Evidence
5 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-5).
-
[1]DANFS, Grunion (SS-216) - live NHHC page (history.navy.mil, verified 2026-09-18; expanded entry) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS service narrative and spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 1 April 1941 at Groton by Electric Boat Co.; launched 22 December 1941 (sponsor Ms. Margaret U. Hooper); commissioned at New London 11 April 1942, Lt. Cmdr. Mannert L. Abele. After work-ups (including hull-leak repairs on the EB marine railway in May) she transited to Pearl Harbor and departed 30 June 1942 for the Aleutians. On 15 July she engaged an antisubmarine patrol, sinking Japanese 460-ton submarine chasers Ch 25 and Ch 27. On 30 July she reported heavy enemy patrol activity off Kiska and was ordered back to Dutch Harbor; en route she attacked the freighter Kano Maru - per Japanese records, an 8-cm shell from Kano Maru struck her conning tower as she attempted to surface, sinking her. Reported overdue and presumed lost 5 October 1942 with all 70 submariners; stricken 2 November 1942 (NavSource - see gaps).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1941-1942
- Population
- EB construction trades (1941-42); crew (1942); 70 submariners lost
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; contains no asbestos or material content. Loss mechanism is per Japanese records as summarized by NHHC. Laid-down date conflicts with NavSource (1 April vs 1 March 1941) - carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grunion-ss216-01
-
[2]DANFS, Grunion (SS-216) - wreck-discovery section of the live NHHC entry (verified 2026-09-18) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS narrative, discovery paragraphs
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Wreck discovery documented by NHHC: assisted by information gathered by Abele's sons Brad, Bruce, and John during a four-year investigation, Project Lost 52 led by explorer Tim Taylor located a wrecked submarine hull without its bow section in July 2007 in Segula Canyon off Kiska, approximately one mile deep; after examination of historical and underwater archaeological data by the Naval Historical Center, Rear Adm. Douglas J. McAneny, ComSubPac, confirmed the boat's discovery in a statement issued 2 October 2008. Project Lost 52 announced discovery of Grunion's bow 30 July 2019.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 2007-2019
- Population
- 70 submariners (final resting place documentation only)
- Limitations
- Documents the wreck's location and confirmation only; the published material gives no interior or material condition. Protected sunken military craft - non-intrusive access only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grunion-ss216-02
-
[3]Gato-class profile (ships-worktrees class-f/gato-class.class.json) + NavSource spec block (propulsion: diesel-electric, no boilers) [other_primary]
- Locator
- class-f/gato-class.class.json row ev-gato-class-07; NavSource SS-216 spec block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for a diesel-electric fleet submarine of the Gato class: the boats have no boilers or steam plant - era-consistent asbestos-relevant applications are diesel-exhaust lagging, engine gaskets and packing, acoustic/thermal hull insulation, galley and refrigeration insulation, and electrical/battery materials. All construction and documented Navy-yard periods on this hull fall inside the Navy's peak asbestos-use era. This hull was built 1941-42 and lost in July 1942 - her entire material history (construction and one wartime repair on the EB marine railway, May 1942) predates the Navy's substitution era.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1941-1942
- Population
- EB construction trades (1941-42); crew (1942)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - does not establish that any asbestos-containing material is or was installed aboard this hull, and does not establish quantity, individual exposure, or present-day presence. No hull-specific insulation survey or material list was located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grunion-ss216-03
-
[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 - meaning every construction, overhaul, and repair event on this hull (built 1941-42) predates the substitution era.
- 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-grunion-ss216-04
-
[5]Batch-31 search ledger (this record): live NHHC DANFS; NavSource; site-scoped CourtListener index sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-grunion-ss216-01 through -05
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for SS-216: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming THIS hull was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener API search was rate-limit throttled on 2026-09-18 (HTTP 429; site search interface and feeds also blocked); site-scoped web searches of courtlistener.com for 'USS Grunion'/'SS-216' returned no qualifying asbestos case for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - all 70 hands were lost in 1942 and the wreck lies in ~1 mile of water off Kiska; interior material condition undocumented. CourtListener API sweep could not be completed under rate limiting. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grunion-ss216-05