Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
-
[1]research packet 960-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-beaufort-pcs1387-pkt-960-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Beaufort IV (PCS-1387) - construction, commissioning, Key West Fleet Sonar School service, 1956 naming, reserve-training and disposal narrative; spec block (live NHHC page, verified 2026-10-04) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Beaufort IV (PCS-1387) entry, service narrative and spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 22 May 1943 at Whitestone, N.Y.; launched 10 October 1944; sponsored by Miss Barbara C. Dietz; commissioned at the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y., 27 November 1944, Lt. (j.g.) Anthony C. Kupris, USNR, in command. Shakedown out of Key West, Fla., 22 December 1944 - 2 January 1945; on the latter date began duty with the Fleet Sonar School, Key West, as a training platform for new sonarmen, doubling as harbor guard ship at Key West. Training duties continued past the end of the war through the late 1940s and into the 1950s, when she ranged the Atlantic coast as far north as Narragansett Bay and south into the Caribbean Sea. Named Beaufort 15 February 1956; decommissioned 26 March 1956 at St. Petersburg, Fla.; retained in service another 11 years under the Commandant, Sixth Naval District, as a training ship for naval reservists. Name stricken from the Navy List 15 July 1967; turned over to the Naval Weapons Laboratory, Dahlgren, Va., for use as a target - 'Apparently, she was not totally destroyed because she was sold in July 1972 to Mr. David Hahn of Belize, British Honduras.' Spec block: dp. 338 (full load); l. 136'0"; b. 24'6"; dr. 8'7"; s. 14.1 k.; cpl. 57; a. 1 3-inch, 1 40mm, 2 20mm, 2 depth charge projectors, 1 depth charge projector (Hedgehog), 2 depth charge tracks; class PCS-1376.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1972 (entry coverage)
- Population
- Wheeler-Whitestone construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-56); Fleet Sonar School trainees (1945-56); Naval Reserve training population incl. in-service caretaker crew (1956-67); Naval Weapons Laboratory Dahlgren target-range trades (1967-72)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. DANFS gives no builder name (attributes only 'Whitestone, N.Y.' - the Wheeler attribution rests on NavSource, the Wheeler yard table, and navypedia). The spec block lists both the 3-inch gun and the Hedgehog projector - a merged as-built/converted-fit rendering that conflicts with the documented ASW-TS conversion (3-inch removed); carried in gaps. The 'apparently not totally destroyed' qualifier is DANFS's own wording - the extent of target-use damage is undocumented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-beaufort-pcs1387-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Patrol Craft Sweeper Photo Archive, Beaufort (PCS 1387) ex-PCS-1387 ex-PC-1387 - designation timeline, specifications, commanding officers, credited photographs (live, verified 2026-10-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 12/071387.htm header block, specifications block, CO table, photo credits
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: planned as PC-1387, reclassified PCS-1387 in April 1943; laid down 22 May 1943 by the Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp., Whitestone, Long Island, NY; launched 10 October 1944; commissioned USS PCS-1387 27 November 1944; named Beaufort 15 February 1956; decommissioned 26 March 1956 at St. Petersburg, FL and placed in service as a naval reserve training ship; struck from the Navy Register 15 July 1967 and moved to Naval Weapons Laboratory Dahlgren, VA for use as a target; sold in July 1972 to Mr. David Hahn of Belize, British Honduras. Specifications: displacement 245 t.; length 136'; beam 24'6"; draft 8'7"; speed 14.1 kts.; complement 57; armament one 3"/50 dual purpose mount, one 40mm mount, two 20mm mounts, four depth charge projectors, one depth charge projector (hedgehog), and two depth charge tracks; propulsion two 800bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines, Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts. Call sign November-Tango-Quebec-Whiskey. Commanding officers listed: LTJG Anthony C. Kupris, USNR (date given as 22 November 1944); LT Ray Halbert Bradshaw, USN. Photographic record includes U.S. Navy photo NH 85019 (circa later 1940s, NHHC) and the William Blackstock, SM2/c collection documenting service aboard 14 March 1957 - 4 June 1958 (Bahamas reserve-training cruise photographs) - crew presence during the post-decommissioning in-service training period.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1972
