Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), "Merganser II (YMS-417)" [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, 1954-1960 conversion, San Diego service, and disposition paragraphs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Merganser departed Sasebo 1954-08-21 for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, where conversion to AMCU-47 commenced 1 October 1954; on completion she was assigned to the Harbor Defense Unit, Port Townsend, WA, until April 1955. Designated MHC-47 effective 1955-02-07, she ran underwater sound tests at Carr Inlet Acoustics Range, then joined the 11th Naval District at San Diego, providing target towing, sonar training, harbor defense exercises, and search and rescue until February 1958. Attached 1958-02-02 to the San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet for inactivation overhaul, she decommissioned 1958-04-02 at San Diego, was struck from the Naval Vessel Register 1959-05-01, and was sold 1960-05-05 to Hilburg and Turpin of Los Angeles, CA.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1954-1960
- Limitations
- A direct render of the primary NHHC page returned HTTP 503 in this session (history.navy.mil unreachable under this environment's network policy, both the /research/ and /content/history/nhhc/ paths; Wayback Machine also blocked). Content reconstructed from multiple independently worded search-engine retrievals that returned specific, mutually consistent DANFS-house-style text from this URL; not independently rendered. A follow-up direct-render pass is recommended before treating this row as fully verified. The 1954 Puget Sound conversion and 1958 inactivation overhaul are shipyard events aboard this hull, but DANFS gives no work scope or materials; nothing here establishes that asbestos-containing material was installed, disturbed, or removed. DANFS does not state the purchaser's intended use or the hull's final fate after sale.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-merganser-ams26-05
-
[2]Naval History and Heritage Command, H-Gram 055, H-055-1 'Wonsan: October-November 1950'; NHHC Online Reading Room, Korean War Chronology, 'January-April 1952' and 'May-August 1952' [other_primary]
- Locator
- H-055-1 minesweeping/award passages; chronology pages https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/k/korean-war-chronology/january-april-1952.html and .../may-august-1952.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NHHC's H-Gram 055 (Wonsan, October-November 1950) records that Magpie (AMS-25) and Merganser (AMS-26) were sent forward from Guam on 1950-09-16, and that all minesweepers in action at Wonsan on 1950-10-12, plus Merganser, together with the staffs of Mine Divisions 31 and 32, were awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for 10-24 October 1950. NHHC Korean War Chronology entries record Merganser receiving air-burst rounds at Songjin, being straddled by shore batteries opposite Yang-do (January-April 1952), and taking 10 rounds from Kalmagak gun positions during a moored sweep near Wonsan with Redhead (May-August 1952), each with no damage or casualties.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1950-1952
- Limitations
- Same NHHC access caveat as ev-uss-merganser-ams26-01 (pages not directly rendered; text retrieved via search-engine extraction). Combat and award history only; hostile-fire incidents recorded no damage. Contains no asbestos, repair-materials, or damage-repair information and supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-merganser-ams26-04
-
[3]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), "Merganser II (YMS-417)"; Atlas record uss-merganser-am135 (branch batch-1168/uss-merganser-am135), inspected this session [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS title 'Merganser II' (ordinal distinguishes it from Merganser I); AM-135 record identity fields
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Same-name disambiguation: this record (YMS-417 / AMS-26 / AMCU-47 / MHC-47, 'Merganser II' in DANFS) is a distinct hull from USS Merganser (AM-135), a converted 1937 commercial trawler (ex-M/V Annapolis/Ocean) acquired 1942, which has its own Atlas record (vessel_id uss-merganser-am135, batch 1168). The name is also borne by the British steamer Merganser sunk in a 1947 Schelde River collision (see ev-uss-merganser-ams26-08). None of these is a sister, successor, or alias of this hull.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1937-1960
- Limitations
- Identity control only, to prevent a merge or cross-corroboration with the AM-135 record. The DANFS 'II' ordinal is taken from the page title as retrieved by search; the Merganser I page was not rendered this session. No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-merganser-ams26-06
-
