Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet jw-packet.md (10 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: NOT a real name)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-de-266-de266-pkt-jw-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Wintle I/II (DE-25, DE-266) (Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 1981, Vol. 8, pp. 429-431; verbatim transcription - live NHHC DANFS pages return 404); companion DANFS Andres (DE-45) entry (hazegray mirror); NHHC Online Library 'USN Ships - USS Greene (DD-266)' photo page (ibiblio/HyperWar transcription) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Wintle entry (Vol. 8 pp. 429-431), Wintle I (DE-25) and Wintle II (DE-266) paragraphs; companion DANFS Andres (DE-45) entry; NHHC Online Library DD-266 photo page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: namesake Lt. Comdr. Jack William Wintle, USN, killed aboard USS San Francisco (CA-38) in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 12-13 November 1942, posthumous Navy Cross. 'DE-266 - an Evarts class destroyer escort - was named Wintle on 23 February 1943; laid down on 11 March 1943; and, sponsored by Mrs. Mary Clyde Wintle, Lt. Comdr. Wintle's widow, was launched on 22 April 1943. However, on 14 June 1943, the ship was allocated to the United Kingdom, and she was turned over to the Royal Navy on 16 August 1943. Renamed Capel (K.470) to honor Admiral Sir Thomas Bladen Capel who commanded frigate Phoebe at Trafalgar, the ship served the British primarily in the North Atlantic. She was a part of the naval force which supported the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and was active in the Atlantic after General Eisenhower's troops had secured a foot-hold in western Europe. HMS Capel was torpedoed by U-486 on 26 December 1944 and sunk in the English Channel.' The companion Wintle I (DE-25) paragraph in the same DANFS entry records that Mare Island's BDE-25 was 'named Wintle on 14 June 1943 when DE-266 was allocated to the Royal Navy as her replacement' - the name swap that makes 'USS Wintle' a two-hull collision. The DANFS Andres (DE-45) entry separately records that BDE-45 'Capel' was reallocated to the U.S. Navy and renamed Andres - the Capel name also spans two hulls. Hull-number collision check: the NHHC Online Library photo page for DD-266 identifies USS Greene (Clemson-class destroyer, later AVD-13 and APD-36) - a different ship sharing only the numeral.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1943-1944
- Population
- Boston Navy Yard construction trades 1943; RN crew 1943-44
- Limitations
- DANFS documents naming, dates, transfer, and loss - not builder yard (no yard named in this entry), materials, or asbestos content; the entry carries no spec block for this lend-lease hull. Mirror transcription cited because the live NHHC page returns 404.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-de266-de266-01
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[3]NavSource Destroyer Escort Photo Index, DE-266 Wintle / HMS Capel (K-470) - building/operational data, GMT type spec block, and captioned U.S. Navy/National Archives photographs (80-G-62015) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource DE-266 page: specifications block, Building and Operational Data list, photo captions 0626601/0626603
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull: class Evarts (lend-lease), type GMT (diesel-electric tandem motor drive, short hull, 3in guns); 1,140 t light / 1,430 t full; 289'5in oa x 35'0in x 11'0in; 4 GM Model 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6,000 shp, 2 screws; 19 kt; range 4,150 nm at 12 kt; crew 156. Laid down by Boston Navy Yard 11 March 1943; launched 22 April 1943; never commissioned USN; to Britain as lend-lease 16 August 1943, renamed HMS Capel; torpedoed and sunk by U-486 on 26 December 1944 off Cherbourg, France. Photo captions document the 22 April 1943 double christening of Wintle (DE-266) and Dempsey (DE-267) at Boston Navy Yard - sponsors Mrs. Mary Clyde Wintle and Mrs. J.A. Dempsey with Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald - via U.S. Navy photo 80-G-62015 (National Archives).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1943-1944
- Population
- Same populations as ev-uss-de266-de266-01
- Limitations
- NavSource is a curated specialist archive, not a government record - used for machinery detail, builder attribution (the DANFS entry omits it), and the NARA photo-catalog references; all major dates agree with DANFS. No asbestos or materials information. Complement figure (156) conflicts with the Evarts-class block figure (15 officers/183 enlisted) - carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-de266-de266-02
-
[4]National Park Service, 'The Boston Navy Yard and Destroyer Escorts (DEs)' (Boston National Historical Park, updated 2026-05-26; sources incl. Black, Charlestown Navy Yard 1890-1973; Carlson, Charlestown Navy Yard Historic Resource Study; History of the Boston Navy Yard Industrial Department 1939-1945) [nps]
- Locator
- NPS article sections 'A New Ship', 'The DE Classes', 'Boston Navy Yard Gets Busy'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NPS documentation of the builder's lend-lease DE program: Boston Navy Yard workers built 62 destroyer escorts during WWII - 52 Evarts-class and 10 John C. Butler-class - of which 31 went to the Royal Navy under lend-lease and were named for Napoleonic-era British heroes. Production ran on Shipways #1 and #2 and Dry Dock #5 (built 1942 specifically for DE construction) using prefabricated sections; BNY built 46 DEs in 1943, was first among 16 DE yards to complete four DEs in one month, and employed about 50,000 workers in 1943 (about 8,000 women). The article documents sister RN transfers by name (DE-280 Kingsmill, DE-519 Pasley, Kempthorne) but does not name DE-266 or discuss materials.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1941-1945
