Evidence
14 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-14).
-
[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-549-pc549-pkt-905-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Submarine Chaser Photo Archive, PCC-549 ex-PC-549 page (construction, operations, decommissioning, striking, disposal, specifications, commanding officer) [other_primary]
- Locator
- PCC-549 ex-PC-549 page, https://www.navsource.net/archives/12/010549.htm (verified live 2026-10-03)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull: laid down 1 May 1942 by the Defoe Boat and Motor Works, Bay City, MI; launched 6 June 1942; commissioned USS PC-549, 2 August 1942; reclassified Control Submarine Chaser PCC-549, 20 August 1945; WWII service in the Caribbean Sea Frontier and the Asiatic-Pacific theater - capture and occupation of Guam (21 July-5 August 1944), capture and occupation of Saipan (6-10 August 1944), Navy occupation service (2 September-20 November 1945); decommissioned January 1946 at Long Beach, CA; struck from the Naval Register 17 April 1946; transferred to the Maritime Commission 23 April 1948 for disposal and scrapped. Specifications: 295 t (lt) / 450 t (fl); 173'8" x 23' x 10'10"; 20.2 kt; complement 65; armament one 3"/50 DP mount, one 40mm mount, three 20mm guns, two rocket launchers, four depth-charge projectors, two depth-charge tracks; propulsion two 1,440 bhp GM 16-258S diesels (serials 7771, 7772), Farrel-Birmingham single reduction gear, two shafts. CO listed: LTJG R. A. Brackett, USNR (1945). 'There is no DANFS History currently available for PC-549.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- Defoe construction trades (1942); wartime and occupation-era crew (complement 65)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a reputable volunteer-compiled photo archive, not an official record - dates and specifications are corroborated where possible (NARA file units, DANFS mentions, build tables) but the underlying deck logs and action reports are microfilm-only. Documents service history, not materials or asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-549-pc549-01
-
[3]DANFS, William Ward Burrows (AP-6) - ship-specific mention of PC-549 as ocean escort [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS William Ward Burrows entry, 1943-44 service narrative (paragraph beginning 'Three days before Christmas 1943')
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS names this hull in operational context: 'Three days before Christmas 1943, William Ward Burrows, escorted by PC-549 and PC-596, departed Pearl Harbor with a cargo of ammunition. She traveled via Palmyra and American Samoa, transferring mail to PC-596 on 30 December to deliver it to the port of Tutuila. The transport ultimately arrived at Havannah Harbor, Efate, at 0847 on 5 January 1944' - PC-549 as ocean escort Pearl Harbor to the South Pacific, December 1943-January 1944.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1943-12-22 to 1944-01-05
- Population
- PC-549 crew, December 1943-January 1944
- Limitations
- Documents an escort assignment for this hull, nothing about materials aboard. Escort-of-record is stated for the voyage departure; whether PC-549 accompanied the transport the full route to Efate is not stated.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-549-pc549-02
-
[4]DANFS, Clearfield (APA-142) - ship-specific mention of PC-549 in the Tokyo Bay occupation convoy screen [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Clearfield (APA-142) entry, August-September 1945 narrative (Typhoon Ruth / Tokyo Bay paragraphs)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS names this hull in the occupation of Japan: after Typhoon Ruth forced the TF 33 convoy back to Subic Bay on 26 August 1945, 'PCE-877 and PC-1421 detached but PC-549, PC-1177, and PC-1180 reinforced the screen' when the convoy resumed the voyage; the formation passed Sagami Wan and entered Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945. PC-549 (redesignated PCC-549 on 20 August 1945) thus screened the occupation force into Tokyo Bay, consistent with her NavSource-credited Navy occupation service beginning 2 September 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945-08-27 to 1945-09-02
- Population
- PCC-549 crew, August-September 1945
- Limitations
- Documents convoy-screen service for this hull, nothing about materials aboard. The DANFS text uses the pre-redesignation form 'PC-549' although she had become PCC-549 on 20 August 1945.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-549-pc549-03
-
[5]NHHC, Navy Department Library, 'United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945' (official wartime organization listing) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Pacific Fleet organization table, patrol-craft (PC) section, p. ~104 of the published document
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official U.S. Pacific Fleet organization for 1 May 1945 lists 'PC 549' under the command of 'Lt. (jg) R. A. Brackett (USNR)' - confirming this hull in commission in the Pacific Fleet on that date and corroborating NavSource's commanding-officer entry (LTJG R. A. Brackett, USNR, 1945).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945-05-01
- Population
- PC-549 crew as of 1945-05-01
- Limitations
- Administrative listing of hull and commanding officer; states assignment and CO only - no operational detail, no materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-549-pc549-04
-
[6]NARA file unit NAID 192380045, 'PC-549, 8/2/42-3/31/46' - RG 24, Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities (microfilm Roll 5771, unrestricted) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog NAID 192380045 (catalog.archives.gov/id/192380045)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA catalog confirms a muster-roll file unit for this hull spanning her entire commissioned career, 2 August 1942 - 31 March 1946 (RG 24, Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities; microfilm Roll 5771; access unrestricted). Muster rolls are the crew-of-record source for identifying everyone who served aboard this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1942-08-02 to 1946-03-31
- Population
- All hands who served aboard PC-549/PCC-549, 1942-1946
- Limitations
- Catalog-level record; contents are on microfilm, not digitized - roster contents not reviewed. Muster rolls identify personnel aboard but contain no materials or asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-549-pc549-05
-
[7]NARA file unit NAID 78505414, 'USS PC-549 - AA Act Reps, 6/17 & 20/44, Marianas' - RG 38, World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories (Micro Serial 77991, File A9, dated 6/27/1944; microfilm Roll A1034, unrestricted) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog NAID 78505414 (catalog.archives.gov/id/78505414)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA catalog confirms anti-aircraft action reports filed by this hull for actions on 17 and 20 June 1944 in the Marianas - the days immediately following the 15 June 1944 Saipan landings, placing PC-549 in the Marianas during the assault phase, earlier than her NavSource-credited Saipan operation (6-10 August 1944, the occupation phase).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-06-17 to 1944-06-20 (actions); 1944-06-27 (report date)
- Population
- PC-549 crew, June 1944
- Limitations
- Catalog-level record; the reports themselves are on microfilm (Roll A1034), not digitized - contents not reviewed. Documents combat operations, not materials aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-549-pc549-06
-
[8]NARA file unit NAID 77483448, 'USS PC-549 - Rep of opers in support of the invasion of Guam Island, Marianas, 7/21/44' - RG 38, World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories (Micro Serial 139019, dated 7/30/1944; microfilm Roll A1844, unrestricted) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog NAID 77483448 (catalog.archives.gov/id/77483448)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA catalog confirms this hull's own report of operations in support of the invasion of Guam, dated 21 July 1944 (report filed 30 July 1944) - ship-specific primary documentation of her Guam operation, corroborating the NavSource-credited 'capture and occupation of Guam, 21 July-5 August 1944'.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-07-21 (operation); 1944-07-30 (report date)
- Population
- PC-549 crew, July-August 1944
- Limitations
- Catalog-level record; the report is on microfilm (Roll A1844), not digitized - contents not reviewed. Documents the operation, not materials aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-549-pc549-07
-
[9]NARA Special List No. 44, by Ship Numbers (WWII deck-log finding aid), PC-549 entry [other_primary]
- Locator
- SL-44 PDF, ship-number table, PC-549 row (8/2/1942 - 6/30/1945)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List No. 44 identifies deck-log coverage for this hull from 2 August 1942 through 30 June 1945 - the ship's own logbooks for her entire wartime career (commissioning through the Marianas, Philippines, and occupation-service operations into mid-1945). Deck logs are the principal archival lead for maintenance, repair, and material references aboard this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1942-08-02 to 1945-06-30
- Population
- USS PC-549 deck-log record, 1942-08-02 to 1945-06-30
- Limitations
- The finding aid establishes log coverage only, not log contents - it does not identify asbestos-containing material, individual exposure, or any specific repair. The underlying logs (RG 24) are not digitized; contents not reviewed. Coverage ends 30 June 1945 - postwar/occupation-phase logs through decommissioning are outside this listing.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-549-pc549-08
-
[10]Bowdoin College Special Collections & Archives, Louis O. Coxe papers (collection record) + uboat.net Allied Warship Commanders roster for Louis Osborne Coxe, USNR [other_primary]
- Locator
