Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet ie-packet.md (3 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED. — real identity: USS Frederick C. Davis; hull DE-136; destroyer escort, Edsall class.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-pkt-ie-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Frederick C. Davis (DE-136) (namesake, specifications block, service narrative, loss; verbatim transcription - live NHHC page serves 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, specifications block + service narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: named for Ensign Frederick Curtice Davis, USNR (killed aboard USS Nevada BB-36 at Pearl Harbor 7 Dec 1941, posthumous Navy Cross); specifications dp. 1,200, l. 306', b. 36'7", dr. 8'7", s. 21 k., cpl. 186, cl. Edsall; launched 24 January 1943 by Consolidated Steel Co., Orange, Tex., sponsored by Mrs. Dorothy H. Robins; commissioned 14 July 1943, Lt. Cmdr. O. W. Goepner, USNR; convoy escort Norfolk-Algiers from 7 October 1943; Mediterranean escort with air attacks 6 and 26 November 1943; participated in the 16 December 1943 sinking of U-73; Anzio service from 21 January 1944 earning Navy Unit Commendation (glider-bomb jamming equipment); southern France assault protecting Catoctin (AGC-5); overhaul at New York Navy Yard from September 1944; western Atlantic escort/ASW and special surface barrier force from mid-April 1945; torpedoed by U-546 24 April 1945, broke in two, loss of 115 men; U-546 sunk by other escorts the same day; four battle stars plus Navy Unit Commendation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- Consolidated Steel construction trades (Orange, TX, 1942-43); wartime crew (design complement 186; 192 aboard at loss per NHHC)
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. DANFS omits the laid-down date (1942-11-09 per NavSource/navypedia) and the striking date (1945-06-02 per NavSource). Its casualty figure (115 lost) conflicts with NHHC H-Gram H-047-1 (126 of 192) - carried in gaps. Mirror transcription cited because the live NHHC page returns 404.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-01
-
[3]NHHC H-Gram H-047-1, 'The Last Battle of the Atlantic - Operation Teardrop' (Director's Corner history publication, NHHC) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- H-Gram H-047-1, sections 'Loss of Frederick C. Davis (DE-136), 24 April 1945' and 'Hunt for U-546'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official NHHC history of Operation Teardrop names this hull: Frederick C. Davis detected U-546 by sonar at ~0830 on 24 April 1945 at ~2,000 yards; contact lost in the ship's own Foxer acoustic countermeasure noise; U-546's T-5 acoustic homing torpedo fired from ~650 yards hit the port side in the forward engineering spaces, killing the commanding officer (Lt. Cmdr. James R. Crosby, USNR), the OOD, and nearly everyone on the bridge; the ship broke in two nine minutes after the hit and the bow went under six minutes later; depth charges not safed detonated as the stern went under. Of a crew of 192, 126 perished including the skipper and nine other officers. U-546 was sunk by destroyer-escort gunfire at ~1845 the same day; 33 German survivors captured. The article establishes PE-56 (sunk 23 April) as the second-to-last U.S. Navy vessel sunk in the Atlantic Theater - making Frederick C. Davis (24 April) the last.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1945-04-24
- Population
- Wartime crew - 192 aboard at sinking per NHHC
- Limitations
- Official NHHC retrospective history; documents the loss and its sequence, not materials or asbestos. Casualty figure (126 of 192) conflicts with DANFS's 'loss of 115 men' - carried in gaps. Live NHHC page 404s; cited via December 2024 Wayback capture.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-02
-
[4]USS Hayter (DE-212), action report of 17 May 1945, 'Report on the Rescue of Survivors of the U.S.S. FREDERICK C. DAVIS (DE-136) on 24 April 1945' (File DE212(TE)/A16-1; NARA-sourced transcription at uboatarchive.net); companion USS Flaherty (DE-135) narrative at uboatarchive.net/U-546A/U-546FlahertyReport.htm [other_primary]
- Locator
- Hayter report paras. 1-4 and enclosures B-D; Flaherty report Part IV paras. 1-4
