Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 1060-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-372-yms372-pkt-1060-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Hummer (YMS-372) - construction, WWII minesweeping service, reserve/recommissioning timeline, JMSDF transfer, battle stars (live NHHC page verified 2026-10-04) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Hummer' entry, YMS-372 section and spec block; canceled-hull entries above it
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: launched as YMS-372 23 December 1943 by Weaver Shipyards, Orange, Tex.; commissioned 28 March 1944. After shakedown and operational training in early 1945, departed the US to sweep mines and patrol between Okinawa and Japan 29 June - 31 July; swept mines on the coasts of Japan and Korea until 21 February 1946, then departed for the West Coast. Decommissioned 23 June [1946], joined Pacific Reserve Fleet; recommissioned 3 November 1950 in support of the UN commitment in Korea; training and readiness on the West Coast between San Diego and San Francisco until decommissioned at Long Beach 13 November 1953; reclassified MSC(O)-20 17 February 1955 (NavSource carries 7 February - see gaps); transferred to the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force 29 January 1959. 'Hummer received three battle stars for her service in World War II.' Spec block: dp. 215; l. 136'; b. 24'6"; dr. 6'; s. 13 k.; cpl. 50; a. 1 3". The same DANFS page documents two separate canceled hulls that also bore the name: Hummer (AM-367), canceled 6 June 1944 at Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Co., Seattle; and Hummer (AM-401), canceled 11 August 1945 at Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Mich.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1959 (entry coverage)
- Population
- Weaver Shipyards construction trades (1942-44); crew (1944-46, 1950-53); JMSDF crew (1959-?)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. DANFS's Japanese-service name 'Ninoshima' conflicts with NavSource/Jane's 'Moroshima (MSC-663)' - Ninoshima was ex-Lark (YMS-376); treated as a DANFS error, see ev-07. DANFS does not give the laid-down date (NavSource does) and dates the MSC(O) reclassification 17 February 1955 vs NavSource's 7 February - both variants logged in gaps. 'Three battle stars' is stated without a named-operation list.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-372-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, Hummer (MSC[O] 20) ex-AMS-20 ex-YMS-372 - designation timeline, specifications, commanding officers, JMSDF identity (live navsource.net page verified 2026-10-04; navsource.org domain is dead) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19372.htm header block, specifications block, commanding-officers list, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 11 December 1942 by Weaver Shipyards, Orange, TX; launched 23 December 1943; completed and commissioned USS YMS-372 28 March 1944; decommissioned 23 June 1946 at San Diego, CA (Naval Vessel Register of 1 January 1949 lists plan for decommissioning and placing in reserve as February 1947); named Hummer and reclassified Motor Minesweeper AMS-20 18 February 1947; recommissioned 3 November 1950; decommissioned 13 November 1953 at Long Beach, CA; reclassified Coastal Minesweeper (Old) MSC(O)-20 7 February 1955; struck from the Naval Register 12 February 1959; transferred to Japan 29 January 1959 and renamed Moroshima (MSC 663); fate unknown. Specifications: displacement 270 t.; length 136'; beam 22'9"; draft 6'3"; speed 14.5 kts.; complement 50; armament one 3"/50 dual purpose mount and two 20mm mounts; propulsion two 880bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines, Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts. Commanding officers: LTJG William Dempsey Randell (1950 - June 1952); LTJG Thomas Benton Parks (June 1952 - 1953). Photographs include a 1943-45 crew-member photo of YMS-372 (by Michael Pasterik EM1/c) and a c.1961 JDS Moroshima (MSC 663) photo credited to the 1967/1968 edition of Jane's Fighting Ships.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1959
- Population
- Weaver construction trades (1942-44); crew (1944-46, 1950-53); JMSDF crew (1959 onward)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - dates generally track NVR/DANFS but conflict with DANFS on three points (name/reclass date 18 vs 17 February 1947; MSC(O) reclass 7 vs 17 February 1955; Japanese name Moroshima vs Ninoshima) and on specs (270 t. vs 215; beam 22'9" vs 24'6"; 14.5 vs 13 kts.) - see gaps. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-372-02
-
[4]National Archives Special List 44, 'List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947' (Washington, DC, 1978), 'Ships with Symbol and Number Designations' section - logbook inventory for YMS-372 (verified against the page image in the ACPL Genealogy Center mirror of the NARA publication) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Special List 44 printed p. 521, 'Ships with Symbol and Number Designations' (YMS section); ACPL mirror http://genealogycenter.net/nara/speciallists/viewpage_narasl44.php?realpage=2790&display=553
