Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet zco-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-killdeer-ix194-pkt-zco-packet-md
-
[2]Naval History Division, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Killdeer' (AMC-21) - verbatim transcription via hazegray mirror at losthistory.net; concordant with the live NHHC page text (Wayback capture) and the DANFS volume III (1968) print scan at archive.org p. ~642 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Killdeer entry, characteristics block and first narrative paragraph; archive.org dictionaryofamer03wash ~p. 642
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: the purse seiner Vindicator was built in 1930 by Al Larson, Los Angeles; rebuilt in 1940 by Harbor Boat Works, San Pedro, Calif.; acquired by the Navy from her owner, Mr. Martin Trutanich, 8 November 1940; and placed in service the same day as Killdeer (AMC-21). DANFS characteristics block: displacement 275; length 105'7"; beam 22'10"; draft 9'8"; speed 10 k.; complement 18; armament one .50 cal. machine gun. Namesake: a ringed plover (Charadius vociferus).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1930-1941
- Population
- Crew (1940-1944 minesweeper period)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific identity/construction record only - no asbestos, insulation, or material content. Live NHHC page returned 404 on 2026-09-29, but the same text was verified verbatim in three independent retrievals (hazegray transcription, Wayback capture of the live NHHC page, and the archive.org DANFS vol III print scan). DANFS 'built in 1930' conflicts with the 1937 figure in NavSource and ShipbuildingHistory - see ev-uss-killdeer-ix194-04.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-killdeer-ix194-01
-
[3]Naval History Division, DANFS, 'Killdeer' (AMC-21) - verbatim transcription via hazegray mirror; concordant with live NHHC text (Wayback) and DANFS vol III print scan [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Killdeer entry, second and final narrative paragraphs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: conversion to a coastal minesweeper ran 9 November 1940 to 17 April 1941; Killdeer began 12th Naval District service 8 May 1941; operating out of San Francisco she transferred to the Western Sea Frontier 1 August and swept shipping lanes in the approaches to San Francisco Bay until placed out of service 12 September 1944; reclassified IX-194 on 25 September 1944 and used by the 12th Naval District as a general utility vessel; name struck from the Naval Register 2 June 1945; turned over to the Maritime Commission for disposal 9 January 1946.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1940-1946
- Population
- Crew (1940-1946)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific service chronology only - stateside service throughout; no combat, yard-period, asbestos, or material content. The conversion yard is not named (conversion vs. the documented 1940 Harbor Boat Works rebuild is not resolved by this source). Disposal transfer does not establish sale, scrapping, or final fate.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-killdeer-ix194-02
-
[4]NavSource Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, 'Killdeer (IX 194) ex-Killdeer (AMc 21)'; ShipbuildingHistory (shipbuildinghistory.com) Al Larson Boat Shop construction list, Terminal Island, CA [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/03021 chronology and specifications block; shipbuildinghistory.com Larson yard list (Vindicator row)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Secondary compilations document: NavSource labels her a 'Killdeer Class Coastal Minesweeper,' lists 'laid down in 1937 as the purse seiner Vindicator,' and gives specifications of 110 t displacement, 105'7" x 22'10" x 9'8", 10 kts, complement 18, one .50 cal. machine gun, one diesel engine on one shaft, call sign Nan-Uncle-Mike-Fox, commanding officer LT Bryan Hooker Smith Jr. (from 8 November 1940), and 'Fate unknown.' ShipbuildingHistory's Al Larson list carries Vindicator as a fishing vessel of 110 GT / 106 ft built 1937 with disposition 'To USN 1940 as Killdeer (AMc 21), IX 194 1944, to MARAD 1945.'
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1930-1946
- Population
- Navy crew (18 per DANFS characteristics; NavSource concurs); conversion-yard trades (1940-41)
- Limitations
- Both are secondary compilations. They agree with each other and disagree with DANFS on build year (1937 vs 1930 - see ev-uss-killdeer-ix194-04), on tonnage (110 vs DANFS 275 - plausibly gross tonnage vs displacement, unverified), and on disposal year ('to MARAD 1945' vs DANFS 9 January 1946). Specifications, propulsion, and commanding-officer details are not verified against official records. No asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-killdeer-ix194-03
-
[5]Build-year conflict: DANFS vol III (1968) print scan, live NHHC page (Wayback capture), and hazegray transcription all read 'built as a purse seiner in 1930'; NavSource reads 'laid down in 1937'; ShipbuildingHistory's Larson list reads built 1937 [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS vol III ~p. 642 (archive.org); Wayback capture of history.navy.mil killdeer.html; NavSource 11/03021; ShipbuildingHistory larson.htm
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The build year is documented with a genuine source conflict: every DANFS lineage checked - the 1968 printed volume III (archive.org scan), the current NHHC web text (Wayback capture), and the hazegray transcription - says 'originally built as a purse seiner in 1930.' Two secondary compilations (NavSource 'laid down in 1937'; ShipbuildingHistory 'Built 1937') give 1937. This record carries the official DANFS year 1930; the secondary 1937 figure is logged here as unresolved rather than silently harmonized.