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Contemporaneous U.S. Navy action reports document this hull's loss: Hayter report states Davis reported sonar contact ~1030 Zebra, was struck by torpedo port side amidships at 1040 Zebra, and sank ~15 minutes later; Hayter rescued 66 living survivors and recovered 11 dead (one survivor subsequently died), transferred to USS Bogue (CVE-9). Flaherty report (Zone +2 times) records the Davis torpedo explosion at 0840, mast down and ship breaking in two, stern section sinking at 0857, and depth charges exploding at 0900 - the ordnance-detonation hazard noted in survivor accounts.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1945-04-24
- Population
- 66 living survivors rescued; 11 dead recovered by Hayter; wartime crew
- Limitations
- Transcriptions of archival Navy documents (NARA record material mirrored at uboatarchive.net); documents the sinking, rescue, and casualty recovery - not materials or asbestos aboard the hull. Survivor/dead counts are recovery figures, not total casualty accounting; DANFS and NHHC totals conflict (115 vs 126 lost) - carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-03
-
[5]NavSource Online, Destroyer Escort Photo Index DE-136 (building/operational data, commanding officers, awards; secondary compilation of Navy records) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navsource.net/archives/06/136.htm - Building and Operational Data block; specifications block; commanding-officer table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Secondary compilation for this hull: keel laid 9 November 1942 by Consolidated Steel Co., Orange, Tex.; launched/christened 24 January 1943 (sponsor Mrs. Dorothy H. Robins, sister of Ensign Frederick Curtice Davis); commissioned 14 July 1943; sunk 24 April 1945 by U-546; struck from the Navy List 2 June 1945. Commanding officers: Lcdr. Oscar W. Goepner (Jul 1943-Dec 1943), Lcdr. Reginald C. Robbins Jr. (Dec 1943-Sep 1944), Lt./Lcdr. James R. Crosby Jr. (1945-24 Apr 1945). Specifications: FMR type (geared Fairbanks-Morse reverse-gear drive), 4 FM Mod. 38D8-1/8 diesel engines, 4 diesel-generators, 6,000 shp, 2 screws; complement 8 officers / 201 enlisted. Awards: Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive), Navy Unit Commendation, EAME with 4 stars.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- Wartime crew
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation, not an official source - its laid-down and struck dates are the best available for those events because DANFS omits both; they are carried with this provenance caveat. Complement figure (8/201) conflicts with DANFS design 186 and NHHC's 192 aboard at loss - carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-04
-
[6]NARA Ship Plan Index - FREDERICK C. DAVIS DE-136, RG 19 Microfilm, NAID 175669154; plus NARA guided topic 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' (archives.gov/research/military/navy/guided-topics/asbestos) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA Ship Plan Index table, row 'FREDERICK C. DAVIS | DE-136 | 19 | Microfilm | 175669154'; asbestos guide, RG 19 correspondence entries
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Ship Plan Index lists FREDERICK C. DAVIS DE-136 under RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) Microfilm, NAID 175669154 - hull plans exist in federal custody. The NARA asbestos research guide (coverage 1941-1961, spanning this ship's entire life) identifies the record path for ship-specific material research: RG 19 BuShips general/confidential correspondence filed by hull designation (DE136) and shipyard files (QM/Consolidated Steel for the private builder). Neither the plans nor the correspondence were reviewed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1942-1945 (records); 2026-09-28 (index access)
- Population
- Construction trades; wartime crew (research pathway populations)
- Limitations
- Index/holding entries establish that records exist, not their content - nothing in the index or guide documents asbestos aboard this hull. Retrieval of NAID 175669154 and the DE136/QM-Consolidated Steel correspondence is the open archival lead.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-05
-
[7]Navypedia, 'FMR' destroyer escorts (EDSALL) member table and class machinery description; Atlas class-worktree context (cannon-class.class.json, DET-design DE class notes) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navypedia us_de_det_fmr.htm - member table row DE-136 + machinery notes; class-c worktree cannon-class.class.json class_notes (DE-era application categories)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Class/era context: the navypedia FMR member table confirms this hull (DE-136, yard no. 259, Consolidated Orange, laid 11.1942, launched 24.1.1943, commissioned 7.1943, sunk 24.4.1945) within the Edsall-class geared-diesel design - 4 Fairbanks-Morse diesels working through gears on 2 shafts, 6,000 hp, ~21 kt, complement 186, no boilers and no steam plant. Era inference: a 1943-built wartime escort is consistent with period-standard asbestos applications for diesel-plant escorts (exhaust-system insulation, machinery/flange gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, accommodation fireproofing, deck coverings); the steam-ship lagging categories do not apply to this design.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- Consolidated Steel construction trades 1942-43; wartime crew
