Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet 982-packet.md (3 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-covington-pf56-pkt-982-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Covington III (PF-56), Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Vol. II pp. 197-198 (verbatim transcription; no live NHHC page exists - all candidate URLs 404 and Wayback CDX shows no covington-iii page ever archived on history.navy.mil; hazegray.org is dead, cited via its losthistory.net mirror) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry text, Covington III (PF-56) - spec block + single service paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: launched 15 July 1943 by Globe Shipbuilding Co., Superior, Wis., under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Miss J. Phillips; transferred to the Navy 5 August 1944; placed in 'ferry' commission 7 August 1944; commissioned in full 17 October 1944, Lt. Comdr. F. S. Brown, USCGR, in command; arrived Argentia, Newfoundland, 25 December 1944 for duty as a weather patrol vessel and remained on that duty, except for overhauls at Boston and Charleston, until 16 March 1946, when she was decommissioned and loaned to the Coast Guard; returned from the Coast Guard 17 September 1946; sold to Ecuador through the Foreign Liquidation Commission of the State Department 28 August 1947. Spec block: dp. 1,190; 303'11" x 37'6"; dr. 13'8"; 20 k.; cpl. 176; a. 2 3"; cl. Tacoma.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- Globe Shipbuilding construction trades 1943-44; Coast Guard-manned crew 1944-46 (design complement 176 per DANFS)
- Limitations
- DANFS documents construction, milestones, and service narrative - not materials or asbestos content. It does not give the decommissioning location, the 1946 USCG-phase end event (17 Sep custody return vs the 23 Sep New Orleans decommissioning reported by the official USCG war history), or the stricken date. The live NHHC PF-56 page does not exist; transcription mirror cited. DANFS says 'sold to Ecuador... 28 August 1947' without the Guayas service history.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-covington-pf56-01
-
[3]U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, 'USS Covington, PF-56' asset page (posted 2021-03-29; sources listed: The Coast Guard At War, Transports and Escorts Vol. V No. 1; Conway's 1922-1946; DANFS Vol. II) [other_primary]
- Locator
- history.uscg.mil asset page - specifications block + History section
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- USCG Historian's Office record for this hull: builder Globe Shipbuilding Co., Superior, WI; propulsion '2-shaft VTE, 3 boilers' (vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam plant); displacement 2,230 tons; complement 190; commissioned in full 17 October 1944 under LCDR Frederick S. Brown, USCGR, 'with a Coast Guard crew of 160 officers and men'; weather-patrol duty under Task Force 24 - radiosonde balloon observations, ocean temperatures, surface and aloft winds reported to the Weather Bureau for Air Transport Command support, plus air-sea-rescue beacon duty; for frigates fitted for weather patrol 'the after 3-inch gun was removed and a weather balloon hanger was added aft'; LCDR Roy M. Hutchins, Jr., USCG, succeeded Brown 19 September 1945; 'decommissioned at New Orleans' and loaned to the Coast Guard (16 March 1946 framing follows DANFS); returned from the Coast Guard 17 September 1946; sold to Ecuador via the Foreign Liquidation Commission 28 August 1947.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- Coast Guard-manned crew of 160 officers and men (commissioning complement); weather-patrol crews 1944-46
- Limitations
- Federal historical office record; documents the plant type (VTE + 3 boilers) relevant to era asbestos applications but says nothing about asbestos itself. The weather-balloon-hangar note is class-level ('for those frigates fitted out for weather patrol duty') - Covington was such a frigate, but the page does not describe her specific conversion scope. 'Decommissioned at New Orleans' for the 16 March 1946 event conflicts with NavSource's Charleston, SC - carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-covington-pf56-02
-
[4]NARA, 'USS COVINGTON - War History', NAID 77681758 (RG 38, WWII War Diaries series, micro serial 158183, roll A2083, 3 images) and 'USS COVINGTON - War Diary, 4/1-30/45', NAID 139991731 (micro serial 120132, roll A1578, 3 images) - both digitized; page images reviewed this session [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 77681758 image 0406 (history narrative p.1); NAID 139991731 images 0269-0270 (cover + April 1-9 entries)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The ship's own records: her submitted war history, 'HISTORY OF THE U.S.S. COVINGTON, (PF-56)', states she 'was placed in commission by Commander M. I. Kearns, U.S.N. (retired) at 1500, 17 October, 1944 at the Tennessee Coal & Iron Docks, Houston, Texas' with 'Coast Guard crew of 160 officers and men' under LCDR Frederick S. Brown, USCGR; fuel/ammunition at Galveston; departed 29 October for Bermuda shakedown under Commander Operational Training, Atlantic Fleet; moored alongside destroyer tender USS Hamul in Great Sound, Bermuda, 4 November 1944; training with Task Group 23.1 to 28 November; post-shakedown availability at Boston Navy Yard (arrived 30 November 1944); departed Boston 22 December 1944 for Argentia, joining Task Force 24 (arrived 25 December); departed 27 December for Atlantic Weather Station No. 1; patrol table includes a 14-16 February 1945 Boston run 'in convoy with USS HINGHAM PF-30'. The April 1945 war diary (approved by F.S. Brown, Lt. Comdr., USCGR) records tender availability at Naval Operating Base Argentia under CTF-24 Operation Plan No. 1-45; departure 7 April 1945 for Atlantic Weather Station No. 4; and relief of USS Sheboygan (PF-57) on station 9 April 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Coast Guard crew of 160 officers and men aboard this hull 1944-45
