USS Project (AM-278)

Evidence

11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).

1. [1]DANFS, 'Project' (AM-278) - 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 this session) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   hazegray.org/danfs/mine/am278.htm via Wayback 20220910054829 - full narrative + spec block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for this hull (verbatim transcription): '(AM-278: dp. 850; l. 184'6"; b. 33'; dr. 9'9"; s. 15 k. cpl. 104; a. 1 3"; cl. Admirable) Project (AM-278) was laid down 1 July 1943 by Gulf Shipbuilding Corp., Chickasaw, Ala., launched 20 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Irene D. Jenkins; and commissioned 22 August 1944. Project departed U.S. Naval Repair Station, Algiers, La. 7 September for Little Creek, Va. Enroute, she drove off submarine U-518 after it had torpedoed SS George Ade 125 miles off Wilmington 12 September. Later operations for the minesweeper ranged from Portland, Me., where she trained with friendly submarines in October, to Cape Charles Va., where she planted small mines, to Port Royal, Bermuda, to which she escorted Kaweah and Sapelo in December. Project continued Atlantic coast operations during the first half of 1945 but in July proceeded via the Canal Zone to San Pedro, Calif. Engaging in minesweeping operations off California in August, the ship steamed to Pearl Harbor the 24th and on to Eniwetok and Saipan in September. After stopping at Buckner Bay she reached Japan on the 20th. Project remained in Japanese waters in connection with Japanese minesweeping activity and to make exploratory sweeps in the Omai Saki area. Decommissioning 13 June 1964 [sic - 1946] at Subic Bay, she was struck from the Navy Register 16 September 1947 and was transferred to the Philippines 24 May 1948. She continued operations with that country Samar (M-33). Project received one battle star for World War II service.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1948

   Population

   Gulf Shipbuilding construction workforce (1943-44); wartime complement ~104 across Atlantic escort/training and Pacific postwar mine-clearance service; Subic Bay caretaker detail 1946-48

   Limitations

   Authoritative Navy history for identity, milestones, and operations; contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials content. The transcription prints decommissioning as '13 June 1964' - internally inconsistent (striking 16 Sep 1947 and transfer 24 May 1948 precede it) and contra all other sources; carried as 1946 per NavSource/uboat.net/Wikipedia. Spec block 'dp. 850' is the trial-displacement basis per the NAVSHIPS class table (ev-02); limiting-draft/full-load is 945.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-project-am278-01

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 (PROJECT AM 278 row in the C. B. GSB-8 / 1,710 / Nat. Sup. ditto block); builder/date table ('Gulf Shipbuilding Corp. ... 1 Jul 43 | 20 Nov 43 | 22 Aug 44 | PROJECT AM278')

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The official April 1945 BuShips register names PROJECT, official number AM 278, in the mine-sweeper tables: builder 'Gulf Shipbuilding Corp.' (ditto block); keel laid 1 Jul 43; launched 20 Nov 43; date of first commission 22 Aug 44. The propulsion table carries the AM-278 row inside the 'C. B. GSB-8' (Cooper-Bessemer GSB-8) ditto block - shaft horsepower 1,710, 'Nat. Sup.' (National Supply Co.) reduction gear. 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.

   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 propulsion against secondary boilerplate (HyperWar 'diesel-electric, 1,800 h.p.') by printing geared 'Diesel' drive. The 1,710 figure is the table's shaft-horsepower entry and is not labeled per-engine or aggregate. Contains no materials or asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-project-am278-02

