Evidence
18 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-18).
-
[1]DANFS, 'Skirmish (AM-303)' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (live NHHC URL danfs/s/skirmish.html returns 404; hazegray.org canonical offline - verbatim DANFS transcription retrieved via the losthistory.net hazegray mirror and corroborated by a 2024 Wayback capture of the hazegray page) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Skirmish (AM-303)' entry body + specifications block (via losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/mine/am303.htm; Wayback https://web.archive.org/web/2023/https://www.hazegray.org/danfs/mine/am303.htm)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS records: 'Skirmish (AM-303), a minesweeper, was laid down on 8 April 1943 by Associated Shipbuilders of Harbor Island, Seattle, Wash.; launched on 16 August 1943; and commissioned on 30 June 1944, Lt. Bruce M. Hyatt, USNR, in command.' Service: fitting out and trials at Seattle; shakedown San Pedro and ASW training San Diego; departed the west coast 2 Sep 1944 escorting a convoy to Pearl Harbor; escorted Boreas (AF-8) to Eniwetok; became flagship of Commander, Mine Squadron 12 (Comdr. L. F. Freeburghouse) 12 Dec 1944; after 'a yard overhaul' departed Hawaii 22 Jan 1945; arrived off Iwo Jima 16 Feb, swept three days before the 19 Feb assault, then 'ping line' duty until 8 Mar; arrived off Okinawa 25 Mar - on the evening of 26 Mar a 'Betty' bomber attacked and 'Skirmish's fusillade ripped into its engines, causing a storm of parts to rain down on her forecastle deck' before the Betty splashed to starboard; on 2 Apr 'a dud crashed into a 20 millimeter mount, demolishing it and killing one sailor' - her only casualty of the war; swept Okinawa waters until 8 Jul, then Leyte; post-surrender mine clearance: Buckner Bay, the Yellow Sea off Korea (1-7 Sep), the approaches to Sasebo and Nagasaki, and a shallow Tsushima Strait field during three months around Kyushu; on 11 Dec she 'hoisted her homeward bound pennant and led Mine Squadron 12 in review before Rear Admiral Struble, Commander, Minecraft Pacific Fleet' out of Sasebo; on arrival in the U.S. in December she 'was placed out of commission, in reserve, and berthed at Orange, Tex.' for 19 years; 'redesignated MSF-303 on 11 February 1955'; name 'struck from the Navy list' in January 1965; 'sold to the Dominican Republic on the 14th, under the terms of the Military Assistance Program ... renamed Tortugero (BDM-455)'; 'Skirmish earned four battle stars for World War II service.' Spec block: dp. 945 (f); l. 184'6"; b. 33'0"; dr. 9'9"; s. 14.8 k. (tl.); cpl. 104; a. 1 3", 4 40mm., 2 dct.; cl. Admirable.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1965
- Population
- Associated Shipbuilders construction workforce (1943-44); wartime crew (complement 104) 1944-45; reserve-fleet caretakers 1945-65
- Limitations
- Official NHHC entry naming this hull - confirms identity, builder, build/commissioning/strike/transfer dates, combat record, flagship role, and specifications. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information and does not name the overhaul yard; supports no asbestos claim. The Dominican rename 'Tortugero (BDM-455)' is contradicted by three post-DANFS references (see ev-14) - a probable sister-ship name swap with ex-Signet (AM-302). The transcription drops the day from 'struck ... on January 1965'; 1 January 1965 is carried from NavSource/uboat.net. Live NHHC page 404s; verbatim text via the losthistory.net hazegray mirror, corroborated by Wayback capture 2024.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-01
-