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA inventory documents six logbooks for USS YMS-372 spanning 28 March 1944 - 30 November 1945 (printed p. 521 of Special List 44, row 'YMS-372 | Mar. 28, 1944-Nov. 30, 1945 | 6'). The coverage begins on the commissioning date and ends during the postwar Japan/Korea minesweeping period. These logs (RG 24) are the primary on-board record set for her WWII service - locations, weather, personnel movements, and operations are documented there, not yet digitized-verified in this session.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-03-28 to 1945-11-30 (inventoried coverage)
- Population
- YMS-372 crew (1944-45)
- Limitations
- Finding aid only: SL44 establishes that six logbooks exist and their date span, not their contents - no page of the logs themselves was read. Coverage ends 30 November 1945, so postwar sweeping (to 21 February 1946), both reserve periods, Korean-era service, and the JMSDF transfer fall outside the inventoried span. NARA hosts SL44 only as named-vessel web tables for public browsing; the numbered-vessel entry was verified via the ACPL Genealogy Center's page-image mirror of the published NARA document (batch source note 'PDF page 120' refers to the PDF pagination of the compiled SL44; the printed page is 521).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-372-03
-
[5]NavSource Online, Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper (YMS) class index - class construction program, subclass variants, 1947/1955 reclassification history (live navsource.net page verified 2026-10-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/19idx.htm 'Auxiliary Motor Minesweepers (YMS)' header narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Class context: the YMS-1 type was a wood-hulled motor minesweeper designed by Henry B. Nevins, Inc., City Island, NY (first keel 4 March 1941); 561 built at 35 small yacht yards (12 East Coast, 19 West Coast, four Great Lakes) - small-yard wooden construction, the category Weaver Shipyards belonged to. YMS-1 through YMS-134 had two stacks; YMS-135 through YMS-445, 480, and 481 (which includes YMS-372) had one - the single-stack subclass. Surviving YMS hulls were reclassified AMS and given names in 1947 (this hull became Hummer/AMS-20), received the MSC(O) symbol in 1955 (changed to MSCO 1967), bore much of the mine-warfare burden in Korea, and served Naval Reserve training into the 1960s; the last in US service (Ruff, ex-YMS-327) was struck November 1969.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1941-1969 (class span)
- Population
- YMS-class construction and operating populations (class context)
- Limitations
- Class-level background from a volunteer secondary compilation; establishes type, construction program, and reclassification pattern, not anything about this hull individually. No asbestos content - used to frame the construction context (wooden hull, diesel plant, small-yard build) that bounds era inference.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-372-04
-
[6]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton), Weaver Shipyards Orange TX yard list - builder identity, yard history, and construction-table row for YMS-372 (live page verified 2026-10-04; secondary compilation) [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com Weaver yard page, yard-history paragraph and construction table row for YMS 372
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Yard context for this hull's builder: Joseph Weaver and Son began 1897 building barges for the Galveston Navigation District, was primarily a repair facility until WWII, and took Navy contracts for wooden minesweepers and subchasers in 1941-42; the yard's construction table carries 'YMS 372 | US Navy | Minesweeper | 278 | | 28-Mar-44' - corroborating the builder identity and the 28 March 1944 completion/commissioning date. Weaver's documented YMS production ran YMS-66 through YMS-75, YMS-247 through YMS-258, and YMS-371 through YMS-374 (twenty-six hulls, YMS-372 included).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1944 (build window)
- Population
- Weaver Shipyards construction trades (1941-45)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation, used for builder corroboration only. The same yard-list row carries an incorrect Japanese identity ('Ninoshima (MCS 662)') and year (1955) - Ninoshima was ex-Lark/YMS-376; this conflicts with NavSource/Jane's 'Moroshima (MSC-663), 1959' and is analyzed at ev-07. Weaver Shipyards is not an Atlas shipyards.json entry - no yard-level asbestos data linked. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-372-05
-
[7]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (two GM 8-268A diesels, reduction gear, two shafts - diesel plant, no steam); NavSource YMS class index (wood-hulled type built at 35 small yacht yards); GAO HRD-80-2 (see ev-08) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block (propulsion); NavSource YMS class index (wood hull, yacht-yard construction); GAO HRD-80-2 (era documentation)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A wood-hulled, diesel-powered motor minesweeper built 1942-44 at a small Texas yacht-yard type facility sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a small diesel craft of this type and period were engine and exhaust lagging, gaskets in fuel/oil/exhaust flanges, valve packing, and electrical insulation. As a diesel vessel she carried no boilers or steam system - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam ships does not apply, and inferred scope is materially smaller than for steam vessels of the era.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1959