- Population
- Boston Navy Yard construction trades 1943 (~50,000 total yard employment)
- Limitations
- Program-level context for the builder yard only - does not name this hull and says nothing about asbestos or materials; establishes that DE-266's construction cohort (RN-bound Evarts-class hulls on BNY ways/dry dock in 1943) existed at the documented scale.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-de266-de266-03
-
[5]uboat.net Allied Warships record, HMS Capel (K 470) - event log sourced to UK National Archives files (ADM 53/118501 ship's log; ADM 173/19192, ADM 173/19228) + loss record at uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/3401.html [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship/5474 warship record (data table + events + sources list); uboat.net merchants/ship/3401 loss narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- RN service record for this hull (all RN-identity, as HMS Capel): ordered 25 January 1942; commanded by Lt. Bevil Grenfell Heslop, DSC, RN from 18 November 1943 until loss; escorted battleship HMS Royal Sovereign Norfolk Navy Base - Argentia - Greenock, 11-23 October 1943 (with Inver, Findhorn, Cooke); A/S exercises off Tobermory May 1944; member of 1st Escort Group (Affleck, Bentley, Capel, Garlies, Gore, Whiteaker) exercising off Larne 26-27 October 1944; reinforced English Channel section of troop convoy UC 48A 10-11 December 1944. Loss: 14:14 on 26 December 1944, U-486 (Oblt. Gerhard Meyer) fired three Gnat T5 torpedoes at the 1st Escort Group ~10 nmi east-northeast of Cherbourg; Capel hit and sank at 49deg50'N 1deg41'W; HMS Affleck (K.462) hit, towed to port, declared total loss; 'the commander, eight officers and 67 ratings from HMS Capel were lost' (76 dead); survivors picked up by American MTBs and taken to Cherbourg. Secondary Captain-class compilations additionally describe late-1944 cross-Channel convoy escort between UK ports and Cherbourg with rest periods at Plymouth - consistent with, but not in, the ADM-sourced event excerpt.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1943-1944
- Population
- RN crew of HMS Capel 1943-44 (76 lost with the ship)
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary database, not an official record - its event log cites UK National Archives ADM files (log ADM 53/118501; ADM 173/19192, /19228) as sources, and every date overlapping DANFS agrees. Casualty figure (76) is secondary-sourced; CWGC-consistent for the commanding officer (Heslop commemorated Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Panel 81 Col. 1). No materials or asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-de266-de266-04
-
[6]The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2026, SI 2026/286, Schedule 1 (designated vessels), legislation.gov.uk (in force 30 March 2026) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SI 2026/286 Schedule 1 (alphabetical vessel list - 'Capel' absent between Calgardian and Chasseur entries)
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- HMS Capel (K.470) is NOT on Schedule 1 of the 2026 PMRA designation order - the wreck is a war-loss site without the Act's designated-vessel protection. Notable by contrast: HMS Bullen (K.469), a Captain-class sister sunk by the same U-486 on 6 December 1944 in the same Cherbourg sector, IS designated (Schedule 1 entry (m)). Other designated WWII wrecks in the list include HMS Blackwood (K.313), also a Captain-class frigate.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2026 (current designation status)
- Population
- Wreck site (76 war dead); divers/fishery workers in the area
- Limitations
- Absence from the designation schedule is a regulatory-status fact, not a safety or environmental determination - the wreck retains war-grave status by convention and may hold ordnance or hazardous material. The Order's schedule is the current consolidated designation list (in force 2026-03-30); earlier orders revoked but designations carried forward. The wreck lies in French waters, which bears on designation jurisdiction.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-de266-de266-05
-
[7]HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-45: Destroyer Escorts' - Evarts-class spec block (diesel-electric tandem-motor drive, 6,000 hp, 289'5in, 21 kt, 3-3in/50, hedgehog; complement 15 officers/183 enlisted) + Atlas shipyard dataset, boston-naval-shipyard record (yard-level asbestos product identification: John Crane gaskets and sealing materials, In re John Crane, Inc., Tex. App. 2003; WWII peak employment 50,128 in 1943) [other_primary]
- Locator
- HyperWar ships-de.html Evarts-class spec block; NavSource DE-266 machinery line; shipyards.json 'boston-naval-shipyard'