[2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Skirmish (MSF 303) ex-AM-303, file 11/02303 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 02303.htm - timeline block, specifications block, commanding-officers table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline corroborates DANFS and adds detail: call sign November-Quebec-Uniform-Bravo; 'Laid down 8 April 1943 by Associated Shipbuilders, Seattle, WA; Launched 16 August 1943; Commissioned USS Skirmish (AM 303), 30 June 1944; Decommissioned in December 1945 at Orange, TX; Reclassified as a Fleet Minesweeper (Steel Hull), MSF-303, 7 February 1955; Struck from the Naval Register 1 January 1965; Transferred to the Dominican Republic 14 January 1965 and renamed Tortuguero (BM-455); Reclassified C-455; Fate unknown.' Spec block: 945 t (fl); 184'6" x 33' x 9'9"; 14.8 kts; complement 104; armament one 3"/50 dual-purpose mount, one twin 40mm mount, six 20mm mounts, one depth-charge projector (hedgehog), four depth-charge projectors (K-guns), two depth-charge tracks; propulsion 'Two 1,710shp Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesel engines, National Supply Co. single reduction gear, two shafts.' Commanding officers: LT Bruce Leverington Hyatt, USNR (30 Jun 1944 - 12 Sep 1945); LT Richard Allen Anderson, USNR (12 Sep 1945); LT Francis George Crawford, USN (2 Jan 1946 - 11 Jul 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-2005
- Population
- Associated Shipbuilders construction workforce (1943-44); wartime crew 1944-45; Dominican Navy crew 1965-~2005
- Limitations
- Specialist volunteer-compiled archive, not an official publication - consistent with DANFS and BuShips Ships' Data 1945 on all overlapping points. Direct fetch of navsource.org failed this session (DNS resolution failure, same as hazegray); page content verified via search-index retrieval and the navsource.net mirror. The MSF-303 date (7 Feb 1955) conflicts with DANFS (11 Feb 1955) - logged in gaps. The Dominican rename follows the DANFS 'Tortuguero' mapping contradicted by later references (see ev-14). The CO list extending to July 1946 sits oddly with the December 1945 decommissioning - inactivation-period command; logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-02
-
[3]uboat.net Allied Warships - USS Skirmish (AM 303), Admirable-class minesweeper entry (Gudmundur Helgason compilation) [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship/5367 - data table, commanders list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Compiled warship record naming this hull: ordered 2 May 1942 (a datum DANFS does not carry); built by Associated Shipbuilders, Seattle, Washington; laid down 8 Apr 1943; launched 16 Aug 1943; commissioned 30 Jun 1944; end of service Dec 1945 ('Decommissioned in December 1945 at Orange, Texas'); struck from the Naval Register 1 January 1965; transferred to the Dominican Republic 14 January 1965 and renamed Tortugero (BDM-455). WWII commanding officer listed: Bruce Leverington Hyatt, USNR, from 30 Jun 1944 to 12 Sep 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1942-1965
- Population
- Wartime crew (complement 104), 1944-45
- Limitations
- Secondary compiled database (respected reference for Allied warship data) - corroborates DANFS/NavSource on all overlapping points; the 'ordered' date is unique to this source and not independently verified against the contract record. Dominican name follows the DANFS mapping (see ev-14). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-03
-
[4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (1945 edition, digitized via shipscribe.com) - Mine Vessels/Minesweepers (AM) tables [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB 1945 Vol. II, AM machinery table (p. 38; PDF ~p. 55) and builder/date table (p. 39; PDF ~p. 56), 'SKIRMISH - AM 303' rows
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official 1945 BuShips ships'-data tables name this hull: builder table 'Associated Shipbuilders ... 8 Apr 43 | 16 Aug 43 | 30 Jun 44 | SKIRMISH | AM303' (keel laid / launched / first commissioned - exactly matching DANFS); machinery table lists AM 303 inside the 'C. B. GSB-8 ... 1,710 ... Nat. Sup.' ditto chain - i.e., Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesel engines, 1,710 shaft horsepower, National Supply Co. reduction gear, with the class-standard ship's-service generator fit (3 x 60 kW 450 V A.C. plus 3 x 20 kW 120 V D.C.). This primary table contradicts the Wikipedia infobox's '2 x ALCO 539 diesel engines ... Farrel-Birmingham single reduction gear' - the SDB-documented fit is GSB-8/National Supply, independently corroborated by navypedia's Dominican-table machinery line ('2 Cooper-Bessemer GSB-8 diesels, 1710 hp').
