USS Gunason (DE-795)

Evidence

8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).

1. [1]research packet 769-packet.md [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-gunason-de795-pkt-769-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, USS Gunason (DE-795) (namesake, builder, dates, service narrative, disposal; verbatim transcription - live NHHC page serves 404) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry, specifications block + service narrative + bracketed disposal note

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS record for this hull: named for Lt. (j.g.) Robert W. Gunason, USNR (b. 26 Nov 1919, Chicago; enlisted Naval Reserve 24 Aug 1940; served in Wichita CA-45; Ensign 6 Jun 1941; Lt.(j.g.) 15 Jun 1942; killed in action 9 Aug 1942 aboard Astoria CA-34, Battle of Savo Island). Launched 16 October 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.; sponsored by Mrs. Mabel Meneley (namesake's mother); commissioned 1 February 1944, Cmdr. H. G. White, USNR. Caribbean inter-island escort (Trinidad-Guantanamo Bay) April-June 1944, incl. escorting a Barbadian farm-labor merchantman to Miami; repairs at Boston; TF 61 transatlantic escort (Bizerte, Plymouth, Oran) 4 Jul 1944-8 Jan 1945 incl. standing by a U-boat-attacked slow tow convoy over Christmas/New Year; Pacific from 27 Jan 1945 via Panama - Manus 4 Mar; Philippine convoy escorts; Hollandia-Manila troopships Jun; Subic Bay 26 Jul - Okinawa arrival 4 Aug, pre-dawn air attack off Hagushi Beach 5 Aug (no damage); first Leyte-Tokyo convoy (LCI flotilla) entered Tokyo Bay 7 Sep; Manila 17 Sep; Batan Island War Crimes Investigating Detail (Yamashita trial material); departed Subic 26 Nov, San Diego 17 Dec 1945. Far East cruise Feb-Sep 1947 (Pearl Harbor, Guam, Sasebo, patrol off eastern Korea, Tsingtao, Yokosuka); San Diego 19 Sep 1947; Long Beach inactivation from 12 Dec 1947; decommissioned 13 Mar 1948; reserve at Mare Island; berthed Stockton, Calif. Bracketed note: stricken from the Navy Register 1 September 1973; sunk as target 28 July 1974. Specs: 1,400 t; 306 ft; 37 ft beam; 13'6" draft; 23.6 kt; cpl. 213; 3x3", 4x1.1", 8x20mm, 3x21" tt, 8 dcp, 1 hedgehog, 2 dct; class Buckley.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   1943-1974

   Population

   Consolidated Steel construction trades 1943-44; wartime crew (design complement 213); occupation-era crew 1945-47

   Limitations

   DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. Live NHHC page returns 404 (checked 2026-09-29); verbatim HyperWar/ibiblio transcription cited. DANFS omits the keel-laying date (NavSource supplies 9 Aug 1943). The bracketed disposal note dates the sinking 28 July 1974, conflicting with NavSource photo captions/eyewitness (15 Dec 1974) and with an official All Hands photo caption (hit 28 Jul 1973) - conflict carried in gaps, not reconciled.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gunason-de795-01

3. [3]NavSource Naval History, Destroyer Escort Photo Archive, USS Gunason (DE-795) page - building/operational data, official USN photo captions, commanding-officer list [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource DE-795 page - Building and Operational Data block, photo captions 0679502/0679505, Commanding Officers table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource record for this hull (volunteer archive publishing official USN photos and compiled data): keel laid 9 August 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Ltd., Orange, Tex.; launched/christened 16 October 1943 (sponsor Mrs. Mabel Meneley); commissioned 1 February 1944 at the City Dock, Orange; decommissioned 13 March 1948 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, Cal. after 4 years and 1-1/3 months of service; towed March 1948 to the Stockton Group, Naval Inactive Ship Facility; '01 September 1972: Struck from the NVR' (conflicts with DANFS 1973 - logged in gaps); November 1974 towed to Port Hueneme, Cal. for prepping as an ordnance test target; '15 December 1974: sunk as a target off San Clemente Island during Harpoon missile testing.' Photo captions (USN photos NH-class numbers): photos of ex-Gunason dated 15 December 1974 'taken after she was hit by a Harpoon missile... scuttled by an EOD Crew from Pt. Mugu Naval Air Station'; NARA photo 19-LCM-DE795-1 shows the ship in Measure 31/11D camouflage. Commanding officers include decommissioning CO Lt. David Harrington Bagley (Jan.-13 Mar. 1948, later Admiral) - consistent with his NHHC biography (XO/navigator Feb 1947-Mar 1948). Spec block: TE (turbine-electric drive, 3" guns); 2 'D' Express boilers, GE turbines with electric drive, 12,000 shp; complement 15 officers/198 enlisted.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   1943-1974

