USS PEARY (DD-226)

Evidence

11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).

1. [1]research packet eh-packet.md (6 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-peary-dd226-pkt-eh-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, Peary (DD-226) (verbatim transcription - live NHHC page serves 404) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry, full narrative

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS record for this hull (verbatim transcription; live NHHC page returns 404): laid down by William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia, 9 September 1919; launched 6 April 1920; sponsored by Mrs. Edward Stafford, daughter of Adm. Peary; commissioned 22 October 1920. Served in the Far East from 1922; Yangtze Patrol Force 1923-1931; annual deployments in Chinese waters 1931 to World War II. At Cavite, P.I. during the 10 December 1941 yard raid - one bomb forward, 8 killed, CO Comdr. H. H. Keith wounded and relieved by Comdr. J. M. Bermingham; towed clear by minesweeper Whippoorwill with Pillsbury (DD-227) alongside. Retreated south 26-31 December (bomb near-misses, camouflage at Campomanes Bay, two-hour bomb/torpedo attack in Celebes Sea). Darwin-based anti-submarine patrol from New Year. On 19 February 1942, attacked about 10:45 a.m. by single-engined Japanese dive bombers; five bombs (fantail; incendiary on galley deck house; one dud; forward magazine explosion; incendiary in after engine room); sank stern first about 1:00 p.m. DANFS records 80 men killed and 13 wounded. Struck from the Navy List 8 May 1942. One battle star.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1919-1942

   Population

   William Cramp & Sons construction trades 1919-20; crew 1920-1942; 57 survivors of sinking

   Limitations

   DANFS documents service history and loss, not materials or asbestos content. Its casualty figure (80 killed, 13 wounded) conflicts with Australian government sources (88-93; see gaps). Mirror transcription cited because the live NHHC DANFS page returns HTTP 404 (standing link-rot issue per BATCH-01).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-peary-dd226-01

3. [3]Australasian Underwater Cultural Heritage Database (Australian Government, Dept. of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water), 'View Shipwreck - USS Peary (DD-226)', wreck ID 3531 [other_primary]

   Locator

   AUCHD wreck record key=3531, 'General History' narrative (Wayback capture 2023-11-10; live URL fails automated fetch)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Australian federal Australasian Underwater Cultural Heritage Database record (shipwreck ID 3531) for this hull: Clemson-class destroyer built 1919-1920 by William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia; Yangtze Patrol 1923-1931; then US Destroyer Squadron 29 (division given as DesDiv 50) based in the Philippines. Bomb hit at Cavite 10 December 1941; Mindoro strike-force patrol 17-23 December; arrived Darwin 3 January 1942; anti-submarine patrols and Timor Sea escort from 17 January; Timor convoy escort with USS Houston 14-17 February (convoy twice attacked, turned back); ordered to Java 18 February but diverted to a submarine contact and returned to refuel. On 19 February 1942 anchored in harbour preparing to take fuel from tanker British Motorist; five direct bomb strikes; 'sank stern first with ninety-three men, including the Captain, US Navy LCdr John Bermingham, lost.' Salvage history: Carl Atkinson acquired salvage rights 1953 and recovered a deck gun, ship's wheel, and personal items returned to US authorities; 1959 tender to Fujita Salvage Company for eight Darwin wrecks; the RAN searched the wreck for unrecovered crew (86 men) before salvage, collecting scattered skeletal remains from the wardroom passage and yeomen's office for return to the USA; late 1959-1960 Fujita cut the superstructure, upper hull and upper decks to the mudline with a thermal oxygen lance and floating crane, unpaid other than scrap profits - owner Ryogo Fujita treated it as an unofficial war reparation.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1919-1960

   Population

   Crew at loss (57 survivors plus the dead); Fujita Salvage Company workers 1959-1960; Carl Atkinson salvage operations from 1953

   Limitations

   Official wrecking/disposal record; documents salvage down to the mudline, which materially limits what original material (if any) survives aboard. Its casualty figure (93) and division assignment (DesDiv 50) conflict with DANFS (80) and Destroyer History Foundation (DesDiv 59) - carried in gaps, not reconciled. No asbestos or materials content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-peary-dd226-02

4. [4]Northern Territory Government, Maritime heritage page + 'USS Peary 1920-1942' Heritage Branch brochure (PDF) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NT.GOV.AU maritime heritage page, 'World War II shipwrecks' list + brochure pp. on protection, salvage, 'The Peary today', spec block (parent page https://nt.gov.au/leisure/arts-culture-heritage/visit-a-cultural-or-heritage-site/maritime-heritage; live page 403s automated fetch, text verified via Wayback 2024-12-24 capture)

   Finding type

   regulatory

   Finding

   Northern Territory Government maritime heritage records for this hull: all vessels sunk in Darwin Harbour in the 19 February 1942 raid - including USS Peary - 'are now protected by the Heritage Act 2011' (brochure text cites the predecessor Heritage Conservation Act and notes 'protected historic shipwreck' status; NT dive data records 'protected site' 1994). The official NT Heritage USS Peary brochure records: flush-deck Clemson-class destroyer commissioned 1920; