Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet ij-packet.md (8 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: USS Atherton DE-169 → VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-atherton-de169-pkt-ij-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Atherton (DE-169) (namesake biography, builder, dates, convoy/ASW narrative, U-853, decommissioning, 1955 transfer; verbatim transcription - live NHHC page serves 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, Atherton (DE-169): namesake biography, specifications block, service narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: named for Lt. (jg.) John McDougal Atherton, USNR, killed aboard USS Meredith (DD-434) 15 October 1942. Laid down 14 January 1943 at Newark, N.J., by the Federal Drydock & Shipbuilding Co.; launched 27 May 1943 (sponsor Mrs. Cornelia A. Atherton); completed at the Norfolk Navy Yard and commissioned there 29 August 1943, Lt. P. L. Mansell, Jr., USNR. Caribbean ASW patrols November 1943; TF 62 transatlantic convoy escort January 1944-May 1945 (Norfolk/New York to Casablanca, Bizerte, Oran) with periodic Boston Navy Yard overhauls. DANFS dates the U-853 action '9 May 1945' en route New York to Boston - four depth-charge attacks; Atherton, 'in conjunction with Moberly (PF-63), was later credited with destroying the German submarine U-853.' Pacific service June-September 1945 (Pearl Harbor, Saipan, Ulithi, Okinawa convoys; rescue-station duty out of Saipan). Decommissioned 10 December 1945 at Green Cove Springs, Fla.; transferred to Japan under MDAP and struck from the Navy list 14 June 1955. One battle star. Specifications: dp. 1,240; l. 306'; b. 36'7"; dr. 11'8"; s. 20.9 k.; cpl. 216; a. 3x3", 6x40mm, 10x20mm, 2 dct.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1943-1955
- Population
- Federal Shipbuilding construction trades 1943; Norfolk Navy Yard completion workforce 1943; Boston Navy Yard overhaul workforce 1944-45; wartime crew (design complement 216)
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. Its '9 May 1945' date for the U-853 action conflicts with the CTG 60.7 action report and NHHC museum material (5-6 May 1945) - carried in gaps. Mirror transcription cited because the live NHHC page returns 404.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atherton-de169-01
-
[3]Commander Task Group 60.7 (CCD15), serial 028, 'Narrative of Search, Attack and Sinking of German Submarine at 090T, 14500 yards from Sandy Point, conducted by vessels attached to Task Group SIXTY POINT SEVEN, 5-6 May 1945,' 10 May 1945 (scanned wartime action report via uboatarchive.net); corroborated by USNI Proceedings, 'Last Chapter for U-853' (Dec 1960) [other_primary]
- Locator
- CTG 60.7 serial 028 report, subject line and Enclosure (A) narrative paragraphs 1-4; usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1960/december/last-chapter-u-853 (Black Point, 5 May); NHHC LTA monograph lta-09.pdf and National Museum caption (indexed)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Contemporaneous USN action report for this hull: Task Group 60.7 (USS Ericsson, Amick, Atherton, Moberly) detached from convoy GUS-84 on 5 May 1945 and was ordered to the scene off Point Judith where the collier SS Black Point had just been torpedoed (12 dead, 34 rescued - USNI Proceedings); at 2018Q on 5 May Atherton made the initial contact believed 'definitely a submarine' and attacked - a full shallow pattern of magnetic depth charges and three full hedgehog patterns - noting oil geysers, air bubbles, and debris. At daylight on 6 May Atherton, Ericsson, and Moberly returned to the attack point and recovered German debris (officer's cap, abandon-ship kits, German-marked material, oil slicks over a mile). CTG 60.7 assessed: 'the ATHERTON made the initial contact and first drop' while Moberly and Ericsson 'very definitely were deciding factors in the actual sinking.' NHHC material independently dates the sinking 6 May 1945 (National Museum artifact caption; 'Navy's Lighter-Than-Air Experience' monograph ch. 9 describing blimps K-16/K-58 and 'USS Atherton (DE-169) made a depth charge attack on the target').
