Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
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[1]research packet ie-packet.md (5 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED. — real identity: USS Flaherty; hull DE-135; destroyer escort, Edsall class.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-flaherty-de135-pkt-ie-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Flaherty (DE-135), Vol. 2 p.410 (1969) (namesake biography, specifications block, service narrative; verbatim transcription - live NHHC page at history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/f/flaherty.html serves 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Vol. 2 p.410 (1969), Flaherty entry, specification block + service narrative (losthistory.net/hazegray transcription)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: namesake Francis Charles Flaherty, born 15 March 1919 in Charlotte, Mich., ensign USNR, killed aboard USS Oklahoma (BB-37) at Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941 holding a flashlight in a turret so his men could escape, posthumous Medal of Honor; launched 17 January 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex., sponsored by Mrs. J. J. Flaherty; commissioned 26 June 1943, Lt. Cmdr. M. W. Firth in command; three convoy-escort voyages east coast-Casablanca 4 September 1943-15 February 1944; joined the Guadalcanal (CVE-60) hunter-killer group at Norfolk 7 March 1944; shared in the sinking of U-515 off Madeira 9 April 1944 with three other escorts and carrier aircraft; returned New York 27 April; sailed with the Guadalcanal group 15 May on the patrol that captured U-505 intact 4 June 1944 - 'Flaherty's role during the action was close screening for Guadalcanal, from which the attack and seizure were directed' - winning the task group a Presidential Unit Citation; two more hunter-killer patrols 15 July-7 November 1944; school ship for the Naval Training Center at Miami; sailed Mayport 9 April 1945 for Argentia barrier-line duty; on 24 April 1945 rescued three survivors of the torpedoed Frederick C. Davis (DE-136), gained sonar contact and attacked, and with seven other escorts forced U-546 to the surface and sank it by gunfire after a 10-hour hunt, recovering five U-boat survivors including the commanding officer; New York 11 May 1945, then convoy escort to Le Havre and Southampton; carrier-guard training off Norfolk and Charleston; Green Cove Springs 12 January 1946; decommissioned and placed in reserve 17 June 1946; Presidential Unit Citation plus four battle stars. Bracketed addendum (Bauer & Roberts, Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy 1775-1990, p.224): stricken from the Navy Register 1 April 1965, sold 4 November 1966.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1942-1966
- Population
- Consolidated Steel construction trades 1942-43; wartime and reserve-crew complement
- Limitations
- DANFS documents namesake, construction, and service history - not materials or asbestos content. The stricken/sold dates come from the transcription's bracketed Bauer & Roberts addendum, not the 1969 DANFS text proper. Mirror transcription cited because the live NHHC page returns 404.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-flaherty-de135-01
-
[3]NavSource Online Destroyer Escort Photo Archive, USS Flaherty (DE-135) page (building and operational data, specifications, commanding officers, awards; Internet Archive capture 2024-12-31) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource DE-135 page: specifications block, building/operational data, awards ribbons, commanding-officer table (Wayback capture 2024-12-31)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull: class Edsall (FMR - Fairbanks-Morse reverse gear drive, long hull, 3-inch guns); keel laid 7 November 1942 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.; launched and christened 17 January 1943, sponsor Mrs. J. J. Flaherty, sister-in-law of the namesake; commissioned 26 June 1943 at the Orange City Dock by Capt. J. M. Shilling USN (Ret.) representing Commander Eighth Naval District, Lcdr. M. W. Firth USN in command; PUC awarded 4 June 1944 for the Guadalcanal task group's capture of U-505; 24 April 1945 rescued Frederick C. Davis (DE-136) survivors and joined the 10-hour battle that sank U-546; Navy Day at Tampa 27 October 1945 with William R. Rush (DD-714) and Sea Owl (SS-405); decommissioned at Green Cove Springs 17 June 1946 after 3 years of service; struck from the NVR 1 April 1965; sold for scrapping 4 November 1966 to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, Md. Specifications: 1,200 tons light / 1,590 full; 300 ft wl / 306 ft oa; beam 36 ft 10 in; four Fairbanks-Morse Mod. 38D8-1/8 geared diesels plus four diesel-generators, 6,000 shp, two screws; 21 kt; 9,100 nm at 12 kt; complement 8 officers / 201 enlisted. Commanding officers: Lcdr. Maxim William Firth USN (comm. CO, 26 Jun 1943-16 Oct 1943); Lcdr. Means Fernandis Johnston Jr. USN (16 Oct 1943-14 Sep 1944); Lcdr. Howard Carlton Duff USNR (from 14 Sep 1944).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1942-1966
- Population
- Consolidated Steel construction trades 1942-43; commissioned crew 1943-46
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer-compiled archive drawing on official records - authoritative secondary, not a primary document; details corroborated against DANFS where overlapping (launch, commissioning, U-505/U-546 actions, Green Cove Springs, striking, sale). Complement figure (8/201) conflicts with the DANFS spec block (186) - carried in gaps. Live navsource.org DNS-unreachable from the research machine; 2024-12-31 Internet Archive capture cited.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-flaherty-de135-02
-
[4]U-boat Archive transcription, USS Flaherty (DE-135) commanding officer's contact and action report, 'Capture of U-505,' Serial No. 431, to Commander Task Group 22.3 (NARA RG 38 record transcription) [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboatarchive.net U-505A/U-505FlahertyReport.htm - report paras. 1-4 (TG composition, screening stations G-0 through G-4, capture timeline)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Flaherty's own action report for the 4 June 1944 U-505 capture, signed by commanding officer Lt. Cmdr. M. Johnston Jr. USN: Task Group 22.3 consisted of Guadalcanal, Pillsbury, Jenks, Pope, Chatelain, and Flaherty, steaming NE of the Cape Verde Islands on base course 000T at 13 kt with escorts screening Guadalcanal under plan #35 - Flaherty in station G-4. At 1109 Z Chatelain reported a possible sound contact and attacked; Chatelain's depth-charge attack surfaced the submarine; Chatelain, Pillsbury, and Jenks fired while 'Guadalcanal with Flaherty as screen, turned to westward, then maneuvered around the area, steaming on various courses at high speeds. At about 1300 Z Guadalcanal closed U-505 and sent prize crew aboard.' U-505 captured at 1126 Z, lat. 21-30 N., long. 19-20 W.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1944-06-04
