th, occasionally exchanging fire with German shore batteries; Oct 1944-Mar 1945 sweeping/patrol at Bizerte, Cagliari, and Palermo - her group pioneered use of a Navy blimp to spot floating mines; brief operation off Anzio 3 Mar 1945; departed Oran 17 Apr, arrived Norfolk 5 May; sailed 5 Jul via Panama Canal to San Pedro (arrived 26 Jul), training duty through war's end; sailed 17 Sep for Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, Saipan, Okinawa; off Sasebo 17 Nov for minesweeping; finished 1945 off Formosa and in the Pescadores; at Shanghai Mar 1946 earmarked for transfer to China but returned to Seattle and decommissioned 6 Nov 1946; turned over to the Maritime Commission and sold 24 Feb 1949 to Ricardo Granja (transcriber's note: as Ecuador). Spec block: dp. 530; l. 184'6"; b. 33'; dr. 9'9"; s. 15 k.; cpl. 104; a. 1 3", 4 40mm; cl. Admirable. Two battle stars for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1949
- Population
- Savannah Machine & Foundry construction trades (1943-44); wartime crew (design complement 104)
- Limitations
- Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for identity, service history, and disposal chain. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC page 404s (standing link rot, cf. BATCH-01); the hazegray transcription is verbatim DANFS text. DANFS gives no stricken date and no propulsion detail beyond speed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-improve-am247-01
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[2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Improve (AM-247), file 11/02247 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/02247.htm - header timeline, specifications block, commanding-officer table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource per-hull record corroborates DANFS and adds detail: decommissioned 6 November 1946 at Seattle, WA; 'Transferred to the War Shipping Administration in February 1948 for disposal'; sold 24 February 1949 to Ricardo Granja and renamed Ecuador; 'Sunk in 1953.' Spec block: 945 t (fl); 184'6" x 33' x 9'9"; 14.8 kts; complement 104; armament 1 x 3"/50 DP, 2 x 40mm mounts, 6 x 20mm, 1 hedgehog, 4 K-guns, 2 depth-charge tracks; propulsion - 'Two 1,710shp Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesel engines, National Supply Co. single reduction gear, two shafts.' CO table: LCDR Paul William Howle, Jr., USNR (29 Feb 1944 - 23 Feb 1945); LT Byron Henry Patek, USNR (23 Feb 1945 - 1 Dec 1945); LT John Lee Brewer, USN (27 May 1946 - 6 Nov 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1953
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation - detailed and internally consistent with DANFS but non-official; the WSA Feb-1948 custody step and the Cooper Bessemer engine attribution rest on NavSource alone (Wikipedia's infobox lists ALCO 539; HyperWar's recognition-derived page reads 'diesel-electric, 1,800 h.p.' - engine-make conflict carried in gaps). 'Sunk in 1953' carries no location or circumstance. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-improve-am247-02
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[3]uboat.net Allied Warships of WWII - USS Improve (AM 247), Admirable-class minesweeper entry [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net warships/ship/5312.html - specification block and history lines
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- uboat.net per-hull record: ordered 2 May 1942; built by Savannah Machinery and Foundry Co., Savannah, Georgia; laid down 1 Jun 1943; launched 26 Sep 1943; commissioned 29 Feb 1944; end of service 6 Nov 1946; history lines - decommissioned 6 November 1946 at Seattle, Washington; transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal; sold 24 February 1949 to Ricardo Granja, renamed Ecuador. Commanding officers listed (WWII window): Paul William Howle, Jr., USNR (29 Feb 1944 - 23 Feb 1945); Byron Henry Patek, USNR (23 Feb 1945 - ).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1942-1949
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary database - corroborates DANFS/NavSource on dates and disposal and adds the 2 May 1942 order date; spells the builder 'Savannah Machinery and Foundry' (DANFS form 'Savannah Machine & Foundry' is carried). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-improve-am247-03
-
[4]U.S. Naval Institute, Naval History magazine, 'Historic Fleets' (April 1996, Vol. 10 No. 2) - Admirable-class retrospective [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Naval History April 1996 'Historic Fleets' article text and caption
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- USNI class-level documentation for the Admirable design this hull belongs to: 'World War II's Admirable-class minesweepers were built on the same 184-foot, 6-inch hull as the PCE-821-class convoy escorts'; hull numbers AM-136-165, 214-311, 351-366, 391-420 ordered; 'only 125 were completed for the Navy'; transfers to USSR, Nationalist China, Philippines, Burma, Mexico documented; 'At 945 tons full load, the Admirables could achieve 14.8 knots on their two 855 brake horsepower diesels.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1996
- Population
- Admirable-class crews and builders (class context)
- Limitations
- Class-level retrospective, not a hull record - confirms the diesel (non-steam) propulsion type and program scale for the class Improve belongs to. Wikipedia's class summary carries 123 completed of 147 planned; USNI carries 125 completed for the Navy - minor count variance noted. Contains no asbestos information and names no individual hull's materials.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-improve-am247-04
-