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1945-05-05 to 1945-05-06
- Population
- USS Atherton crew, 5-6 May 1945
- Limitations
- Combat narrative only - establishes the date, sequence, and Atherton's role in the U-853 action; contains no material or asbestos information. Reproduction hosted on uboatarchive.net (private archive); document is a scan of the official report. NHHC corroboration located via search-indexed text (direct fetches of the museum search page and monograph PDF returned 404 to this client). Resolves the DANFS '9 May' date to 5-6 May 1945.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atherton-de169-02
-
[4]Philippine News Agency (official PH government news service), 'Navy retires WW II-era BRP Rajah Humabon from service,' March 2018 [reputable_press]
- Locator
- PNA article 1028840 (March 2018)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official Philippine record of this hull's post-USN chain: the former USS Atherton (DE-169) was transferred to the Japanese government as JDS Hatsuhi (DE-263) on 14 June 1955 - with sister JDS Asahi (DE-262), among the first warships of the newly organized JMSDF; laid up in Japan after 1975 reversion; transferred to the Philippine government 13 September 1976 and sold as an Excess Defense Article 23 December 1978; renamed RPS Rajah Humabon (PS-78) and towed to South Korea for an extensive refit and modernization in 1979; served the Philippine Navy 38 years, ending as BRP Rajah Humabon (PS-11), one of the last WWII-era warships in active service; formally retired/decommissioned 15 March 2018 at Sangley Point, Cavite.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1955-2018
- Population
- JMSDF crew 1955-1975; Philippine Navy crew 1976-2018; South Korean refit workforce 1979
- Limitations
- Establishes the transfer/renaming chain and retirement, not materials. 'Extensive refit and modernization' in South Korea (1979) is documented only as an event - its material scope is undocumented. Pennant sequence PS-78 -> PF-6 -> PF-11 -> PS-11 is corroborated by secondary compilations (seaforces, NavSource); PNA itself names PS-78 and PS-11.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atherton-de169-03
-
[5]Philippine News Agency, '3 "submerged" warships retired, awaiting disposal: PH Navy,' 31 October 2022 (PN spokesman Cmdr. Benjo Negranza); corroborated by Manila Bulletin and Inquirer reporting 2022-10-30/31 [reputable_press]
- Locator
- PNA article 1187446 (2022-10-31); Manila Bulletin 'Paeng sinks 3 decommissioned PH Navy ships'; Inquirer 'Plan to turn BRP Humabon into museum scrapped'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official PN statement on this hull's terminal condition: former BRP Rajah Humabon (PS-11) - decommissioned 15 March 2018 - was photographed half-submerged at the Philippine Navy's 'Graveyard Dock,' Naval Station Pascual Ledesma, Sangley Point, Cavite, after Severe Tropical Storm Paeng on 30 October 2022; the Navy stated the decommissioned vessels were partially submerged even before the storm, had been stripped of all serviceable equipment and usable materials, and were 'currently undergoing disposal process ... likely to be sold as scrap.' A prior plan to make her a museum was abandoned (Inquirer).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2018-2022
- Population
- PN graveyard-dock and disposal workforce; eventual scrapping workforce (undocumented)
- Limitations
- Documents custody and terminal condition only. No asbestos, hazmat, or abatement disclosure appears in the official statements or the corroborating press coverage - absence of mention is not evidence of absence, and a half-submerged scrapping candidate carries undocumented material risk. Final disposition (sale/scrapping completion) not located as of research date.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atherton-de169-04
-
[6]Atlas shipyard dataset, yard record 'federal-shipbuilding-kearny' (tier 2): Owens-Illinois Industrial Health Survey of Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, NJ (30 Aug-2 Sep 1944; Owens-Illinois interrogatory exhibit #20 in Heathman v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., Brazoria County TX 1990) [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipyards.json record 'federal-shipbuilding-kearny'; survey exhibit via toxicdocs.org
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Builder-yard era evidence for this hull's construction yard: the Atlas yard record documents a 1944 Owens-Illinois industrial health survey at Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock, Kearny, measuring dust during cutting and fitting of asbestos pipe covering (Johns-Manville Superex, ~15% amosite) and boiler insulation work in confined shipyard spaces; the yard dataset also carries Kaylo (Owens-Illinois), Monokote fireproofing (W.R. Grace), and Garlock gaskets as documented products.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1943-1944
- Population
- Federal Shipbuilding insulators, pipefitters, and construction trades 1943-44
- Limitations
- Yard-level documentation, not a hull record: the survey was conducted 30 August-2 September 1944, roughly a year after this hull's January-August 1943 construction, so it evidences wartime-era asbestos operations at the yard, not material installed aboard DE-169. The surveyor (Owens-Illinois) was a product manufacturer. Does not establish that any listed product was aboard Atherton.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atherton-de169-05
