USS Lark (AMS-23)

Evidence

9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).

1. [1]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), "Lark II (YMS-376)" [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry 'Lark II (YMS-376)' (primary page unreachable this session - HTTP 503)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   USS Lark (AMS-23), originally YMS-376, was a YMS-1-class (YMS-135 subclass) auxiliary motor minesweeper laid down by Greenport Basin and Construction Co., Greenport, Long Island, New York, 1943-01-05; launched 1943-03-13; commissioned at New York City 1943-08-10. Through 1943-1944 she swept the approaches to New York Harbor and took part in coastal ASW operations from New Jersey to Virginia and into Chesapeake Bay. She departed New York 1945-03-16 for the Pacific, reached Guam 1945-05-24, and on 1945-06-26, as a unit of MinRon 104, arrived at Okinawa for minesweeping, where she remained through the end of the war. After the surrender she swept coastal mines out of Sasebo and off Honshu, Kyushu, and in the Inland Sea for about five months, departed Kobe 1946-02-16, and decommissioned at San Diego 1946-06-05 into the Pacific Reserve Fleet. While in reserve she was named Lark and reclassified AMS-23 on 1947-02-17. Recommissioned at Alameda, California, 1950-11-08 (MinRon 5), she conducted minesweeping, ASW, and Naval Reserve training along the California coast from San Diego and Long Beach, arrived Astoria, Oregon, 1952-07-29, and decommissioned there 1953-11-13 into the Pacific Reserve Fleet. Reclassified MSC(O)-23 on 1955-02-07; transferred to Japan 1959-02-14 under the Military Assistance Program, serving the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as Ninoshima (MSC-662) until struck in 1967. YMS-376 received three battle stars for World War II service.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1943-1967

   Limitations

   The live NHHC/DANFS page (DANFS title 'Lark II (YMS-376)') returned HTTP 503 at every fetch attempt this session, and the Naval Vessel Register likewise returned HTTP 503 - the same standing NHHC availability problem Batch 01 and Batch 1702 documented. The hazegray.org DANFS transcription (DNS failure) and archived Wayback captures (fetch tooling refused / HTTP 429) were also unreachable. The narrative above therefore rests on the DANFS title/summary shown in search indexing plus a Wikipedia article that states it incorporates the public-domain DANFS text (used only as a transcription check; Wikipedia is not cited as evidence), not on a direct load of the primary page; it is carried as partial pending re-verification. The NARA file-unit titles in ev-02 through ev-04 independently confirm the YMS-376 = Lark = AMS-23 identity chain and 1943-1946 / 1945 / 1952 Navy service, but not the specific DANFS dates. Establishes identity and service history only; contains no asbestos, materials, or condition information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lark-ams23-01

2. [2]National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives Catalog, file unit "YMS-376, 8/10/43-6/4/46" (RG 24, NAID 193005404) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 193005404; parent series NAID 594996; Roll 9161

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The National Archives Catalog describes a Record Group 24 file unit titled "YMS-376, 8/10/43-6/4/46" in the series Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities (NAID 594996); NAID 193005404, microfilm Roll 9161, National Archives at College Park; 190 digitized images are attached to the catalog description.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1943-08-10 to 1946-06-04 (file-unit title span)

   Population

   Enlisted personnel carried on YMS-376 muster rolls (not reviewed)

   Limitations

   Catalog description loaded directly (NARA catalog record API). Establishes that NARA holds wartime personnel records filed under the hull number YMS-376 and so corroborates in-scope 1943-1946 Navy service under that designation. The title's date span is muster-roll coverage and is NOT treated as a commissioning or decommissioning date (DANFS dates in ev-01 are the only date source). The 190 digitized images were not reviewed this session. Muster rolls are personnel lists and are not expected to contain asbestos, materials, or condition information; nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lark-ams23-02

3. [3]National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives Catalog, file unit "Activity Number 0204 0023 - LARK (YMS-376 / AMS-23) - 1952" (RG 24, NAID 99922075) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 99922075; parent series NAID 601767

