Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
-
[1]DANFS, Hughes (DD-410) (builder, dates, service narrative, striking; verbatim transcription - live NHHC pages serve 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, spec block + full service narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: laid down 15 September 1937 by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched 17 June 1939; sponsored by Mrs. Edward M. Hughes; commissioned at Boston Navy Yard 21 September 1939, Lt. Comdr. Donald J. Ramsay in command. Spec block: Sims class, 1,570 tons, 348'2" x 36'1" x 17'4", 35 kt, complement 450, 4 x 5-inch guns, 8 x 21-inch torpedo tubes. Service: Gulf of Mexico shakedown; Atlantic Neutrality Patrol (Martinique Vichy watch; Iceland) 1940-41 - first American destroyer to escort a British convoy all the way to England; Pacific from 18 December 1941; screened Yorktown (CV-5) at Midway; screened Hornet (CV-8) at Guadalcanal and Santa Cruz; screened Enterprise (CV-6) in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal; Aleutians 1943 (Kiska bombardments 6 and 22 July); overhaul San Francisco Aug-Oct 1943; Makin (rescued 152 survivors of Liscombe Bay CVE-56); Marshalls; Hollandia; 7th Fleet New Guinea operations (Biak, Noemfoor, Cape Sansapor, Morotai - flagship RAdm. William M. Flechteler); Leyte (flagship RAdm. Arthur D. Struble; Dinagat/Homonhon group; Ormoc Bay); hit by a kamikaze off southern Leyte 10 December 1944 - one engine room demolished and much machinery destroyed; temporary repairs San Pedro Bay; Pearl Harbor 23 January 1945 for more repairs; Hunter's Point Naval Drydocks, San Francisco, 2 February 1945 - approximately 3 months extensive overhaul; Adak/Northern Pacific Force June-October 1945; returned to the United States with Destroyer Squadron 2. Decommissioned 28 August 1946; struck from the Navy List 26 November 1948. Fourteen battle stars for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1937-1948
- Population
- Bath Iron Works construction trades 1937-39; wartime crew (DANFS spec complement 450); Hunter's Point repair yard workers Feb-Jun 1945
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. The DANFS entry is silent on the ship's Operation CROSSROADS participation and sinking - those events are carried from the official Defense Nuclear Agency reports (ev-02, ev-03). Kamikaze-hit casualties are not stated; secondary sources report 23 dead and wounded - unverified against an official source. Mirror transcription cited because live NHHC DANFS pages return 404.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hughes-dd410-01
-
[2]Defense Nuclear Agency technical report DNA-TR-82-05-V2, 'Analysis of Radiation Exposure for Naval Units of Operation Crossroads, Volume II (Appendix A) Target Ships' (Science Applications, Inc., 3 March 1982), via DOE OSTI [other_primary]
- Locator
- DNA-TR-82-05-V2 Appendix A, 'USS HUGHES (DD-410)' participation summary (p. 42) and gamma curve fig. A-14 (p. 43)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Official NTPR dose reconstruction for this hull: USS HUGHES (DD-410) was a CROSSROADS target ship with a 81-man skeleton crew; arrived Bikini before 30 June 1946; anchored in the lagoon for Test ABLE (1 July 1946, 23 KT air burst) and Test BAKER (25 July 1946, 23 KT shallow underwater); crew evacuated aboard Bayfield (APA-33) for both shots (observed ABLE from 22 miles, BAKER from 15), reboarded 2-17 and 20-23 July; after BAKER the crew berthed on Rockingham (APA-229, departed Bikini 24 August) and transferred to Niagara (APA-87) on 28 August 1946 - the decommissioning date. Reconstructed average crew dose at Bikini: 0.314 REM. FINAL DISPOSITION per the report: beached at Enyu Island 26 July 1946; later towed to San Francisco for radiological tests and subsequently used as a target ship; sunk by air attack on 16 October 1948 at 31-47N, 118-40W.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1946 (shots and evacuation); 1948 (disposition); 1982 (report)
- Population
- 81-man target-ship skeleton crew, June-August 1946
- Limitations
- Radiological dose study, not asbestos documentation - establishes contamination control and monitoring exposure for target-ship personnel, not asbestos presence or crew exposure to asbestos. Dose reconstruction excludes reboarding periods for damage control/decontamination/inspection except when the full crew lived aboard. 'Towed to San Francisco' conflicts with DNA 6032F's CNO order placing Hughes in the Puget Sound tow group and its April 1948 PSNS inspection photograph - both readings carried; see gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hughes-dd410-02
