USS YMS-262

Evidence

15 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-15).

1. [1]research packet 1043-packet.md (1 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-262-yms262-pkt-1043-packet-md

2. [2]NHHC, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'James M. Gilliss (AGS-13)' entry - updated edition (Robert J. Cressman, published/updated 2022-02-08), verified live 2026-10-04 [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'James M. Gilliss (AGS-13)' entry, full text and statistics block (live NHHC page; returned 200 on 2026-10-04 after returning 404 on 2026-09-20)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS documents the full service record on one hull: YMS-262 laid down 1942-09-06 by South Coast Co., Newport Beach, CA; launched 1942-12-24; commissioned 1943-09-15, Lt. Thomas W. Burns, D-V(G), USNR. One battle star for Marshall Islands operations - occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls (1944-01-31 to 02-08) and occupation of Eniwetok Atoll (1944-02-17 to 03-02). Returned to the U.S. December 1944; converted to a surveying ship January-April 1945 at Wilmington, CA by California Shipbuilding Corp.; named James M. Gilliss 1945-03-23 and reclassified AGS-13, Lt. (j.g.) Kermit G. Cruse, D, USNR, in command. Pearl Harbor April 1945; Guam survey training June 1945; Okinawa arrival late July 1945, post-typhoon survey work; occupation support out of Nagoya from 1945-11-01; Pearl Harbor 1946-01-06. Bikini Atoll arrival 1946-03-16 for Operation Crossroads, five months of hydrographic/oceanographic surveys between Bikini and Eniwetok; reclassified AGSC-13 1946-07-29; departed Bikini 19 August; San Francisco 1946-09-30; Norfolk 1946-12-23; coastal surveys Newfoundland/Mexico/Cuba/Trinidad March 1947-May 1950; decommissioned New York 1950-09-22. Reclassified AMCU-13 1951-08-18, recommissioned 1951-09-05 Lt. (j.g.) Kenneth E. Carter; Atlantic Mine Force 1952-02-18; Mine Hunting Unit Little Creek, VA from 1953-03-20; Chesapeake Bay training and navigation-equipment test/evaluation 1953-1958 incl. Guantanamo Bay Nov-Dec 1956; reclassified MHC-13 1955-02-01; Green Cove Springs June 1958, decommissioned 1958-08-06; stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 1960-01-01; sold to Marlene Blouse Corp. by 17 June [1960]. Statistics block: displacement 265; length 136'; beam 23'4"; draft 8'7"; speed 14.1 kts; complement 53; armament 1 3-inch, 4 20-millimeter; class Derickson.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1942-1960

   Population

   Ship's crew (complement 53 per updated statistics) and embarked survey/hydrographic detachments, 1943-1958

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity and service history; contains no asbestos, insulation-materials, or hazardous-materials statement - supports no asbestos claim. The 2022-updated entry is CONDENSED relative to the earlier DANFS edition for the minesweeper period (Roi-Namur sweep, Wide Passage, task-group detail survive only in the pre-2022 transcription at losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/ags13.htm) but adds the survey-ship CO (Cruse) and names the battle-star campaigns. Its statistics block differs from NavSource (complement 53 vs 60; armament 1x3in + 4x20mm vs 1x3"/50 + 2x20mm + 2 dct + 2 dcp; 'class Derickson' vs YMS-1) - see correction row.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-262-yms262-01

3. [3]NARA Special List 44, 'List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947' (1978), 'Ships with Symbol and Number Designations' section, publication p. 517 - verified at image level via the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center scan (viewpage display 549, image narasl44/549.jpg); plus the NARA 'Special List 44 - Named Vessels' online-availability page [other_primary]

   Locator

   SL44 publication p. 517, 'Ships with Symbol and Number Designations,' YMS-262 row (ACPL Genealogy Center scan image 549, http://genealogycenter.net/nara/images/narasl44/549.jpg); named-vessels list https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/special-list-44-named

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Special List 44 records US Navy deck logs for YMS-262 covering Sept. 18, 1943-Feb. 28, 1945 (4 logbooks) - i.e., from three days after commissioning through the eve of the survey-ship conversion. The adjacent SL44 entry lists YMS-263 (sister, later Simon Newcomb AGS-14) Sept. 15, 1943-Feb. 28, 1945 (4 logbooks). NARA's 'Special List 44 - Named Vessels' page lists deck logs for 'James M. Gilliss (AGS-13) 3/1/1945-12/31/1945' as available online in the National Archives Catalog - coverage continuous with the YMS-262 run, the custody chain simply following the renamed hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1943-1945

