USS Marvel (AM-262)

Evidence

6 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-6).

1. [1]DANFS, 'Marvel (AM-262)' (Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships; verbatim text via hazegray DANFS mirror; live NHHC page returned 404 on 2026-09-22) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS AM-262 entry, spec block + full service narrative (hazegray.org/danfs/mine/am262.htm; direct fetch failed - DNS resolution failure from this machine - content captured via search-index text)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Marvel (AM-262): 'Wonder as astonishment.' Spec block: dp. 625; l. 184'6"; b. 33'; dr. 9'9"; s. 15 k.; cpl. 104; a. 1 3", 4 40mm.; cl. Admirable. 'Marvel (AM-262) was laid down 4 April 1943 by American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, Ohio; launched 31 July 1943; sponsored by Miss Naomi Gordan; and commissioned 9 June 1944, Lt. Vincent deP. Hurley, USNR, in command.' Service narrative: brief shakedown at Little Creek, Va. (DANFS prints 'Little Creel'); underway 19 August 1944 for Naval Operating Base, Bermuda; into midfall operated from St. George's Bay sweeping mines and conducting antisubmarine patrols protecting the eastern terminus of the southern convoy route; returned to Virginia 9 November; two months of similar patrols in the Hampton Roads area; 17 January 1945 began a 2.5-month cruise to Kodiak, Alaska via Coco Solo, San Diego, and Seattle, arriving 31 March; sailed for the Shumagin Islands arriving Baralof Bay 3 April; conducted local exercises until 20 May, when she decommissioned and was transferred under the Lend-Lease Agreement of 11 June 1942 to the Navy of the USSR; redesignated MSF-262 in the Navy Register 7 February 1955; 'As of 1960 she had neither been returned nor purchased by the USSR.' [Transcriber's Note: 'In Russian Naval service Marvel was designated T-272' - conflicts with the NHHC Project Hula appendix listing T-274 for AM-262 and T-272 for Fancy (AM-234); flagged in gaps.]

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1955

   Population

   American Shipbuilding construction workforce (1943); ship's company (design complement 104), June 1944 - May 1945

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, construction, and U.S. service narrative - but ends at the 1945 transfer plus the 1955 redesignation line; Soviet-side history and final disposition come from the NHHC Hula appendix (ev-02) and NavSource (ev-03). Laid-down date (4 April 1943) conflicts with NavSource/secondary sources (12 April) - carried in gaps. The DANFS transcriber's 'T-272' note conflicts with the NHHC transfer table (T-274) - carried in gaps. Mirror used because the live NHHC page 404s (standing NHHC link-rot note, BATCH-01-REPORT) and hazegray DNS failed from this machine; content verified via search-index text. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information - supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-marvel-am262-01

2. [2]Russell, Richard A., 'Project Hula: Secret Soviet-American Cooperation in the War Against Japan' (Washington: Naval Historical Center / Department of the Navy, 1997), Appendix transfer table + narrative (ibiblio HyperWar PDF mirror, downloaded and read) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Project Hula appendix transfer table (p. 39 of PDF pagination): row 'Marvel (AM 262) - T-274 - 21 May - 1960-scrapped'; narrative pp. 20-21 (transfer ceremony caption); sources note p. 40 (NAVSHIPS 250-012; Berezhnoi 1994)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NHHC official monograph transfer table (Project Hula appendix, read verbatim from the PDF): 'Marvel (AM 262) - T-274 - 21 May - 1960-scrapped' - i.e., Soviet designation T-274 (tralshik/minesweeper), transferred 21 May 1945 in the first Admirable-class minesweeper group at Cold Bay, Alaska (same row group: Fancy AM-234/T-272, Measure AM-263/T-275, Method AM-264/T-276, Mirth AM-265/T-277, Nucleus AM-268/T-278, Rampart AM-282/T-282), final disposition 1960-scrapped. The book's sources for the table are Department of the Navy, Ships' Data: U.S. Naval Vessels vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1 January 1949) and Berezhnoi, Flot SSSR: korabli i suda lendliza (St. Petersburg 1994). Narrative context: Project Hula transferred 149 vessels and trained some 12,000 Soviet personnel at Cold Bay in anticipation of Soviet entry into the Pacific war; an NHC photo caption records the 20 May 1945 transfer ceremony aboard an Admirable-class minesweeper with Rear Admiral Popov addressing American and Soviet sailors.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1945-1960

