Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]NHHC, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'James M. Gilliss' entry (covers YMS-262/AGS-13/AGSC-13/AMCU-13/MHC-13 and namesake) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'James M. Gilliss' entry, full text and statistics block; transcription mirror https://losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/ags13.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents the full service record: YMS-262 laid down by South Coast Co., Newport Beach, CA, 1942-09-06; launched 1942-12-24; commissioned 1943-09-15, Lt. Thomas W. Burns. Kwajalein (Roi-Namur sweep, LST screening, hydrographic/pilotage duties 1944-02-01 to 02-09) and Eniwetok (Wide Passage sweep, 1944-02-17 onward) operations; Marshalls mop-up through December 1944. Converted to a surveying ship at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA, January-April 1945; named James M. Gilliss and reclassified AGS-13 on 1945-03-23. Guam survey training June 1945; Okinawa arrival late July 1945; post-typhoon survey work; occupation support out of Nagoya November-December 1945; Pearl Harbor 1946-01-06. Bikini Atoll from 1946-03-16 for Operation Crossroads, five months of hydrographic/oceanographic surveys between Bikini and Eniwetok. Reclassified AGSC-13 on 1946-07-29; San Francisco 1946-09-30; Norfolk 1946-12-23; coastal surveys Newfoundland/Mexico/Cuba/Trinidad March 1947-May 1950; decommissioned New York 1950-09-22. Converted to minehunter, reclassified AMc(U)-13 on 1951-08-18, recommissioned 1951-09-05, Lt. (j.g.) Kenneth E. Carter; Atlantic Mine Fleet 1952-02-18; Mine Hunting Unit, Little Creek, VA, from 1953-03-20; Chesapeake Bay training and navigation-equipment test/evaluation 1953-1958 incl. Guantanamo Bay Nov-Dec 1956; reclassified MHC-13 1955-02-01; decommissioned Green Cove Springs, FL, 1958-08-06; struck 1960-01-01; sold to Marlene Blouse Corp. by 1960-06-17. One battle star (WWII, as YMS-262). Statistics block: dp 265; l. 136'; b. 23'4"; dr. 8'7"; s. 14.1 k.; cpl. 60; a. 1 3", 2 20mm., 2 dcp., 2 dct.; cl. YMS-1.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1942-1960
- Population
- Ship's crew (complement ~60 as YMS) and embarked survey/hydrographic detachments, 1943-1958
- Limitations
- Authoritative for identity and service history; contains no asbestos, insulation-materials, or hazardous-materials statement - supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-09-20 (standing NHHC link rot per BATCH-01); no Wayback capture of the canonical URL exists; text verified via the hazegray/losthistory DANFS transcription (losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/ags13.htm), which is consistent with NavSource and Wikipedia transcriptions. Canonical NHHC URL needs re-locating before production use.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-m-gilliss-ags13-01
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[2]NHHC Online Reading Room, 'Composition of Joint Task Force One' (Operation Crossroads), sourced from U.S. Defense Nuclear Agency, Operation Crossroads, 1946 (Washington: DNA, 1984) [other_primary]
- Locator
- JTF-1 composition, TG 1.8 > TU 1.8.5 (Survey Unit) listing; Wayback https://web.archive.org/web/20251208181244/https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/o/operation-crossroads/composition-of-joint-task-force-one.html
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official JTF-1 order of battle places 'USS James M. Gillis (AGS-13)' [sic - single-s spelling in the published list] in Task Group 1.8 (Service Group), Task Unit 1.8.5 (Survey Unit), alongside USS Bowditch (AGS-4), USS John Blish (AGS-10), YMS-354, YMS-358, YMS-413, and YP-636, for the Operation Crossroads atomic tests at Bikini Atoll, July 1946.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1946
- Population
- Gilliss crew and embarked survey unit at Bikini, 1946
- Limitations
- Establishes ship-specific assignment to a federal nuclear-test operation; contains no asbestos information and is itself a radiological-context record, not an exposure or materials finding. Live NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-09-20; verified via Wayback capture 2025-12-08.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-m-gilliss-ags13-02
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[3]Weitz, R., Thomas, C., Klemm, J., Stuart, J., Knowles, M., et al., 'Analysis of Radiation Exposure for Naval Units of Operation CROSSROADS, Volume 3 (Appendix B) Support Ships,' Defense Nuclear Agency technical report DNA-TR-82-05-V3 / SAI-84-1567-VOL-3 (1982); OSTI 6354991; DTIC ADB090883 [other_primary]
