Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet 905-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-pc-548-pc548-pkt-905-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Submarine Chaser Photo Archive, PC-548 (build timeline, specifications, commanding officers, administrative disposition) - live-verified 2026-10-03 [other_primary]
- Locator
- navsource.net/archives/12/010548.htm header block, specifications block, commanding-officers table, DANFS-availability note
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull: laid down 24 April 1942 by the Defoe Boat and Motor Works, Bay City, MI; launched 29 May 1942; commissioned USS PC-548 on 2 August 1942 at Algiers Naval Station, New Orleans; assigned to the Atlantic and Asiatic-Pacific theaters; 'Transferred to the War Shipping Administration in April 1948. Fate unknown.' Call sign Nan-Baker-Queen-Oboe. Specifications: 280 t (lt) / 450 t (fl); length 173'8"; beam 23'; draft 10'10"; 20.2 kts; complement 65; armament one 3"/50 DP mount, one 40 mm mount, three 20 mm guns (one additional 20 mm on flying bridge added October 1942), two rocket launchers, four depth charge projectors, two depth charge tracks; propulsion two 1,440 bhp General Motors 16-258S diesel engines (serials 7209, 7210), Farrel-Birmingham single reduction gear, two shafts. Commanding officers listed: LTJG Matthew Vaughan Carson, Jr., USNR (Aug-Oct 1942, Bronze Star with Combat V 1942, retired Captain USN); LT A. M. Greenfield, USNR (1945). NavSource states explicitly: 'There is no DANFS History currently available for PC-548.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- Defoe construction trades (Bay City, 1942); crew (1942-46), design complement 65
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation whose timeline entries generally track NVR/register data - it is the most complete single record for this hull but remains secondary. The 'fate unknown' notation applies to what WSA did with the hull after April 1948 and does not adjudicate the conflicting secondary sunk-at-Eniwetok claims (see ev-05, ev-06). Contains no asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-548-pc548-01
-
[3]DANFS entries for Capable I (AM-155), Canfield (DE-262), and Vigilance (AM-324), history.navy.mil - three independent official ship histories documenting PC-548's Marshalls escort/patrol service [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- history.navy.mil DANFS: /danfs/c/capable.html (27 June 1944 entry); /danfs/c/canfield.html (12 October 1944 entry); /danfs/v/vigilance.html (26 May 1945 entry)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Three independent DANFS entries name this hull on Pacific convoy-escort and patrol duty in the Marshall Islands: (1) DANFS, Capable (AM-155): 'Relieved of escort duty by PC-548 on 27 June [1944], Capable entered Gea Pass, Kwajalein, at 1100' - PC-548 took over escort of freighter Hillman and fuel-oil barge YO-79 toward Eniwetok. (2) DANFS, Canfield (DE-262): 'On 12 October [1944], Canfield returned to the Eniwetok anchorage after being relieved by the submarine chaser PC-548' - PC-548 held offshore patrol duty at Eniwetok. (3) DANFS, Vigilance (AM-324): 'Vigilance departed Majuro at 0800 on the 26th [May 1945] to return to Hawaii, intercepted Megrez (AK-126) en route, and relieved PC-548 of escorting that cargo ship for the remainder of the voyage to Oahu.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- PC-548 crew on Marshalls escort/patrol duty (complement 65); crews of vessels escorted
- Limitations
- Official NHHC operational history naming this hull - establishes escort/patrol employment at Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Majuro 1944-45, nothing more. No asbestos, material, refit, or complement content. Dates 27 June 1944, 12 October 1944, and 26 May 1945 are read from narrative context within each DANFS entry.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-548-pc548-02
-
[4]U.S. Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945 (Navy Department Library / NHHC Online Reading Room; verbatim transcription via ibiblio HyperWar) [other_primary]
- Locator
- PacFleet Org 1 May 1945, Service Force roster, patrol-craft block ('94 | PC 548 | Lt. A. M. Greenfield (USNR)'); NHHC page verified live 2026-10-03; transcription https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/OOB/PacFleet/Org-450501/index.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The official U.S. Pacific Fleet organization roster of 1 May 1945 lists 'PC 548' in the Service Force, Pacific Fleet vessel roster (among patrol craft and auxiliaries), commanding officer Lt. A. M. Greenfield (USNR) - corroborating the NavSource CO entry and placing the hull in commissioned Pacific service as of that date, consistent with the DANFS-documented Marshalls escort employment.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945-05-01
