USS Duane (AGC-6)

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [1]U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, 'Duane WPG-33/WAGC-6/WHEC-33 (Ex-William J. Duane)' cutter history page - uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Duane_WPG_33.asp via Wayback capture 2008-09-24 (live history.uscg.mil article 2082047 returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch; same Historian's Office content lineage indexed) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Wayback capture 20080924114507, full 'History' narrative + spec block + CO roster + sources list (cites Duane Cutter File, USCG Historian's Office; Coast Guard at War V; Scheina 1982/1990; 1985 official cutter history 'Queen of the Seas')

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office cutter history for Duane (WPG-33 / WAGC-6 / WHEC-33): built as USCGC William J. Duane (Builder's No. CG-67) at Philadelphia Navy Yard, cost $2,468,460; keel laid 1935-05-01, launched/christened 1936-06-03 by Ms. Mai Duane, commissioned 1936-08-01 (CDR P. F. Roach); Oakland homeport, Line Islands colonization support incl. Howland airfield material for Earhart flight; Bering Sea Patrol 1937-39; Grand Banks neutrality patrols from Boston 1939-40; first 327 on Atlantic weather patrol (from 1940-01-31); Greenland survey cruise Jul-Sep 1940; rearmament at Bethlehem Steel South Boston plant completed 1940-11-15; permanent Navy duty 1941-09-11 as WPG-33; North Atlantic convoy escort 1942-43 (Iceland-based; Dorchester search Feb 1943; U-175 action with Spencer 1943-04-17, 22 German survivors to British custody); NY-Casablanca and Caribbean convoys; Norfolk Navy Yard conversion to amphibious combined operations-communications HQ ship 1944-01-17 to 1944-03-06 ('designation then changed to WAGC-6'); RADM F. J. Lowry's Eighth Amphibious Force flag shifted from USS Biscayne (AGC-18) to Duane at Naples 1944-04-26; Operation Dragoon - LCT convoy guide SS-1/SS-1B, MAJGEN O'Daniel (3rd Inf Div) and TF 84 commander embarked, landings off Baie de Cavalaire 1944-08-15; Mediterranean operations from Bizerte until June 1945; Charleston reconversion arriving 1945-07-10, completed Feb 1946, reverted to WPG-33; ocean-station service 1946-1976; Bornholm rescue 1957-05-04 (28 crew); reclassified WHEC-33 1965-05-01; Coast Guard Squadron Three flagship Vietnam (Market Time) 1967-12-04 to 1968-07-28 (four patrols, 17 NGFS missions, 1,778 5-inch rounds, 388 steel + 5,211 wooden vessels inspected); Portland ME homeport from Aug 1972; Mariel Boatlift flagship/command center Sep-Oct 1980; decommissioned 1985-08-01 as oldest U.S. warship in service

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1935-1985

   Population

   Ship's company 1936-1985; embarked flag staffs (Eighth Amphibious Force 1944-45; CG Squadron Three 1967-68); Norfolk Navy Yard conversion workforce 1944; Bethlehem Steel East Boston rehab workforce 1979

   Limitations

   Official USCG Historian's Office narrative sourced from the cutter file - authoritative for identity, service history, and the 1979 rehab itemization. Minor internal issues: header/narrative give 'WAGC-6' where DANFS/MARAD/NRHP give 'WAGC-33'; decorations list includes Asiatic-Pacific (4 stars) and Philippine Liberation (2 stars) awards that the narrative timeline (Mediterranean through June 1945; Charleston reconversion to Feb 1946) leaves no window for - both flagged in ev-12. Contains no other asbestos or insulation-material statement besides the 1979 item (ev-02).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-duane-agc6-01

2. [2]U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, 'Duane WPG-33/WAGC-6/WHEC-33' cutter history page - 1979 rehabilitation paragraph (Wayback capture of uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Duane_WPG_33.asp) [other_primary]

   Locator

   History narrative, post-1978 paragraph on the August 1979 Bethlehem Steel East Boston rehabilitation

