USS YMS-125

Evidence

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

1. [1]research packet 1031-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-125-yms125-pkt-1031-packet-md

2. [2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, YMS-125 - construction timeline, commissioning CO, service summary, disposal chain, spec block [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 11/19125.htm header timeline, call-sign line, and Specifications block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull (NavSource timeline, verbatim): 'Laid down 2 June 1941 by the J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, WA; Launched 18 December 1941; Completed 25 July 1942 and commissioned USS YMS-125, LT Whitson M. Jones, USNR in command; Operated in Alaskan waters and decommissioned 1 April 1946; Struck from the Naval Register 1 May 1946; Transferred to the War Shipping Administration in February 1947; Registered in 1948 to the Russell Towboat and Moorage Co. of Vancouver, WA as the tugboat Russell 125; Scrapped in 1952.' Call sign Nan-Baker-Easy-Easy. Spec block: Displacement 270 t. (1948 - 252 t.); Length 136' (1948 - 126.3'); Beam 24' 6" (1948 - 25'); Draft 8' (1948 - 11.3'); Speed 15 kts.; Complement 32 (1948 - Two); Armament one 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount, two 20mm mounts, two depth charge projectors; Propulsion two 880bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines, Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts. Page states 'There is no DANFS history available for YMS-125' and carries a Tacoma Times (20 Dec 1941) launch photograph captioned for the four-way Martinac launching of YMS-133, YMS-125, YMS-129, and YMS-130.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1941-1952

   Population

   Martinac construction trades (1941-42); crew (1942-46); WSA/custody trades (1947); Russell Towboat crews and any conversion trades (1948-52)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track NVR/DANFS but no NHHC/DANFS entry exists for this hull to check against. The '1948' spec variants reflect the post-Navy merchant registry, not Navy configuration. '880bhp' appears to be a combined rating - class literature rates each GM 8-268A at ~440 shp. Contains no asbestos or material content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-125-yms125-01

3. [3]National Archives, Special List 44: List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947 (Bradley, Kurtz, et al., comps.) - entry 'YMS-125: July 25, 1942-June 30, 1945, 7 logbooks' (printed page 514; ACPL Genealogy Center scan, display page 546) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Special List 44 printed page 514 (YMS-125 row); ACPL scan http://genealogycenter.net/nara/images/narasl44/546.jpg

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA holds seven logbooks for YMS-125 spanning July 25, 1942 - June 30, 1945 (Special List 44, 'Ships With Symbol and Number Designations,' printed page 514). The window opens on her documented commissioning date and covers the entire Aleutian deployment, including the January 1943 Dora Harbor salvage events recorded in the ONI history (see ev-04). These are the ship's own daily operational records - the primary documentary base for her Alaska service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1942-1945 (log coverage)

   Population

   Crew and any embarked personnel recorded in logs, 1942-1945

   Limitations

   Special List 44 is a holdings list, not the logs themselves: it establishes that seven logbooks exist (RG 24, NARA) but nothing about their content. Coverage ends June 30, 1945 - the July 1945-April 1946 period to decommissioning is not in this series (postwar logbooks are held under different accessions), so the log trail for her final ten months is unverified here. Logbooks are not digitized. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-125-yms125-02

4. [4]Bulkley, Capt. Robert J., Jr., At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy (ONI official history, 1962), Part V, pp. 263-265 (HyperWar/ibiblio transcription) [other_primary]

   Locator

   At Close Quarters Part V (Aleutians section), printed pages 264-265

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official U.S. Navy operational history records this hull in an Aleutian salvage action: during the January 1943 gale at Dora Harbor (southeastern Unimak Island), PT-22 and PT-28 went aground on a reef after a collision sequence that began January 6. 'On the 14th, the YMS 125 freed the 22 from the reef and pumped her dry. The 22 was then towed to King Cove by the cannery tender Virginia E. When the 22 was safely in tow, the YMS 125 pulled the 28 off' - PT-28 later broke free again and was lost on the rocks; PT-24 was herself disabled in the attempt and towed to King Cove. Places YMS-125 operating in the Unimak Island / King Cove area of the Aleutians on 14 January 1943, inside the Aleutians campaign.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1943-01