- Limitations
- Primary operational records establishing identity, crew size, and weather-patrol employment - not material or asbestos records. War diaries log positions and evolutions, not machinery condition or insulation. The NARA catalog holds ~78 Covington (PF-56) file units in this series (1945 war diaries); all are routine operational logs.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-covington-pf56-03
-
[5]The Coast Guard at War, Vol. I: Escorts (Part II), 'USS COVINGTON (PF-56)' chapter (official USCG historical publication; verbatim HyperWar/ibiblio transcription) [other_primary]
- Locator
- USCG-V1-2.html, 'USS COVINGTON (PF-56)' chapter - Commissioning and Shakedown; Weather Patrol itinerary table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official USCG war history chapter for this hull: built by Globe Shipbuilding Co., Superior, Wis.; commissioned 17 October 1944 at Houston, Texas, with 160 officers and men; shakedown Bermuda (departed 29 October 1944); post-shakedown availability Boston (from 28 November); departed Boston 22 December 1944 for Argentia to join Task Force 24. Weather-patrol itinerary 1945-46: Weather Stations Nos. 1, 8, 3, 4 (x2), 10, 11, 6, 8, 7 (x2), with availabilities at Boston Navy Yard and Charleston Navy Yard; New York 11 May-11 September 1946; en route New Orleans 11-17 September 1946; 'She was decommissioned at New Orleans on September 23, 1946. During all these patrols the Covington was a unit of Task Force 24 with duties of taking and reporting weather observations, with additional Air-Sea Rescue duties.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Coast Guard-manned crew 1944-46 (160 at commissioning)
- Limitations
- Documents the complete weather-patrol employment and yard availabilities - operational history only, no materials content. Its 23 September 1946 New Orleans decommissioning conflicts with the 16 March 1946 Charleston/loan date (DANFS/NavSource) and the 17 September 1946 Navy-custody return (DANFS); the reconciliation is carried in gaps rather than silently merged.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-covington-pf56-04
-
[6]NavSource Online: Frigate Photo Archive, USS Covington (PF 56), page 12/08056 (verified live on navsource.net - navsource.org is dead) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page 12/08056 - designation bullet list, specifications block, commanding-officer table, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull: originally authorized as Patrol Gunboat PG-164; redesignated Patrol Frigate PF-56 on 15 April 1943; laid down 1 March 1943 under a Maritime Commission contract at Globe Shipbuilding Co., Superior, Wisconsin; launched 15 July 1943; delivered 5 August 1944; 'ferry' commission 7 August 1944; commissioned USS Covington (PF-56) 17 October 1944; decommissioned 16 March 1946 at Charleston, SC, loaned to the Coast Guard and recommissioned USCGC Covington (PF 56) the same day; returned to U.S. Navy custody 17 September 1946; struck from the Naval Register April 1947; transferred to the State Department Foreign Liquidation Commission 28 August 1947 for further transfer to Ecuador and renamed Guayas; designated E-01 in 1963; reclassified E-21; decommissioned 1972; 'Fate unknown.' Specifications: displacement 1,430 t; 303'11" x 37'6"; 20.3 kts; complement 190; propulsion 'Two 3-drum express boilers, two 5,500 iHP J. Hendy Iron Works engines, two shafts.' Commanding officers LCDR Frederick S. Brown, USCGR (17 Oct 1944 - 19 Sep 1945) and LCDR Roy M. Hutchins, Jr., USCG (19 Sep 1945 - 16 Mar 1946). Photographic record includes a 15 June 1943 launching image (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and an 11 May 1946 New York image alongside USS Lorain (PF-93) while both were on Coast Guard loan.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1972
- Population
- Construction and crew populations as documented (complement 190 per NavSource specs)
- Limitations
- Reputable private naval-history archive, not a government source - used for designation/disposition timeline and the J. Hendy engine attribution; corroborated at the milestone level by DANFS and USCG. Charleston decommissioning location conflicts with the USCG sources (New Orleans) - carried in gaps. 'Struck April 1947' gives no day; 'Fate unknown' leaves the Ecuadorian disposition open.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-covington-pf56-05
-
[7]ShipbuildingHistory.com (Tim Colton), 'Globe Shipbuilding (WWII), Superior WI' yard hull list - yard hull #110, USMC hull #1463 [other_primary]
- Locator
- globetwo.htm hull table - row '110 | 1463 | Covington | US Maritime Comm. | S2-S2-AQ1 | 1,430 | 7-Aug-44 | PF 56...'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Builder-yard compilation for this hull: Globe Shipbuilding (WWII) yard, Superior WI, yard hull no. 110, U.S. Maritime Commission hull no. 1463, original name 'Covington', type S2-S2-AQ1, 1,430 GT, delivered 7 August 1944; disposition line reads 'PF 56, weather ship 1944, to Ecuador 1947 as Guayas (E 21), struck 1974'. Sister patrol frigates on the same contract block: PF-57 Sheboygan (yard 111), PF-58 Abilene (112), PF-59 Beaufort (113), PF-60 Charlotte (114), PF-61 Manitowoc (115); PF-62 and PF-63 were built at Globe's Duluth sub-yard. The compilation notes two distinct Globe Shipbuilding Companies in Superior - one operational only during WWI, the other only during WWII - the WWI site being used in WWII by Walter Butler Shipbuilders.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1974
