USS Reaper (AMC-96)

Name: USS Reaper
Hull designation: AMC-96
Vessel class: Gearing
Evidence tier: Tier 2
Evidence entries: 10
Record ID: uss-reaper-amc96
Dataset version: 2026.10.12-rc.1
Canonical URL: https://asbestosatlas.org/ships/uss-reaper-amc96

Evidence

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

[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships - 'Reaper' (AMc-96); verbatim transcription via HistoryCentral DANFS mirror [nhhc_danfs]

Locator
DANFS 'Reaper' entry, stats line + full text + Winjah cross-reference note

Finding type
vessel_history

Finding
DANFS entry for Reaper (AMc-96): 'Reaper (AMe-96: dp. 200; l. 97'1"; b. 21'; dr. 9'; s. 10 k.; cpl. 17; a. 2 20mm.; cl. Accentor). The first Reaper (AMc-96) was laid down 1 June 1941 by Noank Shipbuilding Co., Noank, Conn.; launched 15 April 1942; and placed in service 14 November 1942. During World War II, Reaper conducted minesweeping patrols in the Caribbean, and operated out of San Juan, P.R. Placed out of service 15 November 1945, she was struck from the Navy list on the 28th, and sold 19 September 1946 by the Maritime Commission at Charleston to Harry Mogck of Cape May Boat Works, Cape May, N.J.' The entry closes: 'Winjah (CVE-54) (q.v.) served the United Kingdom as Reaper (13-82) during World War II in the Royal Navy from 18 February 1944 to 20 May 1946.'

Verification
verified

Role
supporting

Documentation level
ship_specific

Accessed
2026-09-23

Study period
1941-1946

Population
Noank Shipbuilding construction trades (Noank CT, 1941-42); wartime crew (design complement 17)

Limitations
Authoritative identity/history record naming this hull. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information - supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC DANFS page not located (404 on standard URL patterns 2026-09-23); hazegray.org canonical mirror DNS-dead and Internet Archive offline this session; the verbatim transcription is cited via the HistoryCentral mirror. DANFS says nothing about the Prestige/Power name chain (NavSource-only) and applies 'Reaper' retroactively - the hull was named Power for most of the Caribbean period described (renamed 1944-09-10). Its record ends at the 19 Sep 1946 sale; nothing on the post-Navy chain or the 1963 burning (all NavSource-only).

Atlas source
true

Evidence ID
ev-uss-reaper-amc96-01
[2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Reaper (AMc 96) ex-Power ex-Prestige, navsource.net/archives/11/03096.htm [other_primary]

Locator
NavSource AMc-96 page, chronology block, specifications block, photo table (no photo on file)

Finding type
vessel_history

Finding
NavSource Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive entry for Reaper (AMc 96) ex-Power (AMc 96) ex-Prestige (AMc 96): laid down 1 June 1941 as Prestige by Noank Shipbuilding Co., Noank, CT; renamed Power 23 May 1941; launched 15 April 1942; placed in service as USS Power (AMc 96) 14 November 1942; renamed Reaper 10 September 1944; placed out of service 15 November 1945; struck from the Naval Register 28 November 1945; transferred to the War Shipping Administration September 1946 and sold to Harry Joseph Mogck, Cape May Boat Works, Cape May, NJ, renamed Carol-Anne; acquired 1950 by United Fisheries Vessels Co. of Gloucester, MA; acquired 1951 by Fernando Perira of Gloucester; acquired 1954 by Carol-Jack, Inc. of New York, NY, renamed Carol-Jack; acquired 1963 by Vessel Four Aces, Inc. of Gloucester; burned 5 September 1963 about 40 miles southwest of the Shelburne Sea Buoy off the Massachusetts coast. Call sign Nan-Able-Charlie-Able. Spec block: displacement 228 t.; length 97'1"; beam 22'; draft 9'1"; speed 10 kts.; complement 17; armament two .50 cal. machine guns; propulsion one 400 bhp Enterprise DMG-6 diesel engine, one shaft.

