Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]research packet 1030-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-yms-12-yms12-pkt-1030-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, YMS-12 (11/19012) - construction milestones, specifications, designation/disposal timeline, photo captions [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19012.htm header block, specifications block, and photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: YMS-1-class auxiliary motor minesweeper; laid down 21 April 1941 by the Rice Brothers Corp., East Boothbay, ME; launched 14 March 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Doris Rice; completed 1 July 1942 and commissioned USS YMS-12; call sign Nan-Able-Roger-Easy; struck from the Naval Register 17 April 1946; transferred to the War Shipping Administration in June 1947; registered in 1948 to Godfrey's Inc. of Brownsville, TX as the freighter Oro Toro; fate unknown. Specifications: displacement 270 t.; length 136'; beam 24'6"; draft 8'; speed 15 kts.; complement 32; armament one 3"/50 dual-purpose mount, two 20mm mounts, two depth charge projectors; propulsion two 880 bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines, Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts. Photo captions document her fitting out dockside at Rice Brothers in 1942 alongside PC-504 (later SC-504) ready for launching and PC-503 (later SC-503) fitting out, and a 29 May 1942 image. The page states explicitly: 'There is no DANFS history available for YMS-12.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1941-1948
- Population
- Rice Brothers construction trades (1941-42); crew (1942-46); WSA custodial period (1947); merchant crews aboard Oro Toro (1948-)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestone dates generally track official records and are corroborated here by uboat.net and the shipbuildinghistory build table (see ev-06), but the 880 bhp per-engine figure conflicts with class literature (2 x 440 bhp; see gaps). Page verified live via Firecrawl extraction 2026-10-04 (navsource.net serves HTTP 406 to plain curl - bot filtering; content confirmed). Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-12-yms12-01
-
[3]National Archives Special List 44: List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947 (Bradley, Kurtz et al., 1978), p. 508 (scan via Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center mirror of the NARA publication) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Special List 44, p. 508, 'Ships with Symbol and Number Designations', YMS-12 line item; ACPL mirror image narasl44/540.jpg
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA finding aid documents deck-log holdings for this hull: 'YMS-12 - Nov. 1, 1943-June 30, 1945 - 3' (three logbooks) on printed page 508, in the 'Ships with Symbol and Number Designations' section. Coverage is a log-span finding, not a statement of commissioning or decommissioning dates: no logbooks are listed for July 1942-October 1943 or after June 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1945 (listed log span); finding aid compiled 1978
- Population
- Crew entries, Nov 1943-Jun 1945 (contents unexamined)
- Limitations
- Establishes that three logbooks for this hull were in NARA custody as of the 1978 finding aid - it does not describe their contents, and the logs are not in the National Archives Catalog's digitized deck-log list (checked 2026-10-04; YMS hulls appear there only under post-1947 bird names, e.g. Goldfinch/YMS-306). Scan verified by direct inspection of the ACPL mirror image; the official NARA publication is the 1978 printed Special List 44.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-12-yms12-02
-
[4]United States v. Standard Oil Co., 81 F. Supp. 183 (S.D.N.Y. 1948) (CourtListener opinion 8715930) [court_record]
- Locator
- 81 F. Supp. 183, 184-186 (stipulated facts paras. 1-3; warlike-operation finding); CourtListener opinion 8715930 (verified via authenticated CL API v4 search 2026-10-04)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- OTHER (non-asbestos) litigation: stipulated admiralty record documenting this hull's wartime employment. Between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m. on 16 December 1942, USS YMS-12 collided with the steam tanker S.S. John Worthington (owned and operated by Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey, on time charter to the United States) in the buoyed 'swept channel' in the approaches to New York harbor - a channel marked by center-line buoys from Buoy A, about 23 miles off Point Pleasant, NJ (40 deg 04'50" N, 73 deg 31'45" W), to Buoy I near Ambrose Light Vessel (40 deg 26'46" N, 73 deg 51'51" W). YMS-12 was part of a three-ship minesweeping formation proceeding seaward with gear streamed and displaying three all-round green lights per the 1 July 1942 notice to mariners; USS YMS-105 was the guide ship on the easterly side and USS AMC-95 was echeloned approximately a half-mile astern. The parties stipulated the collision was contributed to by fault in the navigation of BOTH vessels; only YMS-12 was damaged. The court found YMS-12 'actually engaged in a warlike operation at the time of collision' and held the loss within the government's war-risk hull policy covering 'all consequences of hostilities or warlike operations.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-12-16 (casualty); opinion 1948-12-03