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1945 (publication)
- Population
- Associated Shipbuilders construction and engineroom-installation trades (1943-44)
- Limitations
- Contemporaneous official technical publication naming this hull - authoritative for machinery fit and build dates. Contains no insulation-materials or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim. The 1,710 shaft-horsepower figure is the table's per-ship value; NavSource's 'two 1,710shp' phrasing misstates the same datum (the GSB-8 pair totaled 1,710 shp, ~855 each).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-04
-
[5]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton), Lockheed Shipbuilding / Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging yard table - Yard 1 (Harbor Island) hull #50 row [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com Lockheed/PSB&D page, Yard 1 hull table, hull #50 row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Colton's yard table carries this hull as yard hull #50: 'AM 303 | Skirmish | US Navy | Minesweeper | 650d | 185 | Jun-44 | To the Dominican Republic 1965 as Prestol Botello (C 454), active' - corroborating the builder, delivery month, and (independently of DANFS) the Dominican-era identity Prestol Botello/C454. Neighboring yard hulls: #49 AM 302 Signet 'To the Dominican Republic 1965 as Tortugero (C 455)' and #51 AM 304 Skurry (Scurry). The table header documents the yard structure: PSB&D's Harbor Island facility was reactivated for WWII in a joint venture with Lake Union Dry Docks Co. called Associated Shipbuilders, which built minesweepers and yard craft for the Navy (designated Yard 1).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1965
- Population
- Associated Shipbuilders workforce (1943-44)
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation (Colton's yard lists), not an official record - but consistent with the DANFS builder credit, and its Dominican mapping agrees with navypedia/Wertheim against the DANFS 'Tortugero' naming (see ev-14). 'Active' disposition reflects the table's vintage. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-05
-
[6]Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co. v. Department of Labor & Industries, 26 Wn.2d 550, 174 P.2d 957 (Wash. 1946) + Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co. v. Commissioner, 5 T.C.M. (CCH) 346, T.C.M. (RIA) para. 46104 (U.S. Tax Court, Apr. 30, 1946) [court_record]
- Locator
- 26 Wn.2d 550 opinion text (venture description); 5 T.C.M. (CCH) 346 / T.C.M. (RIA) para. 46104 opinion text (joint-venture agreement and facilities)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Two 1946 court opinions document the builder's structure. Washington Supreme Court: 'the two corporations above named jointly carried on a shipbuilding operation on Harbor Island, Seattle, Washington, on what is known as West Waterway. The operation was conducted under the name of Associated Shipbuilders' - with all graving docks and shipbuilding ways on the West Waterway. The Tax Court opinion describes the September 19, 1940 'Shipbuilding Joint Venture Agreement': PSB&D 'had land and graving docks on Harbor Island suitable for the construction of steel hulls' and Lake Union Dry Dock & Machine Works 'had cranes and machinery suitable for installing machinery and outfitting hulls'; hulls were constructed at the Puget Sound plant then taken to the Lake Union plant for equipment installation; the venture 'engaged in the construction of lighters, tenders and minesweepers' with equal one-half interests; ~2,100 men on the payroll by end of 1941.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1940-1946
- Population
- Associated Shipbuilders JV workforce (~2,100 by end of 1941; 4,000 by mid-1945 per ev-08)
- Limitations
- Court-documented builder identity and division of labor (hulls built at the Harbor Island ways, machinery installed at Lake Union) - establishes that this hull was built at the PSB&D Harbor Island facility operating as the Associated Shipbuilders JV. Neither opinion names this hull, and neither contains asbestos or materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-06
-
[7]Lockwood v. AC & S, Inc., 109 Wash. 2d 235, 744 P.2d 605 (1987) - Washington Supreme Court opinion; carried in Atlas shipyards.json as the PSB&D yard's flagship evidence (ev-puget-bridge-01) [court_record]
- Locator
- 109 Wn.2d 235 opinion; shipyards.json puget-sound-bridge-dredging ev-puget-bridge-01
- Finding type
- litigation_product_id
- Finding
- Published appellate opinion documents Raymark asbestos products and asbestos pipe/turbine insulation in use at Puget Sound Bridge & Dredge during a 1947-1948 liner conversion (SS George Washington) - asbestos product presence is court-documented at the builder yard's Harbor Island complex, the same facility where, as the Associated Shipbuilders JV, this hull had been built in 1943-44.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1947-1948 exposure window; 1987 opinion
- Population
