USS YMS-129

Evidence

14 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-14).

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-129-yms129-pkt-1031-packet-md

2. [2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, YMS-129 - construction timeline, Aleutians photograph (NARA 80-G-221595), commercial registrations, specifications (verified live 2026-10-04) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 11/19129.htm header block, YMS-1 Class chronology, specifications block, photo captions; LOC item https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn88085187/1941-12-20/ed-1/?sp=9 (verified live; OCR text endpoint blocked automated fetch)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: laid down 27 May 1941 by the Tacoma Boat Building Co., Tacoma, WA; launched 18 December 1941 in a four-minesweeper ceremony (YMS-125, YMS-129, YMS-130, YMS-133) reported the same week by The Tacoma Times ('Plenty of Rain and Ritual At Minesweeper Launchings,' 20 December 1941, Image 9, via Chronicling America/LOC); completed 17 July 1942 and commissioned USS YMS-129 under the command of LT John M. Wyckoff, USNR; struck from the Naval Register 1 May 1946; transferred to the War Shipping Administration in February 1947; registered 1948 to John Rabbe of Portland, OR as the fishing boat Troll; 1949 to Tidewater-Shaver Barge Lines of Portland as Tidewater Shaver; 1967 to Top Quality Ocean Fish Co. of Astoria, OR as Kathy Jo; 1975 to Paul Erdman (aka Love Israel) as Abundance; out of documentation 1991; fate unknown. Call sign Nan-Baker-Oboe-Item (NBOI); Troll call sign (1948) King-Easy-Victor-King. Specifications: 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: 15); armament one 3"/50 dual-purpose 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 no DANFS history exists for YMS-129.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1941-1991

   Population

   Tacoma Boat construction trades (1941-42); crew (1942-46); commercial fishing crews (1948-91)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track Navy records and the key dates are corroborated by uboat.net and the shipbuilding-history yard lists (see ev-08). Contains no asbestos content. The commercial-registration chain (Troll/Tidewater Shaver/Kathy Jo/Abundance) rests on NavSource's transcription of U.S. documentation records; the Abundance registration is independently corroborated in the Tacoma Boat yard list (official no. 252285) but the underlying merchant-vessel documentation file was not examined.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-129-yms129-01

3. [3]National Archives, Special List 44: Ship Number index to U.S. Navy deck logs in NARA custody (live PDF verified 2026-10-04, text extracted at page level) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SL-44 ship-number PDF, page 115, YMS-129 row

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Special List 44 lists YMS-129 with deck-log coverage 7/17/1942 through 6/30/1945 (PDF page 115, entry 'YMS-129 7/17/1942 6/30/1945' - verified by text extraction this session). The indexed start date coincides with her documented completion/commissioning date (17 July 1942).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1942-07-17 to 1945-06-30

   Population

   Crew during logged period (1942-45)

   Limitations

   This is a custody/coverage index, not the deck logs themselves - and the logs were not examined for this record. The coverage window is not a commissioning or decommissioning date and does not identify asbestos, products, exposure, repair work, or causation. Notably, the hull's documented Kiska-area minesweeping operations (20 July - 8 September 1945, ev-04) fall AFTER the indexed deck-log coverage ends - the operation is documented in the action-report series, not in the indexed log window.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-129-yms129-02

4. [4]NARA file unit 'YMS-129, 7/17/42-4/18/46', NAID 193172994, Container Roll 8093 - RG 24 Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, series Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities (270 digitized images, Ancestry partnership, unrestricted) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NARA catalog file unit NAID 193172994 (verified live 2026-10-04)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The National Archives catalogs a digitized RG 24 muster-roll file unit for this hull spanning 17 July 1942 - 18 April 1946 (270 images online) - wartime Navy service documented from her commissioning date through the inactivation window preceding her 1 May 1946 striking. The file unit extends nine months beyond the SL-44 deck-log coverage end (30 June 1945), covering her post-hostilities Kiska-operations period and inactivation.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1942-07-17 to 1946-04-18

   Population

   YMS-129 crew (1942-46), including LT John M. Wyckoff USNR (commissioning CO per NavSource) and Lt. James A. Henry USNR (December 1943, per OSU Yank Collection - ev-07)

   Limitations

   Establishes wartime service and personnel documentation only; muster rolls contain no asbestos or material content, and individual roll pages were not transcribed or read for this record. A separately titled deck-log file unit for this hull was not located in catalog searches - the indexed logs (SL-44) and this muster-roll unit are distinct holdings.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-129-yms129-03