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The National Archives Catalog describes a Record Group 24 file unit titled "Activity Number 0204 0023 - LARK (YMS-376 / AMS-23) - 1952" in the series Muster Rolls and Personnel Diaries of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities (NAID 601767); NAID 99922075, microfilm, College Park; 96 digitized images attached. A separate RG 38 file unit is titled "AMS-23 (ex-YMS-376)" (NAID 2761504; see ev-06). NARA's own titling therefore links the YMS-376, Lark, and AMS-23 identities as one hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1952

   Population

   Personnel carried on 1952 muster rolls/personnel diaries (not reviewed)

   Limitations

   Catalog description loaded directly. Establishes the NARA-documented identity link YMS-376 = Lark = AMS-23 and that personnel records exist for 1952 (Korean War-era) service. Images not reviewed; personnel records are not expected to contain asbestos or materials information. Does not establish commissioning dates, crew size, or any asbestos fact.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lark-ams23-03

4. [4]National Archives and Records Administration, RG 38, "USS YMS-376 - War Diary, 7/1-31/45" (NAID 83523736), and companion monthly file units May-October 1945 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 83523736, digitized pages 1-4 (microfilm A1807 images 0328-0331); other months listed by NAID in finding_value, not read

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The National Archives Catalog lists six RG 38 war-diary file units for "USS YMS-376" covering each month May through October 1945 (NAIDs 140037611, 101730129, 83523736, 77499335, 77535097, 77572621) in the series World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories (NAID 4697018). The July 1945 diary (NAID 83523736, 4 digitized pages, Serial 003, signed by Roger L. Davis, commanding) was read in full: YMS-376 was anchored at Kerama Retto 1-3 July; attached to CTU 39.11.6 for the 'Juneau Operation' in the East China Sea from 4 July; served as mine disposal vessel astern of Unit 6, exploding or sinking Japanese moored mines on 8, 10, 11, 13 and 14 July; returned to Buckner Bay, Okinawa, 15 July; inspected strut bearings and found them badly worn 16-17 July; sortied to Unten Ko under typhoon plan 'X' 17-21 July; and remained at Buckner Bay at smoke-screen stations 22-31 July, 'awaiting assignment to availability and drydocking.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1945-07-01 to 1945-07-31 (read); May-Oct 1945 (located)

   Limitations

   Primary operational record read directly for July 1945 only; the May, June, August, September, and October 1945 diaries were located but not read. The July diary contains no reference to asbestos, insulation, lagging, packing, or engineering-plant materials. The references to worn strut bearings and to awaited 'availability and drydocking' are operational/maintenance notes and do not establish that any yard work occurred, what it involved, or that any asbestos-containing material was installed, disturbed, or present. Corroborates Okinawa-area wartime service (consistent with ev-01) but establishes no exposure fact.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lark-ams23-04

5. [5]National Archives and Records Administration, RG 19, Microfilm of Ship Engineering Drawings, file unit "YMS-376" (NAID 175667625) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 175667625; parent series NAID 559593; NARA College Park Cartographic (carto@nara.gov)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival lead (not retrieved): the National Archives Catalog describes a Record Group 19 (Bureau of Ships) file unit titled "YMS-376" (NAID 175667625) in the series Microfilm of Ship Engineering Drawings (NAID 559593), whose scope note describes measured engineering drawings of hull and deck construction and mechanical and electrical systems of commissioned Navy ships. The file unit is held by National Archives at College Park - Cartographic, as paper loose sheets, and is not digitized.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   series 1945-1955; drawing dates unknown

   Limitations

   Existence of the file unit and the series scope note are verified from the catalog; the drawings themselves were not seen. Whether they specify insulation, lagging, gasket, or packing materials - or any asbestos-containing product - is unknown. This row is a research lead only and is not an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lark-ams23-05

6. [6]National Archives and Records Administration, RG 38, Material Inspection Reports and Related Documentation, file unit "AMS-23 (ex-YMS-376)" (NAID 2761504) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 2761504, container 5; parent series NAID 2092723 (1940-1978); NARA College Park Textual Reference

