Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet crew-fi-packet.md (12 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-david-w-taylor-dd551-pkt-crew-fi-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, David W. Taylor (DD-551) (Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval History Division; verbatim HyperWar/ibiblio transcription - live NHHC page returns 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, specifications block + service narrative + bracketed addendum
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: namesake Rear Admiral David Watson Taylor (1864-1940), Naval Constructor and Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair. Launched by Gulf Shipbuilding Co., Chickasaw, Ala., sponsored by Mrs. Imogene Taylor Powell; commissioned 18 September 1943, Lt. Comdr. W. H. Johnsen. Service: convoy escort Charleston-Pearl Harbor (arriving 20 January 1944); Gilbert/Marshall support; Marianas screen June-August 1944; sank Japanese submarine I-10 with Riddle (DE-185) 4 July 1944; Third Fleet logistics screen; southern Palaus, Ulithi base from 29 October; Luzon air raids November 1944; Chichi Jima bombardment 5 January 1945 when an underwater explosion (probably a mine) heavily damaged the ship and killed four men - reached Saipan 7 January under own power; overhaul and repairs at Hunter's Point, Calif., 13 February-7 May 1945; Emidj Island bombardment 18 June; Okinawa from 30 June; China coast sweeps; occupation escort to Takasu, Kyushu 4 September; Wakanoura Wan and Nagoya landings; arrived San Diego 17 November 1945; out of commission in reserve 17 August 1946. Eight battle stars for WWII. Spec block: dp. 2,050; l. 376'6"; b. 39'8"; dr. 17'9"; s. 35 k.; cpl. 273; a. 5 5"/10 21" tt.; cl. Fletcher.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1941-1972
- Population
- Gulf Shipbuilding construction trades 1941-43; wartime crew (design complement 273); reserve-fleet caretakers 1946-57
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. Two transcription/original errors documented in ev-04: launch year reads '1943' (actual 1942) and the bracketed addendum names the Spanish transfer 'Lepanto' (actual: Almirante Ferrándiz). Mirror transcription cited because the live NHHC page returns 404.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-david-w-taylor-dd551-01
-
[3]NavSource Naval History, Destroyer Photo Index DD-551 USS David W. Taylor (volunteer-compiled photographic archive; data block retrieved via search snippet - direct fetch blocked) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource DD-551 page, 'Operational and Building Data' block + photo captions
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NavSource data block for this hull: 'Laid down by Gulf Shipbuilding, Chickasaw Ala. June 12 1941. Launched July 4 1942 and commissioned September 18 1943. Decommissioned August 17 1946. Stricken October 1 1972. To Spain May 15 1957, renamed Almirante Ferrándiz (hull# 41, then reclassified as D 22). Fate: Stricken November 17 1987 and scrapped.' Page carries a Spanish Navy official photo caption (via Jane's Fighting Ships 1958-59) naming the vessel 'Almirante Fernandiz (ex-USS David W. Taylor, DD-551)' and a Spanish commanding-officer roster running May 15, 1957 - 1970s.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1941-1987
- Population
- Spanish Navy crew of Almirante Ferrándiz 1957-1987
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer-run archive whose data blocks are compiled from official records (DANFS, NVR, Jane's) - used here to supply the laid-down date DANFS omits and the Spanish-service detail the DANFS addendum corrupts; not an official source itself. Direct page fetch returned a client block during this session; content verified via verbatim search-engine snippet and corroborated by navypedia (ev-03) and hullnumber.com.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-david-w-taylor-dd551-02
-
[4]Navypedia, 'LEPANTO destroyers (1942-1944/1957-1960)' - Spanish Navy ex-Fletcher-class table [other_primary]
- Locator
- Navypedia Spain torpedo ships > Lepanto destroyers, ship table row 'Almirante Ferrándiz (ex-David W. Taylor)'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Navypedia's Spanish Lepanto-class destroyer table explicitly maps both Chickasaw-built transfers: 'Almirante Ferrándiz (ex-David W. Taylor) D22 ... Gulf SB, Chickasaw, USA ... launched 4.7.1942 ... 15.5.1957 ... stricken 11.1987' and 'Lepanto (ex-Capps) D21 ... Gulf SB, Chickasaw ... launched 31.5.1942 ... 15.5.1957 ... stricken 12.1985'. Confirms ex-DD-551 served Spain as Almirante Ferrándiz (D-22) until stricken November 1987 and establishes the sister-ship pairing behind the DANFS addendum error.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1957-1987
- Population
