USS Pivot (AM-276)

Evidence

10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).

1. [1]DANFS, 'Pivot' (AM-276) - verbatim transcription via hazegray mirror, Wayback capture 2022-09-10 (live NHHC page returns 404 - standing link rot, same as BATCH-01; live hazegray.org does not resolve) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry 'Pivot' (AM-276), specifications block + service narrative (Wayback capture 20220910054758 of hazegray.org/danfs/mine/am276.htm)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS record for this hull: Admirable-class minesweeper (dp. 650; l. 184'6"; b. 33'; dr. 9'9"; s. 14.8 k.; cpl. 104; a. 1 3", 4 40mm.; cl. Admirable). Laid down 1 July 1943 by Gulf Shipbuilding Co., Chickasaw, Ala.; launched 11 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Clara L. Prouty; commissioned 12 July 1944. Shakedown ended 10 September; operated with the Atlantic Fleet training and patrolling until sailing for the Pacific early April 1945; transited the Panama Canal on the 10th; after training in Hawaiian waters reached the war zone for minesweeping operations in the Ryukyus soon after the conquest of Okinawa; supported Admiral Mitscher's Fast Carrier Task Force during the July strikes against Japan; operated in Korean waters after Japan's surrender; returned to Okinawa late October and resumed sweeping in the Ryukyus; decommissioned at Subic Bay 6 November 1946 and remained in reserve until sold to China 27 August 1948; served in the Chinese Navy as Yung Shou until 1970. Four battle stars for World War II service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1948

   Population

   Gulf Shipbuilding construction trades (1943-44); wartime and postwar crew (design complement 104)

   Limitations

   DANFS documents identity, builder, dates, and service narrative - not materials or asbestos content. Its 'dp. 650' is the standard/light figure; the register and NavSource carry 945 t full/limiting load - flagged in ev-04. Live NHHC URL 404s; the 2022-09-10 Wayback capture of the hazegray transcription is cited.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pivot-am276-01

2. [2]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II: Mine Vessels (less DM and CM), Patrol Vessels, Landing Ships and Craft, NAVSHIPS 250-011, 13 April 1945 (GPO 1945; scan via shipscribe.com) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAVSHIPS 250-011, Mine Vessels - Mine Sweepers (AM) tables: AM214-311 class characteristics block; propulsion/generator table (PIVOT AM 276 row in the C. B. GSB-8 / 1,710 / Nat. Sup. ditto block); builder/date table ('Gulf Shipbuilding Corp ... 1 Jul 43 | 11 Nov 43 | 12 Jul 44 | Pivot AM 276')

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The official 1945 BuShips register names PIVOT, official number AM 276, in the mine-sweeper tables: builder 'Gulf Shipbuilding Corp.'; keel laid 1 Jul 43; launched 11 Nov 43; date of first commission 12 Jul 44. The propulsion table carries the AM-276 row inside the 'C. B. GSB-8' (Cooper-Bessemer GSB-8) ditto block - shaft horsepower 1,710, 'Nat. Sup.' (National Supply Co.) single reduction gear; ship's-service generators 60 kW 450 A.C. + 20 kW 120 D.C. The AM214-311 class characteristics block prints: 2 propellers, geared 'Diesel' drive with single reduction gears (the register distinguishes this from 'Diesel elec.'); length 184'6" o.a. / 180'0" w.l.; extreme beam 33'0"; limiting-draft displacement 945 tons; trial displacement 850 tons; trial speed 14.8 knots; limiting draft 9'9"; total accommodations 11 officers + 93 enlisted; armament 1 x 3"/50 cal. D.P. and 2 twin 40mm A.A. mounts (footnote excepts AM214/AM215 only).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1945 (register data as of 13 April 1945)

   Population

   Gulf Shipbuilding construction trades (1943-44); wartime crew

   Limitations

   Contemporaneous official register - establishes builder (corporate name only, not the yard city), construction dates, and propulsion for this hull; resolves the engine-make question (Cooper-Bessemer GSB-8 geared diesel, contra HyperWar's class-generic 'diesel-electric, 1,800 h.p.'). The 1,710 figure is the class-table shaft-horsepower entry and is not labeled per-engine or aggregate. Contains no materials or asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pivot-am276-02