5. [5]NARA file unit NAID 83567804, RG 38 World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories (Roll A1855, micro serial 139967, serial 117-45): Officer-in-Charge of Minesweeping Operations (USS YMS-125) confidential letter YMS-125/S81-1 serial 117-45, 12 September 1945, 'Minesweeping Operations - Area off Southwest Beach (ABLE), Channels in Vega Bay (CHARLIE), Approaches to Cove Southwest of Phantasy Knob (BAKER), Approaches to Beach and Bluff Cove (EASY), Kiska Island, Alaska' - all 6 digitized images read at page level this session [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 83567804 images 1025-1030 (letter pp. 1-3 incl. para. 1(b) 'vessels employed' and cc list; H.O. Chart 9180 overlay; endorsements) - read at page level 2026-10-04

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   A page-read primary operational record documents this hull's post-hostilities minesweeping: the Officer-in-Charge of Minesweeping Operations (writing on USS YMS-125 letterhead, signed Lt. Donald L. Zylstra, USNR) reported to CNO that 'The vessels employed were YMS 328, YMS 129, and YMS 125' in clearance and exploratory sweeps off Kiska Island, Alaska, during the 50-day period 20 July - 8 September 1945 under Com Adak Sector Minesweeping Orders 45-6 and 7. Weather permitted only 10 days of sweeping; areas were swept to an effective depth of 60 feet with O-type gear, 66-foot float pendants, 200-fathom scope, Mk 9 and Mk 11 cutters, 50-yard minimum overlap, port/starboard quarter formations of two and three ships. No mines or indications of mines were found on regular or check sweeps; all sweepers performed satisfactorily; no casualties to ships; sweep gear was lost and damaged to bottom-fouling and kelp. The report (copy to YMS-129 among the cc's) clears area EASY - where enemy moored mines were swept in September 1943 - and notes attempted 40-foot motor-launch sweeps failed. Endorsements: NOB Adak (19 Sep 1945, R. D. Scattergood, Chief Staff Officer - noting five mines originally swept September 1943 in area EASY and Army-reported explosions at Kiska during 1944) and HQ 17th Naval District Seattle (25 Sep 1945, J. W. White, Operations Officer).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1945-07-20 to 1945-09-08

   Population

   YMS-129, YMS-125, YMS-328 crews during Kiska clearance ops (July-September 1945)

   Limitations

   Vessel-history record only: documents a named, dated minesweeping operation this hull performed; contains no asbestos or material content. Confirms North Pacific/Aleutians service but does not itself describe interior conditions, maintenance work, or crew exposure. The operation postdates the SL-44 indexed deck-log window (ends 30 June 1945) - day-level activity during this operation would sit in the unexamined deck-log gap or the muster rolls (coverage to 18 April 1946).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-129-yms129-04

6. [6]NARA WWII War Diaries (RG 38) and Naval District / shore-establishment diaries (RG 181) - catalog full-text index (169 hits) associates YMS-129 with: COMINSHPAT 13th ND Jul 1942 (NAID 133944372); COMNOWESTSEC 13th ND Aug 1942 and Oct-Nov 1942 (NAIDs 133959155, 134018950); COMNOWESSEC 13th ND Sep 1942 (NAID 133985504); USS BUCKEYE Jul-Aug 1942 (NAID 134113101); USS TATNUCK Feb and May 1943 (NAIDs 134119099, 134248042); USS RICHMOND Mar and Apr 1943 (NAIDs 134131334, 134193678); USS TEAL Mar and Sep 1943 (NAIDs 134143713, 78195937); USS CHARLESTON Jun 1943 (NAID 134283067); CINCPAC Jun 1943 (NAID 134264052); NSB Santa Barbara Sep 1943 (NAID 135950610); COM 13 Jul 1944 (NAID 134361120); NOB Kodiak Mar 1946 (NAIDs 318281413, 318281078) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NARA catalog full-text search 'YMS-129' - 169 hits, first-20 results enumerated in citation_value; page-level verification open

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The NARA catalog's full-text index associates YMS-129 with a coherent Pacific Northwest-to-Aleutians operating record: 13th Naval District formations (Inshore Patrol and Northwest Sector, 1942) in her first months after commissioning at Tacoma; Aleutian-force vessels and commands in 1943 (tug Tatnuck, minesweeper/tender Teal, cruisers Richmond and Charleston, CINCPAC diary June 1943); a 13th ND war diary July 1944; and Naval Operating Base Kodiak diaries March 1946 - consistent with the verified Adak (March 1944, ev-06) and Kiska (July-September 1945, ev-04) presence and an Alaska-based career.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1942-1946

   Population

   Crew during 13th ND assignments (1942), Aleutian/North Pacific operations (1943-45), Kodiak-area inactivation-era presence (1946)

   Limitations

   Archival lead only: the catalog's OCR full-text search associates the hull name with these file units; excepting the Kiska report (ev-04, read at page level), the individual diary pages naming YMS-129 were not read, so context of each mention (assignment, transit, task-organization listing, movement report) is unverified. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-129-yms129-05