- Spanish Navy crew of Almirante Ferrándiz 1957-1987
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation. Its laid-down month ('7/1941') and US commission month ('6/1943') for this hull differ from NavSource/DANFS (12 June 1941; 18 September 1943) - carried in gaps. Spanish-side service detail limited to dates and pennant; no maintenance, refit, or scrapping-site information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-david-w-taylor-dd551-03
-
[5]Correction resolution: NavSource DD-551 data block + navypedia Lepanto-class table + Jane's Fighting Ships 1958-59 Spanish Navy photo caption (via NavSource), against the DANFS dd551 entry [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS dd551 entry launch sentence + bracketed addendum; NavSource data block; navypedia Lepanto table
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Two errors in the DANFS record for this hull documented and resolved. (1) Launch year: DANFS reads 'launched 4 July 1943' - all other sources (NavSource, navypedia, List of Fletcher-class destroyers) read 4 July 1942; a 1943 launch would compress fitting-out to ~11 weeks for a Gulf Shipbuilding hull when sister Capps took ~13 months, and 1942 is corroborated independently. Record carries 1942-07-04. (2) Spanish transfer name: the DANFS bracketed addendum reads 'loaned to Spain on 15 May 1957 as Lepanto' - ex-DD-551 in fact became Almirante Ferrándiz (hull 41, later D-22); Lepanto (D-21, hull 42) was ex-USS Capps (DD-550). Both were Gulf Shipbuilding Fletcher hulls transferred at Treasure Island on the same day, which plausibly generated the mix-up.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1942-1987
- Population
- none
- Limitations
- The 'Lepanto' error appears in DANFS's later bracketed addendum (compiled after the ship's 1940s narrative was written), not the main entry text; whether the error originated in print DANFS or the HyperWar transcription is undetermined - either way the addendum is wrong on the name. Launch-year correction is corroborated across three independent secondary sources, not a primary document.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-david-w-taylor-dd551-04
-
[6]NPS National Register nomination, Chickasaw Shipyard Village Historic District, NRHP ref. 04000924 (listed 2004-09-03) [nps]
- Locator
- NPS NRHP nomination form, sections 7-8 (shipyard 'Resource 530'; period of significance narrative)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NPS nomination documents this hull's builder: the Chickasaw shipyard (Resource 530 within the district) was established 1917 by Tennessee Coal & Iron/U.S. Steel, acquired by Gulf Shipbuilding Corp. (a Waterman Steamship subsidiary) in 1938-1940, and 'between 1938 and 1945, Gulf manufactured 76 ships' for the Maritime Commission and U.S. Navy; the district's period of significance extends through Gulf's postwar repair/conversion work to 1952. Documents the builder yard's existence, ownership, and wartime output at the time this hull was built.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1938-1952
- Population
- Gulf Shipbuilding workforce (peak 10,000-15,000 per secondary accounts)
- Limitations
- Nomination documents the yard and company town, not this vessel - it names no hulls and addresses no shipboard materials. Yard-level context only; the nomination's asbestos-relevant content is nil (it does not inventory hazardous materials or trades exposures).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-david-w-taylor-dd551-05
-
[7]CourtListener API v4 litigation sweep, 2026-09-27 (authenticated; fleet-paced helper) [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener API v4 search, queries listed verbatim in finding_value
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull located in CourtListener. Opinions (type=o): "USS David W. Taylor" = 0 hits; "David W. Taylor" DD-551 = 0 hits; "DD-551" = 0 hits. Dockets (type=r): "USS David W. Taylor" = 0 hits; "DD-551" = 7 hits, all name collisions on inspection (the string appears in Bates/exhibit numbers and OCR noise in unrelated cases - Coviello v. Town of Chelmsford (D. Mass.), Singular Computing v. Google (D. Mass.), Barron Partners v. Lab 123 (S.D.N.Y.), Williams v. City of Springfield (D. Mass.), NYT v. Microsoft (S.D.N.Y.), PG&E bankruptcy (Bankr. N.D. Cal.), In re 15375 Memorial Corp. (D. Del.)). Independent site:courtlistener.com web corroboration returned only person-name hits (a process server; a criminal defendant; a civil defendant) and David W. Taylor Naval Ship R&D Center facility documents - no vessel exposure claim. 'David W. Taylor' is a high-collision name (namesake admiral; David Taylor Model Basin/DTNSRDC facility).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 2026-09-27 (search date)
- Population
- none
- Limitations