- Population
- Globe Shipbuilding (WWII) yard workforce, Superior WI, 1943-44
- Limitations
- Secondary compiled reference (widely used shipyard table, not a primary document) - the construction data corroborate DANFS/NavSource; the 'struck 1974' Ecuadorian detail is secondary-only and is carried in gaps. Establishes the MC hull number and contract block context, nothing about materials or asbestos.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-covington-pf56-06
-
[8]Era inference built on: USCG Historian's Office propulsion data ('2-shaft VTE, 3 boilers'); NavSource specifications (two 3-drum express boilers, two 5,500 iHP J. Hendy Iron Works engines); DANFS construction data (Maritime Commission contract, 1943-44); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy-wide asbestos-use documentation; NARA RG 19 'General Information Books' archival lead for per-vessel material specifications [other_primary]
- Locator
- USCG Historian spec block; NavSource specs; DANFS spec block; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/yard inference: a Maritime Commission-contract Tacoma-class patrol frigate (MC type T. S2-S2-AQ1) built 1943-44 with a three-boiler, two-shaft vertical triple-expansion steam plant would have carried period-standard asbestos thermal insulation on boilers and steam lines, machinery lagging, gaskets and valve packing, fireproofing, and deck/bulkhead coverings; Navy-wide asbestos insulation use in this era is documented by GAO HRD-80-2. The builder, Globe Shipbuilding Co. of Superior WI (WWII emergency yard), has no asbestos documentation in the Atlas yard dataset or located public sources; NARA RG 19 'General Information Books' holding per-vessel material specifications are the archival lead for hull-level specs.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- Globe Shipbuilding construction trades 1943-44; Coast Guard-manned crew 1944-46; Boston/Charleston navy-yard overhaul workforces 1945-46
- Limitations
- Class/era and steam-plant inference only - no ship-specific survey, inventory, or litigation record was located for PF-56. This row cannot support 'documented aboard this hull' wording. Globe Shipbuilding is absent from shipyards.json, so no yard-level asbestos record applies either; the MC-contract construction context makes asbestos use plausible but unproven for this hull. NARA GIB retrieval not performed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-covington-pf56-07
-
[9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) - product page (full text blocked: gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (title, issue date, abstract)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Program-level context: GAO documented the Navy's historical use of asbestos insulation in ship construction and repair and evaluated the Navy's protective measures for exposed shipyard workers - establishing that asbestos was standard in Navy steam plants of this hull's construction era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1940s-1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard and shipboard populations, asbestos era
- Limitations
- Program-level finding across the Navy's asbestos-era fleet; names no individual hull, yard, or exposure event, and its fieldwork covered naval shipyards, not contract builders such as Globe. gao.gov 403 to automated fetch - product-page metadata only; same standing access limitation noted since Batch-01.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-covington-pf56-08
-
[10]Batch-8462 search ledger (this record): DANFS transcription; USCG Historian's Office; USCG At War chapter; NARA war history/war diaries (verified images); NavSource; shipbuildinghistory.com yard list; MARAD Vessel History Database (no result); Naval Vessel Register (no result); NARA deck-log catalog (not digitized); NIOSH/Globe Shipbuilding (no result); CourtListener (blocked - fleet pacing budget exhausted) [other_primary]
- Locator
- This record's search_ledger rows sl-01 through sl-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No ship-specific asbestos documentation was located for this hull: no ACM survey, abatement record, hazmat disclosure, industrial-hygiene study of the builder yard, or qualifying litigation naming USS Covington (PF-56) or USCGC Covington was found in the sources searched. The only asbestos content naming the Tacoma class or Globe/Superior shipbuilding is law-firm marketing material (asbestos-ships.com, mesowatch.org, thirdcoastlawyers.com and similar), excluded by source policy. CourtListener could not be searched this session (fleet pacing budget exhausted on all attempts) - litigation status is an open gap, not a negative result.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1943-2026
- Limitations
- Absence of located records is not proof of absence aboard the hull - the vessel's Ecuadorian disposition (1947-72) and undocumented final fate leave its material history unverifiable. The CourtListener gap stands open for a future pass; Globe Shipbuilding industrial-hygiene records, if any exist, would sit in NIOSH/OSHA or Wisconsin state archives not searched.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-covington-pf56-09