   Population

   Ship's company recorded in the logs, September 1943 - December 1945

   Limitations

   Establishes that wartime deck-log custody exists for this hull and its date span; the logs themselves contain no asbestos or material content (deck logs record position, weather, personnel, observations). Log-coverage dates are not commissioning/decommissioning dates. The batch brief's 'PDF page 117' reference did not verify - the YMS-262 entry sits on publication page 517 of the ACPL scan (image narasl44/549.jpg); the date span in the brief (9/18/1943-2/28/1945) IS verified verbatim. Individual logbook pages were not read.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-262-yms262-02

4. [4]National Archives Catalog, file unit 'USS YMS-262 - War Diary, 1/5/44 to 2/29/44', NAID 136049576 (RG 38 WWII War Diaries microfilm publication, Roll A893, Micro Serial Number 69001; Fold3-partnership digitization, 9 page images) - pages read at image level this session [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 136049576 digitized pages 0290.jpg (p.1), 0294.jpg (p.5), 0297.jpg (p.8) of 0290-0298; catalog record https://catalog.archives.gov/id/136049576

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The hull's own submitted war diary (CO to CominCh, dated 3 March 1944, CONFIDENTIAL, declassified) documents the Kwajalein/Eniwetok operations at primary-source level: Task Unit 53.7.1 (Advance Unit, Capt. Lillard) of Task Group 53.7 (Northern Tractor Group, Capt. Armand Robertson, USN) under Task Force 53 (Rear Admiral R. Connolly [as typed]); departed San Diego 5 January 1944 under TF 53 Movement Order A 151-44 steaming for Nawiliwili, Kauai; anti-submarine screen composed of Destroyer Alywin (DD-355), YMS-262, and YMS-263; unit LSTs 119(F), 38, 221, 270, 271; daily 0800/1200/2000 positions across the Pacific transit; gunnery practice 26 January (3"/50, 20mm, .30 cal). Entered Southern Sector of Kwajalein Atoll through Cecil Pass 13 February, anchored small-boat area. Sortied 15 February under Sortie Plan 1-44 of Commander Eniwetok Expeditionary Group, Operation Order A 105-44, as part of the screen under Capt. McLean. 17 February: 0400 TU 15.15.2 detached from screen to rendezvous area prior to streaming gear; 0720 commenced magnetic minesweep into Eniwetok Lagoon; 0826 AM-111 (USS Sage) swept up a mine; 1121 opened fire on a suspicious ship aground off Hawthorn Island; 1131 ceased firing and continued sweeping operations throughout the lagoon; anchored 2055.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1944-01-05 to 1944-02-29

   Population

   YMS-262 ship's company during the Kwajalein and Eniwetok assaults, January-February 1944

   Limitations

   Primary operational record for the January-February 1944 combat period only; no asbestos or material content. Diary types the task-force commander 'Connolly' - DANFS writes 'Conolly' (Rear Admiral R. L. Conolly); same officer, spelling variant retained. Only 3 of the 9 digitized pages were read at image level (cover/p.1, p.5, p.8); intervening daily entries (27 Jan - 12 Feb, 18-29 Feb) not individually transcribed. The catalog holds no other YMS-262 war-diary file unit - later Marshalls operations (Mar-Dec 1944) have no located diary.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-262-yms262-03

5. [5]National Archives Catalog, digitized personnel records for this hull (Ancestry-partnership scans, muster-roll record group): file unit 'YMS-262', NAID 193012325 (75 images); file unit 'YMS 262 - Muster Rolls', NAID 120271454 (11 images, rolls dated Oct 31 / Nov 30 / Dec 31, 1944); file unit 'James M. Gillis (AGS-13), 4/31/45-1/1/49 (1 of 2)', NAID 193148322 (1999 images); file unit 'James M. Gillis - Muster Rolls', NAID 120271466 (80 images, rolls dated April 21 and July 1, 1945 inter alia); plus monthly deck-log file units for James M. Gilliss (AMCU-13)/(MHC-13), 1956-1958 (e.g., NAID 219879800, June 1958, 65 images) [other_primary]