3. [3]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, Pivot (AM 276), file 11/02276 - chronology, specifications, commanding-officer roster, photo captions (Wayback capture 2024-05-24) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 11/02276 - chronology block, specifications block, propulsion line, CO roster, photo captions (Wayback capture 20240524221412)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource archive record for this hull: 'The first Pivot was laid down 1 July 1943 at Gulf Shipbuilding Corp., Chickasaw, Alabama; launched 11 November 1943; commissioned USS Pivot (AM-276), 12 July 1944; decommissioned 6 November 1946 at Subic Bay, Philippines; sold to Taiwan 27 August 1948 and renamed Yung Shou (AM 49); decommissioned and struck from the Navy Register 1 July 1970; fate unknown.' Call sign Nan-Peter-Yoke-Fox. Spec block: 945 t. full load; 184'6" x 33' x 9'9"; 14.8 kts; complement 104; armament one 3"/50 dual-purpose mount, one twin 40mm, six 20mm, hedgehog projector, four K-gun depth-charge projectors, two depth-charge tracks; propulsion 'Two 1,710shp Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesel engines, National Supply Co. single reduction gear, two shafts' - agreeing with the official NAVSHIPS register (ev-02) where they overlap. Commanding-officer roster: LT Robin Max Hartmann, USNR (12 Jul 1944 - 6 Nov 1945); LT Edward Joseph Duffy, USNR (6 Nov 1945 - 1 Apr 1946); LT Thomas Leavey Cleaver, Jr., USN (1 Apr - 6 Nov 1946). Photos include the 11 November 1943 launching (sister Pledge AM-277 on the ways behind; NHHC-credited), a 12 July 1944 shakedown aerial in the Gulf of Mexico taken by a PBY out of NAS Pensacola (National Archives), a Chinese Navy image of Yung Shou (AM 49), and the NH 89284 nest photograph at San Diego c. 1945 with Phantom (AM-273) and Nimble (AM-266).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1970

   Population

   Gulf Shipbuilding trades (1943-44); crew 1944-46; ROC Navy crews (1948-70)

   Limitations

   Private photo/data archive, not an official source - consistent with DANFS and the NAVSHIPS register where they overlap. 'Sold to Taiwan' is loose phrasing for the 27 August 1948 transfer to the Republic of China (the ROC government did not relocate to Taiwan until 1949). 'Decommissioned and struck from the Navy Register 1 July 1970' is the ROC-side disposal - no U.S. Navy List striking date is printed. 'Fate unknown' leaves final disposition undocumented. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pivot-am276-03

4. [4]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation), Madisonville yard table + minesweepers1.htm master table, AM-276 rows; Navypedia Admirable-class table AM-276 row; HyperWar AM-276 compiled card; Wikipedia infobox; uboat.net ship/5341 [other_primary]

   Locator

   Wayback 20220910054758 hazegray DANFS am276.htm; NAVSHIPS 250-011 AM-table rows; NavSource 11/02276; shipbuildinghistory.com madisonville.htm + smallships/minesweepers1.htm AM 276 row; navypedia.org/ships/usa/us_ms_pc_admirable_pce.htm; uboat.net/allies/warships/5341.html; ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AM/AM-276_Pivot.html; hush.web.fc2.com/Text/7Y/72Yu/y2911yun.html

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies logged, not silently merged: (a) Build-yard city - DANFS, the NavSource chronology line, and uboat.net read Gulf Shipbuilding, Chickasaw, AL; Colton's Madisonville yard table and his minesweepers master table file AM-276 under Gulf's Madisonville, LA yard ('AM 276 | Pivot | Gulf SB | Madisonville LA ... To Taiwan 1948 as Yung Shou (AM-49), struck 1970'), and Navypedia's Admirable-class table likewise reads 'Gulf SB, Madisonville.' DANFS (official) is carried for builder_location; the Madisonville assignment is documented, not adopted - NAVSHIPS confirms the corporation but prints no city, so the yard-city question remains open pending the contract file. (b) Propulsion - NAVSHIPS prints geared 'Diesel' drive, Cooper-Bessemer GSB-8, 1,710 shp, National Supply gear; NavSource agrees; HyperWar's compiled card prints 'diesel-electric, 1,800 h.p.' - contradicted by the official register. (c) Displacement - DANFS 650 t (standard); NavSource and the register 945 t full/limiting load; HyperWar 625 t - standard vs full-load convention, not an error. (d) Transfer year - Wikipedia's infobox prints 'transferred to the Republic of China, 27 August 1947'; DANFS, NavSource, and uboat.net all read 27 August 1948, and the enabling agreement (UNTS No. 895) was not signed until 8 December 1947 - '1947' is a typo. (e) ROC renaming - a Japanese naval-database compilation reports Yung Shou renamed Mo Ling 5 January 1965 and classed her in the 'Yung Tai-class' patrol group; no primary ROC source located - unverified. (f) Final fate - NavSource prints 'fate unknown'; Wikipedia's infobox prints 'Scrapped' - unverified either way. (g) uboat.net prints 'Ordered 2 May 1942' - secondary compilation; contract date not verified against the contract file.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1970