7. [7]NHHC photograph 80-G-221595 (National Archives/NHHC): 'The U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Edward C. Daly (DE-17) lies moored at Finger Bay, Adak, 3 March 1944. The motor minesweeper YMS-129 lies moored to a buoy in the background' (caption via NavSource; metadata corroborated at Wikimedia Commons file page) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NavSource 11/19129.htm photo caption (image 111912901); Wikimedia Commons file page for 80-G-221595 (verified live 2026-10-04)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   An official Navy photograph (80-G-221595, NHHC collection) documents this hull at Finger Bay, Adak, Aleutian Islands, on 3 March 1944 - physical-presence documentation placing YMS-129 in the Aleutians during the war, consistent with the Kiska-operations record (ev-04) and the war-diary association pattern (ev-05).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1944-03-03

   Population

   YMS-129 crew at Adak (March 1944)

   Limitations

   Photographic presence documentation only - establishes the hull was at Adak on that date, not what work was performed there or conditions aboard. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-129-yms129-06

8. [8]Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Oregon State Yank Collection, 1942-1945 (Archives West finding aid) - Series 1 item: 'Lt. James A. Henry, USNR USS Yms 129, FPO, S.F., December 1, 1943' [museum_official]

   Locator

   Archives West ark:80444/xv81404, Series 1 chronological letters, December 1, 1943 entry (verified live 2026-10-04)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   A university special-collections finding aid documents a letter written by a named officer aboard this hull: Lt. James A. Henry, USNR, writing from 'USS Yms 129, FPO, S.F.' on 1 December 1943 - placing a named crew member aboard during the Aleutians-service window corroborated by the Adak photograph and war-diary associations.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1943-12-01

   Population

   Lt. James A. Henry USNR; YMS-129 crew (December 1943)

   Limitations

   Vessel-history fact only: the finding aid indexes the letter's existence and address; the letter content was not examined. NOT an exposure record - no asbestos claim for Henry or any individual.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-129-yms129-07

9. [9]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton), Tacoma Boat Building Co. yard list - YMS-129 entry; corroborated by uboat.net ship/9549 and the yard-minesweeper (ym.htm) master list [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/large/tacoma.htm yard table (YMS 129 and Abundance rows, verified live); uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/9549.html (verified via search result); shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/ym.htm master list

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Secondary compilations corroborate the NavSource timeline: the Tacoma Boat yard list carries 'YMS 129 | US Navy | Minesweeper | 278 t | 136 ft | 17-Jul-42 | Struck 1946'; uboat.net carries ordered 1 April 1941, laid down 27 May 1941, launched 18 December 1941, commissioned 17 July 1942, stricken 1 May 1946, built by Tacoma Boat Building Co. The Tacoma Boat yard list also independently records the hull's post-Navy identity - 'official no. 252285, Abundance, owner Love Israel, Fishing Vessel, 185 t / 126 ft / 1942, NLD (no longer documented)' - corroborating NavSource's 1975 Abundance/Paul Erdman (Love Israel) registration and the 1991 documentation lapse. Yard history per the same source: Tacoma Boatbuilding established 1926, Chapter 11 1985, closed 1992, 1840 Marine View Drive facility liquidated 1998.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1941-1991

   Population

   Tacoma Boat trades (1941-42); post-Navy commercial operators (1948-91)

   Limitations

   Secondary compilations, not primary records - consistent with each other and with NavSource on all dates; used here as corroboration of the builder, milestone dates, and the documented commercial identity chain. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-129-yms129-08

10. [10]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (2 x GM 8-268A diesels, reduction gear, 2 shafts); YMS-1 class documented as wooden-hulled auxiliary motor minesweepers built to a common 136-foot design across 35 U.S. boatyards, 561 hulls 1942-45 (shipbuildinghistory ym.htm); GAO HRD-80-2 era finding (ev-11); NARA asbestos research guide archival pathway (ev-10) [other_primary]

    Locator

    NavSource specifications block; shipbuildinghistory ym.htm class summary; GAO HRD-80-2 product page; NARA asbestos guided-topic page

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    A diesel-driven wooden minesweeper completed in July 1942 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a diesel yard craft of this period were engine exhaust and muffler lagging, compressed-asbestos sheet gaskets, valve and machinery packing, electrical insulation, brake linings, and insulation board in machinery and accommodation spaces. As a diesel vessel she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply; the wooden hull reduces but does not eliminate the era application set (machinery, exhaust, joiner/insulation, electrical).

