Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]research packet 1049-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-306-yms306-pkt-1049-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Goldfinch II (YMS-306) - construction, commissioning, Bermuda/Pacific/Atlantic service narrative, naming and reclassifications, decommissioning and disposal (Wayback capture 2023-10-01 of NHHC page; live page returned 404 on 2026-10-04; verbatim transcription also checked at hazegray.org/danfs/mine/yms306.htm via Wayback 2024-05-26) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Goldfinch II (YMS-306)' entry, narrative and spec block (NHHC archived 2023-10-01)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: 'The second Goldfinch (YMS-306), a wooden-hulled motor minesweeper, was built as YMS-306 by Rice Brothers Corp., East Boothbay, Maine, and commissioned 20 January 1944, Lt. (j.g.) K. B. Roberts in command.' Departed Boston 6 February 1944 for shakedown off Norfolk; reported to Bermuda for minesweeping duty 16 April 1944; departed for California 18 July 1945; arrived San Pedro via the Canal 14 August; after extensive repairs arrived Pearl Harbor 2 January 1946; returned to the United States 5 February 1946; sailed 7 April 1946 for the East Coast via the Panama Canal; arrived Charleston harbor 1 May 1946 and began training/readiness operations with Mine Force, Atlantic Fleet, from Charleston to Panama City and Key West, Fla., and occasionally as far north as Argentia, Newfoundland, including Caribbean amphibious exercises February 1950 and operations off Onslow Bay, N.C., November 1954. 'She was named Goldfinch (AMS-12) 17 February 1947. Her designation was changed to MSO(O)-12 [sic - correct designation MSC(O)-12], 7 February 1955.' Sailed Charleston to Philadelphia 15 July 1957, arrived 18 July, decommissioned 11 October 1957, placed in the Philadelphia Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet, 'struck from the Navy List 1 November 1957 and sold 2 June 1960 to the Maine Vocational Technical Institute.' Spec block: dp. 270; l. 136'; b. 24'6"; dr. 8'; s. 13 k.; cpl. 50; a. 1 3"; cl. YMS-136.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1960
- Population
- Rice Brothers construction trades (1942-44); YMS-306 crew (1944-57)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; contains no asbestos or material-content information. Commissioning CO 'Lt. (j.g.) K. B. Roberts' conflicts with the NavSource CO roster (LT Richard A. Knapp, USNR, as first CO) - see ev-uss-yms-306-08. Struck date reads '1 November 1957' here vs 2 November on NavSource/uboat.net. Live NHHC page 404s; archived capture is the verified text.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-306-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, Goldfinch (MSC[O] 12) ex-AMS-12 ex-YMS-306 - designation timeline, specifications, commanding-officer roster, post-Navy ownership chain, reef disposition (verified live 2026-10-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19306.htm header timeline block, specifications block, commanding-officer table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 7 September 1942 by Rice Brothers Corp., Boothbay, ME; launched 27 November 1942; completed 18 January 1944; commissioned USS YMS-306 20 January 1944; decommissioned 2 January 1947; named Goldfinch and reclassified Auxiliary Minesweeper AMS-12 17 February 1947; reclassified Coastal Minesweeper (Old) MSC(O)-12 7 February 1955; decommissioned 11 October 1957 at Philadelphia, PA; struck from the Navy Register 2 November 1957; sold in 1961 to the Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute of South Portland, ME for use as a fishing boat and renamed Aqualab; acquired 1972 by Peter G. Bryant of Portland, ME; acquired 1973 by Aqualab Off-Shore-Fisheries of South Portland; advertised for sale in 1977 needing salvage after sinking to deck level in Piscataway Creek, Fort Washington, MD; purchased 1978 by Captain Bott of Bott Marine International (BMI), salvaged and renamed Maida Lee for use as a BMI base of operations at Key West, FL; sunk as part of the Key West Gulfside artificial reef system. Specifications: 270 t., 136', 24'6" beam, 8' draft, 13 kts, complement 32; armament one 3"/50 DP mount, two 20mm, two depth-charge projectors; propulsion two 1,000shp GM 8-268A diesels, Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts. CO roster: LT Richard A. Knapp USNR (Jan-Mar 1944), LT William Wilson Turner USNR (Mar 1944-Sep 1945), LTJG Kenneth R. Roberts USNR (Sep-Dec 1945), LTJG Russell F. Apitz USNR (Dec 1945-Jun 1946), ENS John Evan Hart USN (Jun 1946), LT Robert Dale Wood USN (1950-Sep 1951), LT G. P. Maskas USN (Sep 1951-Jun 1952), LTJG Hexter Amos Williams USN (Jun 1952-). Page includes a ship-specific photo of YMS-306 (Joe Radigan) and a c.mid-1956 photo of MSC(O)-12 entering Havana harbor (Rob Benson).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1985