   Population

   Soviet Navy receiving crews trained under Navy Detachment 3294; Soviet Pacific Fleet crews 1945-1947

   Limitations

   Official Naval Historical Center publication with named primary sources - resolves the Soviet designation (T-274) against the DANFS transcriber's 'T-272' note. Documents designation, transfer date, and final disposition only; it does not document materials, asbestos content, or shipboard conditions aboard this hull, and does not state the precise transfer location for this ship (Hula transfers occurred at Cold Bay; DANFS places the ship at Baralof Bay, Shumagin Islands, through 20 May - the two anchorages are ~50 nm apart and the narrative compression is flagged).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-marvel-am262-02

3. [3]NavSource Online, 'Marvel (MSF 262) ex-AM-262' page (volunteer-compiled archival reference drawing on Navy registers/Ships' Data; content captured via search-index text 2026-09-22 - navsource.org DNS resolution failed from this machine) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource MSF-262 page: ship data block, Soviet-service chronology, commanding-officer list

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive entry for Marvel (MSF 262, ex-AM-262): Admirable-class minesweeper; laid down 12 April 1943 by American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, OH (conflicts with DANFS 4 April - flagged); launched 31 July 1943; commissioned 9 June 1944; decommissioned 20 May 1945; transferred to the Soviet Union 21 May 1945 and reclassified T-274 (agrees with the NHHC Hula table); assigned to the Soviet Pacific Fleet 8 June 1945; transferred 3 July 1947 to Minrybprom and converted into a whaling vessel; transferred to Glavpromorrybprom 7 August 1948 and named Passat; reclassified by the U.S. Navy as Fleet Minesweeper (Steel Hull) MSF-262, 7 February 1955; 'scrapped in the early 1960s'; struck from the Navy Register 1 January 1983. Specs: 945 t full load; 184'6" x 33' x 9'9"; 14.8 kts; complement 104; armament one 3"/50 DP, one twin 40mm, six 20mm, one Hedgehog, four K-guns, two depth-charge tracks; propulsion 'two 1,710shp Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesel engines, National Supply Co. single reduction gear, two shafts'; commanding officer LT Vincent dePaul Hurley USNR (9 Jun 1944 - 20 May 1945).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1983

   Population

   Ship's company 1944-1945; Soviet naval and fishing-fleet crews 1945-circa 1960

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled secondary reference, not an official record - used as cross-check and as the only located source for the Minrybprom/Glavpromorrybprom fishing-industry transfers and the 1983 striking (the hull predates modern NVR coverage - sl-06). Its T-274 designation, 21 May transfer, and scrapped-circa-1960 disposition agree with the NHHC Hula table; its 12 April laid-down date conflicts with DANFS's 4 April (flagged). The Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 geared-diesel machinery line conflicts with HyperWar's 'diesel-electric' ship summary and with class-generic ALCO 539 claims (both flagged in gaps). Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-marvel-am262-03

4. [4]Franke, K., and Paustenbach, D., 'Government and Navy knowledge regarding health hazards of asbestos: A state of the science evaluation (1900 to 1970),' Inhalation Toxicology 23(sup3):1-20 (2011), PMID 22200078 + NavSource AM-262 machinery specs (ev-03) and DANFS class identification (ev-01) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Inhalation Toxicology 23(sup3):1-20, 1930-1959 analysis block

