USS EDWARDS (DD-619)

Evidence

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

1. [1]research packet fs-packet.md (1 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: Edwards | Hull: DD-619 | Designation: destroyer, second Navy ship of the name

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-edwards-dd619-pkt-fs-packet-md

2. [2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Edwards II (DD-619)' entry, official NHHC page via Wayback Machine capture 2022-01-22 (live NHHC page returns HTTP 404; ibiblio HyperWar transcription corroborates) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Edwards II (DD-619)' entry, spec block + full service narrative; canonical NHHC URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/e/edwards-ii.html returns 404 live (standing NHHC link-rot per Batch-01 report); Wayback capture 2022-01-22 controls, corroborated verbatim by the HyperWar/ibiblio transcription (ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/DD/dd619.html)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry 'Edwards II' (DD-619): spec block reads dp. 1,630, l. 348'4", b. 36'1", dr. 17'5", s. 37 k., cpl. 270, a. 4 5"/5 21" tt/6 dcp/2 dct, 'cl. Benson'. Second Edwards (DD-619) launched 19 July 1942 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J.; sponsored by Mrs. Edward Brayton, widow of Lt. Cmdr. Walter Atlee Edwards (namesake: Medal of Honor for the 16 December 1922 rescue of 482 from the burning French transport Vinh-Long while commanding Bainbridge DD-246; died 15 January 1928); commissioned 18 September 1942, Lt. Cmdr. W. L. Messmer in command. East-coast/Caribbean convoy escort; sailed New York 8 November 1942 for the Pacific; TF 18 Noumea 4 January 1943; Rennell Island 29-30 January 1943 - screened torpedoed Chicago (CA-29), rescued 224 of 1,049 survivors, saw torpedoed La Vallette (DD-448) to port; Pearl Harbor overhaul 27 March-15 April 1943; Aleutians - Attu bombardment 26 April, antisubmarine screen for Pennsylvania (BB-38) 11 May, 10-hour depth-charge attack with Farragut (DD-348) on I-31 (sunk by Frazier DD-607) 12 May; Kiska bombardments 2 and 12 August, covered landings 13 August; overhaul then Espiritu Santo October; screened Rabaul carrier strikes 11 November; Tarawa support force from 19 November; escorted transports to Pearl Harbor en route to the west coast for a brief overhaul; Majuro 3 March 1944; screened strikes on Mili, the Palaus, Hollandia/New Guinea, Truk 29-30 April; Eastern Marshalls Patrol Group 12 May-18 August 1944 (Wotje battery action with Bancroft DD-598 22 May; aviator rescue off Wotje 27 June); Pearl Harbor overhaul August 1944; San Pedro Bay Leyte 30 October; Ormoc landings 7 December; took casualties from kamikaze-hit Caldwell (DD-605) 11 December; Philippines convoy escort (Mindoro, Lingayen Gulf, Polloc Harbor, Davao Gulf); Morotai 9 May 1945; Borneo invasion; Subic Bay 12 July; Iwo Jima and Okinawa convoy escort; sailed for the States 16 September 1945; Charleston S.C. 7 January 1946; out of commission in reserve 11 April 1946. 14 battle stars for World War II service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1942-1973

   Population

   Ship's company ~270 (DANFS design complement); Federal Shipbuilding construction trades 1942

   Limitations

   DANFS establishes identity, construction, service history, and awards; it contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information and supports no asbestos claim. The spec block reads 'cl. Benson' while NavSource and the Atlas class profile carry the hull as Gleaves subclass (1941 repeat, 'Bristol' group) - the Benson/Gleaves label boundary is a documented reference discrepancy (carried in gaps). The 5 21" tt armament figure conflicts with NavSource's as-built 10 tt (2x5) - carried in gaps. HyperWar transcription corrupts 'I-31' as 'I-1l'; the NHHC text controls.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-edwards-dd619-01

