USS DEWEY (DDG-45)

Evidence

13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).

1. [1]research packet hp-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-dewey-ddg45-pkt-hp-packet-md

2. [2]NHHC DANFS, 'Dewey II (DLG-14)' (live history.navy.mil serves 404 to scripted access; entry text verified via indexed text; identical DANFS-volume text transcribed at https://losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/dl-dlg/dlg14.htm) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Dewey II (DLG-14)' entry, specification block + namesake biography + construction/commissioning paragraph + service paragraph

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS record for this hull: specification block - 5,368 tons, 512 ft, beam 52 ft, draft 16'7", 35 kt, complement 377, class Coontz (Farragut-class); second ship of the name (Admiral of the Navy George Dewey); launched 30 November 1958 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; sponsored by Mrs. K. St. George, United States Representative from New York State; commissioned 7 December 1959, Commander E. R. Zumwalt, Jr., in command. Service narrative: training operations off New England, the Virginia Capes, and in the Caribbean through the first 6 months of 1960 'prepared Dewey for her significant role with the Atlantic Fleet' - the published DANFS-volume entry ends there (volume-era text, no post-1960 continuation).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1957-1960

   Population

   Bath Iron Works construction trades 1957-59; initial crew (design complement 377) from December 1959

   Limitations

   DANFS documents identity, specifications, builder, sponsor, first commanding officer, and the initial training period - not materials or asbestos content, and nothing after mid-1960. The hazegray transcription reads 'graduated from the Naval Academy in 1868' in the namesake biography where NHHC's indexed text reads 1858 (1858 is correct for George Dewey, USNA class of 1858); flagged rather than silently reconciled. Entry cited via mirror/indexed text because the live NHHC page returns 404 to scripted access.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-dewey-ddg45-01

3. [3]Naval Vessel Register, DEWEY (DDG 45) (ex-DLG 14) detail page (NAVSHIPSO/NAVSEA official inventory record; live page serves only a generic frame for the disposed hull - May 2011 Wayback capture; record last updated 3 Jul 2000) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR ship detail fields (UIC, class, status, milestone dates, builder; capture 20110514043614)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NVR record for this hull: UIC 52685; class DDG 37 (Farragut); 'ex-DLG 14'; keel 10 Aug 1957; launch 30 Nov 1958; delivery 2 Dec 1959; commission 7 Dec 1959; decommission 31 Aug 1990; stricken 20 Nov 1992; status 'Disposed of, by Navy Sale', date status changed 15 Apr 1994; builder BATH IRON WKS CORP; age at disposal 34.3 years from delivery, 35.4 from launch, 30.7 commission to decommission.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1957-1994

   Population

   Bath Iron Works construction trades 1957-59; crew 1959-1990; disposal-workforce exposure window at 1994 scrapping

   Limitations

   Administrative inventory record - documents lifecycle dates, builder, and disposition path, not materials or asbestos content. Propulsion-type, dimension, displacement, and remarks fields are blank in this capture; the scrapping buyer (J&L Metals, Wilmington NC) and price ($255,459.43) circulate only in secondary sources. Wayback capture cited because the live NVR page serves only a generic frame for this disposed hull.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-dewey-ddg45-02

4. [4]NavSource Naval History, Destroyer Photo Index DL-14 / DLG-14 / DDG-45 USS Dewey - class characteristics, 'Operational and Building Data' block, photo captions, commanding-officer roster (Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves compilation) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 05/0214.htm: 'CLASS - FARRAGUT As Built' block; 'Operational and Building Data'; photo captions incl. 4 Sep 1969 explosion views and 1970 Philadelphia AAW modernization; 'Commanding Officers' roster