Verification
partial

Role
supporting

Documentation level
ship_specific

Accessed
2026-09-23

Study period
1941-1963

Population
Wartime crew (1942-1946); fishing-vessel crews (1946-1963)

Limitations
Volunteer-maintained secondary compilation, not an official record - corroborated against DANFS where they overlap. Sole source for the Prestige laid-down name, both rename dates, the call sign, the entire post-1946 chain (WSA transfer, Mogck/Carol-Anne, United Fisheries 1950, Perira 1951, Carol-Jack 1954, Vessel Four Aces 1963), and the 5 Sep 1963 burning - none located in any corroborating source. Its 'Renamed Power 23 May 1941' predates the 1 June 1941 keel-laying it prints - internally inconsistent as written. Its spec block (228 t, 22' beam, 9'1" draft, 2 .50 cal) conflicts with DANFS (200 t, 21', 9', 2 20mm) and prints verbatim on the AMc-97 Prestige page - a different hull, different class print, different builder - i.e., class boilerplate, not hull-specific data; see correction row. Contains no asbestos or materials information.

Atlas source
true

Evidence ID
ev-uss-reaper-amc96-02
[3]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton), 'Coastal Minesweepers' table - AMc-96 Power/Reaper row; Noank Shipbuilding block AMc-94..96; program header (70 hulls, 15 boatyards, one 97-ft 10-kt Accentor design) [other_primary]

Locator
shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/minesweepers2.htm - AMc-96 row; Noank block rows; program header paragraph

Finding type
vessel_history

Finding
Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation), Coastal Minesweepers table: 'During WWII, a total of 70 wooden-hulled coastal minesweepers, even smaller than the YMSs, were built in 15 boatyards. There was only one basic design - the 97-foot, 10-knot "Accentor" class.' Row for this hull: 'AMc-96 | Power/Reaper | Noank Shipbuilding | 97 | 205 | 14-Nov-42 | Sold to Cape May BW 1946.' The same table shows the Noank Shipbuilding (Noank, CT) block as three of the 70 hulls - AMc-94 Pluck, AMc-95 Positive, AMc-96 Power/Reaper - all printed at 97 ft / 205 t.

Verification
verified

Role
supporting

Documentation level
ship_specific

Accessed
2026-09-23

Study period
1941-1946

Population
Noank Shipbuilding construction workforce (Noank CT, 1941-42)

Limitations
Compiler's yard table, secondary - corroborates builder yard (Noank Shipbuilding), tonnage class (205 t vs DANFS 200, NavSource 228), in-service month (14 Nov 1942 matches DANFS), the dual Power/Reaper name, and the single-design 70-hull/15-boatyard program frame. Its 'Sold to Cape May BW 1946' disposal shorthand compresses the DANFS-documented Maritime Commission sale and NavSource's WSA transfer step - flagged in the correction row. Contains no asbestos or materials information.

Atlas source
true

Evidence ID
ev-uss-reaper-amc96-03
[4]uboat.net Allied Warships of WWII - USS Reaper (AMc-96), ship 9406 [other_primary]

Locator
uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/9406.html data table

Finding type
vessel_history

Finding
uboat.net Allied Warships entry for USS Reaper (AMc-96), ship 9406: 'Minesweeper of the Accentor class'; built by Noank Shipbuilding Co. (Noank, Connecticut, U.S.A.); ordered 1 April 1941; laid down 1 June 1941; launched 15 April 1942; commissioned 14 November 1942; end service 15 November 1945; history lines: 'Decommissioned on 15 November 1945', 'Stricken on 25 November 1945', 'Sold on 19 September 1946' - corroborating the DANFS/NavSource chronology except its 25 November stricken date, which conflicts with the 28 November printed by both DANFS and NavSource.