- PSB&D yard workers, 1947-48 conversion (insulators; plaintiff Lockwood - diagnosed asbestosis 1979)
- Limitations
- Yard-level context only, post-dating this hull's construction by 3-4 years - the documented product use is on a different job (1947-48 liner conversion), and the opinion does not name AM-303 or any minesweeper. Establishes that asbestos products were used at the builder's yard complex in the late 1940s; does not establish materials aboard this hull, exposure of any individual, or causation. Direct fetch of the Justia page returned 403 this session; opinion text verified via the Atlas shipyards.json flagship row and citation listings.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-07
-
[8]U.S. Navy - U.S. Maritime Commission - War Shipping Administration, 'Industrial Health and Safety Re-Survey of the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company, Formerly the Associated Shipbuilders, Harbor Island, Seattle, Washington,' July 21-25, 1945 (ToxicDocs LKH009, CUNY archive) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ToxicDocs doc k7eNQ85NJ0697Bvn42j94QMb (LKH009) - cover page, references (b)/(c), workforce and recommendation sections
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- A wartime government industrial-health re-survey of this hull's builder yard, conducted 21-25 July 1945 under the 'Minimum Requirements for Safety and Industrial Health in Contract Shipyards' program (approved by the U.S. Maritime Commission and U.S. Navy, 9 Feb 1943). The document officially equates the yard names - 'Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company, Formerly the Associated Shipbuilders' - and cites earlier full surveys 'of the Associated Shipbuilders, Harbor Island, Seattle, Washington' dated June 1943 and January 1944 - spanning the period while AM-303 was on the ways (laid down 8 Apr 1943) through fitting out (commissioned 30 Jun 1944). The July 1945 yard employed ~4,000 workers (3,500 in production; 840 women). The report covers medical staffing, ventilation, paint, electrical-cable (MHFA/MDGA) chloracne precautions, and a yard-wide unsafe-practices list; it contains NO discussion of asbestos or insulation materials.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1945 (survey program); July 1945 (this re-survey)
- Population
- Associated Shipbuilders / PSB&D yard workforce (~4,000, July 1945)
- Limitations
- Yard-level documentation in the hull's construction window - names the yard, not the vessel, and contains no asbestos information (a documented absence, useful as a boundary marker: the yard's government health program existed and operated but this survey did not discuss asbestos). Establishes construction-workforce context and the official PSB&D/Associated name equivalence only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-08
-
[9]Proceedings of the Pacific Coast Shipyard Safety Conference, excerpt (December 1945) - ToxicDocs LKH002 (CUNY archive), including the 'Typical Health Hazards' operations table and the asbestos discussion [other_primary]
- Locator
- ToxicDocs doc qMpxn5eVDV32ewd65Y9Y1j9q (LKH002) - asbestos exposure discussion, 'Typical Health Hazards' table, medical section
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Proceedings of the December 1945 Pacific Coast Shipyard Safety Conference document asbestos insulation work in the regional shipyard industry of exactly this hull's construction region and window: 'the dustiest operations experienced are those involving [amosite] - a long-fibered form of asbestos. This material is very dusty when handled dry, and comes in bulk, blanket, or rigid form. Operations in its use include hand cutting, cutting with band saw, sewing into nets, etc. Concentrations found were over recommended allowable limit. The exposures found seemed to be substantiated by apparent cases of asbestosis reported in occupational disease claims... The dustiest operations on asbestos were not on board ships but in prefabricating shacks.' The accompanying typical-health-hazards table carries an 'Insulating - asbestos' operation row with measured dust concentrations, and the medical section describes asbestosis symptomatology and x-ray findings.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1945 (conference Dec 1945)
- Population
- Pacific Coast shipyard insulation/pipe-covering workers (era context)
- Limitations
- Regional industry-level documentation (Pacific Coast shipyards, 1945) - does not name this yard, this class, or this hull, and establishes nothing about materials aboard AM-303. Documented in the Lockheed (LKH) file family, i.e., the successor archive of the building yard. The 'prefabricating shacks' phrasing indicates the heaviest exposure was in shoreside insulation fabrication rather than aboard hulls.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-09
-
