Evidence
7 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-7).
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[1]DANFS, Bunch (DE-694) (verbatim transcription via hazegray.org, Wayback capture 2022-09-10 - live NHHC page returns 404 on all tried paths) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- hazegray.org/danfs/escorts/de694.htm (Wayback capture), spec block + service narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: launched 29 May 1943 by Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Mich.; sponsored by Mrs. Kenneth C. Bunch, widow of Aviation Radioman Bunch; commissioned 21 August 1943, Lieutenant Commander A. A. Campbell, USNR, in command. Between November 1943 and July 1944 operated as a convoy escort and completed six trans-Atlantic voyages to the United Kingdom. Print DANFS dates the conversion '12 October through 20 December 1944' with reclassification to APD-79 on 31 July 1944 (conflict carried in gaps - secondary sources and the expanded narrative place conversion at Naval Frontier Base Tompkinsville 28 July - 12 October 1944). Transited the Panama Canal 26 December 1944; Pearl Harbor 15 January 1945; proceeded via Eniwetok, Ulithi, and Leyte to Okinawa (arrived March), acting as parent ship for an underwater demolition team with fire-support and patrol duties; on 4 April rescued 61 survivors from Dickerson (APD-21), crashed by a suicide plane (print text reads 'sunk'; expanded narrative records Dickerson towed to Kerama Retto and later scuttled); May convoy escort to Ulithi and Guam; Okinawa area until 1 July 1945 departure; west coast arrival 24 July; California overhaul to 6 September; returned to Okinawa via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok; occupation operations off Okinawa, China, and Formosa 1 October 1945 - 21 February 1946 including minesweeping November-December 1945; returned to the U.S. March 1946; 19th Fleet for inactivation; out of commission in reserve 31 May 1946 at San Diego. Two battle stars for World War II. Namesake: Kenneth Cecil Bunch, born 21 January 1919 in Norman County, Minn., enlisted 1937, served Scouting Squadrons 42 and 8, killed in action 6 June 1942 during the Battle of Midway.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- Defoe Shipbuilding construction trades 1943; wartime crew (design complement 186); embarked UDT-21/amphibious personnel 1945-46
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. Print DANFS omits the laid-down date and carries a conversion window (12 Oct - 20 Dec 1944) inconsistent with NavSource and the ship-movement narrative; the conflict is documented rather than reconciled. Transcription mirror cited because live NHHC pages return 404.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bunch-apd79-01
-
[2]NavSource Online, USS Bunch (APD-79) Amphibious Photo Archive page and DE-694 Destroyer Escort Photo Index (navsource.org/archives/06/694.htm) + expanded service narrative (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Bunch, secondary compilation incorporating public-domain DANFS text) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource APD-79 page (chronology, campaign table, APD spec block, CO list) + DE-694 index page (building/ops data); en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Bunch service narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource chronology for this hull: laid down 22 February 1943 (APD page; the DE index reads 23 February) as Bunch (DE-694), Buckley class, at Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, MI; launched 29 May 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Leila Mae (Byers) Bunch; commissioned 21 August 1943 at New Orleans, LCDR Alfred A. Campbell, USNR; commenced APD flagship conversion at Naval Frontier Base, Tompkinsville, Staten Island, N.Y., 28 July 1944; reclassified APD-79 on 31 July 1944; conversion completed 12 October 1944; assigned TransDiv One Hundred Four (CAPT R. D. Williams USN); campaigns: Okinawa Gunto (20 March - 30 June 1945) and Minesweeping Operations Pacific (8-13 November and 10-18 December 1945); Navy Occupation Service Medal and China Service Medal (extended) periods 1 October 1945 - 21 February 1946; decommissioned 31 May 1946 at San Diego; Pacific Reserve Fleet; struck from the Naval Register 1 April 1964; sold for scrapping in 1965 to Zidell, Portland, OR (June 1965 per the DE index). APD spec block: 2 Combustion Engineering 'D' Express boilers 435 psi/750 deg F, 2 GE turbines turbo-electric drive, 12,000 