- Population
- Rice Brothers construction trades (1942-44); crew (1944-57); civilian owners/salvors (1960-85, incl. 1978 BMI salvage of a sunken hull); reef-site contractors (1985)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track NVR/DANFS but four conflicts exist against DANFS/other sources (launch year, struck date, sale year, complement) plus an uncorroborated 'decommissioned 2 January 1947' line - all carried in ev-uss-yms-306-08 and gaps. Contains no asbestos content; no hazmat or material record for the 1978 salvage or 1985 reef preparation was located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-306-02
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[4]National Archives Special List 44, List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947 (Claudia Bradley, Michael Kurtz, et al., comp., Washington DC 1978) - YMS-306 entry (scan verified via Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center mirror, image /nara/images/narasl44/550.jpg, printed page 518) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Special List 44, 'Ships with Symbol and Number Designations,' printed p. 518, YMS-306 row (ACPL scan image 550)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's published finding aid inventories four logbooks for YMS-306 covering 20 January 1944 - 30 June 1945 (read directly from the scanned page: 'YMS-306 ... Jan. 20, 1944-June 30, 1945 ... 4'). The coverage window spans her commissioning through Bermuda minesweeping duty and the start of Pacific transit - the logs are the primary ship-specific record of this hull's WWII operations.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-01-20 to 1945-06-30 (log coverage)
- Population
- YMS-306 crew during the logged period
- Limitations
- Inventory-level record: establishes that four logbooks exist in NARA custody covering the stated span - it is an archival lead, not a digitized record; the logbooks themselves are not online and were not read. SL44's coverage ends in 1947, so post-June-1945 logs (Pearl Harbor transit, Charleston Mine Force years, AMS-12/MSC(O)-12 period) are outside this finding aid's scope and their custody status is unverified. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-306-03
-
[5]Era inference built on: DANFS spec block and NavSource ship page (wooden hull; 2 x GM 8-268A diesels, Snow & Knobstedt reduction gear, 2 shafts, 13 kts); NavSource YMS class index ('wood-hulled YMS', 481 completed across 35 yacht yards, GM 8-268A diesel engines, complement 33); Shipbuilding History YMS/AMS tables (Rice Brothers yard list; AMS-12 row); GAO HRD-80-2 (see ev-uss-yms-306-05) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19idx.htm class spec block and narrative; NavSource 11/19306.htm specifications; shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/minesweepers3.htm AMS table and /shipyards/yachtsmall/riceme.htm yard table
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A wooden-hulled diesel motor minesweeper completed January 1944 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were diesel exhaust and machinery lagging, gaskets and valve packing, electrical insulation, and brake linings on deck machinery. As a diesel-driven wooden craft she carried no steam plant and a small complement - the boiler/turbine lagging and extensive pipework pathways of steam combatants do not apply, materially bounding (but not eliminating) any era-consistent asbestos presence.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1985
- Population
- Rice Brothers construction trades (1942-44); crew (1944-57); yard/base trades during availabilities (Charleston, Norfolk, Philadelphia, San Pedro 1945 repairs); 1978 salvors; 1985 reef-prep workers
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or maintenance record located for YMS-306. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity; no manufacturer attribution. The confined-spaces dynamic of a 136-foot vessel applies if asbestos products were present. Does not establish individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-306-04
-
[6]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 (1942-44) and Navy service era (1944-57).