[10]Consolidated era/design inference - NavSource spec block + BuShips Ships' Data 1945 machinery row for this hull + navypedia Admirable-class machinery table + NPS NHL class documentation (sister ship USS Hazard, AM-240) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 02303.htm specifications block; SDB 1945 AM-303 row; navypedia Dominican escorts table; NPS NRIS 79003712 (class design description)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: this hull was a diesel-powered Admirable-class minesweeper (twin Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesels, National Supply single reduction gear, twin shafts - no boilers or steam turbines) built at a WWII Navy contract yard during the peak of wartime asbestos usage in shipbuilding - the construction context for which exhaust-system and engine-space insulation, pipe lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, electrical cable insulation, bulkhead and overhead panels, deck coverings, and winch/windlass brake linings of the period were commonly asbestos-containing. Documented disturbance windows for this hull: wartime construction at the Associated Shipbuilders Harbor Island yard with outfitting at the Lake Union plant (1943-44), commissioned service (1944-45) including an unnamed Hawaiian-Islands 'yard overhaul' (Dec 1944-Jan 1945), nineteen years of reserve-fleet lay-up at Orange TX (1945-65), and Dominican Navy service (1965-~2005) including an early-1980s radar modernization and a 1995 refit (navypedia).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-2005
- Population
- Associated Shipbuilders/LUDD construction trades (1943-44); commissioned crew 1944-45; reserve-fleet caretakers 1945-65; Dominican Navy crew and refit workforce 1965-2005
- Limitations
- Inference from the documented machinery plant, class design, and construction era - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming AM-303 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. The absence of a steam plant narrows but does not eliminate the era-typical application set.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-10
-
[11]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030 [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed record PMID 21016030; article pp. 9-16 (pipe covering material section)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- The 1944-45 U.S. government industrial-hygiene survey of WWII pipe-covering operations at two Navy yards and two Navy contract yards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite' - i.e., asbestos insulation was standard material in wartime naval-vessel construction of exactly this hull's era and procurement channel (Associated Shipbuilders was a private commercial joint-venture yard building Navy minesweepers under contract - the surveyed channel; the same Navy/USMC/WSA contract-yard health program surveyed this very yard in 1943-45, see ev-08).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- survey ~1944-45; published 1946
- Population
- WWII pipe coverers and insulators at Navy and contract yards (era context)
- Limitations
- Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; the surveyed yards are anonymized (A-D) and it does not name this vessel, class, or builder - whether Associated Shipbuilders/PSB&D was among the surveyed contract yards is unverified. Establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure. (The study's exculpatory 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion has since been heavily criticized - see the 2026 critique at DOI 10.1177/10482911261446696.)
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-11
-
[12]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
- Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and emergency construction program under which this Admirable-class minesweeper was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in shipbuilding.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or class and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-12
-
[13]National Park Service, National Historic Landmark nomination, USS Hazard (AM-240), NRIS 79003712 (Admirable-class sister ship) [nps]
- Locator
- NPS NRIS 79003712 + NHL nomination text, description and significance sections
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official NPS documentation of the Admirable class via the sole surviving example: 'Admirable class minesweepers were basic minesweepers similar to the British Bangor class designed to meet minimum requirements for size, speed, and endurance. They were fitted for both wire and acoustic sweeping and could also double as antisubmarine warfare and antiaircraft ships. Admirable class minesweepers formed the majority of American minesweepers built during World War II.' The nomination records Hazard retaining essentially all original 1945 equipment - 'a virtual time capsule dating from 1945' - evidencing that the class's as-built WWII fabric survives intact on a sister hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- nomination 1979; class era 1943-1945
- Population
- Admirable-class crews and builders (class context)
- Limitations
