Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 1065-packet.md (4 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED. Two independent shipyard-history sources record
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-yms-405-yms405-pkt-1065-packet-md
-
[2]U.S. Navy, Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, 1945, Vol. III (NAVSHIPS 250-012), Motor Mine Sweepers (YMS) table, p. 542 (shipscribe.com scan) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels 1945 Vol. III, p. 542, 'MOTOR MINE SWEEPERS (YMS)' table, row 'YMS405'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The Bureau of Ships' official 1945 register lists YMS-405 among the motor minesweepers: length 136 ft 0 in, breadth 24 ft 6 in, 1,000 shaft horsepower, built by Henry C. Grebe & Co., with 'diesel reduction' drive remarks; the '1' flag against her row denotes wood construction (table footnote: '1 Wood construction.'). This is the Navy's own wartime register entry for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1945 (register edition)
- Population
- Crew of ~32 (design complement)
- Limitations
- Register entry establishes official identity and principal characteristics only - no service history, no material or insulation data, no asbestos content. Cited via the shipscribe.com scan of NAVSHIPS 250-012; row read from p. 542 (PDF p. 561) directly.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-405-yms405-01
-
[3]National Archives and Records Service, Special List 44: List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947 (ship-number list) [other_primary]
- Locator
- sl-44-ship-number.pdf, PDF page 120, row 'YMS-405 | 11/23/1943 | 12/31/1945' (verified by direct download)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List 44 inventories U.S. Navy deck logs for YMS-405 covering 11/23/1943-12/31/1945 - the log coverage begins on her commissioning date (23 Nov 1943, per NavSource) and runs through the end of 1945. This documents continuous WWII Navy service for this hull from commissioning through the end of the war year, within the RG 24 Bureau of Naval Personnel logbook series (Entry 118).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1945 (log coverage)
- Population
- Crew of YMS-405, 1943-1945
- Limitations
- An inventory of records, not the records themselves - it establishes that deck logs for this hull exist in NARA custody and their date span, not their contents. Coverage dates are log spans, not asserted commissioning/decommissioning dates (though the start date coincides with the documented commissioning). A separate digitized deck-log file unit for YMS-405 was not located in the NARA catalog; log contents unreviewed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-405-yms405-02
-
[4]NARA, RG 38 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories': USS YMS-405 - War Diary, 5/1-31/45 (NAID 633449783); 6/1-30/45 (NAID 101709805); 7/1-31/45 (NAID 83523743); 8/1-31/45 (NAID 77514297) - single-page monthly submissions, digitized (Fold3 scan) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/633449783 (May); /id/101709805 (June); /id/83523743 (July); /id/77514297 (August) - images read directly
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- YMS-405's own war diaries document her mid-1945 Pacific operations. May 1945 (serial 001, submitted 19 June 1945): 'Enroute Corinto, Nicaragua to Pearl Harbor, via Manzanillo, Mexico and San Diego, California in accordance with ComPac SeaFron Order, 22 April 1945 in company with YMS 416, 442 and 468 with OTC in YMS 405' on 1 May; on 7 May she 'Reported Commander, San Diego Shakedown Group for duty as training and towing vessel' under COTCPAC orders of 6 May 1945. June and July 1945 (serials 002-003): operating under San Diego Shakedown Group orders CTG 14.1 the entire months. August 1945 (serial 004): 1 Aug en route San Diego to San Pedro; 2-11 Aug availability at San Pedro; 12-22 Aug en route San Pedro to Pearl Harbor; 22-29 Aug at Pearl Harbor operating under AdCominPac; 29-31 Aug en route Pearl Harbor to Eniwetok under CincPac Pearl order 270133 of August 1945. Commanding officer throughout: Lt. J. K. Farrar, USNR.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- May-August 1945
- Population
- Crew of YMS-405 (Lt. J. K. Farrar USNR commanding; ~30 aboard per muster rolls)
- Limitations
- Single-page monthly cover submissions quoting movements in summary - no day-by-day detail. Only serials 001-004 (May-Aug 1945) were located in the catalog; her earlier service (Nov 1943-Apr 1945) and Sep 1945-Dec 1946 operations are not covered by any located war diary. Establishes operating areas and tasking, not materials aboard - no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-405-yms405-03
-
[5]NARA, RG 24 'Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities': YMS-405, 11/23/43-12/1/46 (NAID 193222801; 195 images, Ancestry scan) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/193222801 - images 00125 (Jul 45 SD-Santa Barbara), 00130 (Jul 45 SD-San Pedro), 00155 (Dec 45 changes), 00185 (Aug 1946 recapitulation) sampled directly
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The ship's muster rolls and reports of changes spanning commissioning through decommissioning are digitized at NARA. Sampled pages document: a July 1945 Report of Changes for sailing 'from SAN DIEGO, CALIF. to SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.' and a second July 1945 report for sailing San Diego to San Pedro (consistent with the August war diary); a Report of Changes for the month ending 1 December 1945 listing ~15 crew by name and rating (November 1945 departures 'To USNH, Navy 3245' and 'To R/S, Navy 3245, FFT', 'To USS SCULPTOR (AK-103)'; one entry received 'From R/S, Navy 3245'); a recapitulation sheet for the period ending 1 August 1946 showing 26 brought forward, no gains, 26 aboard - a crew below the design complement of 32 during the postwar drawdown to decommissioning. (A second recapitulation sheet on the same reel segment carries summary figures but its ship/quarter header fields are blank - undated, not relied on for figures.)
