Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
-
[1]research packet ll-packet.md (2 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS Holton — [M] https://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/DE/de703.html
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-holton-de703-pkt-ll-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, USS Holton (DE-703) - verbatim transcription (live NHHC page returns 404; a 2025-02-16 Wayback capture of history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/h/holton.html exists) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, full record (short DE-format entry)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: named for Ensign Ralph Lee Holton (born 19 Sep 1918; USNA class of 1942; Navy Cross for rescue work at USS Lexington, Coral Sea 8 May 1942; reported missing and presumed dead when USS Hammann (DD-412) was sunk at Midway 6 Jun 1942). Specs: dp. 1,400; l. 306'; b. 36'10"; dr. 9'5"; s. 24k; cpl. 186; cl. Buckley. Launched 15 Dec 1943 by Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Mich.; sponsored by Mrs. Edith Holton; commissioned 1 May 1944 at New Orleans, Lt. Comdr. J. B. Boy, USNR. Norfolk-Bizerte convoy runs from 24 Jul 1944; on 14 Oct 1944 lay alongside a burning Liberty ship ~400 miles off the African coast overnight (six hose lines; hull damaged by rolling) and salvaged her to Dakar. Departed Norfolk 25 Dec 1944 for the Pacific; Manus 5 Feb 1945; Philippine Sea Frontier convoy escort through Aug 1945; escorted two Navy ships to Tokyo Bay 31 Aug; Okinawa-Korea convoy 11-13 Sep; two China-coast voyages; departed Okinawa 8 Nov, Boston 15 Dec 1945; berthed Green Cove Springs 20 Jan 1946; decommissioned into reserve 31 May 1946; moved to Orange, Tex. Jan 1947.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- Defoe Shipbuilding construction trades 1943-44; wartime crew 1944-46; reserve-fleet maintenance personnel 1946-74
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history, not materials or asbestos content - no asbestos statement appears in the entry. DANFS predates the 1972 striking and 1974 sale (entry closes 'where she remains' at Orange, Tex.). The companion DANFS entry for USS Ahrens (DE-575) dates the same convoy-collision event 13 Oct 1944 vs. 14 Oct here - carried unreconciled in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-holton-de703-01
-
[3]USS Holton (DE-703), 'Ship's History and Roster of Personnel attached for Duty - submission of,' DE703/C-A12-1, Serial No. 011, 10 November 1945 - the ship's own war-end history submission, signed J. B. Boy, Lieutenant Commander, USNR, Commanding Officer (NavSource-hosted scan) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource DE-703 archive page, 'official War History' image 06703wh.jpg (3-page history, enclosure (A) to CO's letter of 10 Nov 1945)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Primary-source history written by this hull's commanding officer at war's end: commissioned New Orleans 1 May 1944; Norfolk-Mediterranean convoy escort duty; 'on the 14th of October about 400 miles off the African coast a collision between two ships of the convoy occurred, one being a Liberty Ship, SS HOWARD L. GIBSON, loaded with a miscellaneous cargo and the other ship being a British ...KNIGHT, loaded with high octane gas' - HOLTON was nearest to the Liberty ship, picked up her abandoned crew, laid alongside, and sent over the repair party that brought the fire under control; escorted the Gibson to Dakar. Pacific: departed Norfolk 25 Dec 1944, Manus 5 Feb 1945; Philippine Sea Frontier convoy duty Feb-Aug 1945; escorted two Navy vessels (1 transport, 1 cargo) to Tokyo Bay end of August; after the surrender reported to Commander Amphibious Group SEVEN at Okinawa; Okinawa-Korea convoy; on 25 Oct 1945 ordered to escort USS MONTAUK (LSV-6) to Tsingtao, China, arriving 28 Oct; ordered back to Hagushi, Okinawa 4 Nov with USS SUFFOLK (AKA-69), arriving 7 Nov; with Destroyer Escort Division SIXTY detached 7 Nov 1945 for the Panama Canal.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Ship's company, 1944-45
- Limitations
- Operational history only - the document contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos content. The tanker name is partially legible in the scan ('British ...KNIGHT'); identity as the British tanker Geo. W. McKnight is corroborated by Anglo-American Oil Co. v. United States, 99 F. Supp. 767 (S.D.N.Y. 1951). Written at war's end from the ship's own records; dates may differ at day-level from DANFS (e.g., first convoy 'July 1944' vs. DANFS '24 July').
