Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
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[1]research packet 1056-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-349-yms349-pkt-1056-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, YMS-349 - construction timeline, specifications, call sign, disposal chain [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19349.htm header block and specifications block; photo captions (San Francisco Bay 1945-46, NH 81016; Thrasher flag photo)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 17 September 1942 by the Gibbs Gas Engine Co., Jacksonville, FL; launched 5 March 1943; completed 16 September 1943 and commissioned USS YMS-349; wartime call sign Nan-Queen-Roger-George; struck from the Naval Register 7 February 1947; transferred to the War Shipping Administration 9 March 1948 and sold to John French of Reedville, VA, renamed Commander (his WWII Navy rank); subsequently sold to the Beaufort By-Products Co. of Beaufort, NC and then to Mayport Fisheries, Inc. of Mayport, FL in 1959; fate unknown. Specifications: 270 t.; 136' length; 24' 6" beam; 8' draft; 15 kts; complement 32; one 3"/50 dual-purpose mount, two 20mm mounts, two depth-charge projectors; two General Motors 8-268A diesel engines (listed 880 bhp), Snow and Knobstedt single-reduction gear, two shafts. NavSource states: 'There is no DANFS History currently available for YMS-349.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1959
- Population
- Gibbs Gas Engine construction trades (1942-43); crew (1943-47); merchant crews 1948-1959+
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates track standard Navy sources but are not independently attested here. Contains no asbestos or material content. NavSource's '880 bhp' per-engine rating conflicts with class references giving 440 bhp per GM 8-268A engine (see gaps). The stricken date predates the August 1947 YMS-to-AMS renamings, consistent with this hull never carrying a name.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-349-01
-
[3]Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, NAVPERS 15,790 (Rev. 1953), Part IV Section 2(16): Area Campaign Medals and Operation and Engagement Stars, World War II - Part IV, List of Ships and Units Eligible for Engagement Stars (verbatim transcription, HyperWar/ibiblio) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Part IV Section 2(16), ship-keyed eligibility table, 'YMS 349' row; engagement legends E5 and P207-9 in the same file
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official Navy awards manual credits this hull by name: 'YMS 349: 6 Jun 44 - 25 Jun 44 | E5; 28 Nov 45 - 2 Mar 46 | P207-9'. Code E5 = 'Invasion of Normandy (including bombardment of Cherbourg)' (European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign engagement star); code P207-9 = 'Kobe (Honshu Area)' under 'Minesweeping Operations Pacific' (Asiatic-Pacific Campaign engagement credit for post-surrender minesweeping in Japanese home waters). This is the official ship-level confirmation of Normandy participation and of postwar occupation-area minesweeping duty off Kobe, Japan.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Crew aboard during Normandy operations (Jun 1944) and Kobe-area minesweeping (Nov 1945 - Mar 1946)
- Limitations
- Establishes campaign/engagement eligibility for the ship, not individual crew awards and not exposure conditions. The P207-9 window (28 Nov 45 - 2 Mar 46) is post-surrender occupation-era minesweeping credited under the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign framework. Transcription host (HyperWar/ibiblio) is a verbatim mirror of the official NAVPERS document.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-349-02
-
[4]uboat.net Allied Warships, USS YMS-349 (YMS-349) - wartime event roster and convoy reconstruction [other_primary]
- Locator
- Ship page 9768: 'Notable events' entries for 5-6 Jun 1944 and 26 Jan - 18 Feb 1945 (LST return convoy No.3)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Event reconstruction for this hull: ordered 13 April 1942 (per the uboat.net data table). On 5 June 1944, motor minesweepers YMS-231, YMS-247, YMS-304 and YMS-349 (Lt. R. L. Neal, USNR) with SC-1321 and PT-71 departed Weymouth about 1720B/5, joined USS Augusta (COMTASKFOR 122 flag, R.Adm. A. G. Kirk) and HMS Bellona, and set course for the Omaha sector, arriving about 0600B/6 June; 'took part in the Normandy landings' 6 June 1944. Return: 'LST return convoy No.3' departed Cawsand Bay, Plymouth, about 0930A 26 January 1945 (ten LSTs, seven YMSs including YMS-349 still under Lt. Neal, and the Norwegian tanker Chr. Th. Boe; escorts USS Gillette and USS Henry R. Kenyon, 'Force 26' joining); about 0430Q/17 February 1945 the Norfolk section (all LSTs, YMS-349, YMS-375) entered the Norfolk swept channel.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Lt. R. L. Neal USNR and crew (Normandy, Jun 1944; Atlantic return, Jan-Feb 1945); convoy crews