Verification
verified

Role
supporting

Documentation level
ship_specific

Accessed
2026-09-23

Study period
1941-1946

Limitations
Specialist secondary compilation - corroborates dates, builder, and class naming (Accentor). 'Ordered 1 April 1941' rests on uboat.net alone (not in DANFS) - secondary-only, not carried into record fields. Its 25 Nov stricken date conflicts with DANFS/NavSource 28 Nov - flagged in the correction row. Renders 'placed in service' as 'Commissioned' - a status distinction noted in the record. Contains no asbestos information.

Atlas source
true

Evidence ID
ev-uss-reaper-amc96-04
[5]DANFS 'Reaper' entry Winjah cross-reference; master-hull-list.json entry 'USS Reaper | AM-467 | Minesweeper | Aggressive | Korea | tier 2'; uss-reaper-am467.atlas.json aliases disambiguation (batch-1378) [other_primary]

Locator
DANFS entry closing note; ships-worktrees/hull-list/master-hull-list.json; batch-1378 uss-reaper-am467 record

Finding type
vessel_history

Finding
Name-collision surface documented for this hull: (a) DANFS itself closes this entry with 'Winjah (CVE-54) (q.v.) served the United Kingdom as Reaper (13-82) during World War II in the Royal Navy from 18 February 1944 to 20 May 1946' - HMS Reaper (D82), a 10,000-ton escort carrier, carried the same name during an overlapping window with this hull's Reaper period (10 Sep 1944 - 15 Nov 1945). (b) USS Reaper (AM-467/MSO-467), the second U.S. Navy ship of the name - an Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper in service 1954-1977 - is the master-hull-list PRIMARY 'USS Reaper' record (tier 2, indexed as AM-467; the project atlas record uss-reaper-am467 already cross-links to this hull). (c) This hull's 1942-44 identity USS Power (AMc-96) collides with USS Power (DD-839), a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned 1945. Any 'Reaper' or 'Power' document, veteran claim, or docket must be hull-resolved before attribution to AMc-96.

Verification
verified

Role
context

Documentation level
ship_specific

Accessed
2026-09-23

Study period
1942-1977

Limitations
Disambiguation context only - establishes that three different naval vessels carried the name Reaper within 1944-1977, two of them during overlapping 1944-45 service. Does not itself evidence anything about this hull's materials. The escort carrier HMS Reaper is by far the largest asbestos-relevant hull of the three - a real misattribution risk for any unqualified 'Reaper' exposure claim.

Atlas source
true

Evidence ID
ev-uss-reaper-amc96-05
[6]DANFS 'Reaper' stats line (dp. 200; b. 21'; dr. 9'; a. 2 20mm.; cl. Accentor) vs NavSource AMc-96 spec block (228 t; 22'; 9'1"; 2 .50 cal; Enterprise DMG-6 400 bhp) vs shipbuilding-history row (97 ft, 205 t, 'Sold to Cape May BW 1946') vs uboat.net ship/9406 (ordered 1 Apr 1941; stricken 25 Nov 1945) [nhhc_danfs]

Locator
Same citations as ev-01 through ev-05

Finding type
vessel_history

Finding
Source discrepancies documented, not reconciled: (a) displacement - DANFS stats line 200; shipbuilding-history table 205; NavSource spec block 228 t (the same block NavSource prints for sister AMc-97 Prestige - a likely boilerplate figure). (b) beam - 21' (DANFS) vs 22' (NavSource). (c) draft - 9' (DANFS) vs 9'1" (NavSource). (d) armament - DANFS prints 2 20mm; NavSource prints two .50 cal. machine guns (the class-typical fit; the DANFS 20mm print is unusual for the type). (e) stricken - 28 November 1945 (DANFS, NavSource) vs 25 November (uboat.net). (f) status wording - DANFS 'placed in service'/'placed out of service' vs uboat.net 'Commissioned'/'Decommissioned'. (g) name chain - 'laid down as Prestige' and 'renamed Power 23 May 1941' rest on NavSource alone, and the printed rename date predates the printed keel date (1 June 1941) - internally inconsistent as written; DANFS is silent on both earlier names. (h) buyer name - 'Harry Mogek' (historycentral mirror text) vs 'Harry Joseph Mogck' (NavSource) - likely a mirror transcription artifact; DANFS original print is 'Mogck'. (i) disposal shorthand - 'Sold to Cape May BW 1946' (Colton) compresses the Maritime Commission sale (DANFS) and WSA transfer (NavSource) steps. (j) class name - unanimous 'Accentor' for this hull (DANFS stats line, NavSource, uboat.net, Colton), in contrast to sisters whose DANFS lines print 'Acme' - a documented dual name for the single design.