shp; complement 12 officers / 192 enlisted; troop accommodations 12 officers / 150 enlisted; 4 LCVP; one 5"/38, three twin 40mm, six 20mm, two depth-charge tracks. The expanded narrative (secondary, incorporating public-domain DANFS) adds: shakedown off Bermuda to 15 October 1943, post-shakedown availability at Boston Navy Yard, convoy escort New York-Derry under TF 23; conversion fitted her as a flagship over 11 weeks; Chesapeake Bay training 23 October - 10 December 1944 preparing 11 other APD crews; availability at the St. Helena Annex before departing Norfolk 20 December 1944; Kerama Retto, Ie Shima, Iheya Shima, Aguni Shima, and Kume Shima operations as TG 52.11 flagship with UDT-21 embarked; overhaul at the Standard Shipbuilding yard, San Pedro, July-September 1945; minesweeping support out of Shanghai, Hangzhou Bay, Keelung/Takao (Formosa), and Sasebo/Wakayama/Kobe (Japan).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1965
- Population
- Conversion yard workers (Naval Frontier Base Tompkinsville, Jul-Oct 1944); Boston Navy Yard post-shakedown trades 1943; Standard Shipbuilding, San Pedro yard workers Jul-Sep 1945; crew and embarked UDT-21
- Limitations
- Secondary compilations - internally consistent with DANFS on all overlapping events but not a primary source; the expanded narrative's fine-grained war-diary detail (Standard Shipbuilding overhaul, St. Helena Annex availability, TG 52.11 flagship role) is not separately verified against NHHC primary text. The NavSource APD page's 22 February laid-down date conflicts with its own DE index's 23 February and Wikipedia's 23 February - carried in gaps. Contains no asbestos or materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bunch-apd79-02
-
[3]HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945' spec pages: DE-694 USS Bunch (Buckley class) and APD-79 USS Bunch (Charles Lawrence class) (ibiblio.org) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/DE/DE-694_Bunch.html and /hyperwar/USN/ships/APD/APD-79_Bunch.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- ibiblio/HyperWar spec blocks corroborate this hull's identity and dual designation: DE-694 USS Bunch, Buckley-class destroyer escort, 1,673 tons, 306 ft, 36'10" beam, 13'6" draft, 23 kt, complement 15 officers / 198 enlisted, turbo-electric drive 12,000 hp, armament 3 3"/50, 3 21" TT, hedgehog, depth-charge tracks and K-guns - 'Converted to High-Speed Transport APD-79.' APD-79 USS Bunch, Charles Lawrence-class high-speed transport converted from DE-694: 1,450 tons full load, 306 ft, 22.5 kt max, armament 1 5"/38, 3x2 40mm, 6 20mm, 2 depth-charge tracks.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- n/a
- Limitations
- Compiled spec blocks only; consistent with DANFS and NavSource on designation and dimensions but adds no materials or asbestos information. Complement figures differ across blocks (186 DANFS; 213 in the HyperWar DE block; 204 crew + 162 troops in the NavSource APD block) - DANFS figure carried in the record, variance noted in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bunch-apd79-03
-
[4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 1 (Jan 1945), DE design-group table (shipscribe.com scan) + Navypedia Buckley (TE) class boiler-block map + NavSource Charles Lawrence-class conversion data [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v1 pp. 234-235 design-group table; navypedia us_de_te member table (DE-693-705 = Combustion Engineering); NavSource APD-79 spec block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for this hull: BuShips design groups 2-3 (TE turbo-electric) specify 2 'D' express-type boilers at 435 psi/750F feeding GE turbo-electric machinery, 12,000 shp, 2 shafts, 23.6 kt - the Buckley class is one of only two DE groups (with John C. Butler WGT) carrying a full steam plant. The navypedia block map assigns Combustion Engineering boilers to DE-693-705, the Defoe-built group containing this hull (corroborated by the NavSource APD-79 spec block, which names 2 Combustion Engineering 'D' Express boilers). A full superheated steam plant of 1943 construction implies era-standard asbestos applications: boiler and fireroom insulation, steam-line and turbine lagging, valve/flange gaskets, machinery packing, and deck coverings. The Charles Lawrence-class APD conversion (superstructure enlarged for ~162 troops, 5"/38 mount, four LCVP davits, flagship facilities) was major 1944 yard work consistent with insulation disturbance and renewal.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1946 (construction/conversion/service)