- Population
- Wheeler-Whitestone construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-56); Naval Reserve training population and in-service crew (1956-67, e.g., SM2/c William Blackstock aboard 1957-58)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestones track DANFS and the PC-1387-to-PCS-1387 April 1943 reclassification detail rests on this compilation. Armament block lists four depth-charge projectors vs DANFS's two - conflict carried in gaps. The Kupris command date (22 November 1944) precedes the documented commissioning date (27 November 1944, matching uboat.net) - carried in gaps. Blackstock collection is a private-crew contribution via NavSource; dates not independently verified. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-beaufort-pcs1387-02
-
[4]National Archives, Special List 44: List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947 (1978), 'Ships with Symbol and Number Designations' section, book p. 443 (scanned page via ACPL Genealogy Center mirror, verified direct from the page image 2026-10-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Special List 44 (1978), symbol-number section, book p. 443; ACPL Genealogy Center scan, display image 472: 'PCS-1387 | Nov. 27, 1944-Dec. 31, 1945 | 2'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Special List 44 lists 'PCS-1387' with a logbook date span of Nov. 27, 1944-Dec. 31, 1945 and 2 logbooks held. The span begins on the ship's DANFS-documented commissioning date (27 November 1944) and covers her wartime Key West Fleet Sonar School service through the end of 1945. Entry is under the PCS signal-number designation - she carried no name during the coverage period (named 1956, after the index coverage; the nominal index accordingly carries no Beaufort entry for this hull).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-11-27 to 1945-12-31
- Population
- Crew (1944-45); Fleet Sonar School trainees (1945)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: establishes that two logbooks for this hull are held at NARA for the stated span - it is a custody index, not the logs themselves, which are not located in the digitized NARA catalog under this title (see ev-04 for catalog-held deck-log file units). Coverage dates are log-holdings metadata; the hull remained in commission to 26 March 1956 and in service to 15 July 1967, so post-1945 logs exist under later custody not indexed by SL44. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-beaufort-pcs1387-03
-
[5]National Archives catalog, deck-log file units for this hull: 'PCS-1387, 10/1/44-1/1/49' (NAID 192492650); 'Beaufort (PCS-1387) - January 1967' (NAID 204745982); 'Beaufort (PCS-1387) - February 1967' (NAID 204746048); 'Beaufort (PCS-1387) - July 1967' (NAID 204746108); file units at the National Archives at College Park (catalog API verified 2026-10-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov file units NAID 192492650, 204745982, 204746048, 204746108 (College Park; Unrestricted)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The NARA catalog lists four deck-log file units for this hull at College Park: a bound-volume log covering 1 October 1944 - 1 January 1949 under the PCS-1387 designation (NAID 192492650) and three monthly logs under the named designation for the final year of her in-service Naval Reserve training period - January, February, and July 1967 (NAIDs 204745982, 204746048, 204746108). The July 1967 unit (coverage 1-31 July 1967) brackets her 15 July 1967 striking.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-1949; 1967
- Population
- Crew (1944-49); in-service crew and Naval Reserve training population (1967)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: catalog file-unit records establish custody and coverage spans, not log content - deck-log text was not reviewed this session. The monthly-title pattern (ship name - month year) matches NARA's deck-logs digitization series, but whether scanned images are attached to these file units was not verified (catalog API intermittently rate-limited this session). The October 1944 start date on NAID 192492650 predates commissioning (27 November 1944) - likely a binder/series-range artifact; the SL44 index starts 27 November 1944 (ev-03). Logs for 1949-1966 were not individually located in this session's catalog search. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-beaufort-pcs1387-04
