Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet 977-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-bayonne-pf21-pkt-977-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Bayonne (PF-21) (Mann; updated Cressman, 21 Jun 2024) - live NHHC page [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Bayonne (PF-21) entry, spec block + service narrative (live page verified 2026-10-04)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (M.C. Hull 1487) on 6 May 1943 at Cleveland, Ohio, by the American Shipbuilding Co.; launched 11 September 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Hannah Gallagher; placed in service 22 September 1944 for the voyage to Baltimore; arrived Baltimore 2 October 1944 and placed out of service 6 October 1944; commissioned at Baltimore 14 February 1945, Cmdr. Elmer E. Comstock, USCG, in command. Shakedown from Guantanamo Bay (3 March - 3 April 1945); post-shakedown repairs at Philadelphia Navy Yard (April - early May 1945); New York until 3 July; Puget Sound Navy Yard availability late July 1945; Cold Bay, Alaska, last week of August; decommissioned 2 September 1945 and loaned to the Soviet Union same day under Lend-Lease (Project Hula); Soviet service as unnamed EK-25 (storozhevoi korabl, escort vessel) until October 1949 return; reserve at Yokosuka from 14 November 1949; recommissioned Yokosuka 28 July 1950, Lt. Cmdr. Harry A. Clark; TG 90.7 - screened the Inchon amphibious assault 15 September 1950; 16 months in Korean waters, TG 92.1 off Wonsan and Songjin after end-August 1951; decommissioned Yokosuka 31 January 1953; loaned to Japan the following October; stricken from the Navy list 1 December 1961; retransferred to Japan August 1962; returned to the Navy late 1967; sunk as a target 1 March 1968. Six battle stars for Korean service. Spec block: displacement 1,430; length 303'11"; beam 37'6"; draft 13'8"; speed 20.3 knots; complement 190; class Tacoma; type S2-S2-AQ1.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1968
- Population
- American Ship Building construction trades (1943-44, Cleveland); USCG commissioning crew (1945); USN crew (1950-53); Baltimore/Philadelphia/Puget Sound yard trades
- Limitations
- Ship-specific service history and specifications only - DANFS contains no materials or asbestos content. Japan-loan phrasing ('the following October') conflicts with NavSource/Wikipedia infobox 'loaned 31 January 1953' - carried in gaps. 'Returned to the Navy late in 1967' vs NavSource/Wikipedia '27 June 1967' - carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bayonne-pf21-01
-
[3]U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, USS Bayonne, PF-21 asset page (22 Mar 2021) - live page [other_primary]
- Locator
- USCG Historian's Office asset page, spec block + History + Sources
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- USCG Historian's Office record for this hull: launched 11 September 1943 by American Shipbuilding Co., Cleveland, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. Hannah Gallagher; commissioned 14 February 1945 under Commander E. E. Comstock, USCG - a U.S. Coast Guard-manned Navy frigate. Spec block: length 303'11", beam 37'6", displacement 2,230 tons; propulsion '2-shaft VTE, 3 boilers'; range 9,500 nm at 12 knots; top speed 20 knots; complement 190; armament 3 x 3"/50, 2 x 40mm (2x2), 9 x 20mm, Hedgehog, 8 depth-charge projectors, 2 racks. Service summary tracks DANFS through Soviet EK-25 service, 1949 return, Korean service, and 31 January 1953 decommissioning with loan to Japan under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. Page sources: The Coast Guard At War, Transports and Escorts, Vol. V, No. 1; Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946; DANFS Vol. 1; Russell, Project Hula (Naval Historical Center, 1997).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1953
- Population
- USCG crew (commissioning crew and any USCG-manned service periods); construction trades, American Ship Building Cleveland (1943-44)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history/specification record only - no asbestos or materials content. Boiler count reads '3 boilers' where NavSource and the class spec read two 3-drum express boilers - carried in gaps. Displacement 2,230 t (likely loaded figure) vs DANFS 1,430 t (light/standard) - variants noted, DANFS figure carried.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bayonne-pf21-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Patrol Frigate Photo Archive, Bayonne (PF 21) ex-PG-129 - designation timeline, specifications, commanding officers, photo credits [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 12/08021.htm header block (ex-PG-129), timeline, specifications, commanding-officer table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource designation record for this hull (page header 'ex-PG-129'): laid down as Patrol Gunboat PG-129 under a Maritime Commission contract at American Shipbuilding Co., Cleveland; reclassified Patrol Frigate PF-21, 15 April 1943; launched 11 September 1943; delivered and commissioned USS Bayonne (PF-21) 14 February 1945; decommissioned 2 September 