- Limitations
- uboat.net is a secondary historical compilation, not an official record - the event-level detail (departure/arrival times, commanding-officer attribution Lt. R. L. Neal USNR) is consistent with but not independently verified against war diaries. No asbestos content. Ordered date 13 Apr 1942 also rests on this source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-349-03
-
[5]Naval History and Heritage Command, photograph NH 81016, 'USS YMS-349. In San Francisco Bay, 1945-46. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1974.' [other_primary]
- Locator
- NHHC NH-series photo page NH 81016
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NHHC holds an official-cataloged photograph of this hull 'in San Francisco Bay, 1945-46' - physical-presence documentation consistent with the ship's transit to the Pacific between the February 1945 Atlantic return and the November 1945 - March 1946 Kobe minesweeping credit.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1945-1946
- Population
- Crew during Pacific transit (1945-46)
- Limitations
- A photograph establishes presence at San Francisco Bay in a broad 1945-46 window; it is not a movement report or work record. No asbestos content. Page verified live 2026-10-04 via firecrawl (direct plain fetch returned 404 to one client - transient; page content confirmed).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-349-04
-
[6]National Archives Special List #44, 'List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947', list by ship number (RG 24 Entry 118 logbooks) [other_primary]
- Locator
- sl-44-ship-number.pdf, PDF page 119, row 'YMS-349 9/17/1943 6/30/1945'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's Special List 44 inventories deck logs for YMS-349 covering 17 September 1943 - 30 June 1945 (PDF p.119, by-ship-number list). Coverage begins the day after commissioning (16 September 1943) and spans the Atlantic transit, UK-based operations, the Normandy invasion period, and the January-February 1945 return convoy. These logs are the primary-source record for reconstructing who was aboard and where the ship operated during the accessioned period.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1945
- Population
- Crew aboard 1943-09-17 through 1945-06-30 (log-covered period)
- Limitations
- An inventory entry, not the logs themselves - the logs are held at NARA (RG 24, Entry 118) and are not digitized online for this hull. The accessioned range ends 30 June 1945: the Pacific transit, Kobe-area minesweeping (Nov 1945 - Mar 1946), and the run-up to the 1947 striking fall outside the SL-44-listed coverage and would be in later accessioned logs (see gaps). Deck logs document ship's position and personnel movements, not materials or asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-349-05
-
[7]U.S. Naval War College Archives, 'USS YMS-349, 1943 Sep 16' - 3.5x5.5 black-and-white photograph, MSC-385 collection (NWC collection of photographs), Box 43, Folder 2, Item 100.9786 [other_primary]
- Locator
- usnwcarchives.org archival_object 255744 (MSC-385, Series I, Sub-Series D, Item 100.9786)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The Naval War College Archives holds a commissioning-day photograph of this hull dated 16 September 1943 - the same date NavSource gives for completion/commissioning. Access is open to researchers.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943
- Population
- Commissioning crew (Sept 1943)
- Limitations
- Archival photograph record only - documents the hull's existence on its commissioning date; no service, material, or asbestos content. Page returned 403 to one fetch client; content verified via firecrawl extraction 2026-10-04.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-349-06
-