- Documents a different hull (AM-240, built at the Winslow yard - not this hull's yard) and the class design generally; contains no asbestos or materials content and establishes nothing about AM-303 itself. The class-context value is the shared design and demonstrated as-built survival on a sister - not any asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-13
-
[14]navypedia Dominican Republic escorts table 'SEPARACION corvettes (1944/1965)' + Wertheim, Eric (ed.), The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 15th ed. (Naval Institute Press, 2007), p. 163 (Dominican Republic) - as documented in the sibling batch-1275 record for ex-Signet [other_primary]
- Locator
- navypedia dom_es_prestol_botello.htm table + modernization note; Wertheim 2007 p.163 (via citation); Colton yard table hull #50
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The post-1965 identity of this hull is mis-stated by DANFS: DANFS (and NavSource following it) rename ex-Skirmish 'Tortugero (BDM-455)', but three independent later references agree that ex-Skirmish became Separacion (BM454) while sister ex-Signet (AM-302) became Tortuguero (BM455). navypedia's Dominican escorts table reads 'Separacion (ex-Skirmish), early 1976- Prestol Botello | BM454, 1995- C454 | ... | stricken 2005' and 'Tortuguero (ex-Signet) | BM455, 1995- C455 | ... | hulk 1997'; Wertheim's Combat Fleets (15th ed., 2007) is consistent (per the batch-1275 verification); Colton's yard table likewise carries AM-303 'as Prestol Botello (C 454)'. navypedia adds that both ex-US Admirable hulls were 'transferred without minesweeping gear, rated as corvettes, later as gunboats,' with an early-1980s modernization (SPS-69 radar replacing the set and two 20mm mounts removed). The Dominican career of this hull therefore: Separacion (BM454) on transfer 14 Jan 1965; patrol-vessel service; renamed Prestol Botello early 1976; pennant C454 in a 1995 refit; stricken 2005.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1965-2005
- Population
- Dominican Navy crew (1965-2005); Dominican refit workforce (early-1980s modernization; 1995 refit)
- Limitations
- Documents a source conflict rather than resolving it definitively: DANFS is the official record and errs in the same direction as NavSource, but navypedia, Wertheim, and Colton are consistent on pennant numbers (BM454 = ex-Skirmish, BM455 = ex-Signet) and on the two distinct transfer dates (Signet 13 Jan vs Skirmish 14 Jan 1965). The Separacion/Prestol Botello attribution is carried as the better-supported reading; the DANFS variant is preserved in aliases and gaps. No Dominican service/maintenance record was located - nothing in this row bears on materials or asbestos.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-14
-
[15]U.S. EPA, Harbor Island (Lead) Superfund site profile (Site ID 1000949) - operable units incl. Lockheed Upland OU and Lockheed Shipyard Sediments OU; Third Five-Year Review (2010) [other_primary]
- Locator
- EPA Superfund site profile cumulis id=1000949 - NPL dates, OU list; Third Five-Year Review (semspub.epa.gov/work/10/1313047.pdf) OU descriptions
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- The builder yard's footprint lies within a federal Superfund site: Harbor Island (Lead) was proposed to the NPL 30 Dec 1982 and finalized 8 Sep 1983; EPA divides it into operable units including 'Lockheed Upland' (OU3, ROD 28 Jun 1994 - the 1946-described PSB&D/Associated yard property after its 1959 Lockheed purchase) and 'Lockheed Shipyard Sediments' (OU7, ROD 27 Nov 1996 - pier demolition, ~6,000 creosote piles removed, dredging, capping, riparian buffer). The site COCs center on lead (a former smelter), metals, creosote/PAHs, and petroleum; asbestos is not among the contaminants of concern in EPA's public summaries.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1983-2026 (cleanup); yard era 1898-1997
- Population
- Remediation workers (1990s-2020s); historical yard workforce (site-level context)
- Limitations
- Site-level environmental record for the builder yard's location, not a vessel record. EPA's public pages describe the 'Lockheed' operable units by successor name; asbestos is NOT a listed contaminant of concern - a documented absence at site level, not evidence about the hull. Establishes nothing about materials aboard AM-303.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-15
-
[16]HistoryLink.org Essay 22852, 'Harbor Island (Seattle): Hub of World War II Shipwork' (Glenn Drosendahl, 2024-01-04) + MOHAI/University of Washington digital collections photo caption (Associated Shipbuilders yard aerial, 22 Apr 1941) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- historylink.org/File/22852 (Harbor Island WWII section); cdm16786.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/imlsmohai/id/8725 (MOHAI caption)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Builder-yard history: PSB&D built Harbor Island itself (fill contract completed 1910 - the largest artificial island in the world) and created the shipyard there; 'Operating on the west and east waterways of Harbor Island, Puget Sound Bridge and Drydock/Associated Shipbuilders also built transports, aircraft carriers, tankers, freighters, minesweepers, and other vessels,' with a reported Harbor Island output of 1,891 ships including repairs and conversions. The MOHAI/UW photo caption records the name lineage: 'the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company was also called Puget Sound Bridge and Drydock, Associated Shipbuilders, and Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company.' Lockheed purchased the yard in 1959; it closed in 1987-88 and the Harbor Island yard (Yard 1) was sold to the Port of Seattle in 1997.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1909-1997
