USS Jack (SS-259)

Name
USS Jack
Hull designation
SS-259
Vessel class
Gato
Evidence tier
Tier 2
Evidence entries
8
Record ID
uss-jack-ss259
Dataset version
2026.10.12-rc.1
Canonical URL
https://asbestosatlas.org/ships/uss-jack-ss259

Evidence

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

  1. [1]DANFS, Jack (SS-259) - construction, war patrols, awards, and disposition (verbatim transcription via losthistory.net hazegray DANFS transcription mirror; live NHHC page returned 404) [nhhc_danfs]
    Locator
    DANFS service narrative and spec block
    Finding type
    vessel_history
    Finding
    Documented for this hull: launched 16 October 1942 by Electric Boat Co., Groton (sponsor Mrs. Frances Seely); commissioned at New London 6 January 1943, Comdr. T. M. Dykers. Nine Pacific war patrols: first patrol off Honshu sinking Toyo Maru, Shozan Maru and Nikkyo Maru (Jun-Jul 1943); second patrol cut short by engineering difficulties - the non-standard H.O.R. diesels were replaced with G.M. engines; third patrol sinking four tankers over 5,000 tons each (Kokuie, Nanei, Nichirin, Ichiyo Maru, 19 Feb 1944); fourth sinking Yoshido Maru and trawler Daisun; fifth sinking tanker San Pedro Maru and cargo ships Matsukawa Maru and Tsukushima Maru; sixth in the Celebes Sea; seventh sinking Nichiei Maru and Yuzan Maru before a San Francisco major overhaul; eighth and ninth lifeguard duty for carrier strikes, ending at Midway 29 August 1945. Presidential Unit Citation for the first, third and fifth patrols; seven battle stars; all patrols except the second and ninth designated successful. Decommissioned New London 8 June 1946 into the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; briefly recommissioned 20 December 1957 to prepare for transfer; loaned to Greece under the Security Assistance Program 21 April 1958 as HS Amfitriti (S-09).
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    context
    Documentation level
    ship_specific
    Accessed
    2026-09-18
    Limitations
    Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. Yard-period asbestos disturbance is era inference, not a per-hull record.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-jack-ss259-01
  2. [2]NavSource Online Submarine Photo Archive, header 'as built' spec block and disposition line for this hull; corroborated by DANFS (diesel-electric) and BuShips Ships' Data 1945 submarine machinery tables (via shipscribe.com, per Gato class profile) [other_primary]
    Locator
    NavSource page header spec block for this hull (https://www.navsource.net/archives/08/0859.htm)
    Finding type
    historical_record
    Finding
    Machinery fit for this hull per NavSource 'as built' spec block: diesel electric reduction gear with four Hoover, Owens, Rentschler Co. main generator diesel engines (5,400 hp), four Allis Chalmers Manufacturing Co. main motors (2,740 hp), two 126-cell main storage batteries, twin propellers. NO BOILERS and no steam plant. DANFS documents a wholesale engine replacement - non-standard H.O.R. diesels out, G.M. engines in - after her troubled second patrol; NavSource photo captions place her in overhaul at Mare Island 18 October-26 December 1943 - an engine-swap event that would have disturbed era-standard engine/exhaust insulation.
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    context
    Documentation level
    class_or_era
    Accessed
    2026-09-18
    Limitations
    The NavSource spec block is a class-standard spec sheet, not a per-hull machinery survey - actual installed equipment is presumed class-typical and unverified for this specific hull. No hull-specific machinery or material list was located. Establishes propulsion type only, not fiber content.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-jack-ss259-02
  3. [3]Gato class profile ev-gato-class-07 (era/design inference for diesel-electric fleet boats) built on navypedia member table and BuShips Ships' Data 1945; GAO HRD-80-2 for the Navy's era asbestos-use regime [other_primary]
    Locator
    class profile gato-class.class.json ev-07; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
    Finding type
    asbestos_application
    Finding
    Class/era inference for diesel-electric fleet boats of this build period: era-standard applications likely included asbestos-containing diesel exhaust lagging, engine gaskets and packing, hull thermal and acoustic insulation, insulation around galley/refrigeration equipment, and electrical/battery materials.
    Verification
    inferred
    Role
    supporting
    Documentation level
    class_or_era
    Accessed
    2026-09-18
    Limitations
    CLASS/ERA INFERENCE ONLY - no ship-specific material schedule, insulation survey, or asbestos product list was located for this hull. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity. Does not establish exposure or eligibility for any individual.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-jack-ss259-03
  4. [4]CourtListener API v4 (opinions type=o, RECAP dockets type=r) exact-name and hull-number searches; site:courtlistener.com index sweep as throttling fallback [court_record]
    Locator
    search_ledger rows for this vessel
    Finding type
    litigation_documented
    Finding
    Litigation sweep for this hull: CourtListener API queries were throttled at the daily cap (HTTP 429; 'Expected available in ~17.3 hours'), so the sweep ran on the site:courtlistener.com index fallback for "USS Jack" and "SS-259". The fallback surfaced only general Navy-yard/submarine asbestos material (Boston v. General Dynamics re Portsmouth NSY; Laviolette re PNSY employment; Zimmerman re nuclear boats USS Bluefish SSN-675 / USS Sam Houston SSBN-609) - nothing naming this hull. No qualifying asbestos litigation - and no litigation of any kind verified as naming this hull - was located.
