Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]research packet 1035-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-yms-166-yms166-pkt-1035-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, YMS-166 page - construction timeline, commissioning/disposal chain, specifications, commanding officers (live .net domain; navsource.org is dead) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19166.htm header block, specifications block, and commanding-officers list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 25 May 1942 by the Daschel-Carter Shipbuilding Corp., Benton Harbor, MI (spelling per NavSource; 'Dachel-Carter' in uboat.net and shipbuildinghistory - see gaps); launched 30 January 1943; completed 27 May 1943; commissioned USS YMS-166, 21 June 1943 and assigned to the Atlantic Fleet; decommissioned 15 June 1946; struck from the Naval Register 19 July 1946; transferred to the War Shipping Administration April 1948; sold 1951 to the Far Eastern Foundation, Inc. of San Francisco, CA for use as a pleasure boat, named Hope; operated out of Guam by a Saipan corporation under the Trust Territory flag; fate unknown. Spec block: 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 & Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts. Commanding officers listed: LT Edward P. O'Callahan, Jr., USNR (21 June 1943); LT P. A. Loftus, USNR (1945). Page states no DANFS history exists for YMS-166.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1951+
- Population
- Dachel-Carter construction trades, Benton Harbor (1942-43); crew (~32 complement) 1943-46
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track NVR/DANFS practice but no underlying document is shown. No asbestos content. 'Fate unknown' leaves final disposition undocumented. The 'assigned to the Atlantic Fleet' commissioning note conflicts with documented Pacific (Marshall Islands) service by August 1945 - the transfer window is undocumented (see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-166-yms166-01
-
[3]National Archives and Records Administration, Special List 44: List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947 (by ship number), RG 24 Bureau of Naval Personnel deck-log holdings (NARA II, College Park) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Special List 44 by ship number, p. 116, single row 'YMS-166 6/21/1943 6/30/1945' (no notes)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Special List 44 (by ship number, p. 116) records U.S. Navy deck logs for YMS-166 covering 6/21/1943 - 6/30/1945, a single coverage block. The begin date coincides exactly with the documented commissioning date (21 June 1943). The end date precedes the documented decommissioning (15 June 1946): no later log block is listed for this hull, so the ship's final ~11.5 months of service - including the documented Mili Atoll minesweeping of August 1945 - are not represented in the listed holdings.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1945 (listed coverage)
- Population
- YMS-166 crew, June 1943 - June 1945 (log coverage)
- Limitations
- This is a holdings list, not the logs themselves: the deck logs are paper records in RG 24, Entry 118 (NAID 581208) at Archives II, College Park, and are not among the vessels whose logs are digitized in the NARA catalog's online deck-log index (checked 2026-10-04 - the index is organized by ship name and YMS-166, never named, does not appear). Log coverage dates are not commissioning or decommissioning dates. Whether any post-6/30/1945 logs for this hull exist in other NARA entries is undetermined.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-166-yms166-02
-
[4]Rear Admiral Paul C. Huelsenbeck, USNR (Ret.), 'In Contact: Seamines and the U.S. Navy,' Naval History (U.S. Naval Institute), vol. 4 no. 4, September 1990 - firsthand account by the on-scene commander of USS Parks (DE-165) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Naval History 4:4 (September 1990), 'In Contact' column, 'Seamines and the U.S. Navy' letter (online collection page usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/1990/september/contact)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Ship-specific operational record: RADM Huelsenbeck, commanding USS Parks (DE-165), was sent to Mili Atoll, Marshall Islands, in early August 1945 to administer the surrendering Japanese garrison; on learning Allied aircraft had mined the atoll, 'I immediately requested mine sweeps, and YMS-166 and YMS-463 arrived in several days. They were joined later by YMS-419.' Over the following ten days, working Reiher, Acharan, and Bue Passes, Northeast Passage, and Ennalick Channel, the sweeps 'cut a total of 24 contact mines, all Japanese' (23 x Mk-93 300-lb mines and one Mk-140 600-lb mine; shore parties found four more deactivated Mk-93s on beaches). On the first magnetic-gear pass through Tokowa Channel 'the sweeps activated two U.S. Mk-12, Mod. 1 mines.' Documents that this hull performed live combat-area minesweeping in the Marshall Islands in the immediate post-surrender period.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- August-September 1945 (memoir events)
- Population
- YMS-166, YMS-463, and YMS-419 crews at Mili Atoll; USS Parks (DE-165) crew; surrendered Japanese garrison
- Limitations
- A participant memoir published in September 1990 - 45 years after the events - so dates and intervals are from memory ('in early August 1945', 'arrived in several days', 'the next ten days'); it does not give arrival/departure dates for YMS-166 and does not establish when the hull moved from its documented Atlantic Fleet assignment to the Pacific. Vessel-history content only - no asbestos or material information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-166-yms166-03
-
[5]Pam Helming, guest essay, 'Thank you to our veterans who serve, inspire us,' Messenger Post Newspapers (mpnnow.com), 11 November 2020 [reputable_press]
- Locator
- mpnnow.com guest essay, Willink paragraph (veterans list)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A named crew member corroborates Pacific service: 'Ross Willink served as chief medical officer on the USS YMS-166 in the Pacific Theater.' Consistent with the memoir-documented Marshall Islands operations; names one member of this hull's wartime crew.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1946 (service window)
- Population
- Ross Willink (named crew member); YMS-166 Pacific crew
- Limitations
- A one-line mention in a community Veterans Day essay - establishes that a named individual served aboard in the Pacific Theater and nothing further (no dates, ratings detail, or duties). 'Chief medical officer' is the essay's wording; on a ~32-man YMS the medical role was likely a pharmacist's mate rating, and the title is not independently verified. Not an exposure record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-166-yms166-04
-