-
[6]shipbuildinghistory.com (Tim Colton), Wheeler Shipbuilding Whitestone NY yard table - PCS 1387 build/delivery record in the Whitestone production run (live, verified 2026-10-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Wheeler-Whitestone table, PCS 1387 row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The Wheeler-Whitestone yard table lists 'PCS 1387 | US Navy | Sub Chaser | 278 | 136 | 27-Nov-44 | Named Beaufort 1956, sold 1972' - corroborating the builder (unnamed in DANFS), hull type, delivery-into-commissioning date (27 Nov 1944 = DANFS commissioning date), naming, and the 1972 sale. The table shows the Whitestone yard's production run of PCS-1376-class sweepers (PCS 1376 through PCS 1388) plus Coast Guard patrol craft and tugs.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1972
- Population
- Wheeler-Whitestone construction trades (1943-44 production window)
- Limitations
- Reputable secondary shipyard reference, not a primary registry - used to corroborate the DANFS milestones and to supply the builder attribution DANFS omits. The 'sold 1972' note corroborates DANFS/NavSource but the table gives no buyer or fate detail. No asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-beaufort-pcs1387-05
-
[7]navypedia, 'PCS submarine-chasers (PCS1376) (1943-1945)' class page - project history, modernizations list and per-hull table (live, verified 2026-10-04); corroborated at program level by the Patrol Craft Sailors Association conversions table (ev-08) and by the NavSource/DANFS hedgehog listing [other_primary]
- Locator
- navypedia PCS1376 class page, 'Modernizations' list (1944 ASW TS group), per-hull table PCS1387 row, project history
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- navypedia names this hull in a 1944 conversion group: '1944, PCS1377, 1378, 1380 - 1387, 1392, 1417, 1423, 1424, 1426, 1431, 1441, 1442, 1445, 1446, 1448, 1449: were converted to ASW TS [anti-submarine warfare training ship]: - 1 x 1 - 76/50; + 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog Mk 10 ASWRL' - i.e., the 3-inch/50 gun was removed and a 24-barrel Hedgehog Mk 10 anti-submarine rocket launcher fitted for the sonar-school/training role. PCS-1387 sits inside the listed 1380-1387 range, consistent with her DANFS-documented assignment to the Fleet Sonar School at Key West from 2 January 1945 and with the hedgehog projector in both the DANFS and NavSource armament blocks. The navypedia per-hull table row reads 'PCS1387 | 2.1956- Beaufort | Wheeler, Brooklyn | 5.1943 | 10.10.1944 | 11.1944 | stricken 7.1967'. The project history documents that wood was chosen as the construction material for the class.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1967
- Population
- Conversion-yard trades (1944, yard unidentified); Fleet Sonar School trainees (1945-56)
- Limitations
- Rests entirely on a secondary compilation; no conversion order, work order, or yard record for the 1944 ASW-TS conversion was located at primary level. navypedia's builder column says 'Wheeler, Brooklyn' - the corporate-office rendering; the Whitestone yard built this hull (NavSource, ev-02; Wheeler table, ev-05). The conversion-group listing explains the documented Key West sonar-school role but does not itself constitute a primary conversion record; DANFS's spec block still lists the 3-inch gun alongside the hedgehog - unresolved as-built vs converted-fit conflict carried in gaps. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-beaufort-pcs1387-06
-
[8]All Hands magazine (Bureau of Naval Personnel), April 1956 issue, February 1956 naming roster for former PC/PCS hulls - 'PCS-1387-Beaufort' (scanned issue via Internet Archive, verified direct from the text layer 2026-10-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- All Hands, April 1956 (sim_all-hands_1956-04_470), naming-roster page, PCS block, 'PCS-1387-Beaufort'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The April 1956 issue of All Hands (the Bureau of Naval Personnel magazine) prints the February 1956 naming roster for former PC/PCE/PCS hulls; the PCS block pairs 'PCS-1387-Beaufort' alongside sisters 'PCS-1376-Winder', 'PCS-1378-Provincetown', 'PCS-1380-Rushville', 'PCS-1383-Attica', 'PCS-1384-Eufaula', 'PCS-1385-Hollidaysburg', 'PCS-1386-Hampton', 'PCS-1392-Deming' and others - an official Navy publication corroborating the 15 February 1956 naming date documented by DANFS.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1956
