Evidence
5 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-5).
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[1]DANFS vol. II, Devilfish (SS-292) entry - Cramp construction, four war patrols, kamikaze damage (verbatim transcription mirror; live NHHC page returned 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS vol. II (C-F), Devilfish entry and spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull (DANFS): launched 30 May 1943 by Cramp Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia (sponsor Mrs. F. W. Fenno, Jr.); commissioned 1 September 1944, Comdr. E. C. Stephen; Fleet Sonar School duty at Key West; four war patrols including lifeguard duty in Kii Suido/Bungo Suido and off the Nanpo Shoto. BATTLE DAMAGE: struck by a kamikaze aircraft on 20 March 1945 while submerging - the plane crashed her mast structure causing serious leakage; repaired at Saipan and Pearl Harbor. Bombarded Tori Shima 10 August 1945. Placed in commission in reserve 18 April 1946, out of commission in reserve at San Francisco 30 September 1946. Three battle stars.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1942-1946
- Population
- Cramp construction trades (1942-44); repair trades at Saipan/Pearl Harbor (1945); crew (1944-1946)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. Live NHHC DANFS page returned 404 - verbatim transcription mirror used. 'Camp Shipbuilding' in the transcription is a misprint of Cramp.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-devilfish-ss292-01
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[2]NavSource Submarine Photo Index, USS Devilfish (SS-292) - laid-down, AGSS-292, strike, target sinking by USS Wahoo (secondary compilation; Wayback capture) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navsource.net/archives/08/08292.htm via Wayback - milestone block and photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Post-DANFS disposition (NavSource): laid down 31 March 1942 at Cramp Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia; decommissioned 30 September 1946 at San Francisco; laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet; reclassified AGSS-292 (date not printed); struck 1 March 1967; sunk as a target by Wahoo (SS-565) off San Francisco on 14 August 1968 (documented in NavSource photo caption, USN photo).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1942-1968
- Population
- Crew (1944-1946); weapons-test personnel (1968)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation, not a primary record - used for post-DANFS disposition only. The AGSS-292 redesignation date is not printed (class profile gives December 1962 - unverified, in gaps). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-devilfish-ss292-02
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[3]Era inference anchored to DANFS-documented construction and yard periods for this hull; Balao-class diesel-electric machinery per NavSource specification block and BuShips Ships' Data 1945 (class profile ev-balao-class-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- construction-era inference from DANFS dates, NavSource spec block, documented yard periods
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era inference: a diesel-electric fleet submarine built 1942-44 at Cramp Shipbuilding in the peak asbestos era would era-typically have carried asbestos-containing exhaust lagging, engine gaskets and packing, and thermal/acoustic insulation around machinery and galley/refrigeration equipment. Balao-class boats had NO boilers or steam plant - the diesel-electric plant narrows the steam-era asbestos pathway materially. Documented yard windows: Cramp Shipbuilding construction (1942-44); kamikaze-damage repairs at Saipan and Pearl Harbor (March-May 1945 - mast structure destroyed, serious leakage); San Francisco inactivation (1946). The March 1945 kamikaze damage and subsequent repairs are a documented topside/machinery disturbance window. Her 1968 target sinking took the hull down with any era materials aboard; no pre-sinking hazmat record was located.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1942-1971
- Population
- Construction and yard trades; crew
- Limitations
- CLASS/ERA INFERENCE ONLY - no ship-specific material schedule, insulation survey, or asbestos abatement record was located for this hull. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. Establishes no quantity and no exposure for any individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-devilfish-ss292-03
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[4]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - covering the construction and most service years of every Balao-class hull in this batch (built 1942-45).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-devilfish-ss292-04
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[5]Negative finding: no qualifying non-litigation ship-specific asbestos record located across DANFS/NHHC, NavSource, loss-report, and ACM-survey/abatement sweeps [other_primary]
- Locator
- see search_ledger for this record
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No hull ACM survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or adjudicated exposure finding naming USS Devilfish (SS-292) was located anywhere in the research sweep.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- Absence of a located record is not proof no record exists. Museum-hull and scrapper-side records, where they existed, were not retrievable in located sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-devilfish-ss292-05