- Population
- PC-548 crew under Lt. Greenfield, May 1945
- Limitations
- Fleet-organization roster documents assignment and CO only; the numeric location code beside her entry is not mapped to a named base in the excerpt reviewed. No asbestos or material content. ibiblio HyperWar transcription used for page-text extraction; the canonical NHHC library page verified live.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-548-pc548-03
-
[5]uboat.net Allied Warships, USS PC-548 (PC-548) - commanding-officer sequence and convoy event record, sourced to ADM 53/115415 and the Commander Gulf Sea Frontier war diary for November 1942 plus convoyweb.org.uk [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/8525.html - 'Notable events' (Convoy KN 209, 18 Nov 1942) and 'Commands listed' table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Secondary warship database documents this hull's Atlantic convoy-escort work: PC-548 (Lt. D. C. Drinkwater, USNR) sailed as an escort of convoy KN-209, Key West to New York, departing 18 November 1942, arriving 23 November 1942, in company with gunboat USS Plymouth, patrol vessels Calypso and USCGC Pandora, and sister chaser PC-546. CO sequence carried: Carson (Aug-mid/late 1942), Drinkwater (mid/late 1942-early 1943), Sutton (early 1943-early 1944), Weed (early-mid 1944), Provost (mid-late 1944), Greenfield (late 1944-mid 1945), McGain (mid-late 1945).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1942-11 (event); 1942-1945 (CO sequence)
- Population
- PC-548 crew on Gulf/Atlantic convoy escort, Nov 1942
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation - its event record cites real archival trails (UK TNA ADM 53/115415; Gulf Sea Frontier war diary Nov 1942; convoyweb) but is not itself authoritative; carried for operational detail NavSource lacks. WARNING: this same page's 'Sunk in July 1946 during Operation Crossroads' history line is contradicted by the official target-vessel list - see ev-05; the error does not impeach the war-diary-sourced convoy event but illustrates the source's mixed reliability.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-548-pc548-04
-
[6]NPS, The Archeology of the Atomic Bomb: A Submerged Cultural Resources Assessment of the Sunken Fleet of Operation Crossroads at Bikini and Kwajalein Atoll Lagoons (SCRU report 37), Appendix I: Target Vessels at Bikini and Their Disposition - compiled from the CNO 'Crossroads Target Ships' memorandum (NNTPR #24-78, 1978), the NAVSEA 'U.S. Vessels Involved in Operation Crossroads' list, and the Joint Task Force One official report (1946) [nps]
- Locator
- npshistory.com/series/archeology/scrc/37/app1.htm - complete Appendix I table (no PC hulls present); source attribution block at appendix end
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: the complete official-derived list of Operation Crossroads target vessels (94 vessels: 2 carriers, 5 battleships, 4 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 8 submarines, 19 attack transports, 6 LSTs, 1 LSM, 16 LCTs, 3 auxiliaries, 6 LCIs, 6 LCMs, 6 LCVPs) contains no patrol craft category and does not include PC-548. The circulating claim 'sunk in July 1946 during Operation Crossroads atomic bomb tests' (uboat.net; echoed as 'sunk at nuclear tests 7.1946' in navypedia) is contradicted by the official record: she was not a Bikini target vessel, and no nuclear detonation occurred at Eniwetok Atoll in 1946 or 1947 (the first Eniwetok tests were Operation Sandstone, April-May 1948).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1946-1948 (Crossroads window and dispositions)
- Limitations
- Proves a negative only: establishes PC-548 was NOT a Crossroads target - it does not determine her actual disposition (see ev-06) and does not cover non-target support craft or post-test scuttling programs; the support-fleet participation list reviewed separately also lacks her (search_ledger). NPS appendix is a government secondary source built on the Navy's own lists.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-548-pc548-05
-
[7]Shipbuilding History (Colton) patrol-craft table, PC hulls PC-542..PC-549 (navalmarinearchive.com mirror, live-verified) + Defoe Shipbuilding yard table (navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/shipyards/large/defoe.html) + uswarships.jounin.jp PC-461 compilation (citing Silverstone, The Navy of World War II 1922-1947, Routledge 2007) + navypedia PC-461 table [other_primary]
- Locator
- navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/smallships/pc2.html row 'PC 548 ... Sunk at Eniwetok Atoll 1947'; navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/shipyards/large/defoe.html row '193 | PC 548 ... Sunk in A-bomb tests at Eniwetok Atoll 1946'; uswarships.jounin.jp PC-461 table PC-548 row; navypedia us_sc_pc451 PC548 row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- DISPOSITION CONFLICT carried open: (a) administrative record per NavSource - 'Transferred to the War Shipping Administration in April 1948. Fate unknown'; secondary compilation uswarships gives decommissioned 20 June 1946, stricken 31 July 1946, WSA transfer 19 April 1948. (b) Shipbuilding History patrol-craft table: 'Sunk at Eniwetok Atoll 1947'; the same work's Defoe yard table: 'Sunk in A-bomb tests at Eniwetok Atoll 1946' - internally inconsistent on year. (c) uswarships annotation citing Silverstone's The Navy of World War II: sunk at Eniwetok as an atomic-test target after striking. (d) uboat.net/navypedia: sunk at nuclear tests July 1946 - contradicted by ev-05. The WSA-transfer administrative entry and the Eniwetok-sinking claims are not reconciled in any located source; a stricken hulk physically expended or scuttled at Eniwetok in 1946-48 with administrative disposal recorded April 1948 is a possible but unverified reconciliation.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1946-1948
- Limitations
- Every leg of this conflict is secondary; no primary disposal document (register entry, WSA/MC status card, or scuttling order) was located for this hull. MARAD Vessel History Database search returned no locatable entry. The 'atomic test target' framing fails on dates alone - Eniwetok hosted no nuclear tests until Sandstone (Apr-May 1948). Whether the hull was actually scuttled at Eniwetok, sold via WSA, or otherwise disposed is an open question recorded in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-548-pc548-06
-
[8]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (PC-461 class; two GM 16-258S diesels, twin screw - no steam plant); shipbuilding-history/Defoe build data (1942 steel small combatant); GAO HRD-80-2 program context (see ev-08) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block (diesel propulsion); class context per ship_class field
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-driven PC-461-class submarine chaser built in 1942 carries no boiler or steam-turbine plant - the lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply - but era-standard applications aboard a steel small combatant of her type and period were engine and exhaust lagging in machinery spaces, thermal insulation, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, and deck covering. WWII-construction naval small craft of this era were built inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use period.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- Defoe construction trades (Bay City, 1942); crew (1942-46); disposal/scrapping workforce (1946-48, disposition unresolved)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, general information book (NARA RG19), or work package located for PC-548. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. The diesel plant materially narrows the likely ACM scope versus steam vessels.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-548-pc548-07
-
[9]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 - spanning this hull's entire construction (1942) and service era (1942-46).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- 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, confirmed 2026-10-03) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-548-pc548-08
-
[10]Batch-7923 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (own entry absent; three cross-referencing entries); NHHC Pacific Fleet organization roster; NavSource; NPS SCRU-37 Crossroads appendix; uboat.net; Shipbuilding History/Defoe tables; uswarships.jounin.jp; navypedia; NVR; MARAD Vessel History Database; CourtListener (see ledger status); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-pc-548-pc548-01 through -13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum record, or verified litigation naming USS PC-548 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Secondary web sweep for 'PC-548' asbestos/litigation surfaced only California Penal Code section 548 name collisions - no qualifying case or law-firm marketing listicle naming this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 2026-10-03
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the hull was built in the documented Navy asbestos era. CourtListener litigation search status is recorded verbatim in the search_ledger (completed or blocked as logged there) - this negative finding covers non-litigation sources. Deck logs (NARA RG 24), the NARA RG 19 General Information Book for this hull, and any WSA/MC disposal card are undigitized open leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-548-pc548-09