3. [3]NHHC Online Library of Selected Images, 'USS Edwards (DD-619), 1942-1973' (Naval Historical Center page mirrored at ibiblio.org HyperWar) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   ibiblio.org/hyperwar/OnlineLibrary/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-e/dd619.htm - narrative paragraph + photo caption block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NHHC Online Library of Selected Images narrative and photo captions for this hull (ibiblio mirror of the official Naval Historical Center page): 'USS Edwards spent the next twenty-five years in the Atlantic Reserve fleet. Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in July 1971, she was sold for scrapping in May 1973.' Photo captions: NH 98118 (launching at Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny, 19 July 1942); NH 98119 (Port Newark, N.J., 27 October 1942 or 27 October 1945, Navy Day crowd); 80-G-K-15590 (Caribbean shakedown, circa November 1942, NARA); 80-G-230027 (North Atlantic patrol, dated 10/27, year inferred 1942); 80-G-321671 (underway, taken by USS Chenango CVE-28, received 15 May 1945); USN 1049789 (afloat immediately after launching at Kearny, 19 July 1942, launched with 5"/38 guns and torpedo tubes in place but without gunhouse shields).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1942-1973

   Population

   Ship's company; reserve-fleet maintenance personnel (Atlantic Reserve Fleet, 1946-1971)

   Limitations

   Official Naval Historical Center narrative and catalog captions - documents the 25-year Atlantic Reserve Fleet layup and the stricken/sale dates, and fixes yard/ceremony presences via photo captions. No asbestos or materials content. The NH 98119 Newark caption is internally ambiguous on year (1942 or 1945); the separate newspaper-photo caption documents a Newark visit October 1945.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-edwards-dd619-02

4. [4]NavSource Naval History, Destroyer Photo Index DD-619 USS Edwards (navsource.org/archives/05/619.htm) - spec block, operational/building data, fate line, commanding officers, photo captions citing NARA/NHHC catalog numbers [other_primary]

   Locator

   Spec block + 'Operational and Building Data' + 'Fate' line + photo captions + CO list; live navsource.org fetch failed at access time; Wayback capture 2024-12-13 used

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Destroyer Photo Index entry for DD-619: class Gleaves (as built); displacement 2,395 tons (full); 348'4"(oa) x 36'1" x 13'2"(max); armament 4 x 5"/38AA, 6 x 0.5" MG, 10 x 21" tt (2x5); machinery 50,000 SHP Westinghouse geared turbines, 2 screws; 35 knots; range 6,500 NM at 12 knots; crew 208; radio call sign NBTU. Building/operational data: laid down Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny NJ, 26 February 1942; launched 19 July 1942; commissioned 18 September 1942; decommissioned 11 April 1946; stricken 1 July 1971; fate - sold to Southern Scrap Material Corp., New Orleans, for $93,888.88 on 25 May 1973 and broken up for scrap. Photo captions document: triple launching 19 July 1942 with Davison (DD-618) and Saufley (DD-465) at Federal Kearny (newspaper clipping); at New York Navy Yard November 1942; Puget Sound 26 September 1943 (with Gansevoort DD-608 alongside); Signal Corps photos in Humboldt Bay, New Guinea, 13 October 1944 (SC260537, SC260657, NARA); arrival at Charleston for decommissioning; Newark NJ October 1945 visit; nested at the Orange, Texas Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in 1970 with Gillespie (DD-609), Bancroft (DD-598), and Grayson (DD-435). Commanding officers: LCDR William Leroy Messmer (18 Sep 1942 - 12 Dec 1942), LCDR Paul Gordon Osler (12 Dec 1942 - 2 Sep 1944), CDR Simon Everett Ramey (2 Sep 1944 - 17 May 1945), LCDR Richard Edward Weiss (17 May 1945 - 11 Apr 1946).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1942-1973

   Population

   Ship's company (crew 208 per NavSource; 270 per DANFS)

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled secondary archive; building data, dates, and photo catalog numbers are consistent with DANFS and NHHC collections but the compilation itself is not an official document - verification marked partial. 'Crew 208' conflicts with DANFS design complement 270 (logged in gaps). Armament 10 x 21" tt conflicts with the DANFS spec block's '5 21" tt' (configuration-era variance; logged in gaps). The scrap purchaser name and price (Southern Scrap Material Corp., $93,888.88) appear only in this compilation. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-edwards-dd619-03

5. [5]DANFS Edwards II narrative + NARA photo 19-N-38639 caption (destroyerhistory.org) + NavSource photo captions (Puget Sound 1943-09-26; Orange TX ISMF 1970; Charleston arrival) + NHHC Online Library narrative [other_primary]