[4]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 scholarship documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material across the U.S. WWII shipbuilding program generally, the wartime program under which this YMS-1-class motor minesweeper was built at a small Great Lakes yard (Stadium Yacht Basin, Cleveland) in 1944.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (program context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarship; does not name this vessel, this builder, or the YMS-1 class, and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor location, quantity, condition, individual exposure, or causation. This is a wood-hulled motor minesweeper with no documented boiler/steam plant; no source located this session identifies any asbestos-containing component for the YMS-1 design. Class/era context only - never a ship-specific finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-merganser-ams26-07
-
[5]CourtListener API v4 search via authenticated connector (opinion type 'o' and RECAP type 'r'), multiple query formulations, 2026-09-24; in-document checks on opinions 1681980, 104643, 1413614, 2351714, 4073641 [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-merganser-ams26-05 through sl-uss-merganser-ams26-08
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this vessel was located in CourtListener. Exact-name and hull-number searches ('USS Merganser', 'U.S.S. Merganser', 'USS YMS-417', and YMS-417 / AMS-26 / AMCU-47 / MHC-47 with and without hyphens) returned no vessel hits in the opinion or RECAP indexes. Every other hit was classified a name or number collision: bare 'Merganser' opinion hits (12) are the bird (migratory-waterfowl hunting cases, e.g., Fund for Animals v. Frizzell, D.D.C. 1975), a street name (Merganser Drive, Peterson v. Orphans' Court, Md. Ct. Spec. App. 2004), and the British steamer Merganser sunk 1947 in the Schelde (Black Diamond S.S. Corp. v. Robert Stewart & Sons, 336 U.S. 386 (1949); discussed in Petition of Chadade S.S. Co., S.D. Fla. 1967) - other (collision/limitation) litigation about a different vessel. An 'AMS 26' opinion hit (Draper v. Austin Manufacturing Services I, Tex. App. 2015) uses 'AMS' as a company abbreviation. 'Merganser' + asbestos in RECAP (17 dockets) returned large bankruptcy/commercial dockets unrelated to naval service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 2026-09-24
- Limitations
- CourtListener's opinion and RECAP corpora are not exhaustive (state trial-court asbestos dockets, unpublished rulings, and sealed filings are underrepresented); 'no result' means none surfaced in these queries, not that no case exists. The 17 RECAP 'Merganser + asbestos' dockets were classified from case names and case type (bankruptcies/commercial matters) without opening each document; none is a personal-injury or maritime docket. The Black Diamond line is admiralty collision/limitation litigation about a British merchant ship - not asbestos litigation and not this hull. No rate-limit or connector gap occurred.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-merganser-ams26-08
-
[6]Batch-1715 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS, H-Gram 055, Korean War Chronology; NHHC photo-catalog listings; NARA deck-log guidance; CourtListener opinion and RECAP searches [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-merganser-ams26-01 through sl-uss-merganser-ams26-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no hull survey, conversion/overhaul work package, abatement or scrapping record, sale-condition disclosure, or docketed case naming YMS-417 / AMS-26 / AMCU-47 / MHC-47 was found in the official and authoritative sources searched (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 2026-09-24
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove asbestos was absent aboard this hull at any time; it records only that none surfaced in this session. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim, causation, or legal eligibility. The 1960 sale to a private buyer means post-1960 condition records, if any, would sit outside Navy holdings.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-merganser-ams26-09
-
[7]NARA, 'Navy Deck Logs' online availability page and Guide to Federal Records RG 24 / RG 181; NHHC photography catalog entries 19-N-67894 and USN 1045939 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA deck-log page (rendered 2026-09-24; no Merganser/YMS-417 listing, referral to archives2reference@nara.gov); https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/181.html ; https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nara-series/19-n/19-N-60000/19-N-67894.html ; https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nara-series/usn/USN-1040000/USN-1045939.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved; research-room or reproduction order required, no spend authorized): (a) U.S. Navy deck logs for YMS-417/Merganser 1944-1958 - NARA holds WWII-and-later Navy deck logs (RG 24, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel) at Archives II, College Park; NARA's online deck-log index did not list this ship; (b) Puget Sound Naval Shipyard 1954-55 AMCU conversion and San Diego 1958 inactivation-overhaul work records (shipyard records, RG 181 Naval Districts and Shore Establishments) could show materials scope; (c) NHHC photograph catalog lists images of this hull (19-N-67894 'USS YMS-417'; USN 1045939 'USS Merganser (MHC-47)') - visual leads only.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1944-1960 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only; no box-level retrieval. The RG 24/RG 181 guide pages were cited from standard NARA structure and not rendered this session; the NHHC photo pages were identified by search listing only (domain blocked). Whether any of these holds asbestos-specific material for this hull is unknown. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-merganser-ams26-10