- Verification
- disputed
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1930/1937
- Limitations
- DANFS is the controlling official source, but the two-source secondary agreement on 1937 means the conflict cannot be declared a transcription error; resolution requires builder or merchant-vessel documentation (official number, Coast Guard documentation, or Larson yard records - none digitized). Either year leaves the hull inside the asbestos-era scope; the discrepancy does not affect the asbestos assessment.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-killdeer-ix194-04
-
[6]National Archives, Special List #44 (deck-log holdings), by Ship Numbers [other_primary]
- Locator
- SL-44 ship-number PDF, page 3, AMC-21 (Killdeer) row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List 44 lists deck-log coverage for AMC-21 (Killdeer) from 1 January 1941 through 31 July 1944 - spanning the conversion period and the entire San Francisco channel-sweeping service, but ending before the September 1944 out-of-service and IX-194 reclassification.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1941-1944 (log coverage)
- Limitations
- Finding aid inspected (PDF text extracted 2026-09-29, page 3, 'AMC-21 (Killdeer) 1/1/1941 7/31/1944'), not the underlying logs. Coverage dates are not service dates. Deck logs record operations, not materials; no asbestos documentation follows from a log listing.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-killdeer-ix194-05
-
[7]National Archives, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' - Bureau of Ships (RG 19) correspondence guidance and General Information Books series [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA asbestos guide, RG 19 section; Entry P 11 series listing
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's asbestos research guide directs hull-level asbestos inquiries to Bureau of Ships (RG 19) correspondence and the Item S-68 General Information Books; the series list includes Entry P 11, 'Minesweeper and Minelayer General Information Books, 1940-1962,' the only series matching this hull's type. A Killdeer-specific information book or correspondence file - searched under both AMc-21 and IX-194 - is the candidate primary source for any materials documentation.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1940-1962 (series coverage)
- Limitations
- Research guidance only - no item-level Killdeer file has been located or inspected; existence and content are unverified. This is a pointer to undigitized records, not a retrieved source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-killdeer-ix194-06
-
[8]Fleischer WE, Viles FJ Jr, Gade RL, Drinker P, 'A Health Survey of Pipe Covering Operations in Constructing Naval Vessels,' Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology 1946 Jan;28:9-16 (PMID 21016030) - U.S. Navy health survey documenting amosite asbestos felt as an ingredient of pipe covering used on U.S. Navy vessels [other_primary]
- Locator
- J Ind Hyg Toxicol 1946;28:9-16; PubMed record 21016030 (metadata verified via NCBI E-utilities 2026-09-29)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Era context only: a wartime U.S. Navy survey documented asbestos-containing felt and pipe covering as standard insulation practice aboard naval vessels under construction - establishing that asbestos use was era-typical during this hull's 1940-41 Navy conversion. For this hull the inference is narrow: NavSource lists diesel propulsion (one diesel engine, one shaft) with no boilers or steam plant, so the steam-system insulation that concentrated asbestos aboard larger hulls was absent; plausible period applications would be limited to exhaust lagging, gaskets, packing, electrical insulation, and brake linings.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1940-1946
- Population
- Conversion-yard trades (1940-41); crew (1941-1946)
- Limitations
- Era-level epidemiology, not a hull record - the survey examined pipe-covering operations at Navy and contract yards and names no individual vessel. Does not establish that asbestos was installed aboard this hull; equally, diesel propulsion does not prove asbestos absence. No quantities, no product identification, no exposure findings for this vessel.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-killdeer-ix194-07
-
[9]Batch-1556/4753 combined search ledger (this record): DANFS (three concordant retrievals); NavSource; ShipbuildingHistory Larson and Harbor lists; NARA Special List 44 and asbestos research guide; MARAD Vessel History Database; NVR; CourtListener opinion and docket sweeps; class-profile worktrees; shipyards.json [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-killdeer-ix194-01 through -14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum record, or adjudicated exposure finding naming USS Killdeer (AMc-21/IX-194) or the purse seiner Vindicator was found in the sources searched (swept 2026-09-23 under batch 1556; sources re-verified and extended 2026-09-29 under batch 4753). MARAD's Vessel History Database indexes no vessel status card under KILLDEER or VINDICATOR (exact-name searches and VI* three-page prefix browse re-verified live 2026-09-29). ShipbuildingHistory's Harbor yard list contains no Vindicator/Killdeer row.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-23/2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the 1940-41 conversion scope is undocumented and final fate is unknown, so no material condition survey exists. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-killdeer-ix194-08
-
[10]CourtListener API v4 searches via cl-auth-search.py (authenticated, fleet-paced): broad/focused opinion and RECAP docket sweeps 2026-09-23 (batch 1556); Hicks Corp. v. United States full text resolved 2026-09-29 (batch 4753) [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener search API v4 via cl-auth-search.py; opinion 8594888 full text (search_ledger sl-uss-killdeer-ix194-09 through -11)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying litigation naming this hull was located. The 2026-09-23 sweeps returned only collisions: broad opinion search ('USS Killdeer' OR 'AMC-21' OR 'IX-194') reported 41 matches - all 20 page-1 records triaged as Anchorage Municipal Code name collisions; broad docket search reported 251 matches - 20 returned records triaged (18 collisions, 2 other litigation); focused opinion search returned one hit and focused docket search 50 matches (20 triaged, bankruptcy counsel-substitution collisions). The single focused opinion hit is now resolved: Hicks Corp. v. United States, 487 F.2d 520 (Ct. Cl. 1973), full text retrieved 2026-09-29 - a Wunderlich Act review of ASBCA default-termination decisions on missile-component supply contracts to the Army and Navy; the opinion contains no occurrence of 'Killdeer,' 'AMC-21,' 'IX-194,' 'asbestos,' 'vessel,' or 'ship' and is conclusively not vessel litigation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-23/2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Coverage is bounded: broad-opinion page 2 (21 unreviewed matches) and remaining broad/focused docket pages are unreviewed; name-collision triage of reviewed hits rests on metadata/snippets, not full texts, except Hicks (full text read). A 2026-09-29 refresh of the exact-name 'USS Killdeer' sweeps was attempted twice and blocked by the fleet-wide hourly pacing budget - the dated 2026-09-23 sweep is carried. CourtListener coverage is not exhaustive of all state/federal dockets; absence here does not prove no suit was ever filed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-killdeer-ix194-09