- Population
- YMS-12 crew aboard at collision, Dec 1942
- Limitations
- Admiralty/war-risk-insurance litigation, not asbestos litigation - documents the ship's minesweeping employment and a collision casualty only; says nothing about materials, exposure, or crew health. Merits-level stage: a district-court finding subsequently reversed (see ev-04).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-12-yms12-03
-
[5]Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States (The YMS-12. The John Worthington), 340 U.S. 54, 71 S. Ct. 135, 95 L. Ed. 68 (1950) (CourtListener opinion 104825); affirming United States v. Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey, 178 F.2d 488 (2d Cir. 1949) (CourtListener opinion 223914) [court_record]
- Locator
- 340 U.S. 54, 55-61 (LII full text verified live 2026-10-04: law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/340/54); CourtListener opinions 104825 (scotus), 223914 (ca2)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- OTHER (non-asbestos) litigation, appellate chain for the ev-03 casualty: the Second Circuit reversed the district court, finding the evidence failed to show the warlike phase of the minesweeper's operation caused the collision (178 F.2d 488, 1949); the Supreme Court (Nos. 27-28, argued 13 Oct 1950, decided 27 Nov 1950, Black J.) affirmed, holding that a loss must be proximately caused by the 'warlike operation' to fall within the 'all consequences of hostilities or warlike operations' cover, and declining to impose war-risk liability as a matter of law. The opinion caption names the vessel: 'THE YMS-12. THE JOHN WORTHINGTON.' Disposition: 178 F.2d 488 affirmed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-12-16 (casualty); 1949-1950 (appellate review)
- Population
- YMS-12 crew aboard at collision, Dec 1942
- Limitations
- Insurance-coverage holding on stipulated facts; establishes the collision and formation context, not any exposure condition aboard. Some secondary aggregators misprint the collision year as 'December 16, 1940' in the 2d Cir text - an OCR artifact; the correct date is 16 December 1942 per the district-court stipulation and the Supreme Court opinion (YMS-12 was not launched until March 1942).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-12-yms12-04
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[6]NavalCoverMuseum (Museum of Naval Postal History) wiki, 'YMS 12' - designation chronology, sale date, surviving cover [museum_official]
- Locator
- navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/YMS_12 - 'Ship Name and Designation History' table and 'Postmarks' table
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Ship-specific chronology corroborating NavSource: keel laid down 21 April 1941; launched 14 March 1942; completed 1 July 1942; placed in service (date unknown); placed out of service (date unknown); struck from the Naval Register 17 April 1946; transferred to the WSA June 1947; 'Sold 30 June 1947. Served as M/V Oro Toro.' Postal record: a cover bearing the ship's Locy Type 3z postmark dated 4 November 1943 survives (cataloged John Germann example); the ship had no postal facilities.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1941-1948
- Population
- Crew (cover dated Nov 1943)
- Limitations
- A postal-history museum compilation - a specialized but secondary source; 'sold 30 June 1947' adds one milestone beyond NavSource. The 1943 postmark documents a cover produced through naval postal channels, not a shipboard post office (none aboard). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-12-yms12-05
-
[7]uboat.net Allied Warships of WWII, 'USS YMS-12 (YMS-12)' ship record; corroborated by shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net Yard Minesweepers build table (Rice Brothers rows) [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship 9432 data table; shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net/us-navy-small/ym/ Rice Brothers rows
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Secondary corroboration of the milestone set: uboat.net lists YMS-12 ordered 1 April 1941, laid down 21 April 1941, launched 14 March 1942, commissioned 1 July 1942, stricken 17 April 1946, built by Rice Brothers Corp. (East Boothbay, Maine). The shipbuildinghistory Yard Minesweepers table lists 'YMS-12 | Rice Brothers | East Boothbay ME | 136 | 320 | 1 Jul 1942 | struck 1946' within Rice Brothers' wartime production (YMS-12 through YMS-17 and YMS-303 through YMS-307).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1941-1946
- Limitations
- Both are specialist secondary compilations - uboat.net (Gudmundur Helgason's Allied Warships database) and the Colton shipbuildinghistory tables - used for corroboration only. The 1 April 1941 'ordered' date rests on uboat.net alone; no primary contract record located. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-12-yms12-06