Verification
disputed

Role
correction

Documentation level
ship_specific

Accessed
2026-09-23

Study period
1941-1963

Limitations
Resolves nothing - documents a genuine multi-source conflict so a future pass does not silently pick one figure. NavSource's 228 t/.50 cal/22'/9'1" block is boilerplate shared with sister pages and is an outlier against DANFS (200 t/20mm/21'/9'); reported as printed. The Prestige/Power name chain is NavSource-only and its '23 May 1941' rename date cannot be correct as printed. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

Atlas source
true

Evidence ID
ev-uss-reaper-amc96-06
[7]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
Era-level inference only: peer-reviewed scholarship documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and program under which this wooden-hulled coastal minesweeper was built. Period marine diesel installations and auxiliary machinery commonly used asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, and exhaust-system insulation; aboard a ~200-ton, 97-ft diesel minesweeper the plausible applications, if any, would be confined to such machinery fittings. The 1946 Maritime Commission/WSA disposal at Charleston and the postwar fishing-vessel conversions are documented ownership events that would have disturbed whatever materials were fitted - but nothing documents the materials themselves.

Verification
inferred

Role
supporting

Documentation level
class_or_era

Accessed
2026-09-23

Study period
1941-1963

Population
Noank Shipbuilding construction trades (Noank CT, 1941-42); wartime crew (design complement 17); Charleston disposal workforce (1946); commercial fishing-vessel conversion crews (1946-1963)

Limitations
Program/era-level scholarship only - does not name this vessel or the Accentor class and does not establish that asbestos was or is aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. No class- or design-specific material documentation for AMc minesweepers was located; the diesel/wooden-hull profile limits plausible scope relative to steam-driven vessels (no boiler-room or steam-line insulation envelope). The machinery-fitting applications named are general era practice, not documented aboard this class; the disposal and conversion events' material scope is entirely undocumented.

Atlas source
true

Evidence ID
ev-uss-reaper-amc96-07
[8]NARA, Special List #44 by ship number (sl-44-ship-number.pdf, AMC block - AMC-94 then AMC-97, no AMC-95/96); NARA 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' list (only 'Reaper (MSO-467)' present) [other_primary]

Locator
SL-44 ship-number list, AMC block (lines 200-201 of extracted text); archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online

Finding type
historical_record

Finding
NARA Special List #44 (List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947, by ship number) indexes NO deck-log runs for this hull: the AMC block jumps directly from 'AMC-94 (Pluck) 8/1/1943 - 2/28/1945' to 'AMC-97 (Prestige) 12/23/1941 - 12/31/1944' - no entry for AMC-95 or AMC-96. The companion NARA list of fully digitized deck logs in the National Archives Catalog lists 'Reaper (MSO-467)' - the later namesake only - and no AMc-96. Whether logs for this hull exist unindexed at Archives II or did not survive is unknown; a San Juan district-craft log trail, if any survives, is the only realistic hull-level archival path.

