USS Seagull (AMS-55)

Evidence

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

1. [1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships - 'Seagull II (YMS-402)', NHHC (published 2015-09-08); live page returned 404 on 2026-09-24; verbatim text via Internet Archive capture 2022-09-30 [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Canonical page https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/seagull-ii.html (404 live); Wayback capture 2022-09-30, full entry text incl. stats line and battle-star line

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry 'Seagull II (YMS-402)' (NHHC, published 2015-09-08): stats line 'YMS-402: dp. 320- (f.); l. 136'; b. 24'6"; dr. 6'1"; cpl. 33; s. 13 k.; a. 1 3", 2 20mm.; cl. YMS-1.' 'The second Seagull was laid down as YMS-402 on 24 July 1942 by Henry B. Nevins, Inc., City Island, N.Y.; launched on 17 April 1943; and commissioned on 26 June 1943, Lt. (jg.) J.W. Gaines, USNR, in command.' Service: mid-August 1943 Eastern Sea Frontier duty, a year operating out of Naval Frontier Base, Tompkinsville, Staten Island; departed 28 August 1944 for San Diego and the central Pacific; Eniwetok 20 November 1944; unit of Mine Squadron 102 in the Marshall-Gilberts force for nine months (local minesweeping, escort, patrol, occasional escort into the Western Carolines); end of August 1945 sailed for Okinawa and Japan; fall 1945 participated in the opening of Nagoya and Wakayama; 1946 returned via the Marshalls and Hawaiian Islands, San Pedro early April; sailed end of June for New York; decommissioned 1 August 1946. Placed in service again, departed New York 30 October, via the St. Lawrence to Buffalo as naval reserve training ship until after the Korean War outbreak. Named Seagull and redesignated AMS-55 on 1 September 1947; recommissioned 10 May 1950; returned to the Atlantic September 1951 for 5th Naval District training duties - Norfolk, then the Mine Warfare School, Yorktown; Hampton Roads/Virginia Capes through 1954. Redesignated MSC(0)-55 on 7 February 1955; transferred to Charleston, S.C., MinRon 4 - southeastern seaboard, gulf coast, Caribbean. Mid-July 1957 departed Charleston for Philadelphia; decommissioned 11 October 1957, placed in reserve; struck from the Navy list 1 November 1959. 'YMS-402 earned one battle star for her post-World War II minesweeping activities.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1942-1959

   Population

   Nevins construction trades (City Island, 1942-43); wartime crew (design complement 33); Naval Reserve trainees (Buffalo 1946-50); Hampton Roads/Charleston crews (1950-57); Philadelphia inactivation workforce (1957)

   Limitations

   Authoritative identity/history record naming this hull. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information - supports no asbestos claim. DANFS applies 'Seagull' retroactively - the hull was unnamed YMS-402 during the entire 1943-46 combat record described. Its commissioning-CO print (Lt. (jg.) J.W. Gaines) conflicts with NavSource's CO table (LT Arthur Patrick Keegan Jr., effective 26 June 1943) - flagged in the correction row. DANFS prints 'MSC(0)-55' with a zero; formal designation is MSC(O)-55 - carried as printed.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-seagull-ams55-01