    Verification

    inferred

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-04

    Study period

    1941-1991+

    Population

    Tacoma Boat construction trades (1941-42); crew (1942-46); any yard/base trades during availabilities; post-Navy owners/crews (1947-91); any breakup/disposal handlers (post-1991, fate unknown)

    Limitations

    Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or plan was located for YMS-129. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-yms-129-yms129-09

11. [11]National Archives, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' - official research guide to the RG 19 Bureau of Ships records documenting asbestos in U.S. Navy materiel 1941-1961 (verified live 2026-10-04) [other_primary]

    Locator

    archives.gov guided-topic page; RG 19 entries A1 1266-A..P, UD 1001-1015, UD 1017-A (S-18), PI-133 1273; RG 143 A1 90, A1 8 series

    Finding type

    regulatory

    Finding

    NARA's official guide states 'the use of asbestos in U.S. Navy materiel from 1941-1961 is a frequently requested topic' and documents the archival pathway for hull-level determination: RG 19 Bureau of Ships general/confidential/secret correspondence filed by hull designation (this hull: 'YMS129'; class: 'YMS1 Class'; type correspondence as last resort), Ship/General Information Books covering propulsion, auxiliary machinery, piping, ventilation, heating and air-conditioning systems, shipbuilding-yard QM correspondence files (this builder: QM/Tacoma Boat), specification files (RG 19 S-18/S-19 series; RG 143 specification indexes), and cartographic engineering drawings (19-Hull, 19-Micro) - i.e., the records by which this hull's material content could be proven exist in undigitized archival series.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-10-04

    Study period

    1941-1961 (guide scope)

    Population

    Navy construction/maintenance trades 1941-1961 (research-scope population)

    Limitations

    Research-pathway documentation, not a hull record: the guide confirms that asbestos content is an archival research question answerable only via undigitized RG 19/RG 143 records - none of those series were consulted for this hull. Does not establish or negate materials aboard this hull.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-yms-129-yms129-10

12. [12]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979; publicly released Oct 22, 1979; product page and Highlights fetched live this session) [gao]

    Locator

    GAO product page HRD-80-2, Highlights section

    Finding type

    gov_survey

    Finding

    GAO reviewed the Navy's efforts to protect workers from asbestos exposure at the Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards, including the use of asbestos in Navy ships, the cost of removing asbestos from Navy ships, and compensation programs for asbestos-related disabilities. GAO records that the Navy's 1975 policy was to remove and replace with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed to accomplish necessary repairs, modified in 1979 to include selectively replacing asbestos insulation in high-maintenance areas where repairs would be expected during a ship's next operating cycle - confirming asbestos insulation was standard materiel aboard Navy ships through 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

    1975-1979 policy period; report published 1979

    Population

    Navy shipyard workers (Long Beach, Norfolk yards - fieldwork scope); asbestos program review

    Limitations

    Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. The product page and Highlights were fetched live 2026-10-04; the 26-page full-report PDF (gao.gov/assets/hrd-80-2.pdf) was not separately extracted - content cited is the GAO's own Highlights text.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-yms-129-yms129-11

13. [13]CourtListener API v4 authenticated searches via cl-auth-search.py (batch 8807, 2026-10-04): exact-name opinion query '"USS YMS-129"' executed - count 0; exact-name docket, hull-number opinion ('"YMS-129"'), and hull-number docket base queries blocked by fleet pacing on repeated attempts [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-yms-129-yms129-12 through -15 (helper diagnostics)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Partial litigation sweep: the exact-name opinion search '"USS YMS-129"' (type=o, limit 20) returned zero results. The remaining three base queries (exact-name docket, '"YMS-129"' opinion, '"YMS-129"' docket) could not be executed - the authenticated fleet helper returned the pacing-exhaustion signal on each attempt across the session. Per batch discipline, a zero base result means no asbestos-variant queries were run for that term, and unrun base queries mean no variant coverage at all for the hull-number forms.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-04

    Study period

    2026-10-04

    Limitations

    One completed zero-result query plus three blocked queries is NOT a negative litigation finding - docket coverage in particular (type=r, where most asbestos filings live) is entirely absent. Logged as blocked/partial, not as 'no result'; re-run the three outstanding base queries when pacing permits.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-yms-129-yms129-12

14. [14]Batch-8807 search ledger (this record): NavSource; NARA SL-44 (page-level); NARA catalog (muster-roll file unit + 169-hit full-text associations); NARA NAID 83567804 (page-level read); LOC Chronicling America item page; Oregon State Yank Collection; shipbuilding-history yard lists + uboat.net; USNI photo archives; NARA asbestos guide; GAO product page; LVA FromThePage separation notices (no result); CourtListener (partial - see ev-12); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-yms-129-yms129-01 through -16

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, material specification, or docketed case naming YMS-129 (or her commercial identities Troll/Tidewater Shaver/Kathy Jo/Abundance) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull's wooden construction and diesel plant bound the plausible era application set to machinery/exhaust lagging, gaskets, packing, electrical insulation, brake linings, and joiner insulation - no boiler/turbine lagging pathway applies.

    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 - the NARA guide documents undigitized RG 19 series where hull-level material records could exist, and litigation coverage is incomplete (3 of 4 CourtListener base queries blocked). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-yms-129-yms129-13