1945 at Cold Harbor [sic - Cold Bay], Alaska and transferred to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease; returned 14 November 1949; recommissioned 28 July 1950 at Yokosuka; decommissioned 31 January 1953; loaned to Japan under MDAP and renamed Buna (PF 294); reclassified auxiliary stock craft YAC-11, 1 February 1965; decommissioned 31 March 1965; returned to U.S. custody 27 June 1967; 'scrapped in 1972.' Specifications: 1,430 t.; 303'11"; 37'6"; 13'8"; 20.3 kts; complement 190; three 3"/50 DP mounts, two twin 40mm, nine 20mm, Hedgehog, eight Y-gun DC projectors, two DC tracks; propulsion 'Two 240psi 3-drum express boilers, two 5,500ihp vertical triple expansion Koppers Co. engines, two shafts.' Commanding officers listed: CDR Elmer Edward Comstock, USCG (14 Feb 1945 - 2 Sep 1945); LCDR John Frank Miller, USN (1952 - 31 Jan 1953).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1972
- Population
- USCG commissioning crew; USN crew 1950-53; Soviet EK-25 crew 1945-49; JMSDF Buna/YAC-11 crew 1953-67
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestones generally track DANFS/NVR. Contains no asbestos content. Two entries conflict with documented records: Soviet designation shown as 'EK-24' (DANFS and the NHC Project Hula monograph document EK-25 - see ev-06) and 'scrapped in 1972' (DANFS documents sunk as target 1 March 1968 - see ev-06). 'Cold Harbor' is a typographical slip for Cold Bay.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bayonne-pf21-03
-
[5]Russell, Richard A., Project Hula: Secret Soviet-American Naval Cooperation in the War Against Japan, Naval Historical Center, Washington, DC, 1997 (NHC monograph; verbatim mirror at generalstaff.org - live page verified 2026-10-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Project Hula monograph, transfer table row 'Bayonne (PF 21) - EK-25 - 2 Sep. - 1949-returned'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Naval Historical Center monograph documenting the Project Hula transfer program: the ship-transfer table lists 'Bayonne (PF 21)' transferred to the Soviet Union as 'EK-25' on 2 Sep. [1945], returned 1949. Confirms the documented Soviet designation EK-25 and the transfer date; the monograph drew on Soviet-era records (Berezhnoi, Flot SSSR) and Bureau of Ships NAVSHIPS 250-012 data unavailable during the Cold War.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1945-1949
- Population
- Soviet EK-25 crew (1945-49); Project Hula training cadre at Cold Bay
- Limitations
- Program-level monograph row used for the transfer-table entry naming this hull - documents designation and dates, not materials or asbestos. Mirror reproduction of the NHC publication cited; the original history.navy.mil monograph page was not located live (NHHC search indexes the title in bibliographies only).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bayonne-pf21-04
-
[6]National Archives, 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' index - Bayonne (PF-21) entry [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov deck-log index, 'Bayonne (PF-21)' collapsible panel - Years: 1951, 1952
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's online deck-log index lists digitized deck logs for Bayonne (PF-21) for the years 1951 and 1952 (linked into catalog record group 594258 - RG 24 deck logs) - the core Korean War operating years including the TG 90.7/TG 92.1 periods. Deck logs document daily activity, availabilities, and port periods and are the primary undigitized-to-digital lead for ship-level maintenance events.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1951-1952
- Population
- USN crew (1951-52); any yard trades during logged availabilities
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: log pages are images; no asbestos, repair, or materials content was extracted this session. Only 1951 and 1952 are digitized for this hull in the index - the 1945 commissioning-era and 1950 logs are not in the online set (paper RG 24 lead remains).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bayonne-pf21-05
-
[7]Designation/disposal cross-check: NavSource 12/08021.htm timeline vs DANFS Bayonne (PF-21) entry vs Russell, Project Hula (NHC 1997) transfer table vs The Naval Database JMSDF record (via Wikipedia, secondary) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 12/08021.htm timeline; DANFS Bayonne narrative; Project Hula transfer table; Wikipedia USS Bayonne (secondary, citing The Naval Database)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTIONS to circulating secondary data for this hull: (1) Soviet designation - NavSource reads 'EK-24'; DANFS and the NHC Project Hula transfer table (built on Soviet-era records) both document EK-25; EK-25 is carried. (2) Final disposition - NavSource reads 'scrapped in 1972'; DANFS documents 'sunk as a target on 1 March 1968,' which the JMSDF-service secondary record corroborates; sunk-as-target 1968 is carried. (3) Japan transfer - NavSource and the Wikipedia infobox read loaned/transferred 31 January 1953 (the decommissioning date); DANFS and the Wikipedia service narrative read October 1953; October 1953 is carried. (4) JMSDF identity - the JMSDF ship was Buna, initially pennant PF-14, reclassified PF-294 on 1 September 1957 (Japanese secondary data), renamed auxiliary stock craft YAC-11 on 1 February 1965; NavSource displays 'Buna (PF 294)' only.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1945-1972
