Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'Partridge II (YMS-437)', Naval History and Heritage Command [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry 'Partridge II (YMS-437)', narrative text (spec line not retrieved)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS 'Partridge II (YMS-437)': the second Partridge was laid down as YMS-437 on 3 October 1944 by J. M. Martinac Corp., Tacoma, Wash.; launched 22 April 1945; commissioned 25 July 1945, Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Q. McKinley, USNR, in command. Upon fitting out she reported to the U.S. Pacific Fleet on 16 August 1945; assigned to the First Fleet, she operated in the Hawaiian Islands area and along the U.S. West Coast. Reclassified and named Partridge (AMS-31) 18 February 1947. Ordered to assist in clearing Wonsan Harbor of mines, she struck a mine and sank 2 February 1951; eight of her crew were killed and six wounded. Struck from the Naval Vessel Register 27 February 1951.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1944-1951
- Population
- Ship's company (complement not verified - see gaps)
- Limitations
- The live NHHC page returned HTTP 503 on every direct fetch this session (history.navy.mil down site-wide for this environment; web.archive.org blocked at the tool level; navsource.org DNS failure / navsource.net egress-blocked). Text was obtained only as search-engine index excerpts attributed to this official page, not a direct read - carried unverified pending re-check against the live page. Establishes identity, builder, key dates, Navy service within the scope interval (commissioned 1945-07-25), and loss. Contains no asbestos, insulation, machinery-material, or hazardous-material information; supports no asbestos claim. The entry's own phrasing 'In late 1951, Partridge joined the U.S. forces in Korea' is internally inconsistent with the 2 February 1951 sinking date (see correction row ev-03). Spec line (displacement, dimensions, complement, armament) not retrieved.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-partridge-ams31-01
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[2]Naval History and Heritage Command, Director's Corner, H-Gram 058, H-058-2 'Korean War - Communist China Offensive' (also H-Gram_058.pdf) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- H-058-2, passage on Partridge (AMS-31), 2 February 1951; PDF https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/about-us/leadership/hgram_pdfs/H-Gram_058.pdf
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NHHC H-Gram 058 (H-058-2, 'Korean War - Communist China Offensive'): on 2 February 1951 the minesweeper USS Partridge (AMS-31) was clearing a channel for naval gunfire support ships off Sokcho, just north of the 38th Parallel; with no time to evade, she struck a mine and sank in less than ten minutes. Eight crewmen were killed, including the commanding officer, Lt. (j.g.) Boyers 'Morgan' Clark, Jr.; two Japanese mess boys were also killed; six of the twenty survivors were wounded. Engineman 1/c William D. Haines and Yeoman 3/c Robert E. Shewmaker each received the Silver Star for efforts to save shipmates. H-Gram counts Partridge as the fourth U.S. minesweeper sunk in the Korean War.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1951-02-02
- Population
- Crew aboard at loss: eight crewmen killed (plus two Japanese mess boys per H-Gram), twenty survivors (six wounded)
- Limitations
- The live NHHC page returned HTTP 503 on every direct fetch this session (history.navy.mil down site-wide for this environment; web.archive.org blocked at the tool level; navsource.org DNS failure / navsource.net egress-blocked). Text was obtained only as search-engine index excerpts attributed to this official page, not a direct read - carried unverified pending re-check against the live page. Official NHHC historian's narrative of the loss; the operating location (off Sokcho) differs from DANFS (Wonsan Harbor) - see ev-03. Casualty wording ('eight crewmen' plus 'two Japanese mess boys') may or may not be additive to DANFS's 'eight of her crew' - not reconciled. No asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Personal names are historical-record context only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-partridge-ams31-02
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[3]DANFS 'Partridge II (YMS-437)'; NHHC H-Gram 058 (H-058-2); NHHC 'Today in History - February 2' [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS narrative; H-058-2 Partridge passage; https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/today-in-history/february-2.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged, not resolved: (a) Location of loss - DANFS says she was assisting in clearing Wonsan Harbor; NHHC H-Gram 058 places her clearing a gunfire-support channel off Sokcho, just north of the 38th Parallel; the NHHC 'Today in History - February 2' page says 'near Wonsan.' (b) Arrival in Korea - DANFS text reads 'In late 1951, Partridge joined the U.S. forces in Korea,' which cannot be correct given the 2 February 1951 sinking and 27 February 1951 strike date; most likely a DANFS typographical error for late 1950, but the correct arrival date is not established by any source retrieved. (c) Casualties - DANFS 'eight of her crew were killed and six were wounded'; H-Gram 'eight crewmen were killed... two Japanese mess boys were also killed.' The record adopts no single location and states only the 2 February 1951 date, which all sources agree on.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1950-1951
- Limitations
- The live NHHC page returned HTTP 503 on every direct fetch this session (history.navy.mil down site-wide for this environment; web.archive.org blocked at the tool level; navsource.org DNS failure / navsource.net egress-blocked). Text was obtained only as search-engine index excerpts attributed to this official page, not a direct read - carried unverified pending re-check against the live page. Documents conflicts between official NHHC products without adjudicating them. Affects operational narrative only; no asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-partridge-ams31-03
-
[4]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'Comstock I (LSD-19)', Naval History and Heritage Command [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Comstock I (LSD-19)', Korean War narrative, 2 February 1951 sentence
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- DANFS 'Comstock I (LSD-19)' records that on 2 February 1951 the dock landing ship Comstock rescued the survivors of Partridge (AMS-31), which had been mined and sank - independent official corroboration of the loss date.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1951-02-02
- Population
- Partridge survivors
- Limitations
