USS Cofer (APD-62)

Evidence

6 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-6).

1. [1]DANFS, Cofer (DE-208), NHHC ship-history entry (live page serves 404; Wayback capture 2024-05-26, published 2016-04-13; verbatim printed-DANFS transcription at losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/escorts/de208.htm) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC DANFS entry 'Cofer (DE-208)', namesake paragraph + specifications block + service narrative (Wayback capture); hazegray verbatim transcription

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS record for this hull: launched 6 September 1943 by Charleston Navy Yard, sponsored by Mrs. M. J. Cofer (mother of namesake Seaman First Class John Joseph Cofer, killed 13 November 1942 aboard Aaron Ward DD-483 at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, posthumous Silver Star); commissioned 19 January 1944, Lieutenant Commander A. P. Chester in command. Two transatlantic convoy crossings New York-Gibraltar and Norfolk-Bizerte 23 March-30 June 1944; returned to New York for conversion to a high speed transport; reclassified APD-62 on 5 July 1944. Departed New York 26 September, Hollandia 4 November for 7th Fleet duty; Leyte resupply convoy arrived off beaches 24 November under air attack; Ormoc Bay landings 7-8 December, aided kamikaze-damaged Liddle (APD-60); Mindoro assault landing under air attack 15 December. Lingayen Gulf reinforcements 11-12 January 1945; unopposed Luzon landings; Palawan 28 February, Zamboanga 10 March, Cebu 26 March (heavy mortar fire); flagship/covering vessel for Tarakan minesweepers 27 April-8 May - 3 May destroyed shore batteries that sank YMS-481 and rescued 19 survivors; Brunei Bay sweep 7-11 June; assisted mined Salute 8 June (rescued 59 survivors, 42 injured); Balikpapan 15 June-10 July; rescued 23 survivors of YMS-50 18 June. Buckner Bay Okinawa 1 September; Nagasaki POW evacuation September; Sasebo 28 September; occupation duty Okinawa/Fusan, Korea; departed Okinawa 26 November, San Diego 16 December, Brooklyn 9 January 1946; out of commission in reserve 28 June 1946, Green Cove Springs, Fla. 'Cofer received eight battle stars for World War II service.' DE-208 spec block: 1,400 t, 306 ft, beam 36'10", draft 9'5", 24 kt, complement 186, 3x3", 3x21" tt., 8 dcp., 1 dcp.(hh.), 2 dct., cl. Buckley.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-1946

   Population

   Charleston Navy Yard construction trades 1943; 'New York' conversion workforce mid-1944; wartime crew (DE design complement 186; APD complement ~204 plus embarked troops to ~162)

   Limitations

   DANFS documents identity, namesake, dates, and service history - not materials or asbestos content. Omits the laid-down date (NavSource supplies 12 May 1943) and all post-1946 events (stricken/sale dates come from secondary compilations - see gaps). Live NHHC page returns 404; canonical text verified via Wayback capture 2024-05-26. Conversion venue stated only as 'New York' - the facility is not named.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cofer-apd62-01

2. [2]NavSource Naval History, Amphibious Photo Archive: USS Cofer (APD-62) ex USS Cofer (DE-208) - build/conversion data, APD specifications block, campaign table, awards, disposition, CO list; plus Destroyer Escort Photo Index DE-208 building/operational data (navsource.net/archives/06/208.htm) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.net/archives/10/04/04062.htm (APD chronology, campaign table, spec block, awards, disposition, CO list); navsource.net/archives/06/208.htm (DE building/operational data, namesake photo captions)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource record for this hull corroborating DANFS and adding detail: keel laid 12 May 1943 as Cofer (DE-208) at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.; launched/christened 6 September 1943 (sponsor Mrs. M. J. Cofer); commissioned 19 January 1944, LCDR Alvin P. Chester USNR; 'Reclassified APD 62, converted at New York' 5 July 1944; WWII assignment TransDiv One Hundred Three (CDR W. S. Parsons); campaign credits - Leyte operation (Leyte landings 19-29 November 1944, Ormoc Bay 7-8 December 1944), Luzon operation (Mindoro landings 12-18 December 1944), Manila Bay-Bicol operations (Zambales-Subic Bay-Grande Island 29-31 January 1945), consolidation of southern Philippines (Palawan 28 February-10 March, Visayan Island landings 26-27 March 1945), Borneo operation (Brunei Bay 10 June, Balikpapan 15 June-7 July 1945); occupation service 2 September-26 November 1945; decommissioned 28 June 1946 at Green Cove Springs after 2 years 5-1/3 months service; laid up Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group; struck from the Naval Register 1 April 1966; sold for scrapping 5 March 1968. APD spec block: 1,400 lt / 2,130 fl; 306 ft; 37 ft beam; 12 ft 7 in limiting draft; 23.6 kt trial; 6,000 nm at 12 kt; complement 12 officers/192 enlisted plus troop accommodations 12 officers/150 enlisted; 4 LCVP; one 5"/38 DP, three twin 40 mm, six single 20 mm, 2 depth-charge tracks; propulsion two Combustion Engineering 'D' Express boilers 435 psi/750 F, two GE turbines (turbo-electric), 12,000 shp, two propellers; generators 2x300 kW 450 VAC + 2x40 kW 120 VDC. COs: LCDR Alvin P. Chester USNR (19 Jan 1944-18 Dec 1944), LT Herbert C. McClees USNR (18 Dec 1944-16 Dec 1945), LT James R. Morrow (16 Dec 1945-28 Jun 1946).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-1968