2. [2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Seagull (MSC[O] 55) ex-AMS 55 ex-YMS-402, navsource.org/archives/11/19402.htm (Internet Archive capture 2025-01-14) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource AMS-55 page, chronology block, specifications block, commanding-officer table, photo table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive entry for Seagull (MSC[O] 55) ex-Seagull (AMS 55) ex-YMS-402: chronology block confirms laid down 24 July 1942 by Henry B. Nevins, Inc., City Island; launched 17 April 1943; completed 25 June 1943 (NavSource-only detail); commissioned 26 June 1943; decommissioned 1 August 1946; placed in service 30 October 1946 as Naval Reserve training ship ('Naval Vessel Register of 1 January 1949 lists plan for placing in service as a Naval Reserve training ship as September 1947 in the 3rd Naval District (New York)'); named Seagull, AMS-55, 1 September 1947; recommissioned 10 May 1950; MSC(O)-55 on 7 February 1955; decommissioned 11 October 1957 at Philadelphia; struck 1 November 1959. Sole source for the post-Navy chain: acquired 1962 by Francis W. Rhinow of Greenport, LA for use as a fishing boat, renamed Gracie R, then Sea Gull; acquired 1964 by MV Little River, Inc. of Kilmarnock, VA, renamed Little River; acquired 1972 by Standard Products, Inc. of Kilmarnock; out of documentation 1986; 'fate unknown.' Spec block: 270 t; 136'; 24'6" beam; 6'1" draft; 13 kts; complement 33; one 3"/50 dual-purpose mount, two 20mm, two depth-charge tracks and two depth-charge projectors; two 800-bhp GM 8-268A diesels, Snow and Knobstedt single-reduction gear, two shafts. Commanding-officer table (Keegan 26 June 1943; Gaines 1943; Dombrow 1945; Bartles 1950-51; Stolte 1951-53; Spencer 1954-55; Traynor 1955-Feb 1956; Conlon Feb 1956-11 Oct 1957) and call sign November-Papa-Alpha-Sierra are NavSource-only.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1942-1986

   Population

   Crew and Naval Reserve trainees (1943-1957); civilian fishing/commercial crews (1962-1986)

   Limitations

   Volunteer-maintained secondary compilation, not an official record - corroborated against DANFS where they overlap. Sole source for the entire post-1959 chain (Rhinow/Gracie R/Sea Gull 1962, MV Little River/Little River 1964, Standard Products 1972, out of documentation 1986, fate unknown), the 'completed 25 June 1943' detail, the CO table, and the call sign - none located in any corroborating source. 'Greenport, LA' is almost certainly a NavSource print error for Greenport, N.Y. (Long Island, a documented fishing port; no such Louisiana port exists) - carried as printed and flagged in the correction row. Spec block prints class boilerplate shared with sister pages. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-seagull-ams55-02

3. [3]Shipbuilding History (shipbuildinghistory.com, Tim Colton) - minesweepers3.htm AMS/MSC(O) table, AMS-55 row (Internet Archive capture 2026-04-15) [other_primary]

   Locator

   minesweepers3.htm, 'Minesweepers Coastal (YMS/AMS/MSC(O))' table, AMS-55 row + program header paragraph

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation), 'Mine-Warfare Ships (AMS, MSC, MSO, MSI, AMCU) Built Since WWII' table, row for this hull: 'AMS | 55 | YMS | 402 | Seagull | Henry B. Nevins | 270 | 136 | 26-Jun-43 | U.S. Navy | Sold 1959.' Program header documents that the Navy retained 59 YMS hulls postwar, reclassified them AMS and later MSC(O) ('Old') - the retention pathway this hull followed.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1943-1959

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation corroborating builder, dimensions, delivery/commissioning date, and 'Sold 1959' disposition (generic - does not name the buyer; the NavSource chain runs 1962 onward, so the precise 1959-62 transaction is undocumented). '270' is the table's light-displacement convention vs DANFS's 320 t full - convention difference, not a conflict. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-seagull-ams55-03

4. [4]uboat.net Allied Warships of WWII - USS YMS-402, ship 9821 [other_primary]

   Locator

   uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/9821.html data table and history lines

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   uboat.net Allied Warships entry for USS YMS-402 (ship 9821): 'Minesweeper of the YMS class'; built by Henry B. Nevins Inc. (City Island, New York); ordered 15 May 1942; laid down 24 July 1942; launched 17 April 1943; commissioned 26 June 1943; end service 11 October 1957; history lines matching the DANFS chronology - decommissioned 1 August 1946, in service as naval reserve training vessel 30 October 1946, named Seagull AMS-55 on 1 September 1947, recommissioned 10 May 1950, MSC(O)-55 on 7 February 1955, stricken 1 November 1959.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1942-1959