- Locator
- DNA-TR-82-05-V3, Appendix B, 'USS JAMES M. GILLISS (AGS-13)' information summary, report p. 221 (PDF pp. 221-222); OSTI record https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6354991
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- USS James M. Gilliss (AGS-13) is one of the 121 non-target support ships given an individual 'Support Ship Information Summary' in this Nuclear Test Personnel Review volume (report p. 221). Her entry records: crew size 40; group SURVEY; mission - arrived at Bikini prior to the first detonation (ABLE, 1 July 1946) to survey probable effects on fish and wildlife and to conduct oceanographic survey of currents in and around Bikini Atoll; total calculated film-badge dose received while at Bikini 0.202 rem; departed Bikini 1946-08-20 (BAKER+26); ship contamination factor 8. This is a ship-specific federal exposure-reconstruction record with a day-by-day lagoon-position path report and radiation table.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1946 exposure window; report published 1982
- Population
- Gilliss crew (listed size 40) at Bikini, Operation Crossroads, July-August 1946 (reconstructed-dose cohort)
- Limitations
- RADIOLOGICAL record, not asbestos: documents ionizing-radiation dose reconstruction only and establishes nothing about asbestos aboard the hull. Demonstrates that ship-level personnel exposure records for this hull exist in the federal archive. Departure date here (1946-08-20, 'BAKER+26') differs by one day from DANFS ('departed Bikini 19 August') - flagged, not adjudicated. Full PDF retrieved via OSTI purl (osti.gov/servlets/purl/6354991); DTRA NTPR portal page returned 403 to automated fetch.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-m-gilliss-ags13-03
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[4]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, 'James M. Gilliss (MHC 13) ex-AMCU-13 ex-AGSC-13 ex-AGS-13 ex-YMS-262' page 11/19262 - chronology, specifications, disposition chain, photo captions, CO roster [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19262 page: chronology bullets, specifications block, photo-caption table, CO roster; mirror https://www.navsource.net/archives/11/19262.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource documents: laid down 1942-09-06 by South Coast Shipbuilding Co., Newport Beach, CA; launched 1942-12-24; completed 1943-08-11; commissioned USS YMS-262 1943-09-15; survey-ship conversion and naming as James M. Gilliss (AGS-13) 1945-03-23 'at the California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA'; AGSC-13 1946-07-29; decommissioned 1950-09-22; converted to AMCU-13 1951-08-18 'at the New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, NY'; recommissioned 1951-09-05; MHC-13 1955-02-01; decommissioned 1958-08-06 Green Cove Springs; struck 1960-01-01; sold 1960 to Southern Towing & Transportation Co., Miami, as tug 'Southeastern No. 5'; sold for scrap 1960-06-17 to Marlene Blouse Corp., New York; resold 1961 to Andersen's Marine, Inc., Jacksonville, FL. Specs: 340 t; 136' x 23'4" x 8'7"; 14.5 kts; complement 60; 1x3"/50 DP, 2x20mm, 2 dct, 2 dcp; two 1,000-bhp GM 8-268A diesels, Snow & Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts. Photo captions document the ship at Brooklyn Navy Yard with Simon Newcomb, Harkness, and Tanner (AGS-15), and CO roster begins LT Thomas Wilson Burns, USNR, 1943-09-15.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1942-1961
- Population
- Ship's company and yard workers during documented availabilities (Wilmington 1945 conversion; New York Naval Shipyard 1951-52 AMCU work)
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled archive transcribing official records; its 'Decommissioned 9 September 1944' entry for YMS-262 is inconsistent with DANFS (which keeps the ship in the Marshalls through December 1944) and is not adopted - see correction row. The 1960-61 commercial resale chain is NavSource-only. Live navsource.org unreachable 2026-09-20 (0 bytes); content verified via navsource.net mirror of the same archive page. Contains no asbestos or materials statement; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-m-gilliss-ags13-04
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[5]Shipscribe.com, 'USS Chauvenet (AGS-11) Class' page - Stephen S. Roberts's tabulation of official U.S. Navy vessel data: construction/disposition tables, class notes, ship notes (covers AGS-11 Chauvenet, AGS-12 Harkness, AGS-13 James M. Gilliss, AGS-14 Simon Newcomb) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Shipscribe usnaux/AGS/AGS11.html - class data block, construction and disposition tables, class notes paragraph, ship note 13