- The live NHHC page returned HTTP 503 on every direct fetch this session (history.navy.mil down site-wide for this environment; web.archive.org blocked at the tool level; navsource.org DNS failure / navsource.net egress-blocked). Text was obtained only as search-engine index excerpts attributed to this official page, not a direct read - carried unverified pending re-check against the live page. Corroborates date of loss and rescue only; says nothing about Partridge's construction, materials, or asbestos; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-partridge-ams31-04
-
[5]National Archives, 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' research guide [other_primary]
- Locator
- Research guide page (cataloging convention and digitization scope); reference contact archives2reference@nara.gov
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival lead (not retrieved): National Archives guidance states Navy deck logs are held by NARA and cataloged in the National Archives Catalog by ship name and hull designation (e.g., 'Abbot (DD-629)'), with a multi-year digitization project covering logs 1939 onward. Deck logs for this hull would be expected under 'YMS-437' (1945-1947) and 'Partridge (AMS-31)' (1947-1951). Construction/outfitting records for YMS-437 (J. M. Martinac, Tacoma) and the loss investigation/war-damage report for February 1951 would be additional NARA/NHHC leads.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1945-1951 records
- Limitations
- Guide-level mapping only. The National Archives Catalog search (catalog.archives.gov) is a JavaScript application whose search endpoints returned no retrievable results from this environment; no YMS-437 or Partridge (AMS-31) catalog entry was located or confirmed. Existence, date range, and content of any logs or loss reports are unknown. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-partridge-ams31-05
-
[6]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 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Abstract (PubMed PMID 3555021, metadata confirmed 2026-09-24)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents 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 asbestos utilization - the era in which YMS-437 was built (1944-1945).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1940s
- Population
- WWII U.S. shipyard workers (industry context)
- Limitations
- Era/industry-level scholarship; does not name this vessel, the YMS program, wooden-hulled minesweepers, or the Martinac yard. Does not establish that asbestos was installed aboard this hull, nor any product, quantity, location, exposure, or causation. Context only - not a ship-specific finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-partridge-ams31-06
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[7]Franke, K., and D. Paustenbach, 'Government and Navy knowledge regarding health hazards of asbestos: a state of the science evaluation (1900 to 1970),' Inhalation Toxicology 23 Suppl 3:1-20 (2011); PMID 22200078 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Abstract (PubMed PMID 22200078, metadata confirmed 2026-09-24)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed review of government and U.S. Navy knowledge of asbestos health hazards (1900-1970) reports that through the 1960s the Navy continued to require asbestos-containing materials on ships while recommending handling precautions - context for the 1945-1951 period of this hull's service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1900-1970
- Population
- U.S. Navy personnel and civilian shipyard workers (program context)
- Limitations
- Navy-wide policy/knowledge review, authored by consultants (ChemRisk) - a litigation-adjacent perspective; does not name this vessel or the YMS class and does not establish any material aboard this hull, exposure, or causation. Context only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-partridge-ams31-07
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[8]Batch-1721 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS/H-Gram (search-index excerpts), NARA deck-log guides, National Archives Catalog (blocked), NavSource (blocked), PubMed context literature [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-partridge-ams31-01 through sl-uss-partridge-ams31-14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for this hull under either designation (YMS-437, Partridge AMS-31): no asbestos survey, abatement record, hazardous-material disclosure, machinery specification naming insulation materials, or casualty/loss report addressing materials was found in the sources reachable this session. The hull was lost off Korea on 2 February 1951, so no present-day abatement or disposal record would be expected; the asbestos question is historical only (builder-yard workforce 1944-45, crews 1945-51).
- 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 absence of asbestos aboard. Several key sources (NHHC pages directly, NavSource, NARA catalog) were unreachable, so this negative is weaker than a full-access search. Does not establish presence or absence of any material, and does not establish or defeat any individual exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-partridge-ams31-08
-
[9]CourtListener search (opinions type o; RECAP type r; RECAP documents type rd), queries logged in search_ledger [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-partridge-ams31-06 through sl-uss-partridge-ams31-11
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener (API v4, authenticated connector) searches for exact phrases 'USS Partridge' (opinions; RECAP dockets), 'YMS-437' (RECAP), 'Partridge Wonsan minesweeper' and 'Partridge minesweeper asbestos' (opinions) returned no result. A combined hull-number query ('YMS-437' OR 'YMS 437' OR 'AMS-31' OR 'AMS 31') returned two opinion hits, both Martin v. Bissonete, No. 96-1856 (1st Cir. 1997), a habeas appeal - name/token collision - and 19 RECAP hits (consumer, bankruptcy, patent, securities dockets) - token collisions. Asbestos-nature-of-suit RECAP dockets with 'Partridge' as a party (e.g., Partridge v. GAF Corp., E.D. Va. 4:01-cv-01681; Partridge v. Celotex Corp., D. Me. 2:85-cv-00305; Partridge v. Keene Corp., E.D. Pa. 2:87-cv-06025; Partridge v. Owens-Corning, D. Conn. 2:88-cv-00844; several MDL-875 E.D. Pa. dockets 2008-2011) are plaintiff-surname collisions: no indexed docket text or document tied any of them to this vessel. Classification: no qualifying asbestos litigation for this hull located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- Search date 2026-09-24
- Limitations
- Surname-collision dockets were classified from case captions and indexed text only; their complaints (which could list vessels) were not retrieved, so a vessel list naming 'Partridge' inside an unindexed pleading cannot be excluded. Even if one did, it would be a pleading-stage allegation, not a finding. CourtListener does not index most state-court asbestos dockets. Negative search result only - does not establish absence of exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-partridge-ams31-09