[8]ShipbuildingHistory (Tim Colton compilation), Gibbs Gas Engine Works, Jacksonville FL - yard history and hull list [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net/us-comm-small/gibbs/ - yard table row for YMS-349; yard history paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The builder's yard table lists this hull: '255281 | YMS-349 | US Navy | minesweeper | 320d | 136 | 16 Sep 1943 | sold 1948 as Commander' - corroborating the completion date and the 1948 merchant disposal name. Yard context: Gibbs Gas Engine Works (founded 1911) was a prolific builder of small wooden and steel vessels in both World Wars; renamed Gibbs Corporation postwar; sold to Aerojet-General Shipyards in 1964; the yard became part of Jacksonville Shipyards and closed in 1992.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- Gibbs construction trades (1942-43)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of yard records. Displacement shown as 320 tons vs NavSource's 270 tons (see gaps). '255281' appears to be the merchant official number assigned after the 1948 sale. The asbestos litigation history associated with the later Jacksonville Shipyards entity (1960s-1990s successor companies) postdates this hull's construction by two decades and is not evidence about the 1942-43 Gibbs yard. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-349-07
-
[9]Darien Times, 'Robert S. Mitchell is Grand Marshal of Darien's Memorial Day parade' (2018) - WWII veteran service record [reputable_press]
- Locator
- darientimes.com community article, 2018 Memorial Day parade coverage
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Local-press veterans coverage identifies Robert S. Mitchell as a WWII veteran who 'served as an officer on the USS YMS-349 in the Atlantic theater' before serving on YMS-117 in the Pacific - a named-crew data point corroborating the hull's Atlantic-theater service.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1945 (wartime service described)
- Population
- Officer complement, Atlantic theater (wartime)
- Limitations
- Community-news source, not a service record - establishes one officer's claimed service aboard, nothing about ship-wide exposure conditions. No asbestos content; this record makes no exposure claim for any individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-349-08
-
[10]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (2 x GM 8-268A diesels, no steam plant; 136' wooden-hulled YMS-1-class motor minesweeper) and YMS-1 class references (wooden hull, ~270-320 tons, 481 built by 35 small yards); GAO HRD-80-2 for the Navy's documented asbestos-use era [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block (propulsion line); YMS-1 class general characteristics; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A wooden-hulled diesel-powered motor minesweeper built 1942-43 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era. Era-standard applications aboard a small motor vessel of this type and period were engine and exhaust lagging in the machinery space, machinery and piping gaskets, valve and pump packing, and electrical insulation. As a diesel craft with no boilers or steam system, the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of larger combatants does not apply - the asbestos footprint of the YMS type was among the lightest in the WWII fleet, but not zero.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1959
- Population
- Gibbs construction trades (1942-43); engine-room crew (1943-47); merchant crews (1948-1959+)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for YMS-349. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity, no manufacturer attribution for this hull. Wooden-hull construction reduced but did not eliminate asbestos use aboard this type.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-349-09
-
[11]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 (1942-43) and naval service era (1943-47).
- 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. 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-349-10
-
[12]Batch-8980 search ledger (this record): NavSource; NHHC photography (NH 81016); NHHC site search; NARA Special List 44 PDF; NAVPERS 15,790 awards manual (HyperWar); uboat.net; NWC Archives; ShipbuildingHistory yard table; Darien Times; CourtListener (4 base queries); secondary web asbestos sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-yms-349-01 through sl-uss-yms-349-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming USS YMS-349 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener (authenticated API v4, 2026-10-04) returned zero hits on all four required base queries - 'USS YMS-349' opinions, 'USS YMS-349' dockets, 'YMS-349' opinions, 'YMS-349' dockets (--limit 20) - a clean negative result, not a block. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no asbestos content of any kind naming 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 - era-consistent inference remains a reasonable expectation for a 1943-built naval vessel, but it is not ship-proven. Deck logs (NARA RG 24), builder work packages, and WSA disposal records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-349-11