   Locator

   catalog.archives.gov records API: NAIDs 193012325, 120271454, 193148322, 120271466, 219879800 (1956-58 monthly deck-log series e.g. 215942954, 219879064, 219879934)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The NARA catalog holds a digitized, name-searchable personnel record chain for this hull under both identities: muster rolls as YMS-262 (wartime, incl. Oct-Dec 1944 rolls) and as James M. Gillis[s] (AGS-13 era, April 1945-January 1949), plus monthly deck logs for the AMCU-13/MHC-13 era 1956-1958. These records document the people aboard and their dates - the crew-level roster base for any individual service verification.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1943-1958

   Population

   All hands borne on the hull's rolls, 1943-1958

   Limitations

   Catalog-level verification: file units, NAIDs, image counts, and title-date ranges verified via the catalog API; individual roll and log pages were NOT read (except the war diary, ev-03). Muster rolls and deck logs contain no asbestos or material content - they establish who was aboard, not what was aboard. NARA catalog titles carry the 'Gillis' single-s misspelling on the AGS-13 units and an impossible '4/31/45' start date (April has 30 days - likely means the unit opens late April/May 1945); flagged, not adjudicated.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-262-yms262-04

6. [6]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, 'James M. Gilliss (MHC 13) ex-AMCU-13 ex-AGSC-13 ex-AGS-13 ex-YMS-262' page 11/19262 - chronology, specifications, disposition chain, photo captions, CO roster, call sign November-Delta-Juliet-Uniform (verified live via navsource.net, 2026-10-04) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 11/19262 page: chronology bullets, specifications block, photo-caption table, CO roster

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource documents: laid down 1942-09-06 by South Coast Shipbuilding Co., Newport Beach, CA; launched 1942-12-24; completed 1943-08-11; commissioned USS YMS-262 1943-09-15; survey-ship conversion and naming as James M. Gilliss (AGS-13) 1945-03-23 'at the California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA'; AGSC-13 1946-07-29; decommissioned 1950-09-22; converted to AMCU-13 1951-08-18 'at the New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, NY'; recommissioned 1951-09-05; MHC-13 1955-02-01; decommissioned 1958-08-06 Green Cove Springs; struck 1960-01-01; sold 1960 to Southern Towing & Transportation Co., Miami, as tug 'Southeastern No. 5'; sold for scrap 1960-06-17 to Marlene Blouse Corp., New York; resold 1961 to Andersen's Marine, Inc., Jacksonville, FL. Specs: 340 t; 136' x 23'4" x 8'7"; 14.5 kts; complement 60; 1x3"/50 DP, 2x20mm, 2 dct, 2 dcp; two 1,000-bhp GM 8-268A diesels, Snow & Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts. Photo captions document the ship at Brooklyn Navy Yard with Simon Newcomb, Harkness, and Tanner (AGS-15) plus LST-664; c.1948-50 sea trial and Labrador (1949) survey operations. CO roster: LT Thomas Wilson Burns USNR (Silver Star 1945) 1943-09-15 to Feb 1944; LTJG David G. Gamble USNR Feb 1944; LTJG Kermit G. Kruse USNR April 1945; LTJG Kenneth Everett Carter USN 1951-09-05.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1942-1961

   Population

   Ship's company and yard workers during documented availabilities (Wilmington 1945 conversion; New York Naval Shipyard 1951-52 AMCU work)

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled archive transcribing official records; its 'Decommissioned 9 September 1944' entry for YMS-262 is inconsistent with DANFS (ship in the Marshalls through December 1944, conversion Jan-Apr 1945) and is not adopted - see correction row. Roster 'Kruse' conflicts with DANFS 'Cruse' - flagged. The 1960-61 commercial resale chain is NavSource-only. Contains no asbestos or materials statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-262-yms262-05

7. [7]Shipscribe.com, 'USS Chauvenet (AGS-11) Class' page - Stephen S. Roberts's tabulation of official U.S. Navy vessel data: construction/disposition tables, class notes, ship notes (covers AGS-11 Chauvenet, AGS-12 Harkness, AGS-13 James M. Gilliss, AGS-14 Simon Newcomb), verified live 2026-10-04 [other_primary]

   Locator

   Shipscribe usnaux/AGS/AGS11.html - class data block, construction and disposition tables, class notes paragraph, ship note 13