   Finding type

   abatement_record

   Finding

   Ship-specific asbestos abatement documented: 'In August, 1979, the cutter underwent a 1.5 million dollar rehabilitation at the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard in East Boston. Improvements included a $550,000 sewage holding system ...; a $400,000 replacement of all asbestos pipe shielding with calcium silicate, resin and rubber; and more than $100,000 worth of improvements in the crew's living quarters.' This establishes (a) asbestos pipe shielding was installed aboard this specific hull and (b) a documented abatement event replaced it with calcium silicate/resin/rubber in August 1979 - six years before decommissioning and eight before sinking.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1979-08

   Population

   Bethlehem Steel East Boston shipyard workers performing the 1979 abatement/rehabilitation; cutter crew during the yard period

   Limitations

   Establishes asbestos pipe shielding aboard this hull and its documented 1979 replacement. Does NOT establish: the original installation date/scope of the pipe shielding; whether asbestos existed in other materials (boiler insulation, gaskets, deck tile - not addressed); whether 'all asbestos pipe shielding' constituted all asbestos aboard; exposure of any individual; or residual ACM at the 1987 sinking. The Historian's source line (likely the 1985 official cutter history 'Queen of the Seas' per the page's bibliography) is not independently reproduced here. Yard named only as 'Bethlehem Steel Shipyard in East Boston' - linked to bethlehem-shipbuilding slug with a location caveat (see gaps).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-duane-agc6-02

3. [3]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. 4 (1969), p. 472, 'Duane AGC-6' - hazegray/losthistory.net transcription mirror (live NHHC DANFS URLs 404 - standing link rot logged since Batch-01) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   hazegray DANFS amphibious index lists 'AGC 6 DUANE'; transcription at danfs/amphib/agc6.txt

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Duane (AGC-6), Vol. 4 p. 472: 'United States Coast Guard Cutter DUANE ... was converted to an Amphibious Force Flagship in 1944. Upon completion, she was to have been taken over by the Navy and assigned the hull number AGC-6. However, this plan was dropped and she was retained for Coast Guard service as USCGC DUANE (WAGC-33).' The AGC-6 designation under which this hull is listed was reserved but never taken up - the vessel remained a commissioned Coast Guard cutter throughout.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1944

   Limitations

   Authoritative for the AGC-6 designation history (assigned-then-dropped). The transcription carries 'WPG-63' - a transcription error; no WPG-63 existed and all other sources (USCG Historian, MARAD, NRHP, NavSource) give WPG-33. DANFS's 'WAGC-33' conflicts with the USCG Historian's 'WAGC-6' - logged in ev-12. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim on its own.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-duane-agc6-03

4. [4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USCGC Duane (WAGC-33) page 10/01/0106 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/01/0106 - conversion summary, awards ribbon table, spec block, armament/complement tables by year, CO roster, photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive page for USCGC Duane (WAGC-33), file 10/01/0106: all six Treasury-class cutters (Duane, Campbell, Ingham, Taney, Spencer, Bibb) converted to Amphibious Force Flagships in 1944 - superstructures extended aft, two 5"/38 DP mounts, six 40mm mounts, added mainmast; 'Duane was to be taken over by the Navy and designated USS Duane (AGC-6), but that plan was dropped and Duane retained her original designation as USCGC Duane (WAGC-33)'; WWII service as convoy escort (WPG-33) then Amphibious Command Ship (WAGC-33) in EAME and Asiatic-Pacific theaters. Spec block: 2,350 t light, 327' x 41' x 12'6", 20.5 kts, 2 Westinghouse geared turbines + 2 B&W sectional express boilers (400 psi/200 deg superheat), twin screws 6,200 shp; era complement and armament tables; CO roster 1936-1985 (CDR P. F. Roach to CDR L. J. Murphy Jr.); captioned photos incl. NARA BuShips RG-19-LCM file W33 photos 19-N-62563 and 19-N-62564 ('USCGC Duane (AGC-6) at Norfolk Navy Yard, 6 March 1944' - mid-conversion) and NH 88121-KN.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1936-1987

   Population

   Ship's company and flag staffs (1936-1985)