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-holton-de703-02
-
[4]NavSource Naval History, Destroyer Escort Photo Archive: USS Holton (DE-703) - building/operational data, specifications, awards, CO list (contrib. records incl. NHHC-derived dates) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource DE-703 page - 'Holton (DE 703) Building and Operational Data' block and Specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource archive page for this hull: keel laid 28 Sep 1943 by Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Mich.; launched/christened 15 Dec 1943 (sponsor Mrs. Edith Holton); commissioned 1 May 1944 at New Orleans (Lcdr J. B. Boy, USNR); decommissioned at Green Cove Springs, Fla. 31 May 1946 'after 2 years and 1 month of service'; struck from the NVR 1 Nov 1972; sold 30 May 1974, scrapped. Specs: TE type, 1,400 t light / 1,740 t full; 306' oa; 2 'D' Express boilers, GE turbines with electric drive, 12,000 shp, 2 screws; 24 kts; complement 15 officers / 198 enlisted; armament 3x3"/50 Mk22, 1 twin 40mm Mk1, 8x20mm Mk4, 3x21" TT, Hedgehog Mk10, 8 Mk6 DCP, 2 Mk9 DCT. Awards listed: American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, EAME Campaign, WWII Victory Medal, Philippine Liberation Ribbon.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1974
- Population
- Crew 1944-46; reserve-fleet caretakers 1946-74
- Limitations
- Secondary archive compilation (not a federal record) - dates corroborated independently by uboat.net and consistent with DANFS except laid-down/stricken/sold dates, which DANFS does not carry. Armament fit (twin 40mm) reflects the page's listed configuration; DANFS spec line reads 4x1.1" - wartime-fit variance noted, not reconciled. The 1974 buyer/scrapyard is not named.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-holton-de703-03
-
[5]Anglo-American Oil Co. v. United States, 99 F. Supp. 767 (S.D.N.Y. 1951) (Coxe, D.J., filed 14 Jun 1951, published) - consolidated admiralty collision suits: The George W. McKnight / The Howard L. Gibson / The Stephen T. Mather [court_record]
- Locator
- 99 F. Supp. 767, statement of facts (opening paragraphs)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Published federal admiralty opinion corroborating this hull's signature event: 'a collision in the North Atlantic on the night of October 14, 1944, between the Liberty ship "Howard L. Gibson"... and the "George W. McKnight", a British merchant tanker' in a ~70-ship Norfolk-Mediterranean convoy; the Gibson's bow cut into a high-octane gasoline tank, 'extensive fires' broke out on both vessels, 'and with help from the Navy escort vessels, the fires were brought under control'; seven lives lost; the Gibson later declared a constructive total loss (towed to Casablanca, then New York; scrapped Philadelphia 1945).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-10-14 (event); 1951 (opinion)
- Population
- Merchant crews of Howard L. Gibson and Geo. W. McKnight; escort crews incl. Holton
- Limitations
- Collision-damages litigation only - NOT asbestos litigation and NOT ship-specific to this hull: the opinion refers to 'the Navy escort vessels' without naming Holton in the reviewed text; Holton's and Ahrens's roles come from DANFS and the ship's own war history. Carried as corroborating context for the event, not as litigation involving this vessel.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-holton-de703-04
-
[6]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 1 (Jan 1945), DE design-group table (shipscribe.com scan) + navypedia TE boiler-block map + buckley-class.class.json (class-f worktree) + GAO HRD-80-2 [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v1 pp. 234-235 (design groups 2-3 TE rows); navypedia us_de_te.htm member table; class-f buckley-class.class.json ev-buckley-class-01/-02/-04; GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for a steam-powered escort built 1943-44 at the peak of Navy asbestos use: DE-703 is a TE (turbo-electric) Buckley - design groups 2/3 per BuShips Ships' Data 1945 carry two superheated 'D' express boilers at 435 psi / 750 F superheat with GE turbo-electric machinery, 12,000 shp; the navypedia block map reads 2x Combustion Engineering boilers for DE693-705. Documented Navy-era practice makes asbestos-containing material plausible aboard in boiler/fireroom insulation, steam-line and turbine lagging, flange gaskets and valve packing, electrical insulation/cable, deck coverings, and accommodation-space insulation. GAO HRD-80-2 documents that the Navy's 1975 policy removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, with selective replacement from 1979 - both milestones postdate this hull's commissioned service (1944-46) entirely and most of her reserve custody.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1974