   Population

   Charleston Navy Yard construction trades 1943; New York conversion workforce mid-1944; wartime/postwar crew; embarked troops to ~162; TransDiv 103 staff; Green Cove Springs caretakers 1946-1966

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer-compiled secondary archive used for corroboration and spec detail, not an official record. Internal conflicts: its APD-page text reads 'earned five battle stars' while its DE-page ribbon bar shows the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with six stars plus EAME and Philippine Liberation (two stars) - DANFS's eight carried, conflict in gaps. The stricken (1 April 1966) and sale (5 March 1968) dates rest on secondary compilations (NavSource, uboat.net, navalcovermuseum.org agree); no primary NVR record located - the hull predates current NVR disposal coverage. Conversion facility named only as 'New York'. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cofer-apd62-02

3. [3]NARA Special List 44 - Named Vessels (vessel logbooks inventory): entry 'Cofer (DE-208, APD-62)', coverage 1/19/1944-6/30/1945; NARA Catalog WWII War Diaries series - twelve cataloged 'USS COFER - War Diary' monthly records (e.g., naId 78385645 'War Diary, 3/1-31/44', micro serial 69917, serial 019, file A12-1); NARA RG 181 finding aid, Sixth Naval District (Charleston) ship commissioning files listing 'DE-208 USS COFER 1/19/1944' [other_primary]

   Locator

   archives.gov Special List 44, 'Cofer (DE-208, APD-62)' row; catalog.archives.gov war-diary records (naIds incl. 78385645, 78458012, 78510696, 78662008, 139767651, 139813549, 633427032, 140019435, 101764886, 77550501, 77588478, 77602779); archives.gov/atlanta/finding-aids/rg181-charleston-2694599.html commissioning-files container list

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Primary-source archival leads exist for this hull: NARA's published vessel-logbook inventory lists deck logs for 'Cofer (DE-208, APD-62)' spanning 19 January 1944 (commissioning) through 30 June 1945 - covering the DE period, the mid-1944 APD conversion at 'New York', Leyte/Ormoc/Mindoro operations, and Lingayen/southern-Philippines/Borneo service; twelve monthly war diaries (March 1944-December 1945) are cataloged in the NARA WWII War Diaries series (Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations); and a NARA RG 181 Sixth Naval District finding aid lists Charleston Navy Yard commissioning files including 'DE-208 USS COFER 1/19/1944'. These are leads for exact yard periods and locations; deck logs and war diaries record operations, not materials.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-1945

   Population

   Ship's crew 1944-1945 (log coverage window)

   Limitations

   Archival leads only - none of the collections was retrieved or reviewed for this record; they document operations and commissioning, not asbestos content or material schedules. The deck-log window ends 30 June 1945; the final commission period (July 1945-June 1946) is covered by later inventories not checked here. The RG 181 series is commissioning paperwork, not construction specifications or bills of material.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cofer-apd62-03

4. [4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 1 (Jan 1945), DE design-group table pp. 234-235 (shipscribe.com scan) + navypedia 'Buckley (TE) class destroyer escorts' boiler-block map + NavSource APD-62 spec block + Atlas class profile buckley-class.class.json (background); builder Charleston Navy Yard resolves to shipyards.json yard_id 'charleston-naval-shipyard' (tier 2) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v1 pp. 234-235 design-group table; navypedia us_de_te.htm block map; navsource.net APD-62 spec block; shipyards.json record 'charleston-naval-shipyard'