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation - corroborates dates, builder, and class. 'Ordered 15 May 1942' rests on uboat.net alone (not in DANFS) - secondary-only, not carried into record fields. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-seagull-ams55-04

5. [5]NavSource Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper (YMS) photo index (navsource.org/archives/11/19idx.htm) + Naval Marine Archive 'Yard Minesweepers YMS BYMS' class table (navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/smallships/ym.html) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource YMS class index narrative; navalmarinearchive ym.html class description (Mk. II = YMS 135-445, one stack)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Class-level construction documentation for the YMS-1 design this hull was built to: NavSource's Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper index records that Henry B. Nevins, Inc. of City Island designed the class and laid the prototype YMS-1 on 4 March 1941 - 'the first wooden minesweeper of this class' - with 561 built at 35 yacht yards; surviving YMSs were reclassified AMS in 1947 and MSC(O) in 1955. The navalmarinearchive YMS/BYMS class table describes '561 wooden-hulled minesweepers ... essentially the same design - 136 feet long, with a speed of 13 knots,' with the Mk. II block (YMS 135-445, including YMS-402) as the one-stack variant. The wooden hull and twin GM 8-268A diesel fit are class-wide documentation; no boilers or steam plant exist on this design.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1941-1959

   Population

   YMS-class construction and operating crews (class context)

   Limitations

   Class-level secondary compilations - establish the wooden hull and diesel machinery fit of the design this hull was built to, plus the builder's role as class designer. They do not document this specific hull's material condition, insulation, or any asbestos content. The BGSU Great Lakes vessel database holds records for some YMS hulls but none for YMS-402/Seagull (searched 2026-09-24).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-seagull-ams55-05

6. [6]NHHC DANFS Seagull II entry ('The second Seagull') + uss-seagull-am30.atlas.json (batch-1272 record, AM-30 in commission 1919-1946) + project hull-list-verify master-hull-list.json (USS Seagull AMS-55 and USS YMS-402 as separate tier-2 entries) + CourtListener collision results [other_primary]

   Locator

   DANFS Seagull II entry first line; batch-1272 uss-seagull-am30 record; hull-list-verify/master-hull-list.json; CourtListener sweeps sl-08 through sl-12

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Name-collision surface documented for this hull: (a) USS Seagull (Minesweeper No. 30/AM-30/AT-141/ATO-141) - the FIRST Seagull - was a steel-hulled Lapwing-class steam minesweeper serving as a Pearl Harbor submarine tender/tug, in commission 7 March 1919 to 5 September 1946; its service window overlaps this hull's entire WWII career (26 June 1943 - 1 August 1946); DANFS opens this hull's entry with 'The second Seagull' precisely because of it. (b) The two hulls differ materially - the AM-30 was a 1918 steam plant with boiler/turbine insulation scope; this hull is a 1943 wooden diesel sweeper - so name alone cannot separate exposure claims or material profiles. (c) The unqualified string 'Seagull' additionally collides with the common bird (CourtListener 'Seagull asbestos' hits were maritime-jurisdiction opinions quoting Executive Jet's 'flock of seagulls'), the Seagull Energy corporation, and unrelated civilian craft including this hull's own post-Navy names Gracie R/Sea Gull/Little River. (d) The project master hull list carries both 'USS Seagull | AMS-55' and 'USS YMS-402' as separate tier-2 rows - the same hull; this record consolidates them.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1943-1959

   Limitations

   Disambiguation context only - establishes that two Navy minesweepers carried the name Seagull with a 1943-46 overlap and that the hull also exists twice in the project hull list (AMS-55 and YMS-402). Does not itself evidence anything about this hull's materials; misattribution cuts both ways (AM-30's steam-plant inference must not transfer to this diesel hull, and vice versa).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-seagull-ams55-06