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival lead (not retrieved): the National Archives Catalog describes a Record Group 38 file unit titled "AMS-23 (ex-YMS-376)" (NAID 2761504, container 5, paper, not digitized) in the series Material Inspection Reports and Related Documentation (NAID 2092723), created by the Board of Inspection and Survey. The series scope note describes material inspection reports on Navy ships and craft, some relating to acceptance and underway trials, disposal, or foreign military assistance programs, with related correspondence, memoranda, diagrams, and some contracts; the minecraft subseries is arranged by hull designation.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   series 1940-1978; file-unit dates not described

   Limitations

   Existence and series scope verified from the catalog; the file itself was not seen, and its date range and contents are not described at file-unit level. Because this hull was transferred to Japan under the Military Assistance Program, the file may relate to that transfer, but that is not established. Whether it records insulation condition or any asbestos-containing material is unknown. Highest-value lead for ship-specific material condition; not an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lark-ams23-06

7. [7]Corn, J.K., and J. Starr, "Historical perspective on asbestos: policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding," American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987); PMID 3555021; doi:10.1002/ajim.4700110311 [other_primary]

   Locator

   Abstract (PubMed record PMID 3555021, retrieved via PubMed API this session)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Peer-reviewed historical study documents the extensive use of asbestos as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding in the 1940s, when World War II industrial expansion brought an unprecedented rise in the amount of asbestos used - the era and wartime program under which YMS-376 was built (1943).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1940s documented; article published 1987

   Population

   WWII shipyard workers and naval personnel generally (not specific to this yard or class)

   Limitations

   Era-level scholarship on WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel, Greenport Basin and Construction Co., or the YMS-1 class, and says nothing about wooden-hulled diesel minecraft specifically. Does not establish that asbestos was ever aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, causation, or legal eligibility. Context only - never a ship-specific finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lark-ams23-07

8. [8]CourtListener API v4 search (search_ledger sl-uss-lark-ams23-06 through sl-uss-lark-ams23-10) [court_record]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-lark-ams23-06 through sl-uss-lark-ams23-10; collision texts checked with in-document search

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener searches (API v4 via the pre-configured connector) by exact name and every documented hull identity - "USS Lark" (opinions, RECAP, dockets), "U.S.S. Lark"/"Lark (AMS-23)" (dockets), "YMS-376"/"YMS 376" (opinions, RECAP), and "AMS-23"/"AMS 23"/"MSC(O)-23"/"Ninoshima"/"MSC-662" (opinions) - returned no qualifying asbestos litigation and no other litigation involving this hull. Four hits were reviewed and classified as name collisions: Draper v. Austin Manufacturing Services I, Inc. (Tex. App. 2017, No. 03-15-00429-CV; 'AMS' is the appellee's abbreviation); Manhattan Hunt A Joint Venture (ASBCA 2019; 'Lark' matched the judge's surname Clarke/Larke); Allen v. United States (D. Utah 1984; 'lark' matched 'Clark'/'Larks' in author citations in a fallout case); and Schwab v. Philip Morris USA (E.D.N.Y. 2006; 'Lark' is a cigarette brand).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   2026-09-24

   Limitations

   Absence of a located case does not prove none exists - CourtListener does not capture most state trial-court filings, settled matters, or unindexed vessel lists in pleadings. None of the four collision hits concerns this vessel, asbestos exposure aboard any minesweeper, or any Navy service; none is carried as litigation evidence at any stage. Does not establish presence or absence of asbestos aboard, and does not establish or defeat any exposure claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lark-ams23-08

9. [9]Batch-1712 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS and NVR (unreachable), National Archives Catalog, CourtListener, PubMed [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-lark-ams23-01 through sl-uss-lark-ams23-12

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement record, hazmat disclosure, material-condition report content, or docketed case naming this hull under any identity (YMS-376, Lark, AMS-23, MSC(O)-23, or JMSDF Ninoshima/MSC-662) was found in the official/authoritative sources searched this session. The only ship-specific records located whose content could bear on materials - RG 19 engineering drawings (ev-05) and the RG 38 material inspection file (ev-06) - are undigitized and were not reviewed.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   2026-09-24

   Limitations

   A negative search result, not proof of absence. Era context (ev-07) does not convert into a ship-specific finding, and no class, construction-era, or propulsion inference is made. Does not establish presence or absence of asbestos aboard; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lark-ams23-09