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: a Buckley-class (BuShips design groups 2-3, TE turbo-electric) destroyer escort built May-September 1943 carried two 'D' express-type boilers at 435 psi/750 F superheat feeding GE turbine-generators and electric motors (12,000 shp, two shafts); NavSource's APD-62 spec block and the navypedia block map both attribute Combustion Engineering boilers to this hull's Charleston-built block (DE-199-213) - consistent but unverified against contract documents. A 1943 steam-plant escort of this design would have carried period-standard asbestos in boiler and steam-drum insulation, steam-line lagging between fireroom and engineroom, turbine lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, electrical insulation, fireproofing, deck coverings, and winch/windlass brake linings; the mid-1944 APD conversion at 'New York' (troop berthing/messing added, four LCVP davits, armament rearranged to a 5"/38 fit) is the kind of yard event that disturbs insulation - no work package or asbestos-specific language was located for this hull. Builder Charleston Navy Yard is a dataset yard (charleston-naval-shipyard, tier 2, with yard-level asbestos litigation and OSHA inspection records); that is yard-level documentation, not a hull record. The unnamed 'New York' conversion facility is not a resolvable dataset entry.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-1944

   Population

   Charleston Navy Yard construction trades 1943; 'New York' conversion workforce mid-1944; wartime and reserve-caretaker-era personnel 1944-1966; scrapper workforce 1968

   Limitations

   Class/era and builder/yard inference only - NOT a hull-specific finding. No bill of material, hull survey, conversion work package, or repair record was located for this hull; does not quantify material or establish any individual's exposure. Boiler manufacturer is secondary-sourced (NavSource + navypedia both read Combustion Engineering for the Charleston block; consistent, but unverified against BuShips contract data).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cofer-apd62-04

5. [5]CourtListener API v4 opinion and docket searches (authenticated via cl-auth-search.py, 2026-09-26) + govinfo USCOURTS full-text collection (independent coverage) [court_record]

   Locator

   CourtListener type=o result sets ('USS Cofer' count=0; 'U.S.S. Cofer' count=0) + type=r ('USS Cofer' count=0); govinfo wssearch USCOURTS collection queries per search_ledger

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Opinion-index sweeps returned no vessel litigation: '"USS Cofer"' = 0 hits; '"U.S.S. Cofer"' = 0 hits. Docket-index '"USS Cofer"' (type=r) = 0 hits. '"DE-208"' (type=o) executed mid-sweep before a fleet-pacing stand-down; located hits are non-vessel artifacts - the observed result is the Manzi extradition appeal (888 F.2d 204, 2d Cir.), a document/exhibit-number match with no vessel or asbestos context (name collision, non-qualifying). '"Cofer" asbestos' (type=r) executed; observed hits are surname/insurance-coverage noise (e.g., SRM, Inc. v. Great American Insurance, W.D. Okla. 5:11-cv-01090) - non-qualifying. Independent govinfo USCOURTS full-text coverage: '"USS Cofer"' = 0; '"USS Cofer" asbestos' = 0; '"APD-62"' = 0; 'Cofer asbestos Navy' = 0; '"DE-208" asbestos' = 3 opinions, all name collisions (Static Control Components v. Lexmark - part/docket-number artifact; Kaul v. Christe; Rich v. Simoni - no vessel or asbestos-vessel context).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   sweep run 2026-09-26

   Limitations

   Partial sweep logged honestly: the '"APD-62"' opinion query, '"aboard the Cofer"'/'"aboard USS Cofer"' phrasing queries, and hull-number type=r docket queries remained fleet-paced at drafting time - logged pending in search_ledger, not assumed negative. The 'DE-208' and 'Cofer asbestos' result counts were not fully captured before the stand-down; observed hits were collisions. A litigation absence in indexed opinions/dockets does not exclude unindexed dockets, state-court filings, or unreported settlements. Only one USS Cofer ever existed (in service 1944-46), so any true vessel hit would be this hull - but 'Cofer' is a common surname, so unqualified-name queries are collision-prone.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cofer-apd62-05

6. [6]Batch-2448 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (Wayback-verified), hazegray printed-DANFS transcription, ibiblio/HyperWar APD-62 spec page, NavSource DE/APD archives, NARA catalog war diaries + SL44 deck-log inventory + RG 181 Charleston finding aid, uboat.net + navalcovermuseum.org corroboration, govinfo USCOURTS, CourtListener API, banned-marketing-site sweep [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-cofer-apd62-01 through sl-uss-cofer-apd62-12

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for DE-208/APD-62: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, conversion work package, disposal hazmat disclosure, museum documentation, or docketed asbestos case naming the vessel was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was sold for scrapping 5 March 1968 - before the Navy's documented asbestos-control program era (GAO HRD-80-2: standing removal policy dates from 1975) and before disposal hazmat documentation practices - so no abatement or disposal-phase material record is expected to exist.

   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 - a 1943-built steam-plant hull is consistent with retained era materials through its U.S. service life, and the 1944 conversion likely disturbed/reinstalled insulation. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-cofer-apd62-06