   Locator

   destroyerhistory.org/benson-gleavesclass/ussedwards/ (NARA 19-N-38639 caption); NavSource DD-619 photo captions; DANFS narrative yard entries; ibiblio NHHC photo page narrative

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Yard-presence documentation naming this hull: (a) New York Navy Yard, 8 November 1942 - destroyerhistory.org caption edited from NARA photo 19-N-38639 ('Edwards (DD 619), New York Navy Yard, 8 November 1942'), the same day DANFS records her sailing from New York for the Pacific; (b) Pearl Harbor Navy Yard - DANFS-documented overhauls 27 March-15 April 1943 and August 1944; (c) Puget Sound - NavSource photo caption dated 26 September 1943 (Gansevoort DD-608 with Edwards alongside) during the post-Aleutians overhaul DANFS records between the Kiska landings (13 August) and the return to Espiritu Santo (October); (d) west-coast 'brief overhaul' circa December 1943-February 1944 (DANFS; yard not identified - carried in gaps); (e) Charleston, S.C. - arrived 7 January 1946, inactivated and decommissioned there 11 April 1946 (DANFS; NavSource newspaper photo documents arrival); (f) reserve layup - 'twenty-five years in the Atlantic Reserve fleet' per NHHC, photographed 1970 in the Orange, Texas Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility nest.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1942-1971

   Population

   Yard workers at NY Navy Yard (Nov 1942), Pearl Harbor NSY (Mar-Apr 1943; Aug 1944), Puget Sound NSY (Sep 1943), Charleston (Jan-Apr 1946); ship's company during availabilities; reserve-fleet caretaker crews 1946-1971

   Limitations

   Documents which yards and facilities this hull entered and when - an exposure-window map, not a materials record. No work package, job order, or material list for any availability was located; the asbestos scope of any of these yard periods is inference only. The early-1944 west-coast overhaul yard is unidentified in the sources checked. The 1970 Orange TX photo places the laid-up hull at the Atlantic Reserve Fleet Texas Group nest - layup, not an industrial availability.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-edwards-dd619-04

6. [6]Consolidated era/design inference - BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v1 'No. 421 Class' machinery table (575 psi/700 deg F, Bethlehem turbines 47,000 shp for lead ship DD-421) + NavSource hull spec (Westinghouse turbines, 50,000 shp) + DANFS-documented availability dates + Atlas class profile benson-gleaves-class [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB 1945 v1 DD machinery table (No. 421 Class row); NavSource DD-619 spec block; DANFS narrative; class profile ev-benson-gleaves-class-04

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull carried the Benson/Gleaves-family machinery plant - 4 superheated Babcock & Wilcox boilers (575 psi/700 deg F per the BuShips Ships' Data 1945 'No. 421 Class' machinery data) feeding two geared steam turbines (Westinghouse per NavSource's hull spec; ~47,000-50,000 shp with a documented BuShips-vs-secondary discrepancy at class level) - built February-September 1942, peak Navy asbestos era. Typical applications for the type: boiler casing and fireroom insulation, steam-pipe and turbine lagging, valve/flange gaskets and packing, deck tile, accommodation insulation. The hull received no FRAM or conversion and no post-war recommissioning - laid up in reserve from April 1946 to disposal - so its exposure windows are the 1942 construction and the wartime/1946 yard availabilities.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1942-1973

   Population

   Federal Shipbuilding construction trades (Kearny, 1942); ship's company 1942-46; overhaul-yard workforces 1943-46

   Limitations

   Inference from documented machinery class, construction era, and documented yard periods - NOT a hull record. No specification, material schedule, survey, or abatement contract naming DD-619 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. Every listed application is 'typical of the type/era,' not 'installed on this hull.' The 47,000 vs. 50,000 shp discrepancy between BuShips (DD-421) and secondary sources is documented in the class profile.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-edwards-dd619-05

7. [7]Owens-Illinois, Inc., Industrial Health Survey of Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, NJ (Aug. 30-Sep. 2, 1944); introduced as Owens-Illinois interrogatory exhibit #20 in Heathman v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., Brazoria County TX (1990); Atlas shipyards.json yard record 'federal-shipbuilding-kearny' (evidence_tier 2, flagship ev-federal-kearny-ihs-1944) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipyards.json 'federal-shipbuilding-kearny' evidence row ev-federal-kearny-ihs-1944 + products_documented; ToxicDocs scan of the 1944 survey