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NavSource compiled record for this hull: class characteristics - Farragut as built, 5,648 tons full load, 512'6" x 52'4" x 17'9", one 5"/54 gun, Terrier SAM system, ASROC, six 12.75-inch Mk 32 ASW torpedo tubes, 'Machinery, 85,000 SHP; Geared Turbines, 2 screws', 33 kt, range 5,000 nm at 20 kt, crew 360; call sign NOHW, tactical voice SEA ROGUE (circa 1968). Building data: laid down Bath Iron Works 10 Aug 1957; launched 30 Nov 1958; commissioned 7 Dec 1959; 'Reclassified Guided Missile Frigate DLG-14 November 14 1956' (designation history - the guided-missile designation predates keel-laying; originally DL-14); decommissioned 21 Nov 1969; recommissioned 13 Mar 1971; reclassified DDG-45 30 Jun 1975; decommissioned 31 Aug 1990; stricken 20 Nov 1992; sold 15 Apr 1994 and broken up. Photo documentation includes: NH 106823 (off Oahu 31 May 1968, NHHC collection); entering Subic Bay alongside USS Gridley (DLG-21) 1968; three views of the boiler explosion of 4 Sep 1969 credited as Philadelphia Navy Yard photos; AAW modernization at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 1970 (official USN photo - 'decommissioned 21 November 1969 for an extensive 15-month conversion as part of the Navy's Anti-Air Warfare Modernization Program', NTDS installed); commissioning-ceremony program at Philadelphia Naval Base 13 Mar 1971; DDG-45 underway circa 1977 (NH 106824); crew at parade rest under the Mk 10 launcher departing Roosevelt Roads for UNITAS XX, 1 Jun 1979. CO roster: CDR Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. (Dec 1959-Jul 1961, later ADM and CNO) through CDR Ronald A. Route (May 1989-Aug 1990, later VADM), final CO.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1956-1994

   Population

   Crew 1959-1969, 1971-1990 (compiled figure 360; DANFS design 377)

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled secondary data used only where it agrees with or supplements NVR/DANFS: building, decommissioning, stricken, and sale dates match NVR exactly. Machinery and crew figures are compiled secondary data - DANFS's 377 complement and 35 kt are carried over NavSource's 360/33 kt; speed and complement conflicts logged in gaps. Recommissioning date 13 Mar 1971 is corroborated by the pictured commissioning-ceremony program; Wikipedia's '31 March 1971' is the conflict carried in gaps. Documents service chronology and photo-captioned events - not materials or asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-dewey-ddg45-03

5. [5]Lt. Cdr. Daniel G. Felger, USN, 'The 1200-Pounders: Prognosis Guarded', U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, Vol. 100/4/854, April 1974, pp. 60-68 (author was Officer-in-Charge, ComCruDesLant 1200-PSI Mobile Training Team, Norfolk) [reputable_press]

   Locator

   Proceedings Apr 1974 pp. 60-68, opening passage on 1200-psi casualties (indexed text)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Published professional account naming this hull's fatal casualty: 'Boiler explosions in the USS Dewey (DLG-14) while moored in Toulon, France, and in the USS Goldsborough (DDG-20) while underway in the South China Sea caused deaths on both ships and were widely reported in the press.' The article examines the Navy's troubled 1,200-psi steam plant - the installation aboard the Farragut/Coontz class - and the fleet engineering consequences of these casualties. Confirms the explosion event aboard this hull, its Toulon mooring location, fatal outcome, and that the ship's plant was the 1,200-psi type the article analyzes.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1969 (casualty); 1974 (publication)

   Population

   Dewey engineering crew at Toulon, September 1969

   Limitations

   Documents the casualty event - not asbestos. No casualty count given for Dewey (navysite's compiled accident table and crew recollections give three killed). usni.org blocks scripted fetches (403); passage verified via indexed text of the article. The fire-room destruction it documents is the exposure-relevant compartment (boiler insulation/refractory/lagging by era inference), but no asbestos release, removal, or abatement finding accompanies the event in this source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-dewey-ddg45-04

6. [6]USS Laffey (DD-724) oral history, 'Oral History of the Laffey in Jordan' (crew recollection, laffey.org - Patriots Point ship association site) [museum_official]

   Locator

   laffey.org oral-history page, Toulon port-visit passage

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Firsthand corroboration of the Toulon casualty: a Laffey crew member recounts that while Laffey was on a two-day Toulon port visit, 'the ship that was with us, USS Dewey, had a boiler explosion, killing several crew members, including BT1 Smoke, who was a former Laffey crew member.' Laffey's rescue detail, the base fire department, and the Toulon fire department fought boiler fires aboard Dewey that 'reflashed several times and claimed even more BT's from the Dewey' before the fire was put out about six that evening.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1969 (event); undated recollection

