Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]research packet 1052-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-325-yms325-pkt-1052-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, YMS-325 page - build data, specifications, CO, call sign, disposal dates [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19325.htm header block, specifications block, commanding-officers table, photo caption
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull (YMS-1 class auxiliary motor minesweeper): laid down 22 July 1943 by the Al Larson Boat Shop, Inc., Terminal Island, CA; launched 11 January 1944; completed 7 April 1944; struck from the Naval Register 5 March 1947; transferred to the War Shipping Administration in May 1947; sold 16 January 1948; 'fate unknown.' Specifications: 270 t.; 136' x 24'6" x 8'; 15 kts; complement 32; one 3"/50 DP mount, two 20mm mounts, two depth-charge projectors; two General Motors 8-268A diesel engines (printed '880bhp'), Snow & Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts. Call sign NQBZ. Commanding officer: LT J. N. Ferguson, USNR (1945). One photograph: moored alongside LCI(L)-1011. Page states 'There is no DANFS History currently available for YMS-325.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- Al Larson construction trades (1943-44); crew (design complement 32)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track official sources but shipbuildinghistory prints a conflicting 'struck 1946' (see gaps). 'Completed 7 April 1944' is carried as the in-service/commissioning-equivalent date for a small craft (uboat.net prints 'Commissioned'; SL44 log coverage begins the same day). The '880bhp' engine rating conflicts with class references (2 x 440 bhp) - carried in gaps. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-325-yms325-01
-
[3]uboat.net Allied Warships of WWII, USS YMS-325 (YMS-325) - build dates, commissioned/stricken/sold dates; corroborated by nauticapedia.ca vessel 79997 (wood hull, Al Larson build, USN 1943-47, WSA transfer 1947, sold 16 Jan 1948) [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship/9744 warship record table (Ordered/Laid down/Launched/Commissioned/History rows)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- uboat.net record for this hull: ordered 11 April 1942; laid down 22 July 1943 by Al Larson Boat Shop Inc. (Terminal Island, California); launched 11 January 1944; 'Commissioned 7 Apr 1944'; 'Stricken on 5 March 1947'; 'Sold on 16 January 1948.' Corroborates the NavSource milestone dates and supplies the contract order date. nauticapedia (BC heritage-vessel database) independently corroborates: built 1944 by Al Larson Boat Shop Inc., Terminal Island CA, wood hull, USN ownership 1943-1947, WSA transfer 1947, sale 16 January 1948; its fate fields print 'Registry closed / Shipwreck' without a named fate.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- construction trades (1943-44)
- Limitations
- Secondary reference works (uboat.net Allied Warships; nauticapedia), not primary registries - the 'ordered 11 April 1942' contract date rests on this compilation alone and is flagged partial. 'Commissioned' vs NavSource 'Completed' is a terminology difference for a small craft placed in service the same day. nauticapedia page blocked curl (403) but loaded via firecrawl this session. No asbestos content; no service narrative beyond dates.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-325-yms325-02
-
[4]Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, NAVPERS 15,790 (rev. 1953), Part IV - Campaign and Service Medals, engagement participation lists (NHHC online reading room) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Awards Manual Part IV, 'List of Authorized Operations and Engagements' - YMS-section table under 'YMS 325:'; engagement-name table (P30-2, P34-1, P207-3, P207-18 definitions)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official Navy awards documentation of this hull's WWII operations. Under 'YMS 325:' the manual credits: 6 Sep 44 - 14 Oct 44, P30-2 (capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands); 25 Mar 45 - 30 Jun 45, P34-1 (assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto); 7 Oct 45 - 25 Oct 45, P207-3 (Nagoya, Honshu area - post-surrender minesweeping); 6 Nov 45 - 22 Dec 45, P207-18 (Fukuoka, Kyushu-Korea area - post-surrender minesweeping). Documents combat-area minesweeping at Palau and Okinawa and occupation-duty minesweeping in Japanese home waters.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Crew, 1944-45 combat and occupation operations
- Limitations
- Award-eligibility credit, not a narrative history - establishes presence and participation credit in each operation, not the hull's specific actions within it. Star counts are not restated here; the record carries the credited engagements as listed. No asbestos or material content. Page serves 404 to non-browser user agents (verified live 2026-10-04 with browser UA).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-325-yms325-03
-
[5]Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, NAVPERS 15,790 (rev. 1953), Part II - Unit Awards, Navy Unit Commendation Group I ship list (NHHC online reading room) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Awards Manual Part II, Navy Unit Commendation (Group I) alphabetical ship roll, 'USS YMS 325' entry (p. 21 area of the printed list)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official Navy awards documentation: the Navy Unit Commendation (Group I) roll lists 'USS YMS 325: 12 Sept - 10 Nov 44 - Western Carolines.' Documents that this hull earned the Navy Unit Commendation for service in the Western Carolines during the September-November 1944 window covering the Palau operation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944
- Population
- Crew, September-November 1944
- Limitations
- Unit-award listing only: the manual prints ship, date range, and location - not the citation text or the specific action honored. The Western Carolines window overlaps her credited P30-2 southern Palau participation. No asbestos content. Page serves 404 to non-browser user agents (verified live 2026-10-04 with browser UA).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-325-yms325-04
-
[6]Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, NAVPERS 15,790 (rev. 1953), Part IV - Navy Occupation Service Medal and China Service Medal (Extended) eligibility table (NHHC online reading room) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Awards Manual Part IV, NOSM/China Service (Extended) eligibility table, YMS section, 'YMS 325' row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official Navy awards documentation: the Navy Occupation Service Medal eligibility table lists 'YMS 325 | 7 Oct - 15 Dec 45 | A' - occupation-service eligibility for 7 October - 15 December 1945 in the Asia area, consistent with her credited post-surrender minesweeping at Nagoya (P207-3) and Fukuoka (P207-18).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Crew, October-December 1945
- Limitations