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   Builder-yard documentation: Owens-Illinois conducted an Industrial Health Survey of Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, NJ (30 August - 2 September 1944), documenting insulator work with asbestos pipe covering (Johns-Manville Superex, amosite-based ~15%) and Kaylo boiler insulation in confined shipyard spaces, with dust counts measured during cutting and fitting operations; the Atlas shipyards dataset carries Federal Shipbuilding-Kearny at evidence tier 2 on this record (products also incl. Monokote fireproofing and Garlock gaskets). The survey postdates this hull's September 1942 delivery by ~23 months but documents the yard's wartime product environment during continuous Bristol-group Gleaves-class production at the same ways (Edwards launched the same day as Davison DD-618 and Saufley DD-465; sisters built on adjacent schedules).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1942 (hull build); 1944 (survey)

   Population

   Shipyard insulators and pipefitters at Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny NJ (survey dates Aug 30-Sep 2, 1944)

   Limitations

   Yard-level documentation, not a hull record - a 1944 survey of the builder's plant and products, conducted ~23 months after DD-619's delivery; it establishes the yard's documented asbestos-product environment during wartime Gleaves-class production, not that specific materials went aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. Survey conducted by a manufacturer with commercial interest; dust counts in mppcf (pre-fiber-count era).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-edwards-dd619-06

8. [8]Atlas shipyards.json yard records 'pearl-harbor-naval-shipyard' (tier 1), 'puget-sound-naval-shipyard' (tier 1), 'brooklyn-navy-yard' (tier 3), 'charleston-naval-shipyard' (tier 2) + DANFS/photo-documented presence dates [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipyards.json records; DANFS narrative yard entries; NARA 19-N-38639 caption (NYNY 1942-11-08); NavSource Puget Sound 1943-09-26 caption; DANFS Charleston arrival/decommissioning

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   Availability-yard documentation: the Atlas shipyards dataset carries documented asbestos-era product records for the naval shipyards this hull is documented inside - Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard (evidence tier 1: pipe covering, insulation blankets, amosite blankets, asbestos mud, cloth, wire insulation, protective clothing), Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (tier 1: thermal insulation, gaskets, deck tiles, fireproofing, refractory materials), New York Naval Shipyard/'brooklyn-navy-yard' (tier 3: Kaylo), and Charleston Naval Shipyard (tier 2: magnesia pipe insulation 5-50% asbestos, boiler external coatings ~15% asbestos, spray-on insulation, gaskets, packing). DANFS and photo documentation place DD-619 in these yards at November 1942 (NYNY), March-April 1943 and August 1944 (PHNSY), September 1943 (PSNSY), and January-April 1946 (Charleston inactivation).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1942-1946

   Population

   Overhaul-yard workforces at NYNY (1942), PHNSY (1943, 1944), PSNSY (1943), Charleston (1946); ship's company during availabilities

   Limitations

   Yard-product documentation plus documented hull-presence events - the combination is still not a hull materials record: no work package, job order, or material list for any DD-619 availability was located, and nothing establishes what insulation was removed, disturbed, or installed aboard this hull. Establishes the opportunity and environment only. Yard tiers reflect the facilities' documentation, not this hull's materials.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-edwards-dd619-07

9. [9]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 to automated fetch, HTTP 403, per Batch-01 standing note; content via product-page description and class-profile record ev-benson-gleaves-class-05)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   Program context: GAO documented that the Navy's standing asbestos policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - meaning original-era insulation typically remained in place for decades unless a yard period disturbed it. For this hull the policy window postdates custody entirely: she decommissioned 1946, sat in reserve layup 1946-1971, and was stricken and sold (1971-73) before the documented policy existed - so the wartime yard availabilities and the 25-year layup (no maintenance regime documented) are the relevant disturbance points, not the program era.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1975-1979 policy window; hull context 1942-1973

   Population

   Navy shipyard workers (program context)