   Population

   Dewey boiler-room/engineering crew and Laffey rescue detail, Toulon 1969

   Limitations

   Oral-history recollection posted on a museum-association site - corroborates the event and boiler-room location at firsthand level but with recollection-era detail ('several' killed; named casualty BT1 Smoke). Not an official casualty report; no asbestos content. 'BT' = Boiler Technician rating - consistent with a boiler-room casualty but does not establish materials disturbed.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-dewey-ddg45-05

7. [7]USS America (CVA-66) 1972 Command History (OPNAV Report 5750-1), NHHC digitized command-operation-report archive [other_primary]

   Locator

   America 1972 command history narrative, transit passage (June 1972 Cape Horn rounding)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Digitized NHHC command history placing this hull on a second WESTPAC transit after recommissioning: the America 1972 command history recounts that 'with her escorts, the destroyers USS DAVIS (DLG-14), USS DEWEY (DD-937)... AMERICA proceeded steadily toward the Southeast and rounded Cape Horn on June 21st' en route to Seventh Fleet operations. The hull numbers are transposed in the OCR/original (Davis was DD-937; Dewey was DLG-14/DDG-45) - the escort pair was Davis (DD-937) and this hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1972

   Population

   Dewey crew, 1972 WESTPAC deployment

   Limitations

   Ship-name mention in another vessel's command history - documents Dewey's June 1972 Cape Horn transit for WESTPAC service, not materials or asbestos. The OCR/hull-number transposition is flagged rather than corrected silently. history.navy.mil serves 404 to scripted access; content verified via indexed text of the PDF. Full command-history file for Dewey herself was not located in NHHC's digitized holdings.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-dewey-ddg45-06

8. [8]GAO HRD-80-2, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure' (Comptroller General, 18 Oct 1979) [gao]

   Locator

   GAO HRD-80-2 summary/findings text (insulation specification change, installation through May 1978, removal policy, 30-50% residual figure, OPNAVINST 6260.1)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   GAO program review of Navy asbestos control: asbestos thermal insulation 'was the Navy's major use of asbestos aboard ships'; the Navy changed its thermal-insulation specification to asbestos-free in 1973, but previously purchased asbestos stock was still being installed, and 'some ships were delivered with asbestos insulation as late as May 1978'; 'all ships contain some asbestos in such components as clutches and electric cables'; Navy policy since 1975 removed/replaced asbestos only if damaged or required for repairs, modified in 1979 to selectively replace insulation in high-maintenance areas - the Navy estimated implementation would remove all shipboard thermal asbestos insulation within five years 'except the 30 to 50 percent which normally remains untouched, except for minor maintenance, during the life of a ship'; OPNAVINST 6260.1 (Apr 1974, rev. Aug 1978) established the fleet asbestos-control program. A destroyer built 1957-59 predates the transition - era-standard asbestos thermal insulation is the consistent inference for this hull's build period, though this is not a ship-specific finding.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1979 (report); policy period 1973-1984; build-era context 1957-59

   Population

   Navy-wide shipboard workforce; shipyard insulation workers (Long Beach, Norfolk fieldwork)

   Limitations

   Program-level review fieldworked at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards - it does not name this hull, does not establish materials aboard DDG-45, and does not resolve whether insulation was removed during the 1969-71 Philadelphia modernization/rebuild or any other yard period. gao.gov blocks automated fetches (403 - standing defect since Batch 01); content verified via indexed text of the report and the product page.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-dewey-ddg45-07

9. [9]DANFS yard/builder data for this hull + Atlas shipyard dataset records 'bath-iron-works' and 'philadelphia-naval-shipyard'; GAO HRD-80-2; NavSource yard-period captions [other_primary]

   Locator

   DANFS construction paragraph; shipyards.json records 'bath-iron-works' and 'philadelphia-naval-shipyard'; NavSource AAW-modernization caption; GAO HRD-80-2 summary text