   Population

   Construction trades; USN crew 1944-48; Pt. Mugu EOD/target crews 1974

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer-compiled archive, not an official record - cited for the keel date, decommissioning facility, reserve-fleet custody, disposal narrative, and official-photo captions that DANFS lacks or conflicts with; the 1972 strike date conflicts with DANFS's 1973 and is not adopted. Photo captions document the sinking event but not materials aboard.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gunason-de795-02

4. [4]DANFS specifications block (Buckley class; 23.6 kt, cpl. 213) + Navypedia 'Buckley (TE) class' per-block boiler map (DE-789-800 = Babcock & Wilcox) + BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 1 DE design-group table (shipscribe.com scan) + GAO HRD-80-2 program context [other_primary]

   Locator

   navypedia us_de_te.htm block map; SDB1945v1 pp. 234-235; GAO HRD-80-2 product page; shipyards.json (absence verified 2026-09-29)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: a Buckley-class (TE-design) destroyer escort built 1943-44 carries one of only two full steam plants among DE classes - two superheated 'D' express boilers (Babcock & Wilcox for the DE-789-800 block per navypedia; unverified against contract documents) at 435 psi/750F superheat feeding GE turbo-electric machinery, 12,000 shp - so the steam-ship asbestos categories apply at design level: boiler insulation and lagging, steam-line lagging, turbine lagging, gaskets and packing, plus era-standard exhaust insulation, electrical insulation, brake linings, fireproofing, and deck coverings. BuShips Ships' Data 1945 confirms the group-2/3 plant; GAO HRD-80-2 documents Navy shipboard asbestos-insulation use through this era at program level. Builder Consolidated Steel (Orange, Tex.) is absent from the Atlas shipyard dataset - no yard-level asbestos record attaches to the build site.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   1943-1974

   Population

   Consolidated Steel construction trades 1943-44; USN crew 1944-48

   Limitations

   Class/era and design inference only - NOT a hull-specific finding; does not quantify material aboard this hull or establish any individual's exposure. Boiler-manufacturer block attribution is navypedia-sourced and unverified against contract documents. NARA RG 19 material-schedule retrieval not performed.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gunason-de795-03

5. [5]CourtListener API v4 authenticated searches, 2026-09-29: 'USS Gunason' (type=o, type=r), 'Gunason' (type=o), 'DE-795' (type=o, type=r) [court_record]

   Locator

   CourtListener v4 search results 2026-09-29; search_ledger rows sl-uss-gunason-de795-05 through -08

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Litigation sweep for this hull, run 2026-09-29 through the authenticated fleet-paced CourtListener helper: exact-name queries 'USS Gunason' returned 0 opinion hits and 0 docket hits; 'Gunason asbestos' returned 0 opinion hits. Hull-number queries 'DE-795' returned 7 opinion and 27 docket hits - every hit classified as an identifier collision: 'DE-795' matches PACER document-entry numbers and registry/patent/reference fragments in unrelated matters (opinions incl. Hofmann v. EMI Resorts S.D. Fla. 2010, Ouwinga v. Benistar 6th Cir. 2012, Graves v. Plaza Medical Centers S.D. Fla. 2017, two 1933 Puerto Rico land-registry cases, C.S. Johnson v. Stromberg 9th Cir. 1957 patent, Higgins v. Board of Education 6th Cir. 1974; dockets incl. Bankr. D.C. 99-01159, Chiquita ATS MDL 0:08-md-01916, multiple criminal/civil dockets). No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull located; no vessel-related hit of any kind located.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   2026-09-29