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Shipscribe class notes document the conversion program: all four ships were taken from the group of 150 136-foot wooden-hulled minesweepers (YMS 135-284) whose construction was directed 1942-01-17; on 1945-01-09 CinCPac recommended converting YMS 195, 242, 262, and 263 (then under overhaul at private San Pedro-area yards) as amphibious hydrographic survey ships; CominCh authorized on 1945-01-16 and the CNO directive followed 1945-01-18; conversions ran January-April 1945 with minesweeping gear removed and gun armament retained, modeled on the four PCS conversions (shared 136-ft hull design); reclassified AGS on 1945-02-26 effective 1945-03-20, names assigned 1945-03-23. Ship note for Gilliss: 'Ex YMS-262. Converted by Wilmington Boat Works, Wilmington, Calif. Jan-Apr 45. To AGSC-13 29 Jul 46. Decomm. ca. Sep 50, to AMCU-13 18 Aug 51, recomm. 5 Sep 51. To MHC-13 7 Feb 55.' Class notes further record that AGSC-12 and -13 were reclassified AMCU-12/-13 and fitted with AN/UQS-1 mine-locating sonar in FY1952 (scheduled 1951-12-15 to 1952-03-15, AMCU-13 at NSY New York). Disposition table: decomm. 7 Aug 58; strike 1960-01-01; disposal 1960-06-17 'Sold'. Class data: 252 t light / 340 lim.; 136.0' oa x 23.3' e x 8.6' lim.; 1-3"/50 + 2-20mm original armament; 14.1 kts; 1,000 HP; G.M. diesels, 2 screws.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1942-1960
- Population
- Ship's company and conversion-yard workers, January-April 1945 and FY1952
- Limitations
- Secondary transcription of official Navy vessel data derived from Bureau records. Its construction TABLE transposes the Gilliss and Simon Newcomb build dates (lists Gilliss with YMS-263's 21 Aug/2 Nov/11 Aug dates and Newcomb with YMS-262's 6 Sep/24 Dec/15 Sep dates) while its own ship NOTES correctly read 'Ex YMS-262' for Gilliss - DANFS controls; see correction row. Its 'Wilmington Boat Works' conversion yard conflicts with DANFS/NavSource 'California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington' - unresolved. Contains no asbestos or materials statement; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-m-gilliss-ags13-05
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[6]Cross-source reconciliation: NHHC DANFS text (hazegray transcription) vs Shipscribe AGS-11 class tables/notes vs NavSource chronology vs NTPR Vol. 3 ship entry vs NavalCoverMuseum/uboat.net designations [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS vs Shipscribe AGS11.html construction table/ship notes; NavSource 11/19262 chronology; DNA-TR-82-05-V3 p.221; navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/JAMES_M._GILLISS_MHC_13; uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/9681.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies resolved or flagged: (a) BUILD-DATE TRANSPOSITION - Shipscribe's class construction table gives Gilliss the dates 21 Aug 42 / 2 Nov 42 / 11 Aug 43 and Simon Newcomb the dates 6 Sep 42 / 24 Dec 42 / 15 Sep 43; the latter set is YMS-262's (DANFS) and the former is YMS-263's (NavSource, NavalCoverMuseum, Wikipedia for Simon Newcomb). Shipscribe's own ship notes correctly link 'Ex YMS-262' to Gilliss and 'Ex YMS-263' to Newcomb; DANFS adopted for all three dates. (b) CONVERSION YARD CONFLICT - DANFS and NavSource place the Jan-Apr 1945 survey-ship conversion at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA; Shipscribe's ship note says Wilmington Boat Works, Wilmington, CA. Two distinct Wilmington firms; unresolved - neither asserted alone. (c) DECOMMISSIONING 1958 - 6 Aug (DANFS, NavSource) adopted; Shipscribe's 7 Aug 58 retained for provenance. (d) MHC-13 RECLASSIFICATION - 1 Feb 1955 (DANFS, NavSource) adopted; Shipscribe's 7 Feb 55 retained. (e) NAVSOURCE 1944 DECOMMISSIONING - NavSource's 'Decommissioned 9 September 1944' cannot be reconciled with DANFS (ship in Marshalls through December 1944, conversion Jan-Apr 1945); not adopted, possibly a transposed sister-ship event. (f) BIKINI DEPARTURE - DANFS 19 Aug 1946 vs NTPR 'August 20, 1946 (BAKER+26)'; one-day conflict noted, DANFS carried. (g) COMMISSIONING DATE - 15 Sep 1943 (DANFS, with Lt. Burns named) adopted; the 11 Aug 1943 date in NavalCoverMuseum/uboat.net likely transposes YMS-263's commissioning or YMS-262's completion (NavSource 'Completed 11 August 1943'). (h) DESIGNATION SPELLING - DANFS writes 'AMc(U)-13'; NavSource/others write 'AMCU-13' - same symbol retained.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1942-1960