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/yard inference: a Farragut-class destroyer built 1957-59 at Bath Iron Works with a 1,200-psi four-boiler steam plant (class design: four boilers, two geared turbines, ~85,000 shp per NavSource compiled figures) would have carried period-standard asbestos insulation - boiler and turbine insulation, steam-line lagging, gaskets, packing, wire insulation, fireproofing, deck coverings. Builder yard is documented at yard level in the Atlas dataset (tier 2): asbestos products identified include Kaylo pipe covering, Foster Wheeler gaskets, asbestos felt, loose packing, vinyl floor tiles, and adhesives, with a 1942 Drinker industrial-hygiene study of pipe-covering shop dust risk and the Austin v. Raybestos-Manhattan verdict. This hull's documented rebuild yard is likewise documented at yard level: Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (15-month AAW modernization Nov 1969-Mar 1971 encompassing repair of the Toulon fire-room destruction; Atlas tier 3; named products incl. Eagle-Picher Super 60, Thermasil, Unibestos, Kaylo, Garlock gaskets/packing; OSHA 1989 inspection; Merwitz verdict). The September 1969 explosion/fire burned the compartments where boiler insulation and lagging concentrated, and the 15-month rebuild is the hull's largest documented industrial disturbance window. Yard documentation plus the GAO-documented fleet policy (asbestos replaced only when damaged or repair-required, 30-50% expected to remain untouched over a ship's life) frame the plausible exposure window for this hull's construction, repair, and dismantling workforce - without establishing any material aboard DDG-45.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1957-1994

   Population

   Bath Iron Works construction trades 1957-59; Philadelphia Naval Shipyard workforce Nov 1969-Mar 1971; crew 1959-1990; Toulon repair workforce 1969; J&L Metals dismantling workforce 1994

   Limitations

   Class/era and builder/repair-yard inference only - no ship-specific finding. Yard records document conditions at the yards, not aboard this hull; no DDG-45 work package, materials schedule, insulation-removal record, or scrapping hazmat survey was located. J&L Metals (1994 scrapping, Wilmington NC - secondary sources only) has no Atlas slug; the Toulon repair activity (French port, 1969) is outside the yard dataset entirely. NARA RG19 files are the open lead for hull-level confirmation (ev-09).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-dewey-ddg45-08

10. [10]NARA research guide 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' - RG 19 Bureau of Ships correspondence, ship general information books, specifications, engineering drawings [other_primary]

    Locator

    NARA asbestos research guide, record-series listing and Navy Filing Manual discussion

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    NARA's official research path for hull-level asbestos documentation: Bureau of Ships (RG 19) correspondence, ship general information books, and ship specifications are identified as the record series bearing on asbestos in naval vessels, filed by hull designation (ship-specific files, class files, and yard correspondence - Bath Iron Works files under 'QM/Bath Iron Works' per the guide's filing-manual explanation). The guide's core coverage (through 1961) fully includes this hull's construction period (laid down August 1957, delivered December 1959) - a DLG-14 or class (Coontz/DLG-6 class) specification or general-information file would be the primary-source route to a hull-level materials finding. No DDG-45/DLG-14 file was examined in this batch.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    1957-1959 (records); guide current

    Population

    Research pathway for construction-era materials on this hull

    Limitations

    Archival lead only - the existence of a retrievable DLG-14 specifications or general-information file is not established, and post-1961 documentation (e.g., the 1969-71 Philadelphia modernization work packages) falls outside the guide's coverage window. No retrieval performed.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-dewey-ddg45-09

11. [11]USS Dewey (DLG-14) cruise books - 1964, 1972, and 1974 editions mirrored at e-yearbook.com; maiden cruise book 1959-61 mirrored at navysite.de (Navy-produced crew publications) [other_primary]

    Locator

    e-yearbook.com Dewey_DLG_14_Cruise_Book editions 1964/1972/1974; navysite.de/cruisebooks/dlg14-61/ (maiden cruise book table of contents incl. Engineering Department page)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Ship-produced documentation of this hull's complement organization exists across multiple cruises: the 1972 cruise book (84 pp.) covers the post-recommissioning WESTPAC deployment; 1964 and 1974 editions are also digitized; the 1959-61 maiden cruise book includes an Engineering Department section. Departmental rosters (engineering spaces being the asbestos-relevant compartments for a steam plant) establish that engineering ratings served aboard across the hull's active periods.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    1959-1974 (cruise books)