-
[3]Defense Nuclear Agency report DNA 6032F (DTIC ADA146562), 'Operation CROSSROADS - 1946' (official JTF-1 technical history), full text via Internet Archive [other_primary]
- Locator
- DNA 6032F ch. 4 (Baker aftermath, beaching), ch. 5 (washdown/foamite decontamination), ch. 11 (disposition orders, PSNS fig. 38), appendix deck-log extracts
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- Official Crossroads history documents this hull's contamination and the decontamination work performed on it: Hughes was flagship of target Destroyer Division 31 (with Anderson DD-411, Lamson DD-367, Rhind DD-404); after BAKER the 'damaged and heavily contaminated' Hughes was towed to Eneu and beached by USS Reclaimer (ARS-42) on 26 July 1946 to prevent sinking; Salvage Unit vessels twice attempted saltwater washdown on 27 July (first effort produced a 50 percent radiation-level reduction; the second did not lower the level), then fireboats sprayed the beached hull with foamite and saltwater - the foamite trials on Hughes led to adoption of that interim decontamination method; a welder aboard during tow preparations wore respiratory protection with a monitor present. CNO ordered Hughes towed to the Puget Sound area for examination; a disposition table lists her at Puget Sound, and an April 1948 photograph shows an engine-room inspection at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard with workers wearing protective shoe covers and gloves. Deck-log excerpts show Hughes undocked from ARD-29 at Bikini between shots and towed from Bikini to Kwajalein 28 August 1946.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1946-1948 (events); 1984 (report)
- Population
- JTF-1 salvage/decontamination crews and monitors, Bikini 1946; Puget Sound Naval Shipyard workers inspecting the contaminated hull 1947-48
- Limitations
- Documents radiological contamination, decontamination technique development, and radiological protective measures aboard this hull - not asbestos. No asbestos identification, survey, or abatement appears in the report for this ship. The 'San Francisco' tow destination in DNA-TR-82-05-V2 versus the Puget Sound order/table/photograph here is an unreconciled source conflict (both may be true in sequence).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hughes-dd410-03
-
[4]NPS Southwest Cultural Resources Center, 'The Archeology of the Atomic Bomb' (Submerged Cultural Resources Assessment of Bikini Atoll), ch. 4 [nps]
- Locator
- npshistory.com SCRC series vol. 37, ch. 4 (ABLE damage assessment)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NPS history synthesizing JTF-1 damage reports places Hughes 920 yards from the Test ABLE zeropoint: 'USS Hughes, at 920 yards, was dished but survived.' JTF-1 classed her among eight vessels suffering 'short- or long-term serious loss of military efficiency' (boilers, radio/radar, or fire-control systems disabled) and established damage range categories of 'very serious' to 900 yards and 'serious' to 1,000 yards.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1946 (event); report circa 1991
- Population
- Target ship (unmanned at detonation)
- Limitations
- NPS secondary history synthesizing JTF-1 reports; establishes blast position and damage category for this hull - no asbestos, materials, or personnel-exposure findings. Not a ship-generated record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hughes-dd410-04
-
[5]National Archives Catalog, record group entry 139814311: 'USS HUGHES - Report of AA Action in Leyte Gulf, Philippines & Enemy Suicide Crash Dive on 12/10/44' (micro serial 102980, serial 0790); plus BuShips War Damage Report for DD-410 prepared at Naval Drydocks Hunter's Point (index entry, usnavyresearch.net 12th Naval District WDR list - 'Forty (40) Photographs') [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/139814311; usnavyresearch.net 12th Naval District WDR index, entry 28
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Hull-specific primary records exist but are not digitized: the ship's own action report for the 10 December 1944 kamikaze strike is cataloged at NARA (id 139814311), and a Bureau of Ships war damage report on the strike was prepared at Naval Drydocks Hunter's Point during the February-June 1945 repair period (40 photographs). These records would carry period damage-and-repair detail for the machinery spaces and are the most promising primary lead for hull-level material documentation.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Kamikaze-strike casualties and Hunter's Point repair workforce, 1944-45
