Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]research packet 1080-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-97-yms97-pkt-1080-packet-md
-
[2]National Archives, Special List 44: List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947 (list by ship number) - YMS-97 entries [other_primary]
- Locator
- SL-44 'by Ship Number' PDF, YMS section, three YMS-97 rows; digitized-logs list checked at archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online (no YMS-97 entry)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA inventories three deck-log segments for YMS-97: 14 June 1942 - 31 May 1943; 1 July 1945 - 30 September 1945; and 1 January 1946 - 31 March 1946. Holdings are paper logbooks in Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel (RG 24) at Archives II; YMS-97 does not appear on NARA's list of digitized Navy deck logs.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1942-1946 (logbook coverage)
- Population
- Ship's crew (WWII)
- Limitations
- Log-coverage dates are inventory dates only - not commissioning or decommissioning dates. The 6/1943-6/1945 and 10/1945-12/1945 gaps mean no logbooks for those periods appear in this inventory, not that the vessel was inactive or lost. Establishes existence/location of primary records; contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-97-yms97-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, YMS-97 page - construction/service narrative, specification block, photo credits [other_primary]
- Locator
- YMS-97 archive page, narrative block, specification block, photo table (NH 81376 credit), 'no DANFS history' statement
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- YMS-97: laid down 6 June 1941 by Colberg Boat Works and Stephen Brothers, Stockton, CA; launched 16 February 1942; completed 11 April 1942. Narrative: rushed final completion through 27 April 1942 without sound gear, decks newly caulked; passed degaussing runs and departed San Francisco for Long Beach; joined 11 other YMS and sailed for the South Pacific 16 July 1942; arrived Noumea, New Caledonia 20 August 1942 and swept the harbor between Isle Nou and the lighthouse with a sistership for roughly eight months, recovering one Allied mine while towing a target for the Army. Post-war: in San Francisco Bay, used as a live-aboard by a UC Berkeley student in 1946; struck from the Naval Register 7 February 1947; transferred to the War Shipping Administration February 1948; fate unknown. Specs: 270 t, 136 ft, 24 ft 6 in beam, 8 ft draft, 15 kts, complement 32; 1x3in/50 DP, 2x20mm, 2 depth-charge projectors; two 880 bhp GM 8-268A diesels, Snow & Knobstedt single-reduction gear, two shafts. Page states no DANFS history exists for YMS-97.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1941-1948
- Population
- Ship's crew (1942-1946); post-war civilian occupant (anecdotal)
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled archival repository, not an official Navy source; the service narrative is single-source and uncredited, and the post-war live-aboard detail is anecdotal. Engine rating (880 bhp) conflicts with other compilations - see gaps. Establishes service history only; contains no asbestos or material-content information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-97-yms97-02
-
[4]Naval History and Heritage Command, photo catalog record NH 81376 - 'USS YMS-97' [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC online image catalog, NH 81376 record (Title, Caption, Description, Catalog #)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official NHHC photograph catalog record NH 81376: 'USS YMS-97', captioned 'In San Francisco Bay, 1945-1946', courtesy of D. M. McPherson, 1974. Confirms the hull's post-war presence in San Francisco Bay under official cataloging.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1945-1946
- Limitations
- Photographic catalog record only - establishes identity and approximate location/date window; contains no operational detail and no asbestos or material-content information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-97-yms97-03
-
[5]USS Denver (CL-58) deck log, December 1943 (transcription hosted at hazegray.org; archived copy via Internet Archive Wayback Machine) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Wayback capture 2024-12-28 of hazegray.org/navhist/denver/logdec43.htm; 'Ships present' lists under the 00-04 and 04-08 December 1943 entries
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The December 1943 deck log of USS Denver (CL-58), drydocked in Floating Dry Dock 21 at Segond Channel, Espiritu Santo, lists YMS-97 among 'Ships present' in the harbor in the log entries covering 00-04 December and 04-08 December 1943 - corroborating that YMS-97 remained on station in the South Pacific forward area into late 1943, inside the NARA logbook coverage gap.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1943-12
- Limitations
- ARCHIVED COPY CITED - hazegray.org DNS is currently dead (SERVFAIL, verified 2026-10-05); live page unverifiable this session. Third-party transcription of a primary NARA (RG 24) deck log; transcription errors possible at the source level. A 'ships present' list corroborates station only - it describes no activity, condition, or material aboard YMS-97 and contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-97-yms97-04
-
[6]USS Vestal (AR-4) War Diary, July 1943 and August 1943 - as transcribed/quoted by the diarist's son on the personal blog 'REMNANTS' (marksremnants.blogspot.com, July and August 2013 posts) [other_primary]
- Locator
- marksremnants.blogspot.com posts 'July's routine repairs' (July 2013) and 'August's routine repairs' (August 2013), both citing 'Source: USS Vestal War Diary'; August post at http://marksremnants.blogspot.com/2013/08/
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The USS Vestal (AR-4) war diary, as quoted in secondary transcription, lists YMS-97 among vessels receiving 'routine not alongside repairs' from Vestal at Espiritu Santo in July 1943, and again among vessels given routine repairs there in August 1943 - corroborating continued Espiritu Santo operations during the NARA logbook gap.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1943-07 to 1943-08
- Population
- Repair-ship trades working aboard or alongside the vessel (1943)
- Limitations