3. [3]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, Project (AM 278), file 11/02278 - chronology, specifications, commanding-officer roster, photo captions [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 11/02278 - chronology block, specifications block, propulsion line, CO roster, photo captions (NARA-catalog credits; Philippine Navy and Jane's 1956/57 images)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive record for this hull: 'Project served the Navies of the United States and the Philippines'; laid down 1 July 1943 at Gulf Shipbuilding Corp., Chickasaw, AL; launched 20 November 1943; commissioned USS Project (AM 278) 22 August 1944; decommissioned 13 June 1946 at Subic Bay, Philippines; struck from the Navy Register 16 September 1947; transferred to the Philippines 24 May 1948 and renamed RPS Samar (M 33); reclassified as a Patrol Corvette, PS-33; fate unknown. Call sign Nan-Peter-Zebra-Peter. 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-guns, 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 register (ev-02) where they overlap. Commanding-officer roster: LT Edgar Samuel Downs, USNR (22 Aug 1944 - 8 Mar 1945); LT Erski William McKinley, USNR (8 Mar - 1 May 1945); LT William Paul Alexander, USNR (1 May - 1 Jun 1945); LT Erski William McKinley, USNR (1 Jun - 15 Aug 1945); LT William Paul Alexander, USNR (15 Aug 1945); LT Kenneth Daniel Dunckel, USNR (16 Dec 1945 - 28 May 1946); LCDR William Bartels, USNR (28 May - 13 Jun 1946). Photos include NARA-catalog-credited inserts (catalog.archives.gov, image 110226902) and Philippine Navy views of the hull flying Philippine colors still wearing U.S. hull number, plus a c.1956 view from Jane's Fighting Ships 1956/57.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1960

   Population

   Gulf Shipbuilding trades (1943-44); crew 1944-46; Philippine Navy crews 1948-1960

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled archival photo/data site - secondary to DANFS but consistent with it and with the NAVSHIPS register where they overlap; supplies the CO roster, call sign, and Philippine-service names DANFS omits. Its 'Fate unknown' is the honest endpoint for this hull. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-project-am278-03

4. [4]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation), 'Madisonville Shipbuilding, Madisonville LA' yard table (yard hull #22 row, AM 278 Project) + smallships/minesweepers1.htm master table; cross-checked against DANFS, NAVSHIPS 250-011, NavSource, uboat.net, HyperWar [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipbuildinghistory.com madisonville.htm 'Built by Gulf Shipbuilding' table hull #22 (AM 278 Project) + smallships/minesweepers1.htm 'AM | 278 | Project | Gulf SB | Madisonville LA'; destroyerhistory.org/destroyers/gulf/ (yard history: Madisonville second yard opened 1942, 'built minelayers')

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies logged, not silently merged: (a) Build-yard city - DANFS, the NavSource chronology, and uboat.net read Gulf Shipbuilding, Chickasaw, AL; Colton's Madisonville yard table files AM-278 under Gulf's Madisonville, LA yard (yard hull #22, 'To the Philippines 1948 as Samar (M 33), struck'), and his minesweepers master table likewise reads 'Gulf SB | Madisonville LA' - DANFS (official) carried; the Madisonville assignment documented, not adopted, and NAVSHIPS prints no city. (b) Decommissioning year - the DANFS text prints '13 June 1964', internally impossible (struck 16 Sep 1947, transferred 24 May 1948); NavSource/uboat.net/Wikipedia read 1946 - carried as 1946-06-13. (c) Battle stars - DANFS reads one (carried); Wikipedia infobox reads 2 while its own body reads one - flagged. (d) Propulsion - NAVSHIPS prints geared 'Diesel' drive, Cooper-Bessemer GSB-8, 1,710 shp, National Supply gear (carried, NavSource agrees); HyperWar's compiled card prints 'diesel-electric, 1,800 h.p.' - contradicted by the register. (e) Displacement - DANFS 850 trial / NAVSHIPS and NavSource 945 limiting-draft (full load); HyperWar 625; Wikipedia 650/945 - convention differences, no field carried. (f) Colton's Madisonville table carries Auk-class boilerplate figures (890d tons, 221 ft) for Admirable-class rows - table-formatting artifact, not adopted.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1960

   Limitations

   Resolves publication-level discrepancies among the official DANFS text, the contemporaneous NAVSHIPS register, secondary compilations, and Colton's yard tables, adopting the better-supported values and flagging the rest. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-project-am278-04

5. [5]GAO HRD-80-2, 'Asbestos: Information on the Navy's Program to Remove Asbestos-Containing Materials From Its Ships' (program-level documentation that Navy ships built before the early 1970s contain asbestos; gao.gov product-page description - full text returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, standing limitation same as BATCH-01) + NAVSHIPS 250-011 AM214-311 class block + DANFS spec block [gao]

   Locator

   GAO product page HRD-80-2 (description text); NAVSHIPS 250-011 AM214-311 class block + AM-278 propulsion row; DANFS spec block via Wayback capture above