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation plus era inference - NOT a ship-specific finding. No source reviewed documents asbestos aboard this hull; inference from class/era cannot establish presence, quantity, or location of ACM on DE-136, and cannot support exposure or eligibility conclusions.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-06
-
[8]CourtListener API v4 search sweep (authenticated fleet helper), 2026-09-28 [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-05 through sl-uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-09
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation - and no litigation of any kind - naming this vessel located. Exact-name opinion search '"Frederick C. Davis"' returned 6 hits, all personal-name collisions (Frederick C. Davis v. Erin P. Davis, Fla. App. 1998 divorce; State v. Frederick C. Davis, S.C. 1976 criminal; Magnus v. Diamond State Insurance, D. Kan. 2015; Bernard v. Doskocil, D. Kan. 1994 x2 - attorney of record Frederick C. Davis II; Boyd v. Boyd, Md. App. 1975). Exact-name docket search returned 4 hits, all collisions (two personal bankruptcies, U.S. v. Wingard, NYT v. Microsoft). Hull-number searches '"DE-136"' returned 44 opinion hits and 849 docket hits, all 'DE 136' CM/ECF docket-entry citation noise.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2026-09-28
- Population
- n/a - sweep result
- Limitations
- Search-index coverage only - RECAP full-text filing-level review was not performed, and the combined '"Frederick C. Davis" asbestos' docket query was blocked by fleet pacing (see search_ledger sl-09). Absence of a located docket does not prove no filing ever named the ship; state-court and unpublished matters are outside the index.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-07
-
[9]Batch-4045 search ledger (this record): DANFS/NHHC, NHHC H-Gram H-047-1, Navy action reports (Hayter/Flaherty), NavSource, NARA guides/index, CourtListener sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-01 through sl-uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, material schedule, abatement contract, museum hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming Frederick C. Davis (DE-136) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was lost in action on 24 April 1945 in the western North Atlantic, so no post-service survey, overhaul, preservation, or abatement record can exist; the wreck is unsurveyed in the reviewed official sources.
- 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 - wartime DE construction is era-consistent with asbestos use, and the sunken hull's material state is undetermined. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-08
-
[10]Texas Historical Commission marker, 'Office of the Supervisor of Shipbuilding and Consolidated Steel Corporation' (Orange, TX, erected 2008; transcribed at hmdb.org) + Destroyer History Foundation Orange yard page [other_primary]
- Locator
- THC marker text via hmdb.org m=116218; destroyerhistory.org/destroyers/orange/
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Builder-yard context: the Texas Historical Commission marker documents that Consolidated Steel Corporation's Orange, Texas yard - this hull's builder - was established under the Navy's 1940 Supervisor of Shipbuilding office and built 39 destroyers and approximately 100 destroyer escorts during WWII, with peak employment around 20,000; Orange was the only Texas city to build warships for the Navy. The yard is not an Atlas shipyards.json entry.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1940-1945
- Population
- Consolidated Steel Orange yard workforce (~20,000 peak)
- Limitations
- Historical-marker and secondary yard-history sources document the wartime construction program's scale - not asbestos conditions at the yard and nothing aboard this hull. Yard-level asbestos documentation for Consolidated Steel Orange was not located; carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-frederick-c-davis-de136-09