- Limitations
- Internet-Archive-hosted scan of an official publication - the OCR text layer renders the pairing legibly ('PCS-1387-Beaufort') but scan quality is imperfect; corroborates, does not replace, DANFS. The roster records the naming action only - no service, material, or asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-beaufort-pcs1387-07
-
[9]Patrol Craft Sailors Association, 'Information on WWII PCSs' - class specifications and program conversion data (live, verified 2026-10-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ww2pcsa.org patrol-craft-sweeper.html specifications table and 'US Navy Conversions (51)' list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- PCSA class data for the 136-foot PCS type: 136' length, 24'6" beam, 251 tons displacement, two 900-bhp geared diesel engines, 14 knots, 3,000 nm at 12 knots, complement 57, one 3"/50 DP main battery, one 40mm and two single 20mm secondaries, six 600-lb depth charges with 4 K-guns; program cost $723,000 each. Conversions table (51 total): 13 to PCSC; 28 to sonar-school/training ships ('removed 3-inch/50, replaced with Hedgehog launcher'); 4 to AGSC hydrographic survey; 2 to AMC special mine hunter; 4 to dan buoy layer. The 28-ship sonar-school conversion count frames this hull's documented Fleet Sonar School assignment at Key West (1945-56).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1942-1945 (program coverage)
- Population
- PCS-class crews (1943-45 program context)
- Limitations
- Class-level data only - no per-hull entry for PCS-1387 on the page. The 251-ton figure and 900-bhp engine rating differ from the NavSource hull page (245 t / 800 bhp) - variances carried in gaps. The conversion count is program-level context for the navypedia per-hull listing (ev-06), not an independent hull record. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-beaufort-pcs1387-08
-
[10]Era inference built on: DANFS spec block (PCS-1376 class); NavSource specifications (two GM 8-268A diesels, two shafts - diesel plant, no steam); wooden hull documented at class level (navypedia project history: 'wood was chosen as construction material'; the class's 136-ft patrol-minesweeper design derives from the YMS-1 program family); PCSA class data; shipbuildinghistory Wheeler-Whitestone production record; GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-era documentation (ev-10) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS spec block; NavSource specifications; navypedia project history; PCSA class data; shipbuildinghistory Wheeler-Whitestone table; GAO HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A wooden-hulled, diesel-powered 136' patrol craft sweeper built 1943-44 for the U.S. Navy sits inside the documented Navy asbestos-use era but at the low end of its material intensity: no boilers, no steam lines, no turbine lagging - the dominant shipboard asbestos pathways do not exist on this hull type. Era-standard diesel-craft applications aboard a boat of this type and period were engine and exhaust lagging, machinery gaskets, valve packing, electrical/wiring insulation, and interior joiner/deck materials in a small wooden hull volume.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1972
- Population
- Wheeler-Whitestone construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-56); Naval Reserve training population (1956-67); Dahlgren target-range trades (1967-72); private owner after July 1972 sale
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for PCS-1387. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity, no manufacturer attribution for this hull. The wooden-hull type plausibly carried materially less asbestos than steel steam vessels of the same era - an inference about degree, not an exemption claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-beaufort-pcs1387-09
-
[11]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, 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), service era (1944-56), in-service reserve-training period (1956-67), and target custody (1967-72).