   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/joiner and compartment insulation, winch and windlass brake linings, and deck compositions of the period. Every installation aboard predates the Navy's early-1970s substitution of alternative insulation materials (GAO HRD-80-2, program-level). Exposure-relevant populations if any such material was present: Gulf Coast construction trades (1943-44); the wartime crew (design complement 104) across Atlantic escort/training work and the postwar Japanese-water clearance program; the 1946-48 Subic Bay caretaker detail; Philippine Navy crews 1948-1960; and the unverified BCGS survey-era and disposition workforces.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1943-1975

   Population

   Gulf Shipbuilding trades (1943-44); crew 1944-46; Subic caretaker detail 1946-48; Philippine Navy 1948-60; reported BCGS crews 1960-75

   Limitations

   Inference from documented design, machinery type, and construction era - NOT a hull materials record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming AM-278 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-project-am278-05

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 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-278.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-project-am278-06

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; this hull's documented yard exposure is limited to its fitting-out period at the U.S. Naval Repair Station, Algiers, La. (departed 7 September 1944 per DANFS) plus stateside operations, and its long post-1948 Philippine career had undocumented refit phases.

   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, U.S. naval shipyards) post-dates this hull's U.S. service and does not name AM-278 or any facility she visited. Documents the era overhaul-exposure pathway only, not work on or materials aboard this hull.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-project-am278-07

8. [8]United Nations Treaty Series vol. 70, No. 691 - 'Exchange of notes constituting an agreement relating to a form of naval charter for the lease of certain vessels to the Philippines' (registered 18 Aug 1950); cross-check No. 895 (U.S.-Republic of China, P.L. 512) Schedule A [other_primary]

   Locator

   UNTS v70 No. 691 pp. 280-289 (exchange of notes text; 'charter was completed and signed at Manila July 2, 1948' footnote); No. 895 Schedule A hull lists (AM-278 absent; Philippine-bound sisters annotated)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The transfer instrument framework for this hull's 24 May 1948 handover: the U.S.-Philippines military-assistance agreement of 21 March 1947 plus the exchange of notes constituting a naval charter for lease of U.S. Navy vessels to the Philippines (Manila, 26 September and 9 December 1947, and 6 May and 7 June 1948 - in force 7 June 1948), under Public Law 454, 79th Congress; the charter itself 'was completed and signed at Manila July 2, 1948' per the State Department note. The charter's vessels were delivered 'as is, where is' on lists annexed to it - the annexes are not printed in the UNTS volume, so AM-278's appearance on them is unverified. AM-278 does not appear in the separate U.S.-Republic of China agreement schedules (UNTS No. 895, P.L. 512, Nanking 8 Dec 1947), which note the Philippine-bound sisters AM 216/246/260/266/273/274/276/286/287.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1947-1948

   Population

   Delivery/turnover parties, Subic Bay 1948

   Limitations

   Documents the legal framework and timing of the Philippine transfer (24 May 1948 falls inside the 6 May - 7 June 1948 note window) but does not name this hull - annexed vessel lists are not printed in the UNTS volume. No asbestos content; establishes transfer context only.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-project-am278-08

9. [9]Downs, LCDR Edgar S., USNR (Ret.), 'In Contact' letter, Naval History Magazine (U.S. Naval Institute), Fall 1990, Vol. 4 No. 4 (September 1990) [reputable_press]

   Locator

   usni.org Naval History 'In Contact,' September 1990 - Downs letter on USS Project and SS George Ade; usni.org is Cloudflare-gated to automated fetch this session - verbatim text verified via search-index excerpts of the article page

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   First-person account by the hull's commissioning commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Edgar S. Downs, U.S. Naval Reserve (Retired), published in USNI Naval History's 'In Contact' column: 'On 12 September 1944, I took command of an escort minesweeper... She was named the USS Project (AM-278) for want of a better name.' En route New Orleans to Norfolk for shakedown he received word that 'the SS George Ade [was] torpedoed at a position only 15 miles away from the Project,' sounded general quarters, ran a box search, found the torpedoed Liberty ship, and stood by her with the Coast Guard cutters Bedloe (WSC-128) and Jackson (WSC-142) and a Navy tug until ordered to proceed - 'we had not been through shakedown.' The approaching Great Atlantic Hurricane sank USS Warrington (DD-383); 'The Bedloe and the Jackson rolled over at the height of the storm and lost about half their crews'; George Ade broke her tow but survived, and Downs later saw her in drydock with a hole 'large enough to drive a Greyhound bus through.'