- Population
- Weaver construction trades (1942-44); crew (1944-46, 1950-53); JMSDF crew and any JMSDF-yard maintainers (1959 onward)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or fitting-out record located for YMS-372. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. Wooden-hull construction bounds but does not eliminate the inference (auxiliary systems, wiring, and flanged joints still used gaskets/packing/insulation of the era).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-372-06
-
[8]Name-identity cross-check: DANFS Hummer entry ('serving as Ninoshima'); NavSource 11/19372.htm (Moroshima MSC 663, Jane's Fighting Ships 1967/68 photo); shipbuildinghistory Weaver yard list ('Ninoshima (MCS 662)') vs shipbuildinghistory minesweeper disposition table ('Moroshima (MSC 663)'); public record for JDS Ninoshima MSC-662 (ex-USS Lark, AMS-23/YMS-376) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS Hummer entry; NavSource 11/19372.htm; shipbuildinghistory.com Weaver page and minesweepers3.htm table; JDS Ninoshima MSC-662 record (ex-Lark)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: DANFS says this hull served the JMSDF 'as Ninoshima,' and the Colton Weaver-yard list similarly carries 'Ninoshima (MCS 662)'. Both conflate her with her near-sister: JDS Ninoshima (MSC-662) was ex-USS Lark (AMS-23, ex-YMS-376), a different hull transferred to Japan 14 February 1959. This hull's documented Japanese identity is JDS Moroshima (MSC-663) - carried by NavSource (with a c.1961 photograph credited to Jane's Fighting Ships 1967/68) and by Colton's own minesweeper disposition table. Transfer date 29 January 1959; struck from the US Naval Register 12 February 1959; ultimate fate unknown.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1959 (transfer)
- Population
- JMSDF crew (1959 onward)
- Limitations
- Corrects a circulating identity error in DANFS and one Colton table, not a material claim. Moroshima rests on NavSource/Jane's/Colton secondary sourcing rather than a JMSDF primary register; the 'fate unknown' endpoint means Japanese-service disposition is undocumented. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-372-07
-
[9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (published Oct 18, 1979; publicly released Oct 22, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (Highlights section)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO reviewed the Navy's efforts to protect workers from asbestos exposure at the Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards, including the use of asbestos in Navy ships, the cost of removing asbestos, and compensation programs for asbestos-related disabilities - documenting that asbestos insulation was used aboard Navy ships across the era that covers this hull's construction (1942-44), service (1944-46, 1950-53), and disposal (1959). The Navy's 1975 policy removed/replaced only damaged insulation or insulation requiring removal for repairs; in 1979 it was modified to selectively replace asbestos insulation in high-maintenance areas.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1975-1979 (policy window); covers era of this hull's construction and service
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull - YMS-372 is not named, and the surveyed yards (Long Beach, Norfolk NSY) are not documented as having performed work on this vessel (her 1953 decommissioning was 'at Long Beach' per DANFS, facility unspecified). Direct curl to gao.gov returned HTTP 403; content verified via firecrawl extraction of the live product page.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-372-08
-
[10]Batch-9006 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS live; NavSource vessel and class pages (navsource.net); NARA Special List 44 via ACPL scan mirror; GAO HRD-80-2 product page; shipbuildinghistory Weaver yard list and minesweeper disposition table; NARA catalog API probe; CourtListener (fleet-paced, unsearched); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-yms-372-01 through -10
- 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-372 / USS Hummer (AMS-20/MSC(O)-20) was found in the public sources searched. CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - the authenticated helper was refused on every attempt (fleet-wide pacing budget momentarily spent, ~58/hr shared across sessions) - logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result. The only 'asbestos aboard' material surfaced in secondary sweeps is law-firm/aggregator listicle content 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 the litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (fleet-paced, not run). Deck logs (SL44: six logbooks, 1944-45), Weaver work packages, and JMSDF-era maintenance records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-372-09