[6]Shipbuilding History, 'Yard Minesweepers (YMS)' production table + NavSource YMS/BYMS index class summary (archives/11/19idx.htm) - class production and design context [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net YMS table, Dachel-Carter rows (YMS-163-170; BYMS-15/16) and header production summary; NavSource archives/11/19idx.htm class header
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Class context: 561 wooden-hulled motor minesweepers were built at 35 boatyards from spring 1942 through spring 1945, all of essentially the same design - 136 feet, about 320 tons (full-load measure; NavSource ship page lists 270 t), 13-15 knots - in three mark groups: Mk. I two stacks (YMS-1-135, BYMS-1-30), Mk. II one stack (YMS-135-445, BYMS-31-80, covering this hull), Mk. III no stacks (YMS-446-481). Dachel-Carter Shipbuilding of Benton Harbor, MI built YMS-163 through YMS-170 plus BYMS-15/16; the YMS-166 row shows delivery/completion 27 May 1943 and 'struck 1946'. 150 hulls transferred directly to the Royal Navy, 30 to the Free French Navy in 1944, 45 to the Soviet Union in 1945; surviving U.S. YMS were reclassified AMS in 1947 and given bird names - YMS-166, stricken July 1946, was never renamed or reclassified.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1947
- Population
- YMS-class construction trades across 35 boatyards (1942-45); YMS crews fleetwide
- Limitations
- Secondary compilations (shipbuildinghistory's Westerhuis-compiled table and the NavSource volunteer index), not official registers - useful for production/design context only. No asbestos or material content. Tonnage figures differ between the table (320 t full load) and the NavSource ship page (270 t) - likely different displacement measures; unresolved.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-166-yms166-05
-
[7]Era inference built on: NavSource spec block for this hull (two GM 8-268A diesels, two shafts; wooden-hulled YMS-1 class); GAO HRD-80-2 application list (see ev-07); class production data (ev-05) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19166.htm spec block; GAO HRD-80-2 enclosure II (shipboard application list); shipbuildinghistory YMS design summary
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A wooden-hulled, diesel-engined motor minesweeper built 1942-43 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era. Era-typical shipboard applications for a vessel of this type and plant: engine and exhaust insulation/lagging in the diesel machinery space; gaskets and packing in piping systems; brake and clutch linings on winch, windlass, and minesweeping gear; deck tile and floor coverings; electrical insulation and resistor components; galley-range insulation. A straight diesel plant in a wooden hull carried no boilers or steam turbines, so the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply; and the small wooden hull required far less thermal insulation than a steel combatant.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1951
- Population
- Dachel-Carter construction trades (1942-43); crew (1943-46); WSA/disposal handling (1948-51)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or purchase record was located for YMS-166. Names era-typical applications consistent with the documented plant and the GAO application list; does not establish installed materials, quantity, individual exposure, or present-day presence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-166-yms166-06
-
[8]GAO, Navy's Efforts to Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979; B-163375) - product page and full 26-page report PDF retrieved [gao]
- Locator
- HRD-80-2 transmittal letter (p. 9); 'Navy's Policy on Use of Asbestos' section; Enclosure II asbestos-content narrative (USS Paul F. Foster comparison at 87,634 lb thermal insulation); PDF at gao.gov/assets/hrd-80-2.pdf
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Government documentation spanning this hull's entire construction and service era: per the Navy, 'all ships contain some asbestos in such components as clutches and electric cables,' and thermal insulation 'was the Navy's major use of asbestos aboard ships'; 'thermal insulation for machinery, equipment and piping systems has been the major application of asbestos' and 'all ships presently in service contain some quantity of asbestos.' Shipboard applications listed: piping-system gaskets and packing, equipment brakes and clutches, deck tiling, electric cabling in galley ranges, electrical resistors in electronic equipment. Insulation specifications were changed to asbestos-free 'as early as 1971'-'late 1973,' yet 'some ships were delivered with asbestos insulation as late as May 1978'; the October 1975 policy replaced only damaged insulation and was modified in 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas. Fieldwork was conducted at the Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1979 (report); documents practices spanning this hull's 1942-46 era
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (program review); fleetwide shipboard asbestos exposure context
- Limitations
- Program-level review: documents Navy-wide shipboard asbestos use and shipyard worker-protection programs - no hull (including YMS-166) is named, and fieldwork yards were the two large naval shipyards, not this hull's small civilian builder. Supports era context only. Full text retrieved via firecrawl extraction on 2026-10-04 (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to direct curl from this network).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-166-yms166-07
-
[9]Batch-8834 search ledger (this record): NavSource ship page and class index; NARA Special List 44 (downloaded and verified); NARA digitized deck-log index; NHHC DANFS; NVR; USNI Naval History; shipbuildinghistory; uboat.net; GAO full text; secondary web sweep; CourtListener [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-yms-166-yms166-01 through -11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, product-identification record, or docketed case naming USS YMS-166 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). No DANFS history exists for this hull (NavSource confirms; NHHC URL 404s). The Naval Vessel Register carries no entry - its coverage excludes ships disposed prior to 1987, and this hull was disposed via the WSA in 1948-51. NARA holds deck logs (SL44) but they are undigitized. The secondary web sweep surfaced no litigation and not even the usual law-firm 'ship list' marketing entries for this hull.
- 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 - a 1943 wooden-hulled diesel minecraft sits inside the documented asbestos era, and undigitized deck logs, builder work packages, and WSA sale records are open archival leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. CourtListener litigation check status is recorded in the search ledger as of record date.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-166-yms166-08