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944 (event); 1990 (publication)

   Population

   Wartime crew, September 1944 Atlantic transit

   Limitations

   Named-veteran memoir published in the U.S. Naval Institute's journal - corroborates the DANFS 'drove off submarine U-518' passage with deck-level detail and adds the hurricane aftermath; memoir dating ('took command 12 September 1944') varies from the NavSource roster (command from commissioning 22 August 1944) - documented in gaps, not reconciled. Page-level pull blocked by Cloudflare; text verified through indexed excerpts. No asbestos or materials content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-project-am278-09

10. [10]Batch-1251 search ledger (this record): DANFS via hazegray/Wayback; NAVSHIPS 250-011 (shipscribe scan); NavSource; Naval Vessel Register; CourtListener API + public UI + Atom feeds; UNTS vol. 70 Nos. 691/895; Colton shipbuildinghistory; HyperWar; uboat.net; USNI; NARA catalog; class-profile worktrees [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-project-am278-01 through sl-uss-project-am278-13

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for USS Project / AM-278: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, preservation record, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming this hull was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener sweeps (authenticated API until the shared-key 2,800/day quota exhausted mid-session, then public search UI + Atom feeds of the same index): type=o 'USS Project' 0; 'AM-278' 54 opinion hits - all verified as reporter-citation token collisions ('Am., 278 S.W.3d', 'Am., 278 AD2d', 'Ins. Co. of N. Am., 278 So. 2d' etc. - the tokenizer splits 'Am., 278' into the query token); type=r 'USS Project' 1 hit - Sierra Club v. FHWA (D. Md. 2022), matched text 'uss project team' in an FHWA administrative record - collision; 'AM-278' 20 hits - all collision-class (bankruptcy, class-action, products dockets); 'AM 278' + minesweeper 0; 'U.S.S. Project' 0; 'USS Project' + asbestos 0 (both types). The vessel left U.S. custody 24 May 1948 and its fate is unreported - no museum or abatement record can post-date a disposal whose outcome is itself unknown.

    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 1943-44-built vessel is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials even accounting for its lighter geared-diesel insulation load, and its undocumented Philippine-era and disposition phases close no questions. CourtListener coverage was completed via the public UI/Atom feeds after the authenticated API hit its shared-key daily quota - result counts and case names are verified, and the collision mechanism was confirmed at snippet level; ~34 of 54 'AM-278' opinion results are unfetched but are the same citation-token class by case name, and one RECAP document-level review (Sommerville v. Union Carbide doc 480, an unrelated W.Va. class action) was blocked by WAF challenge and the archive.org outage. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-project-am278-10

11. [11]Archival leads: NARA RG 24 (deck logs, NAID 594258 series); NARA RG 19 (BuShips GIB / contract files); FLC/State transfer records; Philippine Navy and NAMRIA/BCGS records; NARA still-picture catalog [other_primary]

    Locator

    archives.gov RG 19/24 group guides; NARA deck-log series NAID 594258; catalog.archives.gov (image 110226902 per NavSource credit); UNTS No. 691 charter annexes (not printed)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs, 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations 1941-1978' (series NAID 594258), for the August 1944 - June 1946 commission - the resolution path for exact operating, port-call, and availability dates including the Omai Saki sweep program; (b) NARA RG 19 BuShips records / General Information Books and the Navy contract file for the Gulf Shipbuilding minesweeper block (ordered 2 May 1942 per uboat.net, unverified) - 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) Foreign Liquidation Commission / Department of State delivery file for the 24 May 1948 Subic Bay transfer under the P.L. 454 charter; (d) Philippine Navy records for the Samar M-33/PS-33 career and the 1960 striking, and NAMRIA/Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey records for the reported RPS Research survey career (1960-1975) - the only plausible sources for the vessel's post-1948 history and final disposition; (e) NARA still imagery credited by NavSource (catalog.archives.gov photo 110226902 and related inserts).

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1943-1975 records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for AM-278 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-project-am278-11