- Population
- Harbor Island shipyard workforce, wartime peak (yard-level context)
- Limitations
- Regional-history encyclopedia and museum-caption sources - reputable secondary material, not official records; neither contains asbestos or materials information about this hull. Establishes the builder-yard context and name lineage only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-16
-
[17]Batch-1276 search ledger (this record): DANFS via losthistory.net hazegray mirror + Wayback; NavSource 02303 (search-index retrieval + navsource.net mirror); uboat.net ship/5367; BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. II; Colton yard table; two 1946 JV court opinions; Lockwood v. AC&S; ToxicDocs LKH009/LKH002; navypedia + Wertheim; EPA Harbor Island; HistoryLink/MOHAI; PubMed/DOI citation verification; CourtListener API + web UI (blocked); indexed-web litigation checks; VA BVA; NVR; MARAD ShipHistory [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-skirmish-am303-01 through sl-uss-skirmish-am303-18
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, specification, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Skirmish / AM-303 / MSF-303 / Separacion / Prestol Botello / Tortuguero was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener opinion and docket sweeps could not be executed this session - the shared API key returned HTTP 429 ('Rate limit exceeded: 2800/day') on the first query and the public web UI returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches; negative litigation coverage rests on indexed-web checking and the VA BVA index (only common-noun 'skirmish' collisions). Law-firm marketing pages name the hull in generic minesweeper ship lists (mesothelioma.com lists 'USS Skirmish | AM-303 | Admirable | 6/30/1944 | To Dominican Republic, 1965'; mesotheliomahelp.org includes 'USS Skirmish' in its minesweeper list) without primary support - excluded as a source class per the no-law-firm-sources rule.
- 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 contract-yard minesweeper is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the Dominican-era service (1965-~2005, incl. early-1980s modernization and 1995 refit) is an unexamined disturbance window in non-digitized records. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. Litigation coverage is weaker than usual this session because the CourtListener API quota was already exhausted and the web UI blocks automation - a residual-unqueried surface remains; classify as a search limitation, not a clean negative.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-17
-
[18]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Bureau of Ships - construction/specification records incl. hull Booklets of General Plans and General Information Books), RG 24 (deck logs - commissioned 1944-45, logs exist), RG 181 (Naval Districts/Shore Establishments - Atlantic Reserve Fleet Texas Group, Orange TX), FMS/MAP transfer records for the 1965 Dominican Republic transfer, and the ToxicDocs LKH collection (two earlier Associated Shipbuilders health surveys referenced in LKH009) [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/019.html ; /groups/024.html ; /groups/181.html ; ToxicDocs LKH009 references (b)/(c)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): BuShips construction-contract and specification records for the Associated Shipbuilders minesweeper program (RG 19, incl. any Booklet of General Plans or hull-specific material schedules for AM-303); NARA deck logs for the commissioned period Jun 1944-Dec 1945 (RG 24 - this hull WAS commissioned, so logs exist and may document maintenance/materials events incl. the undocumented Hawaiian 'yard overhaul'); Atlantic Reserve Fleet Texas Group inactivation, berthing, and custody records for the 1945-65 Orange lay-up (RG 181); the Foreign Military Sales / Military Assistance Program transfer file for the 14 Jan 1965 Dominican handover - the most promising lead for any as-is condition or hazmat language at transfer; the June 1943 and January 1944 'Industrial Health and Safety Survey of the Associated Shipbuilders' documents cited as references (b) and (c) in the July 1945 re-survey (ToxicDocs LKH collection - these cover the yard while AM-303 was building and may discuss insulation work the re-survey does not); and Dominican Navy records for the 1965-2005 service leg.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-2005 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-skirmish-am303-18