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation - milestones agree with USCG Historian, DANFS, and MARAD; the detailed spec/armament tables rest on this compilation and the NRHP spec table (which differs on 1945 armament: NavSource 3 twin 40mm vs NRHP '14-40mm/60'). Ribbon display includes Asiatic-Pacific (4 stars) and Philippine Liberation (2 stars) - conflicts with the documented Med/Atlantic timeline, unresolved (see ev-12). Contains no asbestos statement.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-duane-agc6-04

5. [5]NPS National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, USCG Cutter Duane, NRIS 02000494 (NPS Form 10-900 + continuation sheets, prepared via Florida Division of Historical Resources) [nps]

   Locator

   NRHP registration form sections 1-8; GetAsset 5b60ca1c (nomination text PDF); companion asset 6b7386d8; NPGallery AssetDetail NRIS 02000494

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NPS National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for 'United States Coast Guard Cutter Duane' (NRIS 02000494, listed 2002-05-16, Monroe Co., FL; aka U.S.C.G.C. William J. Duane WPG-33, WAGC-33): documents construction at Philadelphia Navy Yard, full WWII/postwar service narrative ('Duane was again the first [Treasury-class vessel] to be converted' to amphibious flagship at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, mid-January 1944; assigned 'a new call sign, WAGC-33'; flagship of the Eighth Amphibious Force Mediterranean for Operation Dragoon with RADM Lowry and MAJGEN O'Daniel embarked); post-decommissioning custody ('turned over to the Maritime Commission and were moored in Boston Harbor'); Coast Guard donation to KADO; pre-sinking preparation by New England Maritime Services at Staten Island removing 'possible contaminants, including oil, residual fuel, and brass'; sinking 1987-11-27 upright at ~120 ft, one mile south of Molasses Reef; integrity review stating 'All materials present are original components of the vessel except a memorial plaque attached during the 1987 dedication'; spec table incl. 1945 complement 24 officers + 2 warrants + 226 men and 1945 armament '14-40mm/60 (2 quad & 3 twin); 8-20mm/80'.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1936-2002

   Population

   New England Maritime Services pre-sinking preparation workforce (Staten Island, 1987); KADO/US Experimental Dive Team sinking crews; recreational divers (present-day)

   Limitations

   Authoritative federal registration document for the wreck. Documents pre-sinking contaminant removal (oil, residual fuel, brass) but contains NO asbestos statement - the listed contaminant scope does not mention asbestos, and 'all materials present are original' refers to integrity, not hazmat content; whether residual ACM went down with the wreck is not addressed. Internal misnomer: narrative says Duane 'left Naples ... for the Normandy invasion' while the same paragraph correctly identifies Operation Dragoon (southern France) - flagged in ev-12.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-duane-agc6-05

6. [6]National Park Service, 'US CG Cutter Duane' article page (nps.gov) [nps]

   Locator

   NPS article page, wreck description and location paragraphs (last updated 2017-09-11)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NPS 'US CG Cutter Duane' article (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary / Teaching with Historic Places shipwreck feature): wreck lies upright on sand at 125 ft, one mile south of Molasses Reef off Key Largo, marked by mooring buoys at 24 deg 59.388' N, 80 deg 22.888' W; 'As the oldest active U.S. military vessel, the Duane was decommissioned on August 1, 1985, and intentionally sunk for use as an artificial reef in 1987' - hatches opened, holds pumped to sink; hull structure intact with original rudders, screws, railings, ladders, ports; mast at ~60 ft depth, bridge ~70 ft, superstructure deck ~90 ft, main deck ~100 ft.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1987-2002

   Limitations

   NPS interpretive page; consistent with the NRHP nomination on the wreck's position, condition, and dates. Minor secondary details (e.g., '11th Secretary of the Treasury' for the namesake vs USCG's 'third ... under President Jackson' - different framings, both accurate). Contains no asbestos or hazmat statement.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-duane-agc6-06

7. [7]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - DUANE (WAGC-33/WHEC-33), Ship History Detail 5849 [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   MARAD ShipHistory Detail 5849, characteristics panel, wreck tab, status-card scans