[5]Consolidated era/design inference - NavSource spec block for this hull (diesel machinery) + USNI class article + DANFS spec block [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/02247.htm specifications block; USNI Naval History Apr 1996; DANFS spec block (hazegray mirror)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference, narrowed by the documented plant: this hull was a diesel-propelled Admirable-class minesweeper built 1943-44 at the peak of wartime asbestos usage - a configuration WITHOUT the boiler, fireroom, and steam-line insulation that dominates the asbestos mass of steam warships. Era-consistent asbestos applications for a vessel of this type: diesel exhaust-system and engine-space insulation; machinery gaskets and packing throughout fuel, lube-oil, and seawater systems; electrical cable insulation; deck coverings; bulkhead and accommodation fireproofing; brake linings including the powered minesweeping-winch gear. Documented disturbance phases for this hull: construction at Savannah Machine & Foundry (1943-44), wartime service, merchant service as Ecuador (1949-53), and the 1953 fire and sinking that took the hull to the bottom.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1953
- Population
- Savannah Machine & Foundry construction workforce (1943-44); wartime and postwar crew (complement ~104); merchant crew as Ecuador (1949-53)
- Limitations
- Inference from the documented machinery plant and construction era - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming AM-247 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. The diesel configuration materially lowers (but does not eliminate) era-typical asbestos scope relative to steam vessels.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-improve-am247-05
-
[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 [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed record PMID 21016030; article pp. 9-16 (pipe covering material section)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned 1944-45 industrial-hygiene survey of pipe-covering operations in naval-vessel construction found amosite 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels' - direct era documentation that asbestos pipe covering was standard in U.S. naval construction during the period this hull was built (1943-44).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- survey ~1944-45; published 1946
- Population
- WWII pipe coverers and insulators at Navy and contract yards (era context)
- Limitations
- Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; does not name this vessel, class, or builder yard (whether Savannah Machine & Foundry was among the surveyed contract yards is unverified) and establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure. (The study's exculpatory 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion has since been heavily criticized - see the 2026 critique at DOI 10.1177/10482911261446696.)
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-improve-am247-06
-
[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 a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and emergency construction program under which this Admirable-class minesweeper was built at Savannah Machine & Foundry - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in shipbuilding.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- 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 or class and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-improve-am247-07
-
[8]Batch-1219 search ledger (this record): DANFS via hazegray mirror; NavSource 11/02247; uboat.net 5312; USNI Historic Fleets Apr 1996; Naval Vessel Register; MARAD ShipHistory (endpoint error); VA BVA index; CourtListener (shared-quota blocked); indexed-web litigation check; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-improve-am247-01 through sl-uss-improve-am247-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Improve / AM-247 / Ecuador was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Law-firm marketing pages do name the hull - mesothelioma.com carries a dedicated minesweeper page listing 'USS Improve | AM-247 | Admirable | 2/29/1944 | Sunk, 1953' and mesotheliomahelp.org includes the hull in its minesweeper list - but these assert era-typical asbestos content without primary support and are excluded per the no-law-firm-sources rule. CourtListener API querying on 2026-09-22 was rate-limit blocked at the shared-quota level (HTTP 429, 'Rate limit exceeded: 2800/day' - authenticated key, not the anonymous cap); residual litigation surface was assessed via indexed-web checking, which surfaced no qualifying docketed case. NVR carries no AM-247 record (pre-1987 disposal). No VA BVA decision naming the ship was located in indexed searches.
- 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 combatant is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the undocumented disturbance phases (merchant conversion 1949, fire/sinking 1953) leave the material history unresolvable from public sources. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. Litigation coverage is incomplete: the systematic CourtListener name/hull sweeps could not be run this session - authenticated requests returned HTTP 429 on three spaced attempts over ~20 minutes (reset window ~80 min beyond session end); the gap stands per the batch backoff rule.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-improve-am247-08
-
[9]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel - Navy deck logs), RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357 (Records of the Maritime Administration); MARAD ShipHistory database [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html ; https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Improve 1944-1946 (RG 24, NARA College Park); BuShips records incl. Admirable-class design specifications and this hull's Booklet of General Plans (RG 19); USMC/MARAD disposal-custody records for the Feb 1948 WSA transfer and the 24 Feb 1949 sale to Ricardo Granja (RG 178/357) - the disposal file is the most promising lead for any hazmat or material-condition documentation; MARAD vessel status card for this hull (vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov - search endpoint returned an application error during this pass).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1953 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-improve-am247-09