   Limitations

   Opinion and docket indices are not exhaustive - a case could name the vessel only in unindexed pleadings; absence of indexed hits is not proof no claimant ever alleged exposure aboard. The 34 'DE-795' hits were classified from index metadata and snippets (all unrelated on their face: property-registry numbers, patent references, PACER 'DE' entry numbers); none is maritime or asbestos.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gunason-de795-04

6. [6]Batch-4536 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS transcription; NavSource DE-795 archive; Naval Vessel Register; CourtListener exact-name and hull-number queries; Atlas shipyard dataset; open-web asbestos sweep [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-gunason-de795-01 through sl-uss-gunason-de795-11

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for DE-795: no hull ACM survey, no abatement contract, no hazmat disclosure, and no preservation-era documentation can exist because the hull was stricken and sunk as an ordnance target in 1974 - never a museum or memorial. NVR carries no detail (ships disposed before 1987 are absent from the register's detail pages). Open-web asbestos queries return only mesothelioma law-firm marketing pages listing the hull with generic era claims - non-authoritative, excluded, none citing a primary source. The entire public record searched contains no asbestos documentation naming this hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   2026-09-29

   Limitations

   Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the hull was built inside the Navy's documented asbestos era and era materials would have been present per class/era inference (ev-03). This finding does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gunason-de795-05

7. [7]NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) / RG 24 (deck logs) / RG 38 (WWII war diaries); Pacific Missile Test Center / Point Mugu NAS target-program records; NARA still photo 19-LCM-DE795-1 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NARA RG 19/RG 24/RG 38 archival series descriptions; NavSource war-history scan link

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival leads identified but not retrieved: NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) General Information Books and material specifications may hold hull-level insulation schedules for DE-795; NARA RG 24 deck logs cover the 1944-48 commissioned period; NARA RG 38 WWII war diaries include Gunason submissions (NavSource links a scan of the ship's own war-history document, image 06795wh.jpg); NARA still picture branch holds photo 19-LCM-DE795-1 (Measure 31/11D camouflage view); Pacific Missile Test Center / Point Mugu NAS records would document the 1974 Harpoon test and EOD scuttling; Mare Island Naval Shipyard inactivation records and Stockton Group Naval Inactive Ship Facility custody records cover 1948-1973.

   Verification

   unverified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Limitations

   Leads only - none retrieved. RG 19 GIB items require research-room reproduction; NARA catalog API v1 is retired (returns SPA shell, verified 2026-09-29). No material schedule or insulation specification for this hull is in hand.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gunason-de795-06

8. [8]U.S. Navy official photograph via All Hands magazine (Sept 1983, p. 43), hosted at Wikimedia Commons - ex-Gunason after AGM-84 Harpoon hit [other_primary]

   Locator

   Wikimedia Commons file page; original publication All Hands Sept 1983 p. 43

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Official Department of Defense photograph (All Hands magazine, Sept 1983, p. 43) shows the retired USS Gunason (DE-795) after being hit by 'the first air-launched AGM-84 Harpoon missile' launched from a Lockheed P-3 Orion at the Pacific Missile Test Center, Point Mugu - documenting that this hull served as the target for a landmark Harpoon test event. The Commons file caption dates the hit 28 July 1973, conflicting with DANFS (sunk 28 July 1974) and NavSource (sunk 15 December 1974); 'circa' flagged. Consistent with the eyewitness account that Gunason was the target for the first Harpoon air-launch from a P-3.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   1973-1974

   Population

   Pacific Missile Test Center / Point Mugu test and EOD personnel 1973-74

   Limitations

   The photograph and its DoD provenance are official; the Commons caption date (28 July 1973) is secondary annotation and conflicts with both DANFS and NavSource - carried in gaps. Whether the July 1974/1973 hit and the December 1974 scuttling were one event or two is unresolved in located sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-gunason-de795-07