- Limitations
- Resolves publication/transcription-level discrepancies; none affect identity or the custody timeline materially. No asbestos content in any reconciled source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-m-gilliss-ags13-06
-
[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 documenting that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in American yards. This hull's documented wartime yard periods - 1942-43 construction at South Coast Co., Newport Beach, and the January-April 1945 survey-ship conversion at a Wilmington, CA, yard - fall within this documented regime.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII U.S. shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level documentation of asbestos use in WWII U.S. shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was installed, disturbed, or present aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. Covers the wartime yard periods only - the 1951-52 New York Naval Shipyard AMCU work postdates the documented WWII regime (though it precedes effective asbestos regulation). Wooden hull and diesel propulsion narrow the candidate systems relative to steam plant.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-m-gilliss-ags13-07
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[8]Batch-765 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS and JTF-1 composition (mirror/Wayback); NTPR DNA-TR-82-05-V3 full text (OSTI); NavSource 11/19262 (navsource.net mirror); Shipscribe AGS-11 class page; MARAD ShipHistory; web litigation sweeps; CourtListener (blocked) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-james-m-gilliss-ags13-01 through sl-uss-james-m-gilliss-ags13-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS James M. Gilliss (AGS-13/AGSC-13/AMCU-13/MHC-13) or YMS-262 was found in the public sources searched. Web litigation sweeps (ship name plus all five hull designations, 'asbestos', 'lawsuit', 'mesothelioma') returned no qualifying case; the only hits naming the hull were law-firm/marketing ship-list pages (e.g., freeasbestostesting.com lists both 'AGS-13' and 'AGSC-13'), which are excluded from evidence per batch rules - inclusion on a vendor list is not documentation. IMPORTANT LIMIT ON THIS NEGATIVE: the CourtListener API was rate-limited (HTTP 429, shared 125/day quota exhausted by other sessions; ~8.6 h to reset) and the CourtListener web UI returned 403, so the systematic docket-level name search prescribed for this batch could not be executed. The no-litigation result is therefore a partial negative, not an exhaustive one.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a wooden-hulled WWII hull that passed through documented wartime and 1950s Navy-yard work is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials having been present. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. CourtListener block leaves residual unexamined docket risk - re-run after quota reset.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-m-gilliss-ags13-08
-
[9]NARA record-group mapping (not retrieved - requires research-room pull; no spend authorized): RG 24 deck logs for YMS-262 (1943-45) and the AGS/AGSC/AMCU/MHC-13 hull (1945-58); RG 19 Bureau of Ships conversion/alteration files for the January-April 1945 survey-ship conversion and the 1951-52 AMCU-13 conversion incl. the AN/UQS-1 sonar installation; RG 181 New York Naval Shipyard work packages (FY1952 availability, scheduled 1951-12-15 to 1952-03-15 per Shipscribe); Naval Oceanographic Office / Oceanographer of the Navy survey records [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA Guide to Federal Records (RG 19, RG 24, RG 181); NARA deck-log guidance
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads only: deck logs (RG 24) would document yard availabilities and in-port periods; the BuShips conversion files (RG 19) for the 1945 survey-ship conversion and the FY1952 AN/UQS-1 mine-locating sonar installation at NSY New York, plus RG 181 yard work packages, are the likeliest repositories for materials/insulation detail if a ship-specific asbestos record exists at all. Hydrographic Office survey records may further document the ship's 1945-50 operations.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1942-1960 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-james-m-gilliss-ags13-09