- Population
- Defoe Shipbuilding construction trades 1943-44; ship's company 1944-46; reserve-fleet maintenance and 1974 scrapping workers
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-level material schedule, insulation spec, survey, or abatement record exists in the located public record for DE-703. The Buckley class profile (148 hulls) likewise located no ship-specific asbestos record for any member. Boiler-vendor attribution is navypedia-sourced, unverified against contract documents. Does not establish presence, absence, or quantity of ACM ever aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-holton-de703-05
-
[7]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)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - i.e., original-era insulation generally remained in place unless disturbed. For this hull the policy window matters differently: DE-703 spent 1946-74 in reserve custody and left Navy ownership at the 1974 scrap sale, so the documented in-service policies were largely written for ships still operating; no abatement during her reserve period is documented.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation, not hull-specific; gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch - content taken from the product-page description. Establishes policy context only; does not establish what material remained aboard DE-703 at sale.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-holton-de703-06
-
[8]Batch-4483 search ledger (this record): DANFS; NavSource; ship's 1945 war history scan; uboat.net; navypedia; NVR page; NARA deck-log series listing; competitor-source check; CourtListener sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-holton-de703-01 through sl-uss-holton-de703-08
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, material schedule, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or museum/landmark record naming DE-703 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull's documentary footprint - DANFS, the ship's own 1945 war-history submission, NavSource, uboat.net, NVR - is operational and administrative only; none contains any materials or asbestos content.
- 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 - a 1943-44 steam escort is consistent with retained era materials through her short service life and long reserve custody, but nothing ship-proven exists. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. NARA RG 19 contract files and NARA deck logs (College Park, 1941+ series) are undigitized leads.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-holton-de703-07
-
[9]CourtListener API v4 sweep (authenticated, fleet-paced): opinion and RECAP docket indexes [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger row sl-uss-holton-de703-07; queries executed via cl-auth-search.py / cl-patient-search.py helper (fleet-paced)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation naming DE-703 located on CourtListener, 2026-09-29. "USS Holton": zero opinion hits and zero RECAP docket hits - clean negative. "DE-703": 3 opinion hits (Texas Dept. of Transportation v. Dyer, Tex. App. 2011; Gonzalez v. Pueblo, P.R. 1950; Klepper v. United States, 9th Cir. 1964) and 56 docket hits - every one an identifier collision (PACER 'D.E. 703' docket-entry numbering and name substrings); zero vessel or asbestos content. "Holton asbestos": 59 opinion hits, all surname collisions (e.g., defense firm Pyszka, Kessler, Massey, Weldon, Catri, Holton & Douberley; attorneys and parties named Holton); the top consolidated-asbestos hit (In re Asbestos Litigation, 679 F. Supp. 1094, S.D. Fla. 1988) was pulled full-text - its 'Holton' is counsel, not the vessel. The only litigation adjacent to this hull's history is the 14 Oct 1944 convoy-collision admiralty case (ev-04), which is not asbestos litigation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- CourtListener covers digitized federal and state appellate/trial-court opinions plus RECAP dockets - a complaint filed only in state court or never docketed electronically would not surface. A plaintiff could name the hull without 'USS' ('aboard the Holton'); the unquoted-token sweep was a surname-heavy proxy, not exhaustive. Absence here does not prove no one was ever exposed aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-holton-de703-08