   Limitations

   Program-level documentation postdating this hull's Navy custody - cited for what the Navy's disturbance-driven exposure model implies about undocumented wartime availability work, not as hull evidence. Establishes nothing about materials aboard DD-619.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-edwards-dd619-08

10. [10]NavSource disposal entry (sold 1973-05-25 to Southern Scrap Material Corp., New Orleans, $93,888.88, broken up) + NHHC Online Library narrative ('sold for scrapping in May 1973') + Basel Convention (1989/1992); IMO Hong Kong Convention (2009/2025); EU Reg. 1257/2013 - regulatory timeline only [other_primary]

    Locator

    NavSource 'Fate' line; ibiblio NHHC photo page narrative; Basel/IMO/EU instrument dates

    Finding type

    regulatory

    Finding

    Disposal-context record: the hull was stricken 1 July 1971 and sold 25 May 1973 to Southern Scrap Material Corp., New Orleans, for $93,888.88, and broken up for scrap - a domestic 1973 shipbreaking that predates every modern regime governing hazardous-materials inventory in end-of-life vessels (Basel Convention in force 1992; IMO Hong Kong Convention adopted 2009, in force 26 June 2025; EU Ship Recycling Regulation 2013). No pre-scrapping survey, abatement contract, or hazardous-materials inventory for this hull was located in the sources searched; none was required by the regimes then in force.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-27

    Study period

    1971-1973 disposal; later regimes 1992/2013/2025

    Population

    Shipbreaking workforce (Southern Scrap Material Corp., New Orleans, 1973, undocumented)

    Limitations

    Regulatory timeline plus documented disposal facts only - no source documents what materials were aboard or removed before scrapping. The 1973 breaking means no surviving hull exists for any present-day survey, and any ACM aboard was handled under 1973 domestic shipbreaking practice with no public record located. The scrap purchaser is named only in the NavSource compilation (secondary).

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-edwards-dd619-09

11. [11]CourtListener authenticated API v4 searches (2026-09-27, HTTP 200): '"USS Edwards"' o=0/r=1 (Knowles MDL-875 8585-1, resolved as DD-950 collision); '"DD-619"' o=0/r=6 identifier collisions; '"aboard the Edwards" OR "aboard USS Edwards"' o=0; '"USS Edwards" asbestos' o=0; 'Knowles "A.W. Chesterton" asbestos' r=39 (surname collisions in returned text); '"USS Edwards"' rd-on-MDL-875=1 doc; 'Edwards "DD-619"' r=1 (Ankrom identifier collision); class-profile sweeps sl-benson-gleaves-class-05/06 (2026-09-16) negative [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-edwards-dd619-10a through -10h; Knowles complaint = MDL-875 docket 1245688, entry 8585, attachment 1 (RECAP recap/gov.uscourts.jpml.375294.8585.1.pdf, 352 pp, 'WORK HISTORY SHEET FOR LEE KNOWLES' p.8)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    CourtListener sweep (authenticated API v4, fleet-paced helpers, 2026-09-27): '"USS Edwards"' returned 0 hits on the opinion index (type=o) and 1 hit on the RECAP docket index (type=r) - MDL-875 JPML docket entry 8585-1, a 352-page complaint attachment in Knowles v. A.W. Chesterton Co. et al. (C.D. Cal. 2:12-cv-02284-DSF-JCG). A docket-entries pull retrieved the attachment's full 752,803-character extracted text: the string 'Edwards' occurs exactly once - 'USS Edwards (DD-950)' inside 'WORK HISTORY SHEET FOR LEE KNOWLES' (a pleading-exhibit list of alleged exposure sites, between 'USS Norfolk (DL-1)' and 'Aquagem, Greek tanker'). DD-950 is USS Richard S. Edwards, a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer in commission 1959-1982 - a name collision resolving to a different hull, NOT this one; the document contains zero occurrences of DD-619 or DD-265. '"DD-619"' returned 0 opinion hits and 6 docket hits, all identifier collisions (law-firm phone area codes and exhibit/appendix numbers in Ankrom v. District of Columbia D.D.C., Peters bankruptcy S.D. Cal., Core Scientific bankruptcy S.D. Tex., Abella v. Simon S.D. Fla., Natural Resources v. Texaco D. Del., Kove IO v. AWS N.D. Ill.) - zero vessel context. '"aboard the Edwards" OR "aboard USS Edwards"' opinion: 0. '"USS Edwards" asbestos' opinion: 0. 'Knowles "A.W. Chesterton" asbestos' docket: 39 hits - the Knowles member dockets (incl. C.D. Cal. 2:12-cv-02284) plus other Chesterton asbestos MDL matters; the only 'Edwards' strings in returned records are attorney/law-firm surnames with no vessel context. '"USS Edwards"' type=rd within MDL-875: 1 document - the same Knowles complaint. 'Edwards "DD-619"' docket (hull-pinning): 1 hit, Ankrom v. District of Columbia D.D.C. - the same identifier collision as the '"DD-619"' set, zero vessel context. The Benson/Gleaves class profile's own RECAP sweeps (2026-09-16) located no asbestos-litigation docket naming any of the 96 members. No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull was located.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-27