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record for DUANE (WAGC-33/WHEC-33), Detail 5849: year built 1936; shipyard 'Philadelphia Naval Shipyard'; general type Coast Guard, specific type 'WHEC High Endurance Cutter'; MARAD type Military; length 327 ft, beam 41 ft, displacement 2,350 t light; fate 'Sunk as a Reef'; Shipwreck Information: owner/operator United States Coast Guard (direct govt. operation), incident date November 27, 1987, cause 'Sunk as a Reef' (cause comment 'Sunk as breakwater'), location off Key Largo, Florida. Two status-card scans on file (5849_AB.jpg, 5849_AF.jpg) - not text-verified.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1936-1987

   Limitations

   Authoritative for builder confirmation, custody/fate record, and the wreck event; corroborates the NRHP nomination's 'turned over to the Maritime Commission' custody statement. No milestones/narrative populated; status-card scans not text-extracted. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-duane-agc6-07

8. [8]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Peer-reviewed historical study documents extensive asbestos use as fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the program era covering this hull's 1940 Bethlehem South Boston rearmament, 1942 Boston Navy Yard escort conversion, 1944 Norfolk Navy Yard amphibious-flagship conversion, and 1945-46 Charleston reconversion - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and merchant-type hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1940s era documented; article 1987

   Population

   WWII shipyard and conversion-yard workers (class context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarship; does not name this vessel. Its WWII window covers this hull's wartime conversions/repairs but not her original 1935-36 construction - era inference for the original build rests on general 1930s naval practice, not this source. The ship-specific 1979 abatement row (ev-02) is the controlling asbestos evidence for this hull.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-duane-agc6-08

9. [9]Consolidated era inference - USCG Historian-documented steam plant and refit timeline for this hull + Corn & Starr era scholarship (see ev-01, ev-02, ev-08) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Type technical data; USCG Historian service history for this hull

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference for this hull's documented configuration: a 1936 steam-turbine cutter (2 Babcock & Wilcox sectional express boilers, 400 psi / 200 deg F superheat, Westinghouse geared turbines, twin screws) built in a U.S. Navy yard and repeatedly refitted (1940 rearmament, 1942 escort conversion, 1944 flagship conversion, 1945-46 reconversion, 1960s ASW upgrades, 1979 rehabilitation) - implies boiler and steam-line lagging, turbine/machinery insulation, valve and flange gaskets, packing, and accommodation insulation typical of period naval practice, products commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber. The 1979 record (ev-02) ship-proves this inference specifically for pipe shielding; the other applications remain inference only.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1935-1987

   Population

   Philadelphia Navy Yard builders (1935-36); Norfolk Navy Yard conversion workforce (1944); Boston Navy Yard and South Boston yard workers (1940, 1942-43); Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard (1943); Charleston reconversion workforce (1945-46); cutter engineering spaces crews (1936-1985); New England Maritime Services pre-sinking prep crew (1987)

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only for applications other than pipe shielding - no original material schedule located. Pipe shielding aboard is ship-proven by ev-02 (not inference); boiler insulation, gaskets, packing, deck materials aboard this hull are era-consistent but not ship-proven. Establishes no quantities and no exposure for any individual.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-duane-agc6-09

10. [10]Batch-714 search ledger (this record): USCG Historian; DANFS/hazegray; NavSource 10/01/0106; NPS NRHP 02000494 + article page; MARAD ShipHistory 5849; CourtListener API + site-scoped sweep; VA vetapp site-scoped search [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-duane-agc6-01 through sl-uss-duane-agc6-11

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying litigation or additional ship-specific material record located beyond the 1979 abatement item: no asbestos survey, original material schedule, or docketed case naming Duane under any designation (USS Duane, USCGC Duane, WPG-33, WAGC-33, WAGC-6, WHEC-33, AGC-6) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener API v4 was rate-limited (HTTP 429, 125/day shared quota exhausted, ~10-hour reset quoted) during the session; site-scoped sweeps of courtlistener.com returned only name collisions - 'Duane Dozer' (a Jones Act plaintiff), Duane Morris LLP (law-firm fee applications in the Johns-Manville bankruptcy), and generic MDL-875 filings naming other vessels - all classified non-qualifying. No VA BVA decision naming Duane was located (site-scoped vetapp search returned generic Navy/Coast Guard decisions). Law-firm marketing pages listing USCGC Duane (WPG-33) among 'cutters with asbestos' (sokolovelaw.com, mesotheliomahope.com, helbocklaw.com) exist but are excluded as non-authoritative - though their inclusion of this hull happens to be consistent with the documented 1979 abatement.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-20