7. [7]DANFS 'Seagull II' stats line and narrative vs NavSource AMS-55 spec/chronology/CO blocks vs uboat.net ship/9821 vs Colton minesweepers3 AMS-55 row vs Wikipedia/pwencycl rating prints [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Same citations as ev-01 through ev-05

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Source discrepancies documented, not reconciled: (a) commissioning CO - 'Lt. (jg.) J.W. Gaines, USNR, in command' at commissioning (DANFS) vs 'LT Arthur Patrick Keegan, Jr., USNR - 26 June 1943' as first officer in NavSource's CO table, which lists Gaines second (1943); unresolved - either could be correct (Gaines may have commanded at commissioning with Keegan assuming the same day, or one source errs). (b) displacement - 320 t full-load (DANFS stats line) vs 270 t (NavSource spec block, Colton table) - likely light vs full-load convention rather than a true conflict. (c) engine rating - 800 bhp per engine (NavSource spec block, class boilerplate) vs 880 bhp (Wikipedia) vs 880 shp for the pair (pwencycl) - same GM 8-268A model, rating-variant noise, unresolved. (d) 'Greenport, LA' (NavSource) is almost certainly Greenport, N.Y./Long Island - no such Louisiana port exists and the fishing-boat use fits L.I. - carried as printed. (e) DANFS typography 'MSC(0)-55' (zero) vs formal MSC(O)-55 (letter O). (f) Colton 'Sold 1959' vs NavSource's 1962 first documented civilian acquisition - the 1959-62 transaction instrument is undocumented.

   Verification

   disputed

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1942-1986

   Limitations

   Resolves nothing - documents genuine multi-source conflicts so a future pass does not silently pick one figure. DANFS is carried for dates and complement; NavSource alone carries the post-Navy chain, the CO table, and the 800-bhp print. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-seagull-ams55-07

8. [8]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), PMID 3555021 [other_primary]

   Locator

   PubMed record PMID 3555021 (verified via NCBI eutils 2026-09-24); 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 motor minesweeper was built (laid down July 1942). Period marine diesel installations and auxiliary machinery commonly used asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, and exhaust-system insulation; aboard a ~270-320-ton, 136-ft diesel-driven wooden minesweeper the plausible applications, if any, would be confined to such machinery fittings plus possible electrical insulation and adhesives - no boiler-room or steam-line insulation envelope exists on this design. The documented disturbance events - the 1946 New York inactivation, the 1950 recommissioning, the October 1957 Philadelphia inactivation and reserve berthing, and the 1962-72 civilian conversions to fishing use - would have disturbed whatever materials were fitted, but nothing documents the materials themselves.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1942-1986

   Population

   Nevins construction trades (City Island, 1942-43); wartime crew (design complement 33); Buffalo reserve-training workforce (1946-50); 1950 reactivation and 1957 Philadelphia inactivation workforces; civilian conversion crews (1962-1986)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarship only - does not name this vessel or the YMS-1 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 YMS/AMS minesweepers was located; the diesel/wooden-hull profile limits plausible scope relative to steam-driven vessels. The machinery-fitting applications named are general era practice, not documented aboard this class; the disturbance events' material scope is entirely undocumented.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-seagull-ams55-08

9. [9]NARA, Special List #44 by ship number (sl-44-ship-number.pdf, YMS block - 'YMS-402 1/1/1944 6/30/1945'); NARA 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' list ('Seagull (MSCO/AMS-55/YMS-402)' - 1956 full year; 1957 Jan-Oct) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SL-44 ship-number list, YMS block (verified by direct PDF text extraction); archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online 'Seagull (MSCO/AMS-55/YMS-402)' entry