    Population

    Ship's crew, 1959-61, 1964, 1972, 1974 editions

    Limitations

    Cruise books document personnel, ports, and departmental structure, not materials; department rosters establish only that engineering ratings served aboard - not exposure. e-yearbook.com and navysite.de are commercial/volunteer mirrors of Navy-published originals; OCR quality is poor. No Dewey cruise book was fully reviewed page-by-page in this batch.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-dewey-ddg45-10

12. [12]navysite.de, USS Dewey (DDG 45) page - compiled accident table and general-characteristics block (volunteer-compiled secondary source) [other_primary]

    Locator

    navysite.de/dd/ddg45.htm, 'Accidents aboard USS DEWEY' table + General Characteristics block

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Compiled casualty/maintenance record for this hull: 'September 4, 1969 - Toulon, France: USS DEWEY suffers an explosion and fire in the boiler room while preparing to sail from Toulon, France, killing three' (consistent with the USNI account and Laffey oral history) and 'May 3, 1978 - Naples, Italy: USS DEWEY suffers a fire which damages the missile control system while in port Naples, Italy.' Page also compiles the ship's general characteristics (4 x 1200-psi boilers, 2 geared turbines, two propellers, 512.5 ft, ~5,800 tons, 33 kt, crew 21 officers/356 enlisted).

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    1969, 1978

    Population

    Dewey crew, 1969 Toulon casualty; 1978 Naples fire repair window

    Limitations

    Volunteer-compiled secondary source - the accident table's sourcing is unstated. The Toulon entry is corroborated by USNI and the Laffey oral history; the May 1978 Naples fire is single-source secondary and unverified against any primary record (carried as a repair-relevant event flag, not established fact). Documents casualty events only - no asbestos content.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-dewey-ddg45-11

13. [13]CourtListener API v4 sweep via cl-auth-search.py, 2026-09-28: 'USS Dewey' + asbestos (type=o) - 0 hits; 'USS Dewey' (type=o) - 1 hit; 'DLG-14' (type=o) - 0 hits; 'DDG-45' (type=o) - 1 hit (same case); RECAP docket-side attempted under contended fleet pacing [court_record]

    Locator

    cl-auth-search.py runs 2026-09-28: '"USS Dewey" asbestos' type=o = 0; '"USS Dewey"' type=o = 1 (Martinez cluster 8663545); '"DLG-14"' type=o = 0; '"DDG-45"' type=o = 1 (Martinez, same cluster); '"USS Dewey"' type=r = pacing stand-down on each attempt

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull located on CourtListener. Opinion side: 'USS Dewey' + asbestos returned 0 - no published opinion pairs the ship name with asbestos; 'USS Dewey' exact-name returned 1 hit - United States v. Martinez, 12 M.J. 801 (N-M Ct. Mil. Rev. 1981), a published Navy-Marine Corps Court of Military Review opinion in a general court-martial for assault with intent to commit murder (Art. 134 UCMJ) - 'other litigation', non-asbestos, vessel named in the service-context facts; hull-number queries 'DLG-14' returned 0 and 'DDG-45' returned the same Martinez opinion (confirming the opinion names this hull directly). RECAP docket-side query attempted repeatedly but returned the fleet pacing stand-down (shared ~114/hr budget momentarily spent by concurrent sessions) at each attempt.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    sweep 2026-09-28

    Limitations

    Opinion-side sweep substantially complete and clean: zero asbestos hits across exact-name, asbestos-conjunct, and both hull-number queries; the only naming case is non-asbestos military justice. The RECAP docket axis remains pending - asbestos personal-injury dockets rarely produce published opinions, so RECAP is the most likely place a qualifying reference could still exist; classified down per litigation-stage discipline, not converted to a full negative. 'Dewey' is a high-collision name (DD-349 and DDG-105 namesakes; Dewey & LeBoeuf; Thomas E. Dewey; Dewey County/Beach) - the completed queries are the precision-filtered slice. CourtListener coverage excludes state filings and settled cases regardless.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-dewey-ddg45-12