- Secondary transcription of a primary NARA-held war diary by a private individual (the diarist's son); treat as a lead to the primary record, not as verified primary content. Names the hull among repair recipients only - does not specify work performed, trades, or materials involved; no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-97-yms97-05
-
[7]Shipbuilding History (T. Colton), 'Yard Minesweepers (YMS and BYMS)' construction table - YMS-97 row [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/ym.htm, YMS table row 'YMS | 97'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Construction-table entry for YMS-97: builder 'Stephens Bros./Colberg BW', Stockton CA; Mk. I design (the two-stack first configuration); completed/delivered 11 April 1942; struck 1947 - corroborating builder, completion date, and strike year from an independent compilation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1941-1947
- Population
- Construction trades, Colberg/Stephens yards, Stockton (1941-1942)
- Limitations
- Secondary shipbuilding compilation, not a government record; table gives no asbestos or material content. 'Struck 1947' is year-level only - the 7 February 1947 date rests on NavSource/uboat.net. Builder name formatting differs from NavSource's 'Colberg Boat Works and Stephen Brothers' - see gaps on the dual-yard attribution.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-97-yms97-06
-
[8]NavSource Online: Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper (YMS) Photo Index - class overview text [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource YMS index page, class narrative paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- YMS-1 class context: wood-hulled auxiliary motor minesweepers designed for inshore sweeping ahead of amphibious assaults; 561 built at 35 yacht yards (19 on the West Coast); all shared the same general characteristics, with YMS-1 through YMS-134 built in the two-stack configuration (YMS-97 falls in this range); surviving YMS hulls were reclassified AMS and named in 1947 - after YMS-97's February 1947 striking, consistent with her never receiving a name.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1941-1969
- Population
- YMS-class crews and builder-yard workers (class context)
- Limitations
- Class-level background only - does not establish anything specific to this hull beyond class membership; no asbestos or material-content information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-97-yms97-07
-
[9]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documenting that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the program and era under which this vessel's class was mass-produced at 35 yards, 1941-1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (era context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation; does not name this vessel or the YMS class and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. DOI resolves to Wiley Online Library (HTTP 403 to automated fetchers; abstract accessible).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-97-yms97-08
-
[10]Era inference built on: NavSource YMS-97 specification block (two GM 8-268A diesels, no steam plant; wooden-hulled class per NavSource YMS index) + era shipbuilding asbestos documentation (Corn & Starr 1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource YMS-97 spec block and YMS index class description; Corn & Starr (ev-08) for era practice
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era-consistent inference for the type: with a wooden hull and twin diesel engines (no boilers, no steam distribution), plausible asbestos applications aboard a YMS-1-class hull are bounded - diesel exhaust lagging, machinery and galley-area insulation, gaskets and valve packing, electrical cable insulation, and friction material (brake linings) on the minesweeping winch. Insulation, gasket, and friction products of the WWII era were commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 1941-1948
- Population
- Construction trades (Stockton, 1941-42); engine room and deck crew; repair-ship personnel (1943-46)
- Limitations
- INFERENCE - no primary source documents asbestos-containing material aboard this specific hull or even the YMS-1 design specifically. The diesel/wooden configuration narrows but does not eliminate the plausible inventory; WWII-era equivalents of these components commonly (not universally) contained asbestos. Does not establish quantity, condition, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-97-yms97-09
-
[11]GAO, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure' (HRD-80-2, 1979) - product page [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (description); full text blocked
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO program-level report documenting Navy awareness and management of asbestos exposure risk in shipyards and aboard vessels - establishes the era's institutional context for asbestos use/abatement in the naval fleet this vessel served in.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- report issued 1979; covers WWII-1970s era
- Population
- Navy shipyard and shipboard workers (program context)
- Limitations
- ACCESS BLOCKED: gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches (confirmed 2026-10-05; standing defect since batch-01). Citation is to the product-page description only; full text not pulled. Program-level context - does not name this vessel or class; supports no hull-specific conclusion.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-97-yms97-10
-
[12]Batch-9180 search ledger (this record): NARA Special List 44 + digitized-logs list; NHHC image catalog and DANFS index; NavSource; shipbuildinghistory.com; uboat.net; hazegray transcription (archived); secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-yms-97-yms97-01 through -13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, casualty/mishap report, or official material-content statement for YMS-97 was found in the sources searched (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-05
- Study period
- 2026-10-05
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - it documents only that nothing ship-specific was located in the sources searched. Litigation status is open if the CourtListener ledger rows show 'blocked'; a negative finding there is recorded only when the queries actually ran. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-yms-97-yms97-11