- Eligibility-table entry only: establishes the credited service window and Asia clasp, not continuous presence or specific anchorages beyond the engagement codes. The NOSM medal itself and clasp rules are described on the NHHC NOSM page. No asbestos content. Page serves 404 to non-browser user agents (verified live 2026-10-04 with browser UA).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-325-yms325-05
-
[7]U.S. Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945 (NHHC online reading room) - minecraft listing with commanding officers [other_primary]
- Locator
- US Pacific Fleet Organization 1 May 1945, minecraft/YMS listing (printed pp. 134-136 area), 'YMS 325' row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official fleet organization chart: 'YMS 325 | Lt. J. N. Ferguson (USNR)' appears in the Pacific Fleet minecraft (motor minesweeper) listing as of 1 May 1945 - mid-Okinawa-operation, matching her credited P34-1 participation. The same CO appears in NavSource's commanding-officers table (1945).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Crew under Lt. J. N. Ferguson USNR, May 1945
- Limitations
- Assignment snapshot only: the chart's division-annotation column is blank for this hull - squadron/division assignment is NOT asserted from this source (see gaps). Documents presence in the Pacific Fleet minecraft establishment and the named CO, nothing further. No asbestos content. Page serves 404 to non-browser user agents (verified live 2026-10-04 with browser UA).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-325-yms325-06
-
[8]NARA Special List #44, List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947 (by ship number) - YMS-325 entry [other_primary]
- Locator
- SL-44 by-ship-number PDF, p. 118, 'YMS-325 | 4/7/1944 - 12/31/1945'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's official inventory of Navy logbooks lists a deck-log set for this hull: 'YMS-325 | 4/7/1944 - 12/31/1945' (PDF p. 118). The coverage window matches her 7 April 1944 in-service date and runs through her post-surrender Japanese-waters minesweeping period. These logs are the primary archival lead for this hull's day-to-day operations; they are not in NARA's digitized online deck-log collections.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Crew (recorded population of the log volumes)
- Limitations
- Inventory entry only - establishes that deck logs for the stated coverage exist in NARA custody, not their contents. Log entries documenting yard availabilities, material handling, or personnel cannot be read without pulling the logs; no asbestos content. Coverage ends 31 December 1945 - post-1945 logs (1946 through inactivation) are not inventoried here.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-325-yms325-07
-
[9]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (wooden-hulled YMS-1 class, diesel propulsion, no steam plant); shipbuildinghistory yard table (Al Larson wooden minesweeper construction); WWII-era asbestos supply reservation for shipbuilding (as in ss-jeremiah-obrien ev-01); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-era documentation (ev-09) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; shipbuildinghistory YMS table (Al Larson section)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A wooden-hulled, diesel-powered motor minesweeper of WWII construction carries a narrower asbestos-relevant plant than steam vessels: no boilers, no steam lines, no turbine lagging pathway. Era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were limited to diesel engine and exhaust lagging, machinery gaskets and valve packing, electrical insulation, and friction material (winch/windlass brake linings). WWII construction fell within the period when the federal government had reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- Al Larson construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-47); disposal/scrapping workers (1948+)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for YMS-325. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; the wooden hull itself eliminates several steam-ship pathways. No quantity, no manufacturer attribution, no present-day presence established.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-325-yms325-08
-
[10]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 (1943-44) and service era (1944-47).
- 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 - and the finding concerns Navy ship insulation broadly, while this wooden diesel craft's insulation load was limited. 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-325-yms325-09
-
[11]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation, njscuba mirror), Al Larson Boat Shop yard table + us-navy-small/ym/ Yard Minesweepers table - builder and contract-run corroboration [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory us-comm-small/larson/ build table (YMS-320 through YMS-325 rows); us-navy-small/ym/ summary table, YMS-325 row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Yard-level documentation: Al Larson Boat Shop was established in 1903 by Peter Adolph (Al) Larson on Terminal Island at the entrance of Fish Harbor, Los Angeles Harbor (San Pedro side); the yard's build table shows a consecutive U.S. Navy minesweeper run - YMS-320, -321, -322, -323, -324, and this hull YMS-325 (type 'minesweeper', 136 ft, 320d, completed 7 Apr 1944) - six sister hulls from the same small yard. The ym/ summary table prints 'struck 1946' for this hull.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1903; 1942-1944
- Population
- Al Larson yard workers (1942-44 contract run)
- Limitations
- Private secondary compilation, not a primary registry - yard-history details (est. 1903, Fish Harbor) rest on this source alone and are flagged partial; the build-date and sister-hull data corroborate NavSource/uboat.net. The 'struck 1946' disposition conflicts with NavSource/uboat.net '5 March 1947' - carried in gaps. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-325-yms325-10
-
[12]Batch-8954 search ledger (this record): NavSource; uboat.net; NHHC Awards Manual pt2/pt4 + Pacific Fleet organization + NOSM page; NARA SL44 PDF and digitized-logs check; shipbuildinghistory YMS and Al Larson yard tables; nauticapedia; GAO product page; CourtListener (partial); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-yms-325-yms325-01 through -11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS YMS-325 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener partial: the "USS YMS-325" opinion-corpus query completed (HTTP 200, count=0 - no opinion document contains the phrase); the remaining three required base queries (exact-name docket, bare-hull opinion, bare-hull docket) could not be run - helper-enforced fleet pacing on every attempt after the first success; logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as negative results. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material is the usual law-firm marketing listicle class - 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 the litigation repository search is partially open (1 of 4 base queries run; docket index and bare-hull queries unrun). Deck logs (NARA SL44 inventory), Al Larson yard records, and any 1947-48 disposal/sale file are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-325-yms325-11