    Study period

    2026-09-27

    Limitations

    All planned queries executed and classified; the one vessel-string hit resolves to a different hull (DD-950) inside a pleading-stage work-history exhibit - an allegation list entry even as to DD-950, never adjudicated. RECAP coverage is limited to indexed text; unindexed dockets, state-court cases, and settled matters (which leave no published opinion) are outside coverage - absence of located litigation does not mean none exists. All queries reached HTTP 200 except the hull-pinning query's first attempt, which exhausted a 900s fleet-pacing wait; its retry returned the Ankrom identifier collision. This finding also resolves the open hull-attribution lead carried in sibling record uss-edwards-dd265 (batch-3262 ev-07): the Knowles 'USS Edwards' names DD-950, neither earlier hull.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-edwards-dd619-10

12. [12]Batch-3591 search ledger (this record), rows sl-uss-edwards-dd619-01 through -11 [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-edwards-dd619-01 through -11

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Edwards (DD-619) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Sources checked: DANFS (official NHHC page via Wayback capture 2022-01-22; live NHHC 404; HyperWar/ibiblio verbatim transcription corroborates), NHHC Online Library of Selected Images photo-data page (ibiblio mirror), NavSource destroyer index (Wayback capture 2024-12-13; live fetch failed), NVR register check (out of scope - disposed 1973, pre-1987), destroyerhistory.org NARA photo caption (19-N-38639), NARA asbestos research guide and ship plan index, Atlas class profile (benson-gleaves-class) and shipyards dataset, general-web asbestos-mention check (law-firm list pages only - excluded), CourtListener authenticated sweep (see ev-10 and ledger).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-27

    Study period

    2026-09-27

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1942 Gleaves-class steam destroyer built at a yard with contemporaneously documented asbestos products and given wartime availabilities at asbestos-documented naval shipyards is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials aboard. No hull survives for survey (scrapped 1973). Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-edwards-dd619-11

13. [13]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships incl. General Information Books), RG 181 (naval districts and shore establishments); NARA guided topic 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961'; NARA Ship Plan Index; NHHC photographic collection [other_primary]

    Locator

    archives.gov/research/military/navy/guided-topics/asbestos (filing-code method: DD619; class code; QM/Federal Shipbuilding); archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy; archives.gov/research/cartographic/ship-index

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs for USS Edwards's commissioned period, September 1942 - April 1946, series 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations, 1941-1978' (NAID 594258) at Archives II, College Park - digitization status unverified; (b) NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) records per the NARA asbestos research guide: hull-specific correspondence filed under code 'DD619', class correspondence under the DD-421/DD-423 class codes, and private-yard correspondence under 'QM/Federal Shipbuilding' (General Correspondence 1940-1945 entries A1 1266-A through -N; the General Information Book for DD-619 - per-hull material specifications - is the strongest potential hull-level materials source); (c) NARA RG 181 yard records for New York, Pearl Harbor, Puget Sound, and Charleston availabilities; (d) NHHC/NARA photographic records (NH 98118, NH 98119, 80-G-K-15590, 80-G-230027, 80-G-321671, USN 1049789, 19-N-38639); (e) NARA Ship Plan Index alphabetical drawings entries under 'Edwards'.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-27

    Study period

    1942-1973 records

    Limitations

    Record-group/collection mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for DD-619 is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-edwards-dd619-12