Verification
verified

Role
archival_lead

Documentation level
ship_specific

Accessed
2026-09-23

Study period
1942-1946 records

Limitations
Verifies a negative: NARA's ship-number index contains no log runs for this hull (unlike sister AMC-106, which has two indexed runs). Does not prove logs do not exist - unindexed holdings at Archives II are possible but unverified; no box-level retrieval performed. The digitized-list check confirms only the MSO-467 namesake's logs are online. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

Atlas source
true

Evidence ID
ev-uss-reaper-amc96-08
[9]Mystic Seaport Museum, Collections & Research - Noank Shipyard Collection (coll 353) finding aid [museum_official]

Locator
Collection abstract and historical note; ArchivesSpace resource record also at archivesspace.mysticseaport.org/repositories/2/resources/477

Finding type
vessel_history

Finding
Mystic Seaport Museum holds the Noank Shipyard Collection (coll 353), records of the Noank, Connecticut yard that built this hull: manuscript material and newspaper clippings dated 1943-2000 including bills of sale for vessels purchased by the yard and miscellaneous drawings and notes. The yard - organized 1850 as R. & J. Palmer, later Robert Palmer and Son - was once the largest wooden-vessel building and repair facility in southern New England and saw a WWII resurgence of activity.

Verification
verified

Role
archival_lead

Documentation level
ship_specific

Accessed
2026-09-23

Study period
1941-1946 (relevant window); 1943-2000 (collection coverage)

Population
Noank Shipbuilding yard workforce (1941-42)

Limitations
Verifies the builder's existence, era, and record archive - a lead for construction-level detail (contracts, drawings, possible materials records), not itself evidence of materials aboard the hull. Whether the collection contains Reaper/AMc-96-specific records is unknown; contents are not fully digitized.

Atlas source
true

Evidence ID
ev-uss-reaper-amc96-09
[10]Batch-1636 search ledger (this record): DANFS via historycentral mirror; NavSource; shipbuilding-history; uboat.net; NARA SL-44 + digitized-log list; Mystic Seaport coll 353; CourtListener API v4 (6 authenticated queries); MARAD ShipHistory; NVR; master-hull-list.json; class-profile worktrees [other_primary]

Locator
search_ledger rows sl-uss-reaper-amc96-01 through sl-uss-reaper-amc96-15

Finding type
historical_record

Finding
No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed case naming USS Reaper (AMc-96), USS Power (AMc-96), or the fishing vessels Carol-Anne / Carol-Jack was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The CourtListener sweep executed cleanly this pass (no throttle): exact-name 'USS Reaper' returned zero opinions and zero dockets; hull-number 'AMC-96'/'AMc-96' returned one opinion (Kahumoku v. Titan Maritime, D. Haw. 2007 - 'AMC' = American Marine Corporation, a name collision) and eight dockets (all collisions - exhibit/document strings, not the hull); 'USS Reaper' + asbestos returned zero; 'Reaper minesweeper asbestos' returned two docket collisions (NYT v. Microsoft; State of Washington v. U.S. Dept. of State); '"USS Power" minesweeper' returned zero. No qualifying case names this hull.

Verification
verified

Role
negative_finding

Documentation level
ship_specific

Accessed
2026-09-23

Study period
2026-09-23

Limitations
Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1941-built vessel is era-consistent with asbestos-containing machinery fittings even accounting for its lighter diesel insulation load. The hull burned and was lost in 1963, so no surveyable structure exists and no museum-era abatement record can ever arise. CourtListener coverage was complete this pass (authenticated, zero throttles), so 'no qualifying litigation' is a real negative - subject to the standing caveat that RECAP indexing is incomplete for older dockets and that unindexed complaints naming the hull cannot be ruled out. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

Atlas source
true

Evidence ID
ev-uss-reaper-amc96-10

Attribution

Compiled by: Paul Danziger; Rod de Llano
Publisher: Danziger & De Llano, LLP
License: CC-BY-4.0
Citation: Danziger, P., and De Llano, R. (2026). AsbestosAtlas Navy Vessel Asbestos Exposure Dataset. Danziger & De Llano, LLP. DOI: not yet assigned
Dataset version: asbestosatlas-ships-2026.10.12-rc.1
DOI: not yet assigned