    Study period

    2026-09-20

    Limitations

    Absence of located litigation does not prove absence of claims - CourtListener API sweep was incomplete (throttled) and an API re-run before release is recommended; PACER/state dockets and VA claims files are not public-searchable. The negative finding covers litigation and material-schedule records only; ship-specific asbestos presence for pipe shielding is established by ev-02.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-duane-agc6-10

11. [11]NARA guidance - Coast Guard logbooks (RG 26); BuShips RG 19-LCM photo series; USCG Historian sources list for the cutter file and 1985 official history [other_primary]

    Locator

    NARA logbook guidance; NavSource photo captions; USCG Historian 'Sources' block

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 19-LCM file W33 holds BuShips photos 19-N-62563 and 19-N-62564 of Duane at Norfolk Navy Yard 1944-03-06 mid-conversion, per NavSource captions; (b) NHC photo NH 88121-KN; (c) USCG Historian's Office Duane cutter file and the 1985 official cutter history 'Coast Guard Cutter Duane: Queen of the Seas' (Portland ME, 1985) - the likely proximate source of the 1979 rehabilitation itemization, worth verifying for abatement detail; (d) Duane Vietnam deployment cruisebook (Turner Publishing, 1968); (e) USCG cutter deck logs/logbooks - RG 26 at NARA (WWII-era digitization status unconfirmed); (f) Bethlehem Steel East Boston 1979 work-package records, if surviving, would carry the abatement scope; (g) Florida DEP/EPA or Sanctuary records on the 1987 reef sinking prep (New England Maritime Services scope) - predates EPA ship-reefing guidance; not located in public sources.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-20

    Study period

    1935-1987 records

    Limitations

    Record-group and source mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull beyond the 1979 item is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-duane-agc6-11

12. [12]Cross-source reconciliation: USCG Historian page; DANFS Vol 4 p.472 (hazegray transcription); MARAD ShipHistory 5849; NRHP nomination 02000494; NavSource 10/01/0106; HyperWar AGC-6 page [other_primary]

    Locator

    Header/designation fields and narrative lines of each cited source

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies logged: (a) Flagship-era designation - the USCG Historian page header and narrative give 'WAGC-6' ('her designation then changed to WAGC-6'), while DANFS ('USCGC DUANE (WAGC-33)'), MARAD ('WAGC-33'), the NRHP nomination ('a new call sign, WAGC-33'), and NavSource (WAGC-33) give WAGC-33 - WAGC-33 carried as the majority/consistent view, WAGC-6 noted, unresolved; (b) the hazegray DANFS transcription gives 'WPG-63' - transcription error, no such hull existed, all sources give WPG-33; (c) the NRHP nomination says Duane 'left Naples ... for the Normandy invasion' - misnomer, the operation was Dragoon (southern France) as the nomination itself states in the same paragraph; (d) USCG Historian decorations list and NavSource ribbon display include Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4 stars), Philippine Liberation Medal (2 stars), and Philippine PUC, but the documented timeline places the ship in the Mediterranean through June 1945 and in Charleston reconversion through February 1946 - no Pacific combat window located, unresolved; (e) HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy' page lists her as 'Campbell class' - Navy-side grouping for the Treasury/Secretary class, noted for name-matching only; (f) 1945 armament differs - NavSource 'three twin 40mm' vs NRHP spec table '14-40mm/60 (2 quad & 3 twin)'.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-20

    Study period

    1944-2002

    Limitations

    Resolves or logs publication-level discrepancies; none affects identity, service history, or the asbestos finding materially. No asbestos content in any of the compared sources.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-duane-agc6-12