-
[8]NavSource Online: Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper (YMS) / British Motor Minesweeper (BYMS) Index - class description and program history [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource YMS/BYMS index, class description paragraphs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Class context for this hull: the YMS-1 class were wooden-hulled 'Yard class Minesweepers' designed by Henry B. Nevins, Inc. (City Island, NY), first keel (YMS-1) laid 4 March 1941; 481 built across 35 yacht yards (12 East Coast, 19 West Coast, 4 Great Lakes) rather than larger shipyards, the basis of the 'Yard' designation; intended for inshore waters adjacent to their bases. YMS-1 through YMS-134 - which includes YMS-12 - carried two stacks (later variants one or none). YMS boats swept enemy-laid mines off Jacksonville, FL and Charleston, SC as early as 1942; seven were lost in a single typhoon off Okinawa 9 October 1945. Surviving YMS's were reclassified AMS in 1947 and given names - which YMS-12, struck April 1946, never received.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1941-1969
- Population
- YMS-class construction trades at 35 yards; YMS crews generally
- Limitations
- Class-level background only - does not document any event, material, or condition aboard this specific hull. NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-12-yms12-07
-
[9]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications for this hull (two GM 8-268A diesels, no steam plant) and YMS-1-class wooden-hulled construction (NavSource class index); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos program documentation (see ev-08) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19012.htm propulsion line; NavSource 11/19idx.htm class description (wooden hull); GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A wooden-hulled, diesel-powered minesweeper built 1941-42 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a small diesel combatant of this type and period were engine exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, and electrical insulation. As a diesel craft she carried no steam plant - the boiler/steam-line lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply - and the wooden hull further reduces the asbestos-relevant footprint versus a steel steam vessel; residual pathways remain in machinery and electrical components.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1941-1948
- Population
- Rice Brothers construction trades (1941-42); crew (1942-46); WSA/custodial personnel (1946-47); merchant conversion and crews (1947-48); any scrapping workforce (fate unknown)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific material list, insulation survey, or build specification located for YMS-12. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. No manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-12-yms12-08
-
[10]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's entire construction (1941-42) and service era (1942-46).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1979 (report); program window spans 1941-42 construction
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403, confirmed 2026-10-04) - content via product-page description; same standing defect as BATCH-01 and BATCH-98.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-12-yms12-09
-
[11]Batch-8797 search ledger (this record): NavSource ship page + class index; NARA Special List 44 p. 508 (ACPL scan); CourtListener API v4 (4 base queries, all completed); NHHC DANFS; NARA digitized-logs list; LII/FindLaw reporter texts; uboat.net; shipbuildinghistory; Maine Boats (Rice Brothers yard history); secondary web asbestos/litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-yms-12-yms12-01 through -14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or asbestos litigation naming USS YMS-12 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener sweep completed this session: '"USS YMS-12"' opinion = 0 hits, '"USS YMS-12"' docket = 0 hits, '"YMS-12"' opinion = 4 hits (the three Standard Oil admiralty opinions - 81 F. Supp. 183, 178 F.2d 488, 340 U.S. 54 - classified other litigation, plus one 2015 Texas appellate name collision, In re TMX Finance), '"YMS-12"' docket = 3 hits (all unrelated name collisions: Softketeers v. Regal West cacd, Oak River Asset Management bankruptcy cacb, Her v. Jacquez habeas caed). Secondary web sweeps surfaced no asbestos content naming this hull - not even law-firm marketing assertions.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 2026-10-04
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - and a wooden-hulled diesel craft simply presents a much smaller asbestos-relevant footprint. Deck logs (3 volumes, Nov 1943-Jun 1945) exist at NARA but are undigitized; builder's specifications and any merchant-conversion records are unfound leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-12-yms12-10