   Population

   YMS-125 crew (Jan 1943); PT-22/24/27/28 crews; YP-149/YP-575 crews

   Limitations

   ONI official history (published 1962 from action reports) - a Navy operational record, but cited here via the HyperWar transcription mirror; pinpoint is Part V narrative pp. 263-265. Documents salvage operations, not the ship's minesweeping tasking; no asbestos or material content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-125-yms125-03

5. [5]Archives West finding aid, 'Port C. Martin Photographs, 1942 December-1943 October,' collection WCMss.505, Whitman College and Northwest Archives [other_primary]

   Locator

   Archives West WCMss.505, Biographical Note and Content Description

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival collection held on this hull: the finding aid states 'From 1942 through 1943, he captained the Minesweeper YMS 125,' describing Port C. Martin's tour 'removing naval mines from the Pacific Ocean surrounding the Aleutian Islands,' and the photographs (Dec 1942-Oct 1943) were taken 'onboard the Minesweeper YMS 125' in the Aleutian Islands, annotated by Martin. Establishes (a) a named commanding officer for the Dec 1942-Oct 1943 window - Captain Port C. Martin, USNR, distinct from commissioning CO LT Whitson M. Jones - and (b) the ship's documented mission: mine clearance in Aleutian waters. Collection is open for research at Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1942-12 to 1943-10 (collection dates)

   Population

   Lt./Capt. Port C. Martin, USNR; YMS-125 crew (Dec 1942-Oct 1943)

   Limitations

   Finding aid only - the photographs themselves are not transcribed here; individual images were not inspected. 'Captain' is the finding aid's rank wording for the collection donor, not verified shipboard rank. Documents service, not materials; no asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-125-yms125-04

6. [6]HistoryLink.org Essay 22440, 'J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation (Tacoma)' by David Norberg (posted 2022-04-01) [reputable_press]

   Locator

   HistoryLink Essay 22440, 'World War II and the Cold War' section

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Washington State's online encyclopedia documents this hull's construction contract: in summer 1941 Martinac won a Navy contract 'to build four 135-foot wooden minesweepers, worth $1,315,200,' requiring the first sweeper in 240 days with subsequent ships every 30 days; the yard invested $70,000 in new ways buildings, mill, machine shop and mold loft and tripled its workforce (to ~172 employees per the essay's later figure). 'Martinac launched YMS-125, its first minesweeper, on December 18, 1941, and the rest followed at a steady pace in 1942.' Establishes YMS-125 as the lead hull of Martinac's first four-boat YMS contract and documents the contract's wooden-hull requirement.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1941-1942

   Population

   Martinac workforce, ~172 employees (1941-42 contract period)

   Limitations

   Curated secondary encyclopedia essay citing Tacoma Daily Ledger and other period sources - not itself a primary record. The '135-foot' contract wording differs slightly from the 136-ft spec (nominal vs. actual length). Establishes wooden construction at contract level for this hull; contains no asbestos or material content - says nothing about insulation or outfitting trades.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-125-yms125-05

7. [7]shipbuildinghistory.com, 'Martinac Shipbuilding, Tacoma WA' yard page (delivery table) + uboat.net USS YMS-125 ship page [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipbuildinghistory.com Martinac delivery table (YMS 125 row); https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/9545.html

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Independent secondary corroboration of identity and milestones: the Martinac yard delivery table lists 'YMS 125 | US Navy | Minesweeper | 278d | 136 | 25-Jul-42 | Struck 1946' in a sequence with sisters YMS-126 through -128 and later YMS-216+, and describes the yard (founded 1924 by Joseph M. Martinac on the Thea Foss Waterway; closed 2014). uboat.net's ship page independently carries ordered 1 April 1941, laid down 2 June 1941, launched 18 December 1941, commissioned 25 July 1942, builder J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma - all consistent with NavSource.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1941-1946

   Population

   Martinac construction trades (1941-42)