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Shipscribe class notes document the conversion program: all four ships were taken from the group of 150 136-foot wooden-hulled minesweepers (YMS 135-284) whose construction was directed 1942-01-17; on 1945-01-09 CinCPac recommended converting YMS 195, 242, 262, and 263 (then under overhaul at private San Pedro-area yards) as amphibious hydrographic survey ships; CominCh authorized and directed the VCNO on 1945-01-16 and the CNO directive followed 1945-01-18; conversions ran January-April 1945 with minesweeping gear removed and gun armament retained, modeled on the four PCS conversions (shared 136-ft hull design); reclassified AGS on 1945-02-26 effective 1945-03-20, names assigned 1945-03-23. Ship note for Gilliss: 'Ex YMS-262. Converted by Wilmington Boat Works, Wilmington, Calif. Jan-Apr 45. To AGSC-13 29 Jul 46. Decomm. ca. Sep 50, to AMCU-13 18 Aug 51, recomm. 5 Sep 51. To MHC-13 7 Feb 55.' Class notes further record that AGSC-12 and -13 were reclassified AMCU-12/-13 and fitted with AN/UQS-1 mine-locating sonar in FY1952 (scheduled 1951-12-15 to 1952-03-15, AMCU-13 at NSY New York). Class data: 252 t light / 340 lim.; 136.0' oa x 23.3' e x 8.6' lim.; 1-3"/50 + 2-20mm original armament; 14.1 kts; 1,000 HP; G.M. diesels, 2 screws.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1942-1960

   Population

   Ship's company and conversion-yard workers, January-April 1945 and FY1952

   Limitations

   Secondary transcription of official Navy vessel data derived from Bureau records. Its 'Wilmington Boat Works' conversion yard conflicts with DANFS/NavSource 'California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington' - unresolved (see correction row). Its construction TABLE transposes the Gilliss and Simon Newcomb build dates while its own ship NOTES correctly read 'Ex YMS-262' for Gilliss - DANFS controls. Contains no asbestos or materials statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-262-yms262-06

8. [8]NHHC Online Reading Room, 'Composition of Joint Task Force One' (Operation Crossroads), sourced from U.S. Defense Nuclear Agency, Operation Crossroads, 1946 (Washington: DNA, 1984) - verified live 2026-10-04 [other_primary]

   Locator

   JTF-1 composition, TG 1.8 > TU 1.8.5 (Survey Unit) listing - live NHHC page returned 200 on 2026-10-04 (had returned 404 on 2026-09-20)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The official JTF-1 order of battle places 'USS James M. Gillis (AGS-13)' [sic - single-s spelling in the published list] in Task Group 1.8 (Service Group), Task Unit 1.8.5 (Survey Unit), alongside USS Bowditch (AGS-4), USS John Blish (AGS-10), YMS-354, YMS-358, YMS-413, and YP-636, for the Operation Crossroads atomic tests at Bikini Atoll, July 1946.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1946

   Population

   Gilliss crew and embarked survey unit at Bikini, 1946

   Limitations

   Establishes ship-specific assignment to a federal nuclear-test operation; contains no asbestos information and is itself a radiological-context record, not an exposure or materials finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-262-yms262-07

9. [9]Weitz, R., Thomas, C., Klemm, J., Stuart, J., Knowles, M., et al., 'Analysis of Radiation Exposure for Naval Units of Operation CROSSROADS, Volume 3 (Appendix B) Support Ships,' Defense Nuclear Agency technical report DNA-TR-82-05-V3 / SAI-84-1567-VOL-3 (March 1982); OSTI 6354991; DTIC ADB090883 - full 454-page PDF re-retrieved and the ship entry re-read at page level this session [other_primary]

   Locator

   DNA-TR-82-05-V3, Appendix B, 'USS JAMES M. GILLISS (AGS-13)' information summary, report pp. 221-223; OSTI record https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6354991; PDF via https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6354991 (454 pp.)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   USS James M. Gilliss (AGS-13) is one of the 121 non-target support ships given an individual 'Support Ship Information Summary' in this Nuclear Test Personnel Review volume (report p. 221, PDF-verified). Her entry records: crew size 40; group SURVEY; mission - arrived at Bikini prior to the first detonation (ABLE, 1 July 1946) to survey probable effects of the nuclear tests on fish and other wildlife and to conduct oceanographic survey of currents in and around Bikini Atoll; total calculated film-badge dose received while at Bikini 0.202 rem; departed Bikini 1946-08-20 (BAKER+26); ship contamination factor 8. A day-by-day lagoon-position path report and radiation table follows (report pp. 221-223).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-04

   Study period

   1946 exposure window; report published 1982

   Population

   Gilliss crew (listed size 40) at Bikini, Operation Crossroads, July-August 1946 (reconstructed-dose cohort)