- 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-306-05
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[7]EPA/MARAD, National Guidance: Best Management Practices for Preparing Vessels Intended To Create Artificial Reefs, EPA842-B-06-002 (notice of availability, 71 Fed. Reg. 27716, 12 May 2006); guidance text at epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-09/documents/artificialreefguidance.pdf [federal_register]
- Locator
- 71 Fed. Reg. 27716 (E6-7274); EPA guidance PDF pp. materials-of-concern section
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- The joint EPA/MARAD national guidance for preparing vessels for artificial reefs (developed under FY2004 NDAA s.3516) identifies asbestos among materials of environmental concern to be addressed in pre-sinking cleanup, and requires the Navy to prepare stricken vessels reefed under the program in accordance with the BMPs. This hull was sunk as part of the Key West Gulfside artificial reef system in April 1985 - roughly two decades before the guidance existed - so whether any asbestos-containing material was removed before sinking is undocumented; 1980s reef preparation addressed fuels/oils, not a national asbestos standard.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 2006 (guidance); 1985 (this hull's sinking)
- Population
- Reef-prep workers (1985); post-2006 reef program context
- Limitations
- Regulatory context only: describes the post-2006 framework, not what was done to this hull in 1985. Establishes neither presence nor removal of asbestos aboard. The 1985 reefing date itself rests on secondary sourcing (Wikipedia; NavSource confirms the reef fact without a date).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-306-06
-
[8]Batch-8933 search ledger (this record): DANFS via archived NHHC page + hazegray transcription; NavSource ship page and class index; NARA Special List 44 scan (ACPL mirror); Shipbuilding History yard and AMS tables; Naval Vessel Register; EPA/Federal Register reef guidance; CourtListener API v4 (partially paced - see ledger); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-yms-306-01 through sl-uss-yms-306-14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum record, or verified litigation naming YMS-306 / Goldfinch / AMS-12 / MSC(O)-12 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener base queries 'USS Goldfinch' (opinions and dockets) and 'YMS-306' (dockets) returned zero results; 'YMS-306' (opinions) could not be completed - the lane was denied by fleet pacing on ~8 spaced retries over ~80 minutes and is logged as blocked, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced only law-firm marketing material (mesotheliomaveterans.org minesweeper list names 'USS Goldfinch'; mesothelioma.com's minesweeper table attaches 'USS Goldfinch' to AM-77 - a different hull - illustrating the name collision) asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - 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 marketing-page listicles frequently conflate this hull with Goldfinch (AM-77). The deck logs (SL44, 4 logbooks), builder work packages, and any 1985 reef-prep records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-306-07
-
[9]Source cross-check: NHHC DANFS (archived 2023-10-01) vs hazegray DANFS transcription (Wayback 2024-05-26) vs NavSource 11/19306.htm vs uboat.net ship/9726 vs Wikipedia USS Goldfinch (AMS-12) vs Shipbuilding History tables [other_primary]
- Locator
- Per-row comparison across the cited sources; SL44 printed p.518
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTIONS AND CONFLICTS LOGGED: (a) Struck date - NHHC DANFS text reads 1 November 1957; NavSource and uboat.net carry 2 November 1957; the hazegray DANFS transcription also reads 2 November, diverging from the NHHC original (transcription error). DANFS value carried. (b) Launch - uboat.net 27 November 1943 vs NavSource 27 November 1942 (one-year difference); sister-hull delivery cadence at Rice Brothers (YMS-303 Aug 1943, YMS-304 Oct 1943, YMS-305 Nov 1943, YMS-307 Feb 1944) favors 1943 but neither is primary. (c) Completed/commissioned - NavSource 'completed 18 January 1944, commissioned 20 January 1944' vs uboat.net 'commissioned 18 Jan 1944'; DANFS and SL44 log-coverage start support 20 January. (d) Sale - DANFS 'sold 2 June 1960 to the Maine Vocational Technical Institute' vs NavSource 'sold in 1961 to the Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute of South Portland.' (e) Complement - DANFS spec block 50 vs NavSource ship page 32 vs NavSource class index 33. (f) NavSource carries 'decommissioned 2 January 1947' - uncorroborated by the DANFS continuous-service narrative (she arrived Pearl Harbor 2 January 1946 and operated from Charleston thereafter). (g) DANFS commissioning CO 'Lt. (j.g.) K. B. Roberts' vs NavSource roster listing LT Richard A. Knapp first and LTJG Kenneth R. Roberts third (Sep-Dec 1945). (h) DANFS printed text carries 'MSO(O)-12' - the correct 1955 designation is MSC(O)-12 (Coastal Minesweeper, Old), as the hazegray transcription's inline correction and NavSource both reflect.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1961 (milestones at issue)
- Limitations
- Corrects circulating transcription and compilation discrepancies; none is a material or asbestos claim. The one-year launch conflict and the NavSource-only 1947 decommissioning line remain unresolved in gaps. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-306-08