- Limitations
- Corrects secondary-source conflicts against the weight of documented records, not a materials claim. The PF-14/PF-294 pennant detail itself rests on Japanese secondary data (The Naval Database via Wikipedia); NavSource shows only PF-294. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bayonne-pf21-06
-
[8]Era inference built on: DANFS spec block (type S2-S2-AQ1 Maritime Commission design, 20.3 kt); NavSource specifications (two 240-psi 3-drum express boilers; two 5,500-ihp vertical triple-expansion Koppers Co. engines, two shafts); USCG Historian spec (2-shaft VTE); Tacoma-class program documentation (MC-contract steam escort built 1943-44); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-use window (see ev-08) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS spec block; NavSource specifications block; USCG Historian spec block; Tacoma-class program context (MC contract, Great Lakes yard, 1943-44)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A 1943-44 steam-driven escort built to the Maritime Commission S2-S2-AQ1 design sits inside the documented Navy-wide asbestos-insulation era. Era-standard asbestos applications aboard a steam vessel of this type and period were: boiler and steam-drum insulation; steam-line lagging between machinery spaces; valve and flange gaskets; machinery packing; accommodation fireproofing and deck coverings. The reciprocating triple-expansion plant concentrates the asbestos-relevant systems in the boiler/engine rooms and steam runs - the same population spaces where her documented 1945 availabilities (Philadelphia Navy Yard, Puget Sound Navy Yard) would have disturbed insulation during repair work.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1968
- Population
- American Ship Building Cleveland construction trades (1943-44); USCG commissioning crew (1945); Philadelphia Navy Yard and Puget Sound Navy Yard repair trades (1945); USN crew (1950-53); Soviet and JMSDF crews (1945-49, 1953-67) during equipment disturbance
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or abatement record located for PF-21. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. Does not establish that asbestos is or was present aboard, nor any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bayonne-pf21-07
-
[9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (live, verified 2026-10-04; full-text PDF 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 (1943-44) and U.S. service era (1945, 1950-53). GAO's fieldwork reviewed asbestos use, removal costs, and worker-protection efforts at the Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards; the Navy's 1975 policy removed/replaced only damaged insulation, modified in 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1979 (report); policy window through early 1970s
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (program review); asbestos exposure policy population
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull - PF-21 is not named, and the report addresses U.S. Navy programs, not her Soviet or JMSDF service periods. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov PDF blocked to automated fetch, HTTP 403, confirmed 2026-10-04) - content via live product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bayonne-pf21-08
-
[10]Batch-8424 search ledger (this record): DANFS (live NHHC); USCG Historian's Office; NavSource PF archive; NHC Project Hula monograph (generalstaff.org mirror); NARA deck-log index; GAO HRD-80-2 product page; NVR coverage check; secondary web litigation sweep; CourtListener (see ledger sl-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-bayonne-pf21-01 through sl-uss-bayonne-pf21-08
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, government health evaluation, or docketed case naming USS Bayonne (PF-21 / PG-129 / EK-25 / Buna) was found in the public sources searched. The only 'asbestos aboard' material on the open web is law-firm marketing listicles (asbestos-ships.com, mesolawcenter.com, mesotheliomahelp.org) asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy. CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - the fleet-paced helper reported the shared request budget momentarily spent on each of seven spaced attempts across ~50 minutes; logged as blocked in the search ledger, not as a negative result. Her hull was disposed of before the modern asbestos-litigation era (sunk 1968), which plausibly reduces the litigation surface, but that is context, not a finding.
- 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 - this hull was a steam-powered 1943 escort built inside the documented Navy asbestos-insulation era, so era inference stands on its own. The litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (blocked, not run). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bayonne-pf21-09