Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 1044-packet.md (5 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-yms-266-yms266-pkt-1044-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, YMS-266 (live page verified 2026-10-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19266.htm: timeline, specifications, commanding-officer, and photo-caption blocks
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource identifies this hull as YMS-266, a YMS-1-class auxiliary motor minesweeper that 'served the Navies of the United States and the Soviet Union': laid down 16 May 1942 by the Krause and Banks Shipbuilding Co., North Bend, OR; launched 24 December 1942; completed 8 April 1943 and commissioned USS YMS-266. It reports that YMS-266 picked up survivors of Navajo (AT 64) and her tow YOG-42 on 12 September 1943 after they were torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-39, 150 miles east of Espiritu Santo. It reports transfer to the Soviet Union on 17 August 1945 and reclassification as T-601; assignment to the Pacific Fleet 31 August 1945; placed out of service 1 September 1955 and laid up; reclassified auxiliary vessel BRN-13 on 2 February 1956; struck from the Soviet Navy list 11 September 1956 and scrapped. Its specification block lists 270 tons, 136 feet, 24-foot-6-inch beam, 8-foot draft, 15-knot speed, complement 32, one 3-inch/50 dual-purpose mount, two 20mm mounts, two depth-charge projectors, and two 880-bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines with Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear on two shafts. Call sign Nan-Fox-Nan-Able; commanding officer LTJG M. L. Weigel, USNR, 1945; a c.1944 Naval War College photo shows her docked in AFD-13 at Majuro Atoll. The page states that no DANFS history is available for YMS-266.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1956
- Population
- Kruse & Banks construction workforce (1942-43); U.S. Navy crew (1943-1945); Soviet service and disposal personnel (1945-1956)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer photo-archive compilation rather than a Navy registry or archival finding aid. The builder-name spelling 'Krause and Banks' conflicts with the archival/yard-table spelling 'Kruse & Banks' (see correction row ev-05). The Navajo/YOG-42 rescue role is corroborated by the specialist combinedfleet.com I-39 TROM but not by the official DANFS Navajo entry, which confirms the sinking event without naming the rescuing vessel. Soviet-era milestones (Pacific Fleet assignment, BRN-13, out-of-service/stricken dates) are partially corroborated by Russell 1997 (T-601, 17 Aug 1945, 1956-stricken); the 'scrapped' end detail conflicts with the Colton table's 'scuttled 1956'. The page establishes no asbestos content, material condition, individual exposure, or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-266-yms266-01
-
[3]National Archives, Special List #44, by Ship Numbers, PDF (live source verified 2026-10-04; entry read from extracted table text) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Special List #44, by Ship Numbers, YMS-266 entry: PDF p. 117 (table row 'YMS-266 9/27/1943 8/16/1945')
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's Special List #44 lists YMS-266 with Navy deck-log coverage from 27 September 1943 through 16 August 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-09-27 to 1945-08-16
- Population
- YMS-266 crew and Navy activities represented in the deck logs
- Limitations
- This is an archival custody/index entry and establishes log coverage only; it does not by itself establish commissioning or decommissioning dates, operations on particular days, asbestos content, crew exposure, or legal eligibility. The coverage window begins 27 September 1943 - roughly five and a half months after the reported 8 April 1943 commissioning and two weeks after the reported 12 September 1943 Navajo/YOG-42 rescue - so the surviving log series does not cover the ship's earliest months or the rescue event; the final log day (16 August 1945) is the day before the reported Soviet transfer.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-266-yms266-02
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[4]Russell, Richard A., 'Project Hula: Secret Soviet-American Cooperation in the War Against Japan' (Washington: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy, 1997) - U.S. Navy-published history, PDF mirrored at ibiblio/HyperWar (live source verified 2026-10-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Project Hula (NHC 1997), transfer table 'U.S. Navy Combatant Ships Transferred to the USSR Under Project HULA, May-September 1945', book p. 39 (scan PDF p. 45), YMS266/T-601 row + table source note
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official U.S. Navy-published history of Project Hula lists 'YMS266' in its transfer table as Soviet designation 'T-601', transferred 17 August 1945 (ditto under the 17 Aug. group), with disposition '1956-stricken'. The table is sourced to the Bureau of Ships 'Ships Data: U.S. Naval Vessels,' vol. II, 1 January 1949 (NAVSHIPS 250-012) and S. S. Berezhnoi's Soviet lend-lease reference. Project Hula was the Navy program that transferred ships to the Soviet Pacific Fleet at Cold Bay, Alaska.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1945-1956
- Population
- U.S. and Soviet personnel involved in the Cold Bay transfer program (1945)
- Limitations
- Official Navy-published corroboration of the T-601 designation, the 17 August 1945 transfer date, and a 1956 striking year - it does not give day/month of the Soviet striking or describe the disposal method (scrapped vs scuttled), so the Soviet end-detail variance with NavSource and Colton is unresolved. The table's ditto-mark transfer date inherits 17 August from the YMS-33 group row above it. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-266-yms266-03
-
[5]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation), 'Kruse & Banks, North Bend OR' yard table - YMS 266 row (live source verified 2026-10-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- kruse.htm - 'KRUSE & BANKS North Bend OR' table, YMS 266 row + yard history header
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The yard table lists this hull as 'YMS 266 | US Navy | Minesweeper | 278d [tons] | 136 [ft] | 8-Apr-43 | To the USSR 1945 as T-601, scuttled 1956.' The yard history header records that Kruse & Banks Shipbuilding was founded by Knut V. Kruse in 1902, joined by Robert Banks in 1905, moved from Marshfield to North Bend about 1909, closed in 1946, and the land sold to Weyerhaeuser. The same table lists sister hulls YMS 265, 267, and 268.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1956
- Population
- Kruse & Banks construction workforce (North Bend, OR, 1942-43)
- Limitations