- Population
- Construction trades (Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City, 1943); conversion workers (Naval Frontier Base Tompkinsville, Jul-Oct 1944); crews 1943-1946
- Limitations
- Class/design documentation, not a hull record - establishes what the design carried, not what was found aboard this hull. The Combustion Engineering boiler attribution is navypedia-block-map sourced and NavSource-corroborated but unverified against contract documents. No quantities; no exposure for any individual; conversion-scope asbestos content is inference, not a documented work package.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bunch-apd79-04
-
[5]CourtListener API v4 sweep, 2026-09-26: "USS Bunch" (type=o opinions; type=r RECAP dockets) 0/0; "APD-79" opinions 0, dockets 2; "DE-694" opinions 6, dockets 37 - every hit a token collision, none qualifying [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-bunch-apd79-05 through sl-uss-bunch-apd79-09
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Litigation sweep: no qualifying asbestos litigation, removal docket, or MDL-875 record naming this hull was located. Exact-name queries for "USS Bunch" returned zero opinions and zero RECAP dockets. "APD-79" returned zero opinions and two docket hits, both name collisions (a D.S.C. Chapter 13 bankruptcy with rotated form text; Miller v. City of Atlanta, N.D. Ga., where 'APD' denotes Atlanta Police Department). "DE-694" returned six opinion hits and 37 docket hits, all token collisions - the docket hits are PACER docket-entry numbers ('DE-694' = document entry 694 in ECF's DE- numbering scheme) across unrelated criminal, bankruptcy, and civil cases; the opinion hits contain no vessel or asbestos reference (the only literal '694' found is an opinion ID inside a citation list).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Population
- n/a
- Limitations
- Absence of a docketed case in the searched indexes does not prove no exposure and does not defeat any claimant's eligibility; RECAP coverage is incomplete. 'Bunch' is a plausible surname, but all zero-count exact-name sweeps and the classified collisions make the negative finding clean - no ambiguous residue remains unclassified.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bunch-apd79-05
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[6]Batch-2456 search ledger (this record): DANFS via hazegray/Wayback; NHHC live; HyperWar spec pages; NavSource; NVR; shipyards.json yard check; CourtListener name and hull-number sweeps; asbestos marketing-list web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-bunch-apd79-01 through sl-uss-bunch-apd79-13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no hull survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or museum documentation exists for this hull because none is possible - the ship was stricken 1 April 1964 and sold for scrapping to Zidell, Portland, OR in 1965; she was never a museum or federally retained asset. The hull appears on a non-authoritative asbestos marketing list (asbestos-ships.com 'USS Bunch (DE-694) Areas With Asbestos Exposure' page, which also contains factual errors - it swaps the strike and sale dates) - logged as an exclusion, not evidence.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - 1943 steam-plant construction is consistent with installed era materials. Does not establish that asbestos was or was not present, and establishes or defeats no claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bunch-apd79-06
-
[7]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 to automated fetch, HTTP 403; content via product-page description)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas. For this hull the documented program era never applied - Bunch was stricken 1 April 1964 and scrapped in 1965, more than a decade before the program period, so no Navy abatement action, survey, or disposal-condition record for this ship exists within the program's scope.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1979 (program); hull predates scope
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation, not ship-specific. Establishes only that this hull predates the documented program period; says nothing about materials aboard during service or at disposal. Whether the 1965 scrapping involved any asbestos-handling record is undocumented - scrapping-yard records not located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bunch-apd79-07