-
[8]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), "Merganser II (YMS-417)" [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, characteristics block and construction/WWII paragraphs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The second Merganser was laid down as YMS-417 by the Stadium Yacht Basin (Cleveland, OH) on 1944-01-09, launched 1944-06-29, and commissioned 1944-11-11. Assigned to the 1st Naval District, YMS-417 operated along the northern New England coast until 1945-07-20, then got underway for Pearl Harbor and Pacific Fleet duty; she arrived in Hawaiian waters in October 1945, was assigned to the Philippine Sea Frontier (reporting to ComPhilSeaFron January 1946), and the next month was transferred to Minesweeping Squadron, Pacific Fleet. DANFS characteristics: displacement 272 tons; length 136 ft; beam 25 ft 4 in; speed 15 knots; armament one 3-inch gun, four 20mm guns, two depth-charge tracks, two depth-charge projectors; class YMS-1.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Limitations
- A direct render of the primary NHHC page returned HTTP 503 in this session (history.navy.mil unreachable under this environment's network policy, both the /research/ and /content/history/nhhc/ paths; Wayback Machine also blocked). Content reconstructed from multiple independently worded search-engine retrievals that returned specific, mutually consistent DANFS-house-style text from this URL; not independently rendered. A follow-up direct-render pass is recommended before treating this row as fully verified. Establishes identity, construction, WWII movements, and DANFS-listed characteristics only. The DANFS characteristics block as retrieved gives no complement and no engine/propulsion data. Contains no asbestos information and supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-merganser-ams26-01
-
[9]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), "Merganser II (YMS-417)" [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, 1947-1950 paragraphs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- In January 1947 the motor minesweeper began a 9-month tour of minesweeping operations in the western Carolines, Marshalls, and Marianas, chiefly near Truk and Guam; during this period, on 1947-02-17, she was redesignated AMS-26 and named Merganser. She was then attached to Naval Operating Base, Marianas, operating from Guam for the next 3 years on minesweeping exercises, ASW patrols, and target-towing services.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1947-1950
- Limitations
- A direct render of the primary NHHC page returned HTTP 503 in this session (history.navy.mil unreachable under this environment's network policy, both the /research/ and /content/history/nhhc/ paths; Wayback Machine also blocked). Content reconstructed from multiple independently worded search-engine retrievals that returned specific, mutually consistent DANFS-house-style text from this URL; not independently rendered. A follow-up direct-render pass is recommended before treating this row as fully verified. Unlike several sister AMS hulls, the retrieved DANFS text records no 1947 decommissioning/reserve period for this ship; continuous service 1947-1950 is recorded only as DANFS states it. Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-merganser-ams26-02
-
[10]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), "Merganser II (YMS-417)" [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, Korean War paragraphs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- On 1950-09-16 Merganser departed Guam for Sasebo, Japan, to join U.N. forces in the Korean War; within 2 weeks she had joined TF 95 and was in action off Wonsan. She conducted minesweeping along the eastern, southern, and western coasts of Korea through the war and remained after the truce with the Escort and Blockading Patrol until mid-1954. DANFS credits her with nine battle stars for Korean service.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1950-1954
- Limitations
- A direct render of the primary NHHC page returned HTTP 503 in this session (history.navy.mil unreachable under this environment's network policy, both the /research/ and /content/history/nhhc/ paths; Wayback Machine also blocked). Content reconstructed from multiple independently worded search-engine retrievals that returned specific, mutually consistent DANFS-house-style text from this URL; not independently rendered. A follow-up direct-render pass is recommended before treating this row as fully verified. Establishes Korean War service and the DANFS battle-star count; contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-merganser-ams26-03