- 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 returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, standing restriction confirmed again this session 2026-10-04) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-beaufort-pcs1387-10
-
[12]DANFS, Beaufort V (ATS-2) - fifth ship of the name, Edenton-class salvage and rescue ship 1972-1996 (live NHHC page, verified 2026-10-04); plus DANFS Beaufort I (Galley, 1799-1802), Beaufort II (Id.No. 3008/AK-6, WWI collier, 1917-1925) and Beaufort III (PF-59, Tacoma-class frigate, 1944-1946) entries, verified same date [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Beaufort I (Galley), II (Id.No. 3008), III (PF-59), V (ATS-2) entries; mesothelioma.net patrol-boat listicle (excluded-source observation only)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Name-collision control row: five U.S. Navy ships have carried the name Beaufort, and three of them overlap the asbestos-litigation era. The first Beaufort (1799-1802) was a 52-foot galley built by the citizens of Beaufort, S.C., for Quasi-War coastal patrol; Beaufort II (Id.No. 3008/AK-6, WWI cargo ship, 1917-1925) and Beaufort III (PF-59, Tacoma-class frigate, 1944-1946) precede this hull. This hull (PCS-1387, the fourth Beaufort) was stricken 15 July 1967 and sold July 1972. The fifth Beaufort (ATS-2) - an Edenton-class salvage and rescue ship built by Brooke Marine Ltd., Lowestoft, England, commissioned 22 January 1972, decommissioned 8 March 1996, struck 12 December 1996 - is the 'USS Beaufort' active during the peak asbestos-claim era (steel-hulled, Subic Bay/WestPac service). Any source naming 'USS Beaufort' without a hull designation requires attribution checks before assignment to PCS-1387.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1799-1996 (all Beaufort hulls)
- Population
- Beaufort V (ATS-2) crew 1972-1996 (separate hull, separate record)
- Limitations
- Documents the existence of same-name hulls to prevent misattribution - makes no finding about asbestos aboard any Beaufort. Marketing 'Navy ships with asbestos' listicles were observed naming multiple Beaufort hulls separately (PCS-1387, PF-59, AK-6, ATS-2), confirming the collision risk; those sources are excluded by policy and used here only to document that the collision exists in the wild.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-beaufort-pcs1387-11
-
[13]Batch-8305 search ledger (this record): live DANFS (Beaufort IV + II/III/V for collision control); NavSource; NHHC photo NH 85019; NARA Special List 44 scanned page (direct verification) and catalog deck-log file units; NVR; shipbuildinghistory Wheeler-Whitestone table; navypedia; PCSA; All Hands April 1956 naming roster (Internet Archive scan); uboat.net commander index; HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy 1940-1945' roster; CourtListener (4 authenticated base queries + 1 qualified variant); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-beaufort-pcs1387-01 through -20
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS Beaufort or PCS-1387 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener name-index coverage was completed this session: 'USS Beaufort' opinion query returned 2 hits - both name collisions (Davis v. Parkview Apartments, S.C. 2014 - 'USS Corporation' party name plus Beaufort, S.C. geography; Bureau Wijsmuller v. United States, 487 F. Supp. 156 (S.D.N.Y. 1979) - the wind-force 'Beaufort scale'); 'USS Beaufort' docket query returned 166 hits - all reviewed collisions (Insinger de Beaufort bank, Beaufort County, Beaufort Gazette, personal names; the MDL-875 master asbestos docket matched on full-text with no per-hull finding); the qualified variant '"USS Beaufort" asbestos' returned 0. The two 'PCS-1387' hull-designation queries were NOT completed - the fleet pace limiter stood the session down (logged blocked, not a negative result). The mesothelioma.net patrol-boat listicle does name this hull ('USS Beaufort (PCS-1387)', 'USS PCS-1387') alongside sister Beauforts PF-59 and AK-6/ATS-2 elsewhere - bare unsourced list entries, 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 - the era inference stands on its own terms. The CourtListener coverage is partial: the name queries (which return any case captioned or referencing 'USS Beaufort') were clean after collision classification, but the hull-designation queries were blocked by fleet pacing, so a case referencing 'PCS-1387' alone would not be caught - that coverage gap is open, not negative. Unpublished, settled, or differently-captioned claims cannot be excluded, and the 'USS Beaufort' collision set means any real claim naming the name without hull designation may be unattributable. The NARA-held logbooks and 1967 deck logs are archival leads, not reviewed content. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-beaufort-pcs1387-12