- Bowdoin ArchivesSpace collection record, Louis O. Coxe papers; uboat.net/allies/commanders/14159.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The poet and playwright Louis O. Coxe (1918-1993) commanded this hull during the war: Bowdoin Special Collections, which holds his papers, records that as a Navy lieutenant 'he captained a patrol boat in the Pacific and Caribbean'; the uboat.net Allied Warship Commanders roster assigns him USS PC-549 from mid/late 1944 to early 1945, then USS PC-1195. PC-549's documented theaters (Caribbean Sea Frontier, then the Pacific) match the archive's description.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944 to early 1945 (roster dating)
- Population
- Louis O. Coxe (USNR), commanding officer
- Limitations
- Command-window dating rests on the uboat.net roster (secondary compilation); Bowdoin confirms patrol-boat command in matching theaters without naming the hull. A Wikipedia biographical summary places his PC-549 command during the Guam/Saipan-Tinian invasions - earlier than the roster dating allows; conflict carried in gaps. Vessel-history fact only; no exposure claim is made for any individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-549-pc549-09
-
[11]Naval Marine Archive / ShipbuildingHistory (Tim Colton dataset), Defoe Shipbuilding build table + smallships/pc2.htm patrol-craft table [other_primary]
- Locator
- navalmarinearchive.com Defoe yard table (hull 194); shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/pc2.htm (PC 549 row)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Builder's table corroboration: Defoe hull number 194, 'PC 549', owner US Navy, type Sub Chaser, 463 GT, 173 ft, delivered 2-Aug-42, disposition 'Later PCC 549, scrapped 1948'. The same dataset's patrol-craft table lists PC 549, Defoe SB, Bay City MI, 463 t, 173 ft, 2-Aug-42, 'Scrapped 1948'. The archive's yard history notes the company began as Defoe Boat & Motor Works (1905) and was renamed Defoe Shipbuilding Company at the beginning of WWII; the yard closed in 1976.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1942; 1948
- Population
- Defoe yard workforce, 1942
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation (Colton's ShipbuildingHistory dataset mirrored by the Naval Marine Archive) - corroborates NavSource dates; 'delivered' vs 'commissioned' terminology reflects the table convention. Yard-level only for materials; no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-549-pc549-10
-
[12]Era inference built on: NavSource specification block (PC-461 class; two GM 16-258S diesels, reduction gear, two shafts - diesel, no steam plant); 1942 steel-hulled patrol-craft construction era; GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-insulation documentation (see ev-11) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; shipyards.json (Defoe absent); GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A steel-hulled diesel patrol craft built May-August 1942 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were thermal insulation, machinery and diesel-exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, and deck coverings. As a diesel craft she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- Defoe construction trades (1942); crew (1942-46); any yard/base trades at availabilities; 1948 shipbreakers
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for PC-549. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Builder's yard (Defoe, Bay City) is not an Atlas-documented shipyard, so no yard-level product list applies.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-549-pc549-11
-
[13]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)
- 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 this session (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403 per prior sessions) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-549-pc549-12
-
[14]Batch-7924 search ledger (this record): NavSource; NHHC Pacific Fleet organization; DANFS Burrows and Clearfield entries; NARA catalog (3 named file units) + SL-44 deck-log finding aid; MARAD Vessel History DB; Naval Marine Archive/Colton Defoe table; Bowdoin Coxe papers; GAO product page; CourtListener (partially searched - fleet pacing); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-pc-549-pc549-01 through -15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS PC-549/PCC-549 was found in the public sources searched. CAVEAT: CourtListener was only partially searched this session - the 'USS PC-549' opinion query returned zero results; the exact-name docket, hull-number opinion, and hull-number docket base queries were blocked by fleet-wide pacing and are logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as negative results. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material found is law-firm marketing content asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.
- 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 - and the litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (3 of 4 base queries throttled, not run). Muster rolls, deck logs, action reports, and any scrapping-contract records are microfilm-only/undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pc-549-pc549-13