Evidence
6 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-6).
-
[1]DANFS, Cole (DD-155) (specifications block + service narrative; verbatim transcription - live NHHC page returns 404 on slug variants tested). Namesake identity per U.S. World War I Centennial Commission biography (worldwar1centennial.org): Maj. Edward Ball Cole, USMC, posthumous Navy Cross and Distinguished Service Cross, mortally wounded Belleau Wood 10 June 1918, died 18 June 1918. [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry DD-155, specifications block + full service narrative (hazegray/losthistory.net verbatim transcription; second transcription destroyerhistory.org/flushdeck/usscole/)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: Wickes-class destroyer, 1,090 t, 314'5" x 31'8" x 9', 35 kt, complement 122, 4x4"/2x3"/12x21" tt. Launched 11 January 1919 by William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Co., Philadelphia (sponsor Mrs. E. B. Cole, widow of Maj. Edward B. Cole, USMC); commissioned 19 June 1919 (Comdr. I. F. Dortch). Turkish waters deployment June 1919-June 1920 (refugee evacuation, eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea); east coast/Caribbean until decommissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard 10 July 1922. Recommissioned 1 May 1930, Scouting Fleet; rotating reserve at Norfolk Navy Yard 22 Oct 1932-24 Mar 1933 and 3 Feb-14 Aug 1934; Scouting Force Pacific, San Diego base from 9 Nov 1934 to 24 May 1936; Naval Reserve training ship out of New York; Philadelphia Navy Yard 25 September 1936, decommissioned 7 January 1937. Recommissioned 16 October 1939, Neutrality Patrol; five Newfoundland/Iceland convoy escort voyages 10 June 1941-28 January 1942; east-coast escort March-September 1942; Operation Torch - landed 175 men of the 47th Infantry under fire on a pier at Safi, French Morocco, 8 November 1942 (Presidential Unit Citation); convoy duty from Boston; Gibraltar voyage March 1943; Mediterranean (Mers-el-Kebir) from 23 May 1943; Sicily invasion 10 July 1943 (beach identification group with a British submarine); Salerno transport guard 9 September 1943; Charleston, S.C. overhaul from 24 December 1943; east-coast/Caribbean escort with a Casablanca voyage March 1944; plane guard for carriers out of Quonset Point, R.I., 3 December 1944-31 August 1945; reclassified AG-116 30 June 1945; decommissioned 1 November (transcription reads 1946 - see gaps); sold 6 October 1947. Three WWII battle stars in addition to the PUC.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1918-1947
- Population
- Cramp & Sons construction trades 1918-19; crews 1919-1922, 1930-1937, 1939-1945 (design complement 122)
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. DANFS omits a laid-down date for this hull (25 June 1918 is secondary-sourced - see gaps). Transcription defects carried rather than silently corrected: 'decommissioned 1 November 1946' is inconsistent with the documented stricken date 16 November 1945 and NavSource/Wikipedia's 1 November 1945 - carried as 1945; decommissioned date January 1937 conflicts with NavSource's 27 January - see gaps. Mirror transcription cited because live NHHC slugs return 404.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cole-dd155-01
-
[2]Lowcountry Digital Library catalog records, Charleston Naval Shipyard Photographs collection (contributing institution Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum): eight official U.S. Navy yard prints of this hull - lcdl:714-720 (seven prints captioned 'US Navy Yard, SC, May 1, 1943. (DD 155)', Files 15344-15349 and 15353, bow/stern/broadside views) and lcdl:1070 (print captioned '647-45 US Navy Yard, Charleston, SC. 3 March 1945. USS Cole (DD 155). Port Bow, Down View.') [museum_official]
- Locator
- LCDL catalog records lcdl:714, 715, 716, 717, 718, 719, 720 (yard prints 692-43 through 701-43; Files 15344-15349 and 15353; 1 May 1943) and lcdl:1070 (print 647-45, 3 March 1945); search facet 'Cole' in Charleston Naval Shipyard Photographs, 8 results
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official U.S. Navy yard photographs cataloged in the Charleston Naval Shipyard Photographs collection document this hull inside Charleston Navy Yard on two documented dates: a seven-print documentation set dated 1 May 1943 (the month of her crossing to the Mediterranean - reached Mers-el-Kebir 23 May) and a print dated 3 March 1945 (during her plane-guard period; a 1945 Charleston visit does not appear in the DANFS narrative). These verify Charleston Navy Yard presence aboard this hull on dates beyond the December 1943 overhaul named in DANFS.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943; 1945
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard workers during DD-155's documented yard presence, 1943 and 1945
- Limitations
- Archival photograph metadata only - documents the hull's presence at Charleston Navy Yard on the dates shown; contains no materials or asbestos information and does not describe the scope of work, trades involved, or any insulation work performed. LCDL catalog date field for lcdl:1070 reads 1946-05-03 but the print caption on the artifact reads 3 March 1945 - print caption carried.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cole-dd155-02
-
[3]DANFS specifications block (Wickes class; 35 kt; complement 122) + NavSource as-built machinery block (26,000 shp, Parsons-design turbines, 2 screws) + Atlas shipyard dataset records 'philadelphia-naval-shipyard' (Tier 3; litigation-documented asbestos products incl. Unibestos, Kaylo, Garlock, Johns-Manville pipe insulation; OSHA 1989 inspection), 'norfolk-naval-shipyard' (Tier 2; documented products incl. Thermobestos, Marinite, Transite, Kaylo, boiler/turbine insulation, pipe lagging), and 'charleston-naval-shipyard' (Tier 2; documented magnesia pipe insulation, asbestos cement, boiler external coatings 15% asbestos, asbestos gaskets) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS spec block and service narrative (yard periods); NavSource archives/05/155.htm as-built machinery block; shipyards.json records 'philadelphia-naval-shipyard', 'norfolk-naval-shipyard', 'charleston-naval-shipyard'
