Evidence
5 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-5).
-
[1]DANFS vol. II, Dragonet (SS-293) entry - Cramp construction, grounding casualty, three war patrols (verbatim transcription mirror; live NHHC page returned 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS vol. II (C-F), Dragonet entry and spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull (DANFS): launched 18 April 1943 by Cramp Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia (sponsor Mrs. J. E. Gingrich); commissioned 6 March 1944, Comdr. J. H. Lewis. CASUALTY: on 15 December 1944 while submerged south of Matsuwa (Kuriles) she struck an uncharted pinnacle, holing the pressure hull in the forward torpedo room and flooding the compartment; surfaced under fire-risk conditions 4 miles from the Matsuwa airfield, reached Midway 20 December for emergency repairs, then overhaul at Mare Island. Second and third patrols (lifeguard/offensive) rescued four downed Army aviators and one naval aviator. Decommissioned and placed in reserve at Mare Island 16 April 1946. Two battle stars.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1942-1946
- Population
- Cramp construction trades (1942-44); Midway emergency-repair and Mare Island overhaul trades (1944-45); crew (1944-1946)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. Live NHHC DANFS page returned 404 - verbatim transcription mirror used.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dragonet-ss293-01
-
[2]NavSource Submarine Photo Index, USS Dragonet (SS-293) - laid-down, strike, scuttling after explosives tests (secondary compilation; Wayback capture) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navsource.net/archives/08/08293.htm via Wayback - milestone block and photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Post-DANFS disposition (NavSource): laid down 26 April 1942 at Cramp Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia; decommissioned (NavSource prints 14 April 1946 - conflicts with DANFS 16 April 1946, DANFS carried) at Mare Island; laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Mare Island Group; struck 1 June 1961; final disposition: scuttled after explosives tests on 17 September 1961. Dry-dock photos document the 15 December 1944 grounding damage to the forward torpedo-room area.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1942-1961
- Population
- Crew (1944-1946); weapons-effects test personnel (1961)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation, not a primary record - used for post-DANFS disposition only. Decommission-date conflict (14 vs 16 April 1946) flagged. Scuttle location not printed. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dragonet-ss293-02
-
[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); Midway emergency repairs (December 1944) and Mare Island overhaul (early 1945) after the grounding holed her pressure hull - a documented major casualty-repair window; Mare Island inactivation (1946). The December 1944 grounding casualty (pressure hull holed, forward torpedo room flooded) and the Midway/Mare Island repairs are a documented structural disturbance window.
- 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-dragonet-ss293-03
-
[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-dragonet-ss293-04
-
[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 Dragonet (SS-293) 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-dragonet-ss293-05