- Two broad sweep queries ("David W. Taylor" unqualified, type=o and type=r) could not be run - the fleet-wide CourtListener pacing budget was repeatedly exhausted during the session; results above cover exact name and hull number. Absence of hits means no published/indexed litigation naming the hull was located - it does not prove no claim was ever filed (state courts and unindexed PACER dockets are outside CourtListener coverage), and it establishes nothing about materials aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-david-w-taylor-dd551-06
-
[8]Negative finding - no ship-specific asbestos record located across the sources searched (DANFS/NHHC, NPS, NARA catalog, NavSource/navypedia, destroyerhistory.org, CourtListener, general web) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger sl-01 through sl-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No hull-specific asbestos survey, abatement or remediation record, materials inventory, transfer/disposal hazmat disclosure, or qualifying litigation naming DD-551 was located in any source searched (see search_ledger). The structural reason is evident in the record itself: the hull left U.S. custody on 15 May 1957 - before the Navy's documented asbestos-substitution era - and spent its final thirty years under Spanish custody, then was scrapped abroad; no museum phase, no U.S. donation-condition disclosure, and no domestic scrapping documentation exist for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1941-2026
- Population
- none
- Limitations
- A negative finding is bounded by the repositories searched; Spanish Navy maintenance records, the 1957 transfer-survey file, and the 1987-88 scrapping contract were not located and may exist in Spanish archives or NARA record groups not digitized. Absence of documentation is not evidence that asbestos was absent - the class/era inference stands (ev-08).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-david-w-taylor-dd551-07
-
[9]DANFS specifications block (Fletcher class; four-boiler steam plant) + Fletcher class profile (class-c worktree) + Destroyer History Foundation Gulf yard page (destroyerhistory.org/destroyers/gulf/) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS dd551 spec block; fletcher-class.class.json (class-c worktree, background only); destroyerhistory.org Gulf page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/class inference only: this 1941-43 Gulf Shipbuilding hull is a Fletcher-class destroyer with the class-standard four-Babcock & Wilcox-boiler, geared-steam-turbine, 60,000-shp plant, built squarely inside the Navy's documented peak asbestos-use era; period-standard asbestos applications for such a plant were boiler and steam-line insulation, turbine lagging, gaskets, packing, fireproofing, and deck coverings. The 13 February-7 May 1945 battle-damage repair availability at Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard is a documented yard period at a yard the Atlas dataset documents for asbestos (hunters-point-naval-shipyard, tier 2). Builder yard Gulf Shipbuilding (Chickasaw) is not in the Atlas yard dataset - carried in gaps rather than mis-mapped to the Mobile yard entry.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1941-1957 (U.S. custody)
- Population
- Gulf Shipbuilding construction trades 1941-43; crew 1943-46; reserve-fleet maintenance 1946-57; 1957 transfer-prep workforce
- Limitations
- Class/era and builder-yard inference only - no primary source establishes asbestos-containing material aboard this specific hull; 'typical of the class' is not 'documented aboard.' No survey, manifest, or work package ties any product to DD-551. NARA RG19 General Information Books (per-vessel material specifications) not retrieved - archival lead.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-david-w-taylor-dd551-08
-
[10]GAO HRD-80-2, report on Navy asbestos insulation use aboard ships (program-level) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2, abstract/description
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented at program level that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s. DD-551's entire U.S. Navy window - construction 1941-43, commissioned service 1943-46, reserve-fleet custody 1946-57 - predates that substitution era, consistent with the class/era inference in ev-08.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- WWII era - early 1970s
- Population
- U.S. Navy shipboard personnel, program-wide
- Limitations
- Program-level finding naming no hull; gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches, so the product-page description (not full text) is the citation basis - same standing limitation as Batch 01. Establishes era context only, not shipboard materials on this vessel.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-david-w-taylor-dd551-09