-
[7]Bureau of Ships, 'Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels 1945' Vol. I, DE design section (Cannon/DET design characteristics) + navypedia DET-type member table (us_de_det.htm) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navypedia us_de_det.htm member table row DE-169 + specs block; SDB1945v1.pdf DE design section book p.184 (PDF p.102)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Class/era inference for this hull: Atherton is a Cannon-class (DET design) destroyer escort - navypedia member row DE-169 'Atherton,' Federal Newark, yard no. 285, laid 1.1943, launched 27.5.1943, commissioned 8/1943, 'to Japan 6.1955 (Hatsuhi).' The DET machinery plant is four General Motors 16-278A diesel-generator sets with electric drive on two shafts, ~6,000 shp, ~21 knots - no boilers and no steam system. The era-standard asbestos-application set for such a ship is exhaust insulation, gaskets and packing, electrical insulation, brake linings (winch/windlass), and deck coverings; the heavy steam-ship categories (boiler and steam-line lagging) do not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1943-2018
- Population
- Federal Shipbuilding construction trades 1943; USN crew 1943-45; JMSDF crew 1955-75; PN crew 1976-2018
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - NOT a hull-specific finding. No insulation specification, material schedule, or ACM survey naming DE-169 was located; the inference characterizes the class design, not documented material aboard this hull, and does not establish any individual's exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atherton-de169-06
-
[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 the Navy's extensive shipboard asbestos insulation use, with substitution not beginning until the early 1970s - this hull's 1943 construction and 1943-45 USN service fall inside the documented asbestos-use era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers
- Limitations
- Program-level era context only; not hull-specific. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches); content via the product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atherton-de169-07
-
[9]CourtListener API v4 sweep: exact-name queries ("USS Atherton", "U.S.S. Atherton") and hull-number query ("DE-169"), type=o opinions and type=r RECAP dockets [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-atherton-de169-04/05
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No litigation names this hull: exact-name queries "USS Atherton" returned ZERO hits in both the opinion index (type=o) and the RECAP docket index (type=r). Hull-number query "DE-169" returned 35 opinion hits, all string collisions - 'DE-169' matches PACER docket-entry and reporter-citation strings in unrelated cases (e.g., Valbruna Slater Steel Corp. v. Joslyn Mfg.; Tuggle v. Director of Revenue; Boca Raton Community Hospital v. Tenet); none reference the vessel, a Navy ship, or asbestos.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2026-09-28
- Limitations
- Sweep establishes that no opinion or docketed case names USS Atherton, and that hull-number opinion hits are identifier collisions - not that no claim was ever filed. The DE-169 RECAP-docket query cell was throttled by the fleet-wide pacing budget after repeated spaced retries (see sl-05); residual risk is low: the exact-name sweep is clean on both indexes. Pleading-stage allegations would not appear unless the hull were named in an indexed document.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atherton-de169-08
-
[10]Batch-4081 search ledger (this record): DANFS transcription; CTG 60.7 action report (uboatarchive.net); Philippine News Agency 2018/2022 statements; Atlas shipyard dataset; BuShips Ships' Data 1945 / navypedia DET design data; GAO product page; CourtListener sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- this record, search_ledger rows sl-uss-atherton-de169-01 through -09
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for DE-169: no hull ACM survey, no abatement contract or hazmat disclosure, and no asbestos case or other litigation naming this hull (CourtListener sweep: "USS Atherton" 0 opinions / 0 dockets; "DE-169" opinion hits all identifier collisions - see ev-08/sl-04/05). No asbestos, hazmat, or abatement disclosure appears in the official Philippine Navy statements covering the 2018 retirement or the 2022 graveyard-dock disposal status. Sister-hull comparison is likewise negative: no qualifying ship-specific asbestos record has been located for any Cannon-class member (class-profile ledger), including the surviving museum hull Slater (DE-766).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2026-09-28
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard. Sixty-three years of foreign custody (JMSDF 1955-75; Philippine Navy 1976-2018) plus a 1979 South Korean refit leave the post-USN material record undocumented; Philippine disposal reporting makes no hazmat disclosure. The hull lies half-submerged at the Sangley Point graveyard dock pending likely scrapping - its material condition is undocumented and unsurveyed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-atherton-de169-09