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/yard inference: a Wickes-class destroyer built 1918-19 at William Cramp & Sons carried a period steam plant (class-typical for the DD-142-160 Cramp group: four White-Forster boilers feeding two Parsons geared turbines on two shafts; ~24,600-26,000 shp) of the era in which asbestos lagging on boilers and steam lines, gaskets, packing, and fireproofing were standard shipbuilding practice. Three yards documented as working on this hull are asbestos-documented in the Atlas dataset: Philadelphia Navy Yard (Tier 3; decommissioning availabilities 1922 and 1936-37, and 1936 Naval Reserve training base), Norfolk Navy Yard (Tier 2; rotating-reserve periods October 1932-March 1933 and February-August 1934), and Charleston Navy Yard (Tier 2; December 1943 overhaul; photo-documented yard presence 1 May 1943 and 3 March 1945).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1918-1945
- Population
- Cramp & Sons construction trades 1918-19; Philadelphia Navy Yard workers (1922, 1936-37); Norfolk Navy Yard workers (1932-34); Charleston Navy Yard workers (1943, 1945); crews 1919-1945
- Limitations
- Class/era and builder-yard inference only - no ship-specific asbestos finding for this hull exists in the record. WWI-era asbestos use on steam plants is era-standard inference; yard-level asbestos documentation does not establish that this hull's availabilities involved asbestos work, disturbed ACM, or any crew exposure. Builder William Cramp & Sons is not an Atlas shipyards.json entry.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cole-dd155-03
-
[4]National Archives, 'Logbooks of the U.S. Navy at the National Archives' (RG 24 Entry 118, NAID 581208, with Special List #44 covering 1801-1947; post-1941 deck logs at Archives II, College Park) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov logbook guidance page; RG 24 Entry 118 / Special List #44; post-1941 deck logs at Archives II
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Cole's logbooks/deck logs for her service periods (1919-1922, 1930-1937, 1939-1945), if extant, sit in NARA RG 24 holdings: logs through 1940 in RG 24 Entry 118 (NAID 581208, Special List #44 item list) at Archives I (Washington, DC); 1941-and-later deck logs at Archives II (College Park). Deck logs can document yard availabilities, maintenance periods, and day-to-day engineering work relevant to disturbance-era questions; DD-155 appears in compiled lists of extant NARA deck-log holdings.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1919-1945 (record coverage)
- Limitations
- Series-level lead only - Cole-specific log file units were not retrieved and digitization status was not verified (a commercial deck-log vendor's orderable list includes DD-155, indicating holdings exist). Deck logs document events, not materials; even a located log would not itself establish asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cole-dd155-04
-
[5]Batch-3161 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live, slug variants); hazegray/losthistory.net and destroyerhistory.org DANFS mirrors; Naval Vessel Register; NARA logbook series pages; LCDL Charleston Naval Shipyard Photographs catalog; Atlas shipyard dataset; general web for surveys/abatement/disposal records and litigation leads [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-cole-dd155-01 through sl-uss-cole-dd155-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, shipyard work package, industrial-hygiene study, museum hazmat disclosure, or post-disposal environmental record naming DD-155/AG-116 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was sold for scrap 6 October 1947; no surviving structure exists to survey. Law-firm 'ships list' pages name DD-155 generically among 'ships with asbestos' - non-citable marketing content with no source, document, or case attached; not treated as 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 during service - era inference (ev-03) argues period-standard asbestos use. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cole-dd155-05
-
[6]CourtListener API v4 sweep (cl-auth-search.py, authenticated): exact-name and asbestos queries executed under fleet-wide pacing; hull-number and docket queries partially blocked at research time [court_record]
- Locator
- cl-auth-search.py results 2026-09-26: '"USS Cole" asbestos' count=0; '"DD-155"' count=0; '"USS Cole"' count=56 (first 20 classified); pacing stand-down (exit 2) on subsequent attempts - see search_ledger sl-uss-cole-dd155-08 through -12
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener sweep partially executed: '"USS Cole" asbestos' (type=o) returned 0 opinions; '"DD-155"' (type=o) returned 0 opinions. '"USS Cole"' (type=o, 56 hits) returned opinions dominated by DDG-67-era litigation - United States v. Al-Nashiri (M.C. military commission, USS Cole bombing prosecution), Republic of Sudan v. Harrison (SCOTUS 2019), Harrison v. Republic of Sudan (D.D.C. 2012), Gunn/Taitt/Flanagan/Bernhardt v. Islamic Republic of Iran and related FSIA terrorism actions, al Bahlul and Al-Nashiri habeas appeals, United States v. Goba - all name the ship attacked at Aden 12 October 2000 (DDG-67) or are unrelated name collisions (Ramey v. District 141; K-Six Television v. Santiago; Nieto v. Flatau; Nash v. Port Authority; Pope v. United States; Martins v. Royal Caribbean) - none is asbestos litigation and none concerns DD-155. No opinion naming this hull or alleging exposure aboard it was located in executed queries; 'AG-116', 'USS Cole' pages 2-3, and type=r docket queries were blocked by fleet pacing - see ledger.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Sweep is only partially executed - pages 2-3 of the 56 'USS Cole' opinion hits, the 'AG-116' hull-number query, and all type=r docket queries were not run when fleet pacing intervened. The litigation negative for this hull is therefore unestablished beyond the executed queries; a supplemental CourtListener pass is the open task. Even a located docket would be a pleading-stage allegation unless an opinion adjudicates it.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cole-dd155-06