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   As built (1943-44), Marvel was a steel-hulled Admirable-class fleet minesweeper with a geared diesel plant (two Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 engines per NavSource) - no steam boilers. Peer-reviewed scholarship documents that the U.S. Navy required and used asbestos-containing materials aboard ships throughout the analysis period covering this hull's construction (1943) and entire U.S. naval service (1944-1945) - the 1930-1959 block - with amosite and chrysotile insulating products extensively used on naval vessels of the era. For a diesel-driven minesweeper of this era the standard asbestos applications were engine-exhaust and machinery-space lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, electrical insulation, fireproofing panels, deck coverings, and winch brake linings; the boiler-insulation pathway documented for steam auxiliaries does not apply to this hull's plant.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1960

   Population

   American Shipbuilding construction workforce, Lorain (1943-44); ship's company (1944-45); Soviet naval and fishing-fleet crews (1945-circa 1960)

   Limitations

   Era/program-level scholarship combined with this hull's documented diesel plant - establishes that asbestos-containing materials were Navy-standard practice in Marvel's construction and service era, NOT that any survey or record confirms asbestos aboard this specific hull. No hull-specific insulation specification, survey, abatement, or removal record was located; the hull was scrapped inside the USSR circa 1960 with no documentation surfacing. Does not establish quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-marvel-am262-04

5. [5]Batch-1234 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live 404; hazegray mirror via search index); NHHC Project Hula monograph PDF (read verbatim); HyperWar Ships of the USN summary; NavSource (via search index); NVR (no record - hull predates coverage); CourtListener API v4 (authenticated, HTTP 429 daily-cap throttle - logged as blocked); general web index litigation search; VA BVA index; shipyards.json cross-check; class-profile directories [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-marvel-am262-01 through sl-uss-marvel-am262-12

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, insulation schedule, or adjudicated finding naming USS Marvel, AM-262, MSF-262, T-274, or Passat was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Litigation surface: the CourtListener API was daily-cap throttled throughout the batch session (HTTP 429, '2800/day'; the reset window was waited out and re-extended to ~10.7 hr, beyond the session) so opinion/docket/RECAP surfaces are logged as a search limitation rather than a verified negative; the general web index surfaced only excluded law-firm marketing list pages naming the hull generically (mesothelioma.com and mesotheliomahelp.org minesweeper lists), and the VA BVA index returned no decision naming the hull. 'Marvel' is a high-collision name (Marvel Comics/Entertainment dockets dominate web results) - any future CourtListener sweep must filter accordingly.

   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 steel minesweeper is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials. The disposal path foreclosed late-life documentation: the hull was scrapped inside the USSR circa 1960, well before the asbestos-litigation era and before hazmat-conditioned scrapping was documented; no Soviet-side records are accessible. The CourtListener limitation is procedural (API quota), not substantive - the surface should be re-swept when quota is available; an 11-month U.S. commission and ~104-man complement make litigation naming this hull less likely but not impossible.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-marvel-am262-05

6. [6]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24, RG 19 record-group descriptions; BGSU Historical Collections of the Great Lakes vessel database (greatlakesvessels.org - Cloudflare-blocked to direct fetch 2026-09-22; sister-hull record confirmed via search index); NAVSHIPS 250-012 as cited in the NHHC Hula appendix (ev-02) [other_primary]

   Locator

   RG 24 / RG 19 record-group guides (archives.gov); greatlakesvessels.org (blocked; HCGL Mirth AM-265 record visible via search index); NHHC Hula appendix sources note

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival leads (not retrieved - research-room or reproduction order required; no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 deck logs for the June 1944-May 1945 commission (the only U.S. custody window); RG 19 Bureau of Ships construction records / General Information Books for AM-262 (the per-vessel material-specification lead used in prior batches); Bowling Green State University Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, which holds the American Ship Building Company corporate archive - the collection's per-vessel records already surface in HCGL for Lorain-built sister hull Mirth (AM-265, 'Hull #840'), making an AM-262 builder's record plausible; NAVSHIPS 250-012 Ships' Data: U.S. Naval Vessels vol. II (1 January 1949), the named Navy source under the Hula transfer table. These are the plausible repositories for any surviving hull-specific material or insulation specification.

   Verification

   unverified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1960 records

   Limitations

   Record-group and repository 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-marvel-am262-06