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: this hull is a Boston-built Evarts-class GMT-type escort completed 1943. The GMT plant is four GM 16-278A diesel engines with diesel-electric tandem drive - no boilers and no steam lines, so the boiler/fireroom lagging load of the steam-driven DE classes does not apply. Period-standard asbestos applications for a 1943 combatant of this type were nonetheless the normal suite: diesel exhaust and hot-pipe lagging, machinery and compartment insulation, flange gaskets and valve packing, electrical insulation, deck coverings, and fireproofing. The builder yard is documented at yard level in the Atlas dataset (Boston Naval Shipyard, tier 3, with a litigation-derived asbestos product identification) and the hull was on the ways there during the yard's documented 1943 peak employment.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1943-1944
- Population
- Boston Navy Yard construction trades 1943; RN engineering crews 1943-44
- Limitations
- Class/era and builder-yard inference only - no source names asbestos aboard this hull, and the GMT diesel-electric plant removes the steam-system insulation most associated with DE asbestos content. Does not establish presence, quantity, location, or any individual exposure; NARA RG 19 contract/material specifications and UK National Archives records are the open archival leads.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-de266-de266-06
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[8]Batch-4188 search ledger (this record): DANFS (mirror), NavSource, NPS BNY DE program article, uboat.net warship and loss records, legislation.gov.uk PMRA 2026 Order, NVR, web sweep for hull-specific asbestos records; CourtListener authenticated API v4 sweeps (see search_ledger) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-de266-de266-01 through sl-uss-de266-de266-17
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, material inventory, or preservation-era documentation naming DE-266, Wintle, HMS Capel, or K.470 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was sunk in action in 1944 - predating asbestos regulation and surviving-record practices - and lies as a war-loss wreck in French waters, so no post-1970s survey or abatement channel exists.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2026-09-28
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943 combatant is era-consistent with asbestos insulation and fittings. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility for any person.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-de266-de266-07
-
[9]NARA still-picture and Bureau of Ships records (photo 80-G-62015; RG 19 General Information Books; RG 181 Boston Navy Yard records); UK National Archives ADM 53/118501 (HMS Capel ship's log) and ADM 173/19192, ADM 173/19228 (event-source files cited by uboat.net) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA still-picture series 80-G (item 80-G-62015); RG 19/RG 181; TNA ADM 53/118501, ADM 173/19192, ADM 173/19228
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads not yet pulled: (1) NARA photo 80-G-62015, the 22 April 1943 Boston Navy Yard christening/launch photograph of DE-266 referenced by NavSource; (2) NARA RG 19 Bureau of Ships contract and material specifications and RG 181 Boston Navy Yard industrial records for the 1943 build period - the likeliest sources to name materials installed aboard this hull; (3) UK National Archives ADM 53/118501 (HMS Capel log) and ADM 173/19192, ADM 173/19228 - the files uboat.net cites for Capel's event record, and the likeliest primaries for any refit/repair or machinery-disturbance events in RN service.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1943-1944 records
- Limitations
- Leads only - none of these records was retrieved or reviewed; the ADM references are taken from uboat.net's published source list, not from TNA Discovery directly. Content on this hull's materials is unknown and cannot be presumed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-de266-de266-08
-
[10]CourtListener API v4 authenticated searches (type=o opinions and type=r RECAP dockets) via fleet helper cl-auth-search.py, 2026-09-28 [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-de266-de266-11 through sl-uss-de266-de266-17
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation naming Wintle / USS Wintle / DE-266 / HMS Capel / K.470 located in CourtListener indexes. Seven queries run: (1) 'Wintle' opinions - 72 reported, page-1 results all surname cases (Wintle v. Martin probate, Inofin bankruptcy cluster via attorney Keri Wintle, et al.), zero ship references; (2) '"USS Wintle"' opinions - 0 results; (3) '"DE-266"' opinions - 21 hits, all reporter-page/docket-entry-number pattern collisions (FBI FOIA, bankruptcy, railroad cases), zero maritime; (4) '"HMS Capel"' opinions - 0 results; (5) 'Capel' opinions - 2,098 reported, page-1 results all surname collisions (Capel v. Capel probate, United States v. Capel courts-martial, Capel v. Langford, et al.), pattern uniform; (6) 'Wintle' RECAP dockets - 296 hits, all individual-debtor bankruptcy and civil surname dockets; (7) '"DE-266"' RECAP dockets - 329 hits, all 'DE 266' docket-entry-number references, zero ship references.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- courtlistener index through 2026-09-28
- Limitations
- Coverage is limited to CourtListener-indexed opinions and RECAP dockets - unindexed state trial-court filings, settled MDL-875 claimant records, UK proceedings, and any claims by RN crew or Boston Navy Yard builders that did not reach indexed text are outside the index. Deep pages of the high-collision queries ('Wintle' 72 opinions, 'Capel' 2,098 opinions, 'Wintle' 296 dockets, 'DE-266' 329 dockets) were not pulled; screened pages showed uniform collision patterns. Absence of indexed litigation does not prove no claim was ever filed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-de266-de266-09