- Population
- Flaherty crew (design complement ~186-209), 4 June 1944
- Limitations
- Primary-source transcription hosted by uboatarchive.net (the underlying document is the official action report filed by this hull's commanding officer - NARA RG 38 series). Confirms TG 22.3 composition and Flaherty's screening-station role; does not address materials or asbestos. The transcription's header prints the file designator 'DE138(FMR)/A16-3/(lfs)' where DE-135's own designator is expected - read as a transcription artifact; the report body, signature (M. Johnston Jr., Flaherty's CO per the NavSource roster for 16 Oct 1943-14 Sep 1944), and enclosure title ('Track Chart of U.S.S. GUADALCANAL and FLAHERTY') all identify DE-135.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-flaherty-de135-03
-
[5]Navypedia FMR-type (Edsall-class) destroyer escort member table + NavSource FMR design specification block [other_primary]
- Locator
- navypedia us_de_det_fmr.htm member table row DE135 Flaherty; NavSource specifications block (FMR type label, propulsion figures)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: an Edsall-class (FMR-design) destroyer escort built 1942-43 would have carried era-standard asbestos applications appropriate to a diesel ship - exhaust insulation, gaskets and packing, electrical insulation, brake linings, and deck coverings - but no boiler insulation or steam-line lagging, since the FMR plant (four Fairbanks-Morse 38D8-1/8 geared diesels plus four diesel-generators, 6,000 shp, 21 kt) has no steam system. The navypedia member table confirms DE-135 as Consolidated Steel Orange yard no. 258 (laid down 11.1942, launched 17.1.1943, commissioned 6.1943, stricken 4.1965), and the NavSource page labels the design 'FMR (geared diesel, Fairbanks-Morse reverse gear drive, 3-inch guns)'.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1942-1966
- Population
- Consolidated Steel construction trades 1942-43; commissioned crew 1943-46; reserve-fleet caretakers 1946-65
- Limitations
- Class/era and design inference only - NOT a hull-specific finding. No hull-level material schedule, insulation specification, or survey was located for DE-135; the geared-diesel plant means the largest asbestos categories of steam ships do not apply; does not quantify material or establish any individual's exposure. Builder Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex. is not in the Atlas shipyard dataset - no yard-level asbestos record carried.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-flaherty-de135-04
-
[6]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 the Navy's extensive shipboard asbestos insulation use during the era in which this hull was built, with substitution not beginning until the early 1970s - DE-135's 1942-43 construction and her 1943-46 USN commission fall entirely inside the documented asbestos-use era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (program-level)
- Limitations
- Program-level era context only. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch); content via product-page description, same limitation as prior batch records. Does not document this hull, her crew, or her materials.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-flaherty-de135-05
-
[7]CourtListener API v4 opinion (type=o) and RECAP docket (type=r) searches, authenticated via cl-auth-search.py fleet helper, 2026-09-28 [court_record]
- Locator
- cl-auth-search.py queries '"USS Flaherty"' type=o (count 0) and type=r (count 0); '"DE-135"' type=o (count 60, all collisions)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Completed litigation sweep - no qualifying litigation names this hull. Opinion index '"USS Flaherty"': 0 hits. Opinion index '"DE-135"': 60 hits; reviewed results are 'DE 135' PACER docket-entry number citations inside unrelated federal civil opinions (e.g., Braun Corp. v. Vantage Mobility, N.D. Ind. 2009, protective-order motion '[DE 135]'; Harris v. Geico General Insurance, S.D. Fla. 2013, judgment-as-a-matter-of-law briefing '[DE 135]') - identifier collisions, none referencing any vessel. RECAP docket index '"USS Flaherty"': 0 hits.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1943-present (litigation corpus indexed by CourtListener)
- Limitations
- Sweep completed at the opinion and docket-index levels; RECAP document-level full text was not reviewed. 'DE-135' is a high-collision identifier (docket-entry numbers); hits were classified as collisions on indexed text rather than expanded to document-level review. No hull-level docket review beyond indexed text. The 'USS Flaherty' quoted-phrase queries returned zero hits in both indexes, so no O'Flaherty (DE-340) bleed-through was encountered.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-flaherty-de135-06
-
[8]Batch-4044 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS transcription; NavSource and navypedia member records; NVR detail check; CourtListener opinion + RECAP sweeps; VA Board of Veterans' Appeals full-text search; Atlas shipyard dataset check [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-flaherty-de135-01 through sl-uss-flaherty-de135-10 (incl. -04b)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for DE-135: no hull ACM survey, abatement contract, donation-condition or disposal hazmat disclosure, museum record, or ship-specific industrial-hygiene document; no qualifying asbestos litigation or VA decision names this hull; the Naval Vessel Register carries no detail entry (pre-1987 disposal); the hull was sold for scrapping in November 1966, foreclosing any extant-hull survey.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2026-09-28
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - era materials consistent with the FMR design are a reasonable inference, not a ship-proven fact. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. NARA RG 19 BuShips records for this hull (material specifications, General Information Books) and RG 38 TG 22.3 action reports remain unretrieved archival leads.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-flaherty-de135-07