Evidence
5 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-5).
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[1]DANFS vol. II, Capelin (SS-289) entry - construction, two war patrols, loss (verbatim transcription mirror; live NHHC page returned 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS vol. II (C-F), Capelin entry and spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull (DANFS): launched 20 January 1943 by Portsmouth Navy Yard (sponsor Mrs. I. C. Bogart); commissioned 4 June 1943, Lt. Comdr. E. E. Marshall; first patrol 30 October - 15 November 1943 in the Molucca, Flores, and Banda Seas, sinking a 3,127-ton cargo ship 11 November off Ambon; departed Darwin 17 November on her second patrol and was never heard from again; radio attempt 9 December failed; a Japanese attack report of 23 November off Kaoe Bay, Halmahera, was inconclusive. 'Gone without a trace, with all her gallant crew, Capelin must remain in the list of ships lost without a known cause.' One battle star.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1942-1943
- Population
- Crew (1943); PNSY construction trades (1942-43)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. Live NHHC DANFS page returned 404 - verbatim transcription mirror used.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capelin-ss289-01
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[2]United States Submarine Losses, World War II (Naval History Division / ONI official publication, 1963), Capelin (SS-289) loss report - verbatim HyperWar transcription [other_primary]
- Locator
- ibiblio HyperWar USN/SubLosses, Capelin section incl. roster pp. 73-76
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official loss report: Capelin returned to Darwin 16 November 1943 after a 17-day first patrol with a defective conning-tower hatch mechanism, noisy bow planes, and a defective radar tube; defects corrected, she departed 17 November for the Molukka and Celebes seas (Kaoe Bay, Morotai Strait, Davao Gulf, Siaoe/Sangi/Talaud/Sarangani routes), due to clear her area at dark 6 December. Bonefish reported a U.S. submarine at 1-14'N, 123-50'E on 2 December in Capelin's area. A 23 November Japanese attack off Kaoe Bay (1-34'N, 123-07'E) was broken off with thin evidence of contact. 'The only positive statement which can be made is that Capelin was lost in Celebes Sea, or in Molukka Passage or the Molukka Sea, probably in December 1943. Enemy minefields are now known to have been placed in various positions along the north coast of Celebes in Capelin's area, and she may have been lost because of a mine explosion.' The report credits her first patrol with two Japanese medium freighters for 7,400 tons - a higher figure than DANFS's single 3,127-ton cargo ship. Full crew roster printed (~78 names).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1943; report 1963
- Population
- Crew lost with the boat (~78 per printed roster)
- Limitations
- Official USN loss assessment, not a wreck survey - the wreck is not located and the cause is assessed as probable mine only. Tonnage credit conflicts with DANFS (7,400 t/two ships vs 3,127 t/one ship) - both recorded. Crew roster ~78 names; NavSource caption says 76 - variant noted. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capelin-ss289-02
-
[3]Era inference anchored to DANFS-documented construction and yard periods for this hull; Balao-class diesel-electric machinery per NavSource specification block and BuShips Ships' Data 1945 (class profile ev-balao-class-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- construction-era inference from DANFS dates, NavSource spec block, documented yard periods
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era inference: a diesel-electric fleet submarine built 1942-43 at Portsmouth Navy Yard in the peak asbestos era would era-typically have carried asbestos-containing exhaust lagging, engine gaskets and packing, and thermal/acoustic insulation around machinery and galley/refrigeration equipment. Balao-class boats had NO boilers or steam plant - the diesel-electric plant narrows the steam-era asbestos pathway materially. Documented yard windows: Portsmouth Navy Yard construction (1942-43); patrol refit/defect correction at Darwin (November 1943). She was lost in December 1943 with her full wartime fit aboard; the wreck is not located and no material condition record exists.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1942-1971
- Population
- Construction and yard trades; crew
- Limitations
- CLASS/ERA INFERENCE ONLY - no ship-specific material schedule, insulation survey, or asbestos abatement record was located for this hull. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. Establishes no quantity and no exposure for any individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capelin-ss289-03
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[4]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 - covering the construction and most service years of every Balao-class hull in this batch (built 1942-45).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- 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 blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capelin-ss289-04
-
[5]Negative finding: no qualifying non-litigation ship-specific asbestos record located across DANFS/NHHC, NavSource, loss-report, and ACM-survey/abatement sweeps [other_primary]
- Locator
- see search_ledger for this record
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No hull ACM survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or adjudicated exposure finding naming USS Capelin (SS-289) was located anywhere in the research sweep.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- Absence of a located record is not proof no record exists. Museum-hull and scrapper-side records, where they existed, were not retrievable in located sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-capelin-ss289-05