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    negative_finding
    Documentation level
    ship_specific
    Accessed
    2026-09-18
    Limitations
    A negative result is bounded by the search mechanism: CourtListener coverage is not exhaustive for state-court pleadings, and the API throttle meant docket-text and opinion queries could not complete - the site:-index fallback is corroboration, not a substitute for docket search. Does not prove no litigation exists.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-jack-ss259-04
  5. [5]Negative finding: no qualifying non-litigation ship-specific asbestos record located across DANFS/NHHC (via transcription sources), NavSource, NARA guided topic, and ACM-survey/abatement/disposal sweeps [other_primary]
    Locator
    search_ledger rows for this vessel
    Finding type
    historical_record
    Finding
    No hull ACM survey, abatement contract, transfer-hazmat disclosure, or adjudicated exposure finding naming this vessel was located anywhere in the research sweep. Two Mare Island periods (pre-deployment outfitting; Oct-Dec 1943 overhaul with the H.O.R.-to-GM engine swap) and a San Francisco major overhaul are era-material disturbance events, not asbestos evidence. The 1957-58 transfer conversion and 1958-67 Greek custody have no located material documentation.
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    negative_finding
    Documentation level
    ship_specific
    Accessed
    2026-09-18
    Limitations
    Absence of a located record is not proof no record exists. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present aboard/within the hull, and does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-jack-ss259-05
  6. [6]DANFS closing narrative + NavSource disposition line - postwar custody, foreign service (if any), and terminal disposition [nhhc_danfs]
    Locator
    DANFS/NavSource disposition data
    Finding type
    historical_record
    Finding
    Postwar custody and terminal disposition for this hull: decommissioned at New London 8 June 1946 into the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; briefly recommissioned 20 December 1957 (DANFS) - NavSource describes 1958 snorkel and sail modifications - then loaned to the Hellenic Republic 21 April 1958, commissioned HS Amfitriti (pendants S-09, Y-17, S-17). Her U.S. name was canceled 28 April 1959 to clear it for SSN-605. Returned to U.S. custody, she was sunk as a target for the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean on 5 September 1967 (NavSource gives a position 'approx 32-16 N x 132-05 E' - an East China Sea coordinate inconsistent with the Mediterranean setting, carried as printed) and struck 1 September 1967. Foreign-service material history (1958-1967 Greek custody) undocumented in located sources.
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    context
    Documentation level
    ship_specific
    Accessed
    2026-09-18
    Limitations
    Documents custody/disposition only; no asbestos or material-condition content. Whether era insulation was disturbed during postwar periods is undocumented. Scrapper/disposal records for this era predate modern hazmat documentation practice and none was located.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-jack-ss259-06
  7. [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, HTTP 403)
    Finding type
    gov_survey
    Finding
    GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-management regime covering this hull's postwar custody: the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s; standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - meaning original-era insulation typically remained in place for decades unless a yard period disturbed it.
    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, not hull-specific; supports era context only. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403) - content via product-page description. Does not establish materials aboard this hull.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-jack-ss259-07
  8. [8]NARA guided research topic 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' (archives.gov) [other_primary]
    Locator
    NARA guided topic page, RG 19/RG 38 series description
    Finding type
    historical_record
    Finding
    NARA's guided research topic 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' identifies where hull-level material records would live if they exist: Record Group 19 (Bureau of Ships) general/confidential/secret correspondence filed by hull designation (this hull: 'SS259') and Record Group 38 (Board of Inspection and Survey reports, written before trials/after conversions/before demilitarization). No digitized per-hull asbestos material was located in the public sweep; these series are not digitized and require in-person or hired-researcher access.
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    archival_lead
    Documentation level
    context_only
    Accessed
    2026-09-18
    Limitations
    A research-pathway pointer, not evidence about this hull: the RG 19/RG 38 series may contain hull-level material records but are not digitized and were not searched for this batch. The guide itself documents that per-vessel asbestos determination requires correspondence-level research, not that any record exists.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-jack-ss259-08

Attribution

Compiled by
Paul Danziger; Rod de Llano
Publisher
Danziger & De Llano, LLP
License
CC-BY-4.0
Citation
Danziger, P., and De Llano, R. (2026). AsbestosAtlas Navy Vessel Asbestos Exposure Dataset. Danziger & De Llano, LLP. DOI: not yet assigned
Dataset version
asbestosatlas-ships-2026.10.12-rc.1
DOI
not yet assigned