   Limitations

   RADIOLOGICAL record, not asbestos: documents ionizing-radiation dose reconstruction only and establishes nothing about asbestos aboard the hull. Demonstrates that ship-level personnel exposure records for this hull exist in the federal archive. Departure date here (1946-08-20, 'BAKER+26') differs by one day from DANFS ('departed Bikini 19 August') - flagged, not adjudicated.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-yms-262-yms262-08

10. [10]Cross-source reconciliation: live updated NHHC DANFS (2022) vs pre-2022 DANFS transcription (losthistory.net/hazegray) vs Shipscribe AGS-11 class tables/notes vs NavSource chronology/specs/CO roster vs NTPR Vol. 3 ship entry vs NARA SL44 scan vs war-diary text vs NavalCoverMuseum/uboat.net designations [other_primary]

    Locator

    Live DANFS vs losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/ags13.htm; Shipscribe AGS11.html construction table/ship notes; NavSource 11/19262 chronology + CO roster; DNA-TR-82-05-V3 p.221; navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/JAMES_M._GILLISS_MHC_13; uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/9681.html; SL44 image 549; war diary NAID 136049576 p.1

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies resolved or flagged: (a) BUILD-DATE TRANSPOSITION - Shipscribe's class construction table gives Gilliss the dates 21 Aug 42 / 2 Nov 42 / 11 Aug 43 and Simon Newcomb the dates 6 Sep 42 / 24 Dec 42 / 15 Sep 43; the latter set is YMS-262's (DANFS) and the former is YMS-263's. Shipscribe's own ship notes correctly link 'Ex YMS-262' to Gilliss and 'Ex YMS-263' to Newcomb; DANFS adopted for all three dates. (b) CONVERSION YARD CONFLICT - DANFS and NavSource place the Jan-Apr 1945 survey-ship conversion at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA; Shipscribe's ship note says Wilmington Boat Works, Wilmington, CA. Two distinct Wilmington firms; unresolved - neither asserted alone. (c) NAVSOURCE 1944 DECOMMISSIONING - NavSource's 'Decommissioned 9 September 1944' cannot be reconciled with DANFS (ship in Marshalls through December 1944, conversion Jan-Apr 1945); not adopted, possibly a transposed sister-ship event. (d) COMPLEMENT - 53 (updated DANFS statistics block) vs 60 (NavSource specs, earlier DANFS edition); both retained, neither adjudicated. (e) CLASS ASSIGNMENT - updated DANFS statistics block lists 'class Derickson' for the AGS configuration while the hull was built as YMS-1 class (Shipscribe, NavSource); designation-level difference carried, not adjudicated. (f) CO NAME - DANFS 'Lt. (j.g.) Kermit G. Cruse' vs NavSource roster 'LTJG Kermit G. Kruse' (April 1945); unresolved spelling. (g) COMMISSIONING DATE - 15 Sep 1943 (DANFS, Lt. Burns named) adopted; 11 Aug 1943 in NavalCoverMuseum/uboat.net likely transposes YMS-263's commissioning or YMS-262's completion (NavSource 'Completed 11 August 1943'). (h) DECOMMISSIONING 1958 - 6 Aug (DANFS, NavSource) adopted; Shipscribe's 7 Aug 58 retained for provenance. (i) MHC-13 RECLASSIFICATION - 1 Feb 1955 (DANFS, NavSource) adopted; Shipscribe's 7 Feb 55 retained. (j) BIKINI DEPARTURE - DANFS 19 Aug 1946 vs NTPR 'August 20, 1946 (BAKER+26)'; one-day conflict noted, DANFS carried. (k) ADMIRAL SPELLING - war diary types 'R. Connolly'; DANFS writes 'Conolly' (Rear Admiral R. L. Conolly); same officer. (l) DESIGNATION SPELLING - DANFS 'AMCU-13'; Shipscribe 'AMc(U)-13'; same symbol. (m) SL44 PAGE - the batch brief's 'PDF page 117' did not verify; the YMS-262 entry is on publication page 517 of the ACPL scan (image 549).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-04

    Study period

    1942-1960

    Limitations

    Resolves publication/transcription-level discrepancies; none affect identity or the custody timeline materially. No asbestos content in any reconciled source.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-yms-262-yms262-09