   Limitations

   Resolves publication-level discrepancies among the official DANFS text, the contemporaneous NAVSHIPS register, the UNTS Schedule A listing, and secondary compilations, adopting the better-supported values and flagging the rest. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pivot-am276-04

5. [5]Consolidated era/design inference - NAVSHIPS 250-011 AM214-311 class block (geared 'Diesel' drive, twin screws; no boilers) + DANFS specifications block (ev-01) + documented builder and construction era (1943-44, Gulf Shipbuilding commercial yard) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAVSHIPS 250-011 AM214-311 class block + AM-276 propulsion row; DANFS spec block

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull is a 1943-44-built steel Admirable-class minesweeper with a geared-diesel twin-screw plant (two Cooper-Bessemer GSB-8 diesels, National Supply reduction gear, per the official register) - no boilers, no steam distribution, no steam turbines. Its insulation load was materially lighter than a steam combatant's, but machinery and construction materials of the 1943-44 wartime era were commonly asbestos-containing: diesel exhaust-system and muffler lagging, machinery gaskets and packing, valve stem packing, electrical-cable insulation, accommodation/galley joiner insulation, winch and windlass brake linings, and deck compositions of the period. Exposure-relevant populations if any such material was present: Gulf Coast construction trades (1943-44); the wartime crew (design complement 104) across Atlantic Fleet patrol, Panama Canal transit, Hawaiian training, Ryukyus minesweeping, and Korean waters; and the Republic of China Navy crews aboard Yung Shou (AM-49) from 1948 to 1970.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1970

   Population

   Gulf Shipbuilding trades (1943-44); crew 1944-46; ROC Navy crews (1948-70)

   Limitations

   Inference from documented design, machinery type, and construction era - NOT a hull materials record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming AM-276 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. The geared-diesel plant makes even era-level inference weaker than for steam vessels of the same era.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pivot-am276-05

6. [6]Fleischer WE, Viles FJ Jr, et al., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 1946 Jan;28:9-16 (PMID 21016030) [other_primary]

   Locator

   PubMed citation record PMID 21016030; J Ind Hyg Toxicol 1946;28:9-16

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   The wartime federal industrial-hygiene survey of pipe-covering operations in naval vessel construction (conducted during WWII naval shipbuilding, published January 1946) documents that insulation work on ships under construction used asbestos-containing materials - the standard practice environment in which this hull was built at a Gulf Shipbuilding yard in 1943-44.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1946 (survey/publication)

   Population

   WWII naval-vessel pipe coverers and insulators (class context)

   Limitations

   Industry-wide wartime survey, not a hull record - does not name this vessel, Gulf Shipbuilding, or the Admirable class; its reassuring conclusion ('not a dangerous occupation') is itself now criticized as deeply flawed (Kelly, New Solut 2026;36:138-150, PMID 42307414). Establishes era context only - that asbestos insulation work was performed in WWII naval vessel construction - not materials aboard AM-276.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pivot-am276-06

7. [7]Marr WT, 'Asbestos exposure during naval vessel overhaul,' Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 1964 May-Jun;25:264-8 (PMID 14168424) [other_primary]

   Locator

   PubMed citation record PMID 14168424; Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 1964;25:264-8

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Published industrial-hygiene study documenting asbestos exposure during naval vessel overhauls - the era pathway relevant to shipyard-side repair work generally. No stateside overhaul or yard availability is documented for this hull in DANFS (Atlantic Fleet 'training and patrolling' only, September 1944 - April 1945); the row is carried as era context for the overhaul-exposure pathway that would have applied had refits occurred.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1964 (publication)

   Population

   Naval shipyard insulation workers (class context)