- Compiler's yard table, secondary - consistent with NavSource on builder, completion/commissioning date (8 April 1943), Soviet transfer, and T-601 designation. Its 'scuttled 1956' disposal description conflicts with NavSource's 'scrapped'; Russell 1997 records only '1956-stricken' - the end-of-life method is unresolved. Its 278-ton table value differs slightly from NavSource's 270-ton specification. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-266-yms266-04
-
[6]Builder-name discrepancy resolution - University of Oregon Libraries / Archives West finding aid, 'Kruse and Banks Shipbuilding Company records' + Colton yard table 'Kruse & Banks' vs NavSource 'Krause and Banks Shipbuilding Co.' [other_primary]
- Locator
- Archives West ark:80444/xv981272 (collection-level description); shipbuildinghistory.com kruse.htm yard header; NavSource 11/19266.htm timeline line 1
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource spells the builder 'Krause and Banks Shipbuilding Co.' The archival record and yard-history compilation spell it 'Kruse & Banks': Archives West (University of Oregon Libraries) describes the 'Kruse and Banks Shipbuilding Company' of Coos Bay/North Bend, founded by K. V. Kruse, and the Colton yard table styles it 'Kruse & Banks.' The corrected spelling 'Kruse & Banks Shipbuilding Co.' is adopted in this record.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1943
- Limitations
- Orthographic correction only - both forms refer to the same North Bend, Oregon yard; no fact about the hull's construction, service, or materials changes. The Archives West collection covers company records 1877-1936, predating this hull's 1942-43 construction.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-266-yms266-05
-
[7]NavSource Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper (YMS) Photo Index, class description (live page verified 2026-10-04) + documented propulsion from the YMS-266 hull page [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19idx.htm class description ('wood-hulled', 35 yacht yards); NavSource 11/19266.htm propulsion line
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: the NavSource class index describes the YMS type as 'the wood-hulled YMS,' built at 35 yacht yards; this hull's documented plant is two 880-bhp General Motors 8-268A diesels on two shafts - no boilers, no steam distribution. Its insulation load was materially lighter than a steam combatant's, but machinery and construction materials of the 1942-43 wartime era were commonly asbestos-containing: possible era-standard applications include diesel exhaust-system lagging, machinery gaskets and packing, electrical-cable insulation, and insulation board in accommodation and galley spaces. Exposure-relevant populations if any such material was present: Kruse & Banks construction trades (1942-43); the wartime crew (complement 32) including the September 1943 rescue operation and Pacific service; Soviet receiving crews and service personnel (1945-1955); and disposal workers at end of life (1956).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1956+
- Population
- Kruse & Banks trades (1942-43); U.S. crew 1943-45; Soviet crews 1945-55; 1956 disposal workers (undocumented)
- Limitations
- Inference from documented class characteristics, machinery type, and construction era - NOT a hull materials record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming YMS-266/T-601 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. The wooden hull and diesel plant make even era-level inference weaker than for steam vessels of the same era.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-266-yms266-06
-
[8]National Archives, Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961 (live source verified 2026-10-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA guided-topic page, archival-series discussion for ship-specific asbestos research
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- NARA's research guide identifies RG 19 Bureau of Ships correspondence, ship/general information books, specifications, engineering drawings, and related Navy records as the archival pathway for determining asbestos in Navy vessels built or operated through 1961.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1941-1961
- Population
- Navy ship construction and maintenance records, 1941-1961
- Limitations
- This is a research pathway, not a YMS-266 material record. The cited guide does not establish that asbestos was installed aboard this hull, remained aboard, was disturbed, or exposed any person. The identified RG 19 records were not examined in this batch.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-266-yms266-07
-
[9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (18 October 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2; full page retrieval blocked HTTP 403
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- The GAO product description states that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s, providing Navy-wide era context that includes YMS-266's 1942-1956 life span.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1979 review; historical Navy-use context through the early 1970s
- Population
- Navy ships and Navy workers covered by the program review
- Limitations
- Program-level context only, not a hull-specific finding. The GAO page returned HTTP 403 to direct retrieval on 2026-10-04; the product-page description was available through indexed search. It does not establish any material aboard YMS-266, quantity, remaining material, exposure, or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-266-yms266-08
-
[10]Batch 8895 source review and litigation sweep ledger [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-yms-266-yms266-01 through sl-uss-yms-266-yms266-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No ship-specific asbestos record was located in the sources reviewed: no YMS-266 asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, product identification, or primary record documenting asbestos aboard this hull was found. CourtListener exact-name base queries were completed and returned zero results: '"USS YMS-266"' opinion (0 of 20 page) and '"USS YMS-266"' docket (0). The two hull-number base queries ('"YMS-266"' opinion and docket) could not be run: the fleet-wide authenticated pacing budget stayed exhausted across spaced retries over roughly 70 minutes. No asbestos-qualified variants were run.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 2026-10-04 research cutoff
- Limitations
- This is a negative search result for documentary asbestos records, not proof that asbestos was absent, and the litigation sweep is PARTIAL: two of four required base queries completed (both zero results) and two were blocked by fleet-wide pacing exhaustion. This row therefore does not assert that no qualifying litigation exists. Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1942-43-built vessel is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials even accounting for its lighter wood-hulled diesel insulation load. NARA's RG 19 pathway remains an open archival lead.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-266-yms266-09