   Limitations

   Both are secondary compilations - used for corroboration and the order date (uboat.net's 'ordered 1 Apr 1941' is the only order-date source located), not as primary anchors. shipbuildinghistory's '278d' displacement conflicts with the 270 t. figure in NavSource/class literature (see gaps). Neither contains asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-125-yms125-06

8. [8]Tidewater (company) official history page - Russell Towboat & Moorage Co. lineage into Tidewater Barge Lines; corroborating: Spokesman-Review (1997) profile of a Russell Towboat deckhand hired 1947 [reputable_press]

   Locator

   tidewater.com History page (Russell Towboat & Moorage / Tidewater Barge Lines lineage); Spokesman-Review, 10 Feb 1997

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The post-Navy owner named in the disposal chain is a documented real company in the right place and era: Russell Towboat and Moorage Co. operated on the Columbia River out of Vancouver, WA - its principal Lew Russell Jr. folded it into the group that became Tidewater Barge Lines (company history), and a 1997 Spokesman-Review profile documents it hiring deckhands in Vancouver in 1947 - consistent with NavSource's 'Registered in 1948 to the Russell Towboat and Moorage Co. of Vancouver, WA as the tugboat Russell 125.' The 1948 merchant spec variants (252 t., 126.3', crew of two) in the NavSource block describe this conversion.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1947-1952

   Population

   Russell Towboat & Moorage crews and yard trades (1948-1952)

   Limitations

   Corroborates the company and era, not the individual hull's registration - the Russell 125 documentation itself (merchant registry entry, conversion work papers) was not located and remains a lead. No asbestos content; conversion scope (what was stripped or added in the tug conversion) is undocumented.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-125-yms125-07

9. [9]Era inference built on: NavSource spec block (two GM 8-268A diesels, no steam plant); HistoryLink Essay 22440 (contract for 'wooden minesweepers'); YMS-1 class design literature (wooden-hulled non-magnetic sweeper, 481 built by 35 small yacht builders); GAO HRD-80-2 (see ev-09) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource spec block; HistoryLink 22440 contract description; YMS-1 class design literature

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   A wooden-hulled, diesel-powered minesweeper built 1941-42 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era, but the asbestos-relevant application set is narrower than for steam combatants: era-standard uses aboard a small diesel craft of this period were engine and exhaust lagging, machinery gaskets and valve packing, electrical insulation, and incidentals (e.g., winch/windlass brake linings). She carried no boilers and no steam distribution system - the boiler/steam-line lagging pathway that dominates steamship exposure does not apply, and wooden construction removes the extensive steel-ship pipe-lagging load.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1941-1952

   Population

   Martinac construction trades (1941-42); crew, confined engine-room volume (1942-46); tug crews (1948-52); 1952 shipbreakers

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for YMS-125. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. The reduced inference scope (diesel, wooden hull) cuts both ways honestly: less asbestos-relevant plant than a steam vessel, but nothing here rules insulation out. No quantity; no manufacturer attribution.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-125-yms125-08

10. [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), plus her post-Navy commercial life (1948-52).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-04

    Study period

    1979

    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.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-yms-125-yms125-09

11. [11]Batch-8803 search ledger (this record): NavSource page; NARA Special List 44 via ACPL scan; ONI official history (HyperWar); Archives West finding aid; HistoryLink essay; shipbuildinghistory and uboat.net; Tidewater company history; GAO product page (blocked); CourtListener base queries (partially paced); NVR; secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-yms-125-yms125-01 through sl-uss-yms-125-yms125-13

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS YMS-125 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener status at write time: base queries '"USS YMS-125"' opinion and '"YMS-125"' docket returned zero results; '"USS YMS-125"' docket and '"YMS-125"' opinion were blocked by fleet-wide pacing at each attempt this session - logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case and no asbestos-content pages naming this hull - the only asbestos hits were law-firm marketing listicles on minesweepers generally, excluded by source policy.

    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 two of four CourtListener base queries are an open gap (fleet-paced, not run to completion). The ship's own records (deck logs at NARA, Martinac contract papers, WSA disposal file, 1952 scrapping contract) are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-yms-125-yms125-10