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1946 (coverage); July 1945-December 1946 (digitized segment sampled)
- Population
- Crew of YMS-405 (26 aboard Aug 1946; ~30s implied by design complement and change-report volume)
- Limitations
- The digitized segment of this file unit begins in July 1945 (images ~125-194 of 195); pages for Nov 1943-Jun 1945 are not in the sampled span and their digitization state is unverified. Muster rolls document personnel and port-of-sailing, not materials - no asbestos content. Individual names/ratings are personnel data carried here only to evidence crew size and movement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-405-yms405-04
-
[6]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, YMS-405 page (11/19405) [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.navsource.net/archives/11/19405.htm (verified live 2026-10-04)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource's timeline for this hull: laid down 25 January 1943 by Henry C. Grebe and Co., Chicago, IL; launched 24 August 1943; completed 8 November 1943; commissioned USS YMS-405, 23 November 1943 under LTJG Otto F. Wormsbacher, USNR; decommissioned 1 December 1946; struck from the Naval Register 25 February 1947; transferred to the War Shipping Administration in February 1948; acquired March 1948 by Gulf Coast Seafoods, Inc. of Houston, TX for use as a fishing boat and named Ruby W; registered in 1949 to the Pure Oil Co. of Port Arthur, TX as the miscellaneous vessel Leo Huff II; acquired in 1966 by Standard Products, Inc. of Kilmarnock, VA and renamed Silver Beach out of Reedville, VA; out of documentation in 1986; fate unknown. Spec block: 270 t displacement, 136 ft, 24 ft 6 in beam, 15 kts, complement 32, one 3"/50 mount and two 20mm, two 880 bhp GM 8-268A diesels with Snow and Knobstedt single-reduction gear on two shafts; call sign NPFZ. No DANFS history exists for this vessel.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1986
- Population
- Commissioning crew under LTJG Wormsbacher; later crews under Lt. Farrar
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled archive; no archival citations on page - milestones cross-checked against the BuShips register (builder, dimensions), SL44 (log coverage begins on the stated commissioning date), and the Grebe yard table (delivery 8 Nov 1943). Postwar merchant chain stated without cited registry documents. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-405-yms405-05
-
[7]Shipbuilding History, 'Henry C. Grebe & Company, Chicago IL' construction table (O/N 254840, YMS-405) [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net/us-yacht-small/grebe/ - YMS-405 row (O/N 254840)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The Grebe yard construction table assigns official yard number 254840 to YMS-405: US Navy minesweeper, 320 GT, 136 ft LOA, delivered 8 Nov 1943; note 'struck 1946, sold 1947, Leo Huff II, Silver Beach'. The delivery date matches NavSource's completion date (8 November 1943); the 23 November 1943 commissioning followed delivery by 15 days.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1986
- Population
- Grebe yard workforce (1943); later merchant crews
- Limitations
- Secondary yard-reference tabulation, not a primary record - its 'struck 1946' conflicts with the stricken date of 25 February 1947 (NavSource) and likely uses decommissioning-year shorthand; the sale sequence ('sold 1947') compresses the February 1948 WSA transfer documented by NavSource. Merchant-registry data (320 GT) reflects documented tonnage, not naval displacement (270 t). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-405-yms405-06
-
[8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2
- 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) and service era (1943-1946 Navy; 1948-1986 civilian use).
- 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 has historically blocked automated fetch, HTTP 403 - prior batch sessions; product-page description used). A 136-ft wooden diesel craft carried far less insulation scope than steam-driven steel vessels.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-405-yms405-07
-
[9]Era inference built on: BuShips Ships' Data 1945 register row (wood construction, diesel reduction drive, 1,000 SHP); NavSource spec block (GM 8-268A diesels, no steam plant); class-wide YMS-1 data (wood-hulled 136-ft type built at 35 yacht yards); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-era documentation [other_primary]
- Locator
- ev-01 (BuShips register); ev-05 (NavSource specs); ev-07 (GAO)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A wood-hulled motor minesweeper built 1943 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-consistent applications aboard a diesel-driven small craft of this type and period were engine and exhaust-system lagging, machinery gaskets and packing, valve packing, and electrical insulation. She carried no boilers and no steam system - the boiler/steam-line lagging pathway dominant on steam vessels does not apply to this hull, and asbestos scope aboard a 270-ton wooden YMS was materially smaller than on steam-driven steel vessels.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1986
- Population
- Grebe construction workforce (1943); crew (1943-46); civilian crews (1948-86); any repair/availability trades
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or shipyard record located for YMS-405. Names era-typical applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity; no manufacturer attribution. Whether any of these products were aboard is unestablished.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-405-yms405-08
-
[10]Batch-9043 search ledger (this record): NARA Special List 44; NARA catalog (war diaries, muster rolls); BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. III; NavSource; shipbuildinghistory Grebe table; NHHC/DANFS check; NVR check; CourtListener (see ledger for status); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-yms-405-yms405-01 through sl-uss-yms-405-yms405-14
- 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-405 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). No law-firm/marketing source was located asserting asbestos aboard this specific hull; none was used.
- 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 stands separately. The undigitized deck logs (SL44, RG 24 Entry 118), Grebe yard records, and WSA/merchant documentation are unfollowed leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. COURTLISTENER STATUS: 3 of 4 required base queries completed with count 0 ("USS YMS-405" opinion + docket, "YMS-405" docket); "YMS-405" opinion never executed - fleet pacing budget blocked 45+ paced attempts across ~2 hours (search_ledger sl-10). Three zero-count results establish no CourtListener index hits for the exact-name variants and the hull-number docket; they do not prove absence of litigation the blocked opinion query might have surfaced.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-405-yms405-09