- Limitations
- Archival lead only - neither record is digitized or was retrieved; content (including any insulation/material detail) is unverified. The WDR index entry is from a private research-index site; the underlying BuShips report is a real NARA-class holding but was not pulled. NARA catalog page renders via JavaScript; title confirmed via catalog search index.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hughes-dd410-05
-
[6]DANFS specifications block (Sims class; 35 kt) + Atlas shipyard dataset, Bath Iron Works record (yard-level industrial-hygiene documentation; NARA RG19 General Information Books archival lead) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS specifications block; shipyards.json record 'bath-iron-works'
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/yard inference: a Sims-class destroyer built 1937-39 with a twin-screw geared steam turbine plant would have carried period-standard asbestos insulation, lagging, gaskets, packing, fireproofing, and deck coverings as standard; builder Bath Iron Works is documented at yard level in the Atlas dataset (tier 2), including a 1942-era industrial-hygiene study of pipe-covering shop dust risk; NARA RG19 'General Information Books' holding per-vessel material specifications are an archival lead for hull-level specs.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1937-1948
- Population
- Bath Iron Works construction trades 1937-39; crew 1939-46
- Limitations
- Class/era and builder-yard inference only - no ship-specific asbestos finding exists for this hull. The BIW pipe-covering shop study (1942) postdates Hughes's 1937-39 construction and is yard-practice context, not evidence of this hull's materials. NARA GIB retrieval not performed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hughes-dd410-06
-
[7]CourtListener API v4 sweep (authenticated), 2026-09-27: "USS Hughes" opinion index and RECAP docket index; "DD-410" opinion index [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger sl-uss-hughes-dd410-04, -05, -06
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Litigation sweep for this hull: "USS Hughes" (exact phrase) returns zero opinions in the CourtListener opinion index and one docket hit that is a name collision - The City of New York v. Abbott Laboratories, 1:04-cv-12264 (D. Mass. 2004), a pharmaceutical antitrust case where the phrase occurs inside a service-affidavit attachment unrelated to any vessel. "DD-410" returns one opinion that is an identifier collision - United Faculty of Fla. v. Branson, 350 So. 2d 489 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1977), where 'DD-410' is a lower-court docket number in a public-employees labor case. No qualifying asbestos litigation naming USS Hughes (DD-410) was located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 2026-09-27 (search date)
- Limitations
- Absence of indexed hits does not prove no litigation exists - RECAP coverage is incomplete for state-court filings and unindexed text; common-name collisions ('Hughes') make unqualified surname searches unreliable, which is why exact-phrase and hull-number forms were used. Both located hits are collisions and neither is asbestos litigation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hughes-dd410-07
-
[8]Batch-3396 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS live pages 404; Naval Vessel Register has no DD-410 detail page (redirects to index - struck 1948, pre-digital coverage); NARA catalog confirms AA-action-report holding; NavSource unreachable (DNS failure, session-level); hazegray unreachable [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-hughes-dd410-01 through -08
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement record, hazmat disclosure, or product-identification document naming DD-410 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull's official postwar contamination documentation is radiological (Crossroads), not asbestos.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 2026-09-27
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the 1937-39 construction era and steam plant make period ACM consistent-but-unproven. The hull was sunk in 1948; no surviving material remains to survey, and no disposal-site environmental record specific to this wreck was located. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hughes-dd410-08