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA deck-log coverage for this hull is partially indexed and partially digitized: (a) Special List #44 (List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships ... by ship number) indexes one run for YMS-402, '1/1/1944 - 6/30/1945' - covering the Tompkinsville tail end, the San Diego/Eniwetok transit, and the Marshall-Gilberts operations - held in RG 24 at Archives II. (b) NARA's 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' list carries 'Seagull (MSCO/AMS-55/YMS-402)' with digitized runs for all of 1956 and January-October 1957 - the Charleston MinRon 4 period and the final inactivation transit to Philadelphia. No indexed coverage exists for commissioning through December 1943, July 1945 through 1946 (the Japan sweeping window and Buffalo transit), 1947-1955, or the post-October 1957 reserve period.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-24

   Study period

   1944-1957 records

   Limitations

   Verifies that indexed/digitized deck-log coverage exists for this hull - the digitized 1956-57 runs cover the Charleston operating period and the inactivation and could contain material-handling entries, but none has been read. SL-44 indexes paper logs only through 1947; postwar runs sit in later series. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-seagull-ams55-09

10. [10]National Archives photo 80-G-355201 (YMS-402 alongside USS Terror CM-5, Sep/Oct 1945, Life magazine/George Strock) - credited in NavSource photo tables 11/19402 and 11/0605 [other_primary]

    Locator

    NavSource 11/19402 photo table (80-G-355201 row; drydock; c.1956 crew; c.1960); NavSource 11/0605 (Terror) photo table corroborating the same image

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    NARA photo documentation places this hull on postwar Japanese occupation duty: National Archives photo 80-G-355201 shows USS YMS-402 alongside USS Terror (CM-5) starboard quarter during Japanese mainland occupation duty, c. September/October 1945 (Life magazine photo by George Strock; credited via NavSource photo table and the NavSource Terror CM-5 page). Additional NavSource-photo-credited imagery: a drydock shot of Seagull (MSC(O)-55), a c. 1956 crew photo with LT Lawrence Traynor commanding, and a c. 1960 image.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-24

    Study period

    1945; c.1956; c.1960

    Population

    Crew during occupation duty, 1945

    Limitations

    Photo-documentation pointer only - corroborates the hull's presence off Japan in fall 1945 consistent with the DANFS Nagoya/Wakayama narrative; the image itself is not retrieved or reviewed here and carries no materials information. The drydock photo could be of interest for hull-condition detail but is unexamined.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-seagull-ams55-10

11. [11]Batch-1745 search ledger (this record): DANFS via Wayback capture of live NHHC page; NavSource; Colton shipbuildinghistory; uboat.net; NARA SL-44 + digitized-log list + photo 80-G-355201; CourtListener API v4 (8 authenticated queries incl. 2 opinion-text verification fetches); NVR; MARAD ShipHistory; BGSU HCGL; NavalCoverMuseum; hull-list-verify; class-profile worktrees [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-seagull-ams55-01 through sl-uss-seagull-ams55-19

    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 Seagull, YMS-402, AMS-55, MSC(O)-55, Gracie R, Sea Gull, or Little River was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The CourtListener sweep executed cleanly this pass (authenticated via cl-auth-search.py): exact-name '"USS Seagull"' returned zero opinions and zero dockets; '"YMS-402"' zero opinions; '"AMS-55"' one opinion collision (Perry, Tex. 2015 - 'AMS-55' as an OCR fragment in a criminal-writ scan); '"MSCO-55"/"MSC(O)-55"' zero; 'Seagull asbestos' nine opinions, all collisions (Executive Jet 'flock of seagulls' citations in maritime-jurisdiction asbestos opinions; a Seagull Energy contract citation; unrelated scans); the hull-number OR docket sweep returned eight dockets, all document-string collisions (prisoner-rights, Madoff bankruptcy, patent, mortgage dockets with 'AMS-55' exhibit/OCR strings). No qualifying result.

    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 - a 1943-built vessel is era-consistent with asbestos-containing machinery fittings even accounting for its lighter diesel insulation load. The hull's fate is unknown after 1986, so whether any surveyable structure exists cannot be determined. CourtListener coverage was complete this pass (authenticated, pacing-limited retries honored), 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. MARAD ShipHistory errored (server-side), so a sale/status card for the 1959 disposal 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-seagull-ams55-11