   Limitations

   Study period (early 1960s) post-dates this hull's entire U.S. career and does not name AM-276 or any facility. Documents the era overhaul-exposure pathway only, not work on or materials aboard this hull; unlike sister AM-267, this hull has no documented stateside overhaul in the located sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pivot-am276-07

8. [8]United Nations Treaty Series vol. 70 (1950), Agreement No. 895 - U.S.-Republic of China agreement on transfer of naval vessels, signed Nanking 8 December 1947, Schedule A, List 2 [other_primary]

   Locator

   UNTS v70, Agreement No. 895, Schedule A List 2 - 'AM 276 Philippines' row (verified in the digitized volume)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The December 1947 U.S.-Republic of China naval-transfer agreement (UNTS No. 895; implementing Public Law 512, 79th Congress, and Executive Order No. 9848 of 25 April 1947), Schedule A, List 2 - 'vessels now earmarked and recommended for transfer to China' - names 'AM 276' with location 'Philippines,' the treaty paperwork behind this hull's sale at Subic Bay on 27 August 1948 (DANFS/NavSource). The same Schedule A lists sisters AM 266, 273, 274, 246, 286, 287, 216 in the Philippines group.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1947-1948

   Population

   ROC Navy receiving crews (1948)

   Limitations

   Primary treaty record establishing the transfer pathway and the hull's Philippine location - a disposition document, not a materials or asbestos record. The agreement's schedule names hulls earmarked for transfer; the sale/consummation date (27 August 1948) is carried from DANFS and NavSource.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pivot-am276-08

9. [9]Negative finding across searched repositories - NHHC DANFS, NAVSHIPS 250-011, NavSource, UNTS 895, NVR, NARA catalog, CourtListener (see search_ledger rows for queries and results) [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger sl-uss-pivot-am276-01 through -15; report exclusions section

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for USS Pivot / AM-276: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, preservation record, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming this hull was found in the searched repositories (see search_ledger). A law-firm marketing page asserts a '$1.39 million' settlement for an Oregon Navy veteran 'linked to his service on the USS Pine, USS Zeal, USS Redhead, USS Pivot, USS Force, USS Pandemus, and USS Preston' - an unverifiable marketing claim with no caption, docket, or court record located; it is a non-qualifying source under batch rules (no law-firm sites) and is logged as an exclusion in the batch report, not as evidence. Name-collision note: the second USS Pivot (AM-463/MSO-463, in commission 1954-1971) absorbs 'USS Pivot' references dated after 1954.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-present (record search)

   Limitations

   Absence of a located record is not proof of absence of material - it documents that no public ship-specific asbestos record was found in the searched repositories. NARA deck logs, the Navy contract file, and ROC Navy records remain unsurveyed archival leads. The Oregon settlement claim rests on a marketing page only - no court record was located to confirm or classify it.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pivot-am276-09

10. [10]NARA catalog guides (RG 19/24); UNTS vol. 70 Agreement No. 895 implementing-file pathway; ROC Ministry of National Defense naval records; NavSource photo-credit lines [other_primary]

    Locator

    archives.gov RG 19/24 group guides; NARA deck-log series NAID 594258; NavSource 11/02276 photo credits ('USS Pivot Website', NHHC NH 89284)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs, 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations 1941-1978' (series NAID 594258), for the July 1944 - November 1946 commission - the resolution path for exact operating, port-call, and availability dates; (b) NARA RG 19 BuShips records / General Information Books and the Navy contract file for the Gulf Shipbuilding minesweeper program - the plausible home of hull-level material schedules, and the resolution path for the Chickasaw-vs-Madisonville build-yard conflict (the contract file names the performing yard); (c) U.S.-Republic of China implementing records for the 27 August 1948 Subic Bay sale under UNTS No. 895 / P.L. 512 - the delivery document may carry a condition survey; (d) Republic of China Navy records for Yung Shou (AM-49) 1948-1970 - the only plausible source for the reported 1965 Mo Ling renaming and the post-1970 fate; (e) the defunct 'USS Pivot Website' credited in NavSource photo lines - a crew/reunion site with no usable Wayback capture retrieved this session; (f) NHHC photo records - NH 89284 (San Diego nest c. 1945) and the 11 November 1943 launch series.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1943-1970 records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for AM-276 is unknown until surveyed in person. Deck logs and muster rolls are personnel/operations records, not materials documentation. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-pivot-am276-10