11. [11]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) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    Peer-reviewed historical study documenting that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in American yards. This hull's documented wartime yard periods - 1942-43 construction at South Coast Co., Newport Beach, and the January-April 1945 survey-ship conversion at a Wilmington, CA, yard - fall within this documented regime.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-04

    Study period

    1940s era documented; article 1987

    Population

    WWII U.S. shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)

    Limitations

    Program/era-level documentation of asbestos use in WWII U.S. shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was installed, disturbed, or present aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. Covers the wartime yard periods only - the 1951-52 New York Naval Shipyard AMCU work postdates the documented WWII regime (though it precedes effective asbestos regulation). Wooden hull and diesel propulsion narrow the candidate systems relative to steam plant. DOI registered and citation verified previously; doi.org returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch on 2026-10-04 (Wiley bot-filtering) - access gap, not a citation defect.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-yms-262-yms262-10

12. [12]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 1027 (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: 'YMS262'; 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, 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 records

    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-262-yms262-11

13. [13]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]

    Locator

    GAO product page HRD-80-2 (HTTP 403 confirmed this session; product-page description used)

    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 (1942-43), wartime service, and the 1951-52 New York Naval Shipyard AMCU conversion.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-04

    Study period

    pre-1970s era documented; report 1979

    Population

    Navy ship crews and yard workers, program level

    Limitations

    Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text and product page both unreachable this session - gao.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch on 2026-10-04 (standing block since BATCH-01); description carried from the documented product-page content.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-yms-262-yms262-12

14. [14]Batch-8892 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS live page + JTF-1 composition live page; NARA SL44 ACPL scan (image 549) + named-vessels online list; NARA catalog records API (war diary NAID 136049576 read at image level; muster-roll and deck-log file units); NTPR DNA-TR-82-05-V3 full PDF (OSTI); NavSource 11/19262 (navsource.net); Shipscribe AGS-11 class page; MARAD ShipHistory; NARA asbestos guide; GAO product page (blocked); Corn & Starr DOI (blocked); web litigation sweeps; CourtListener via cl-auth-search.py helper [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-yms-262-yms262-01 through sl-uss-yms-262-yms262-14

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS YMS-262 or USS James M. Gilliss (AGS-13/AGSC-13/AMCU-13/MHC-13) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The one CourtListener base query that executed ('James M. Gilliss', opinion index) returned 33 hits, all name collisions (Maryland-area cases matching the Gilliss surname in text; none vessel- or asbestos-related). Web litigation sweeps across the hull number and all five designations returned no qualifying case; the only hits naming the hull are law-firm/marketing ship-list pages (e.g., freeasbestostesting.com lists 'AGS-13' and 'AGSC-13'), which are excluded from evidence per batch rules - inclusion on a vendor list is not documentation.

    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 wooden-hulled WWII hull that passed through documented wartime and 1950s Navy-yard work is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials having been present. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. PARTIAL LITIGATION NEGATIVE: only 1 of the 4 prescribed CourtListener base queries executed (opinion index, name collisions only); the docket-level and hull-number queries were blocked by the fleet pacing budget all session - the docket-level negative is unexamined, not exhaustive.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-yms-262-yms262-13

15. [15]NARA record-group mapping (not retrieved - requires research-room pull; no spend authorized): RG 24 deck logs for YMS-262 (1943-45, partly digitized per SL44-named list) and the AGS/AGSC hull (1945-49); RG 19 Bureau of Ships conversion/alteration files for the January-April 1945 survey-ship conversion and the 1951-52 AMCU-13 conversion incl. the AN/UQS-1 sonar installation; RG 181 New York Naval Shipyard work packages (FY1952 availability, scheduled 1951-12-15 to 1952-03-15 per Shipscribe); Naval Oceanographic Office / Oceanographer of the Navy survey records [other_primary]

    Locator

    NARA Guide to Federal Records (RG 19, RG 24, RG 181); NARA asbestos guided-topic page

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads only: the BuShips conversion files (RG 19) for the 1945 survey-ship conversion and the FY1952 AN/UQS-1 mine-locating sonar installation at NSY New York, plus RG 181 yard work packages, are the likeliest repositories for materials/insulation detail if a ship-specific asbestos record exists at all. The digitized deck logs, war diary, and muster rolls located this session (ev-02, ev-03, ev-04) document operations and personnel but carry no materials content. Hydrographic Office survey records may further document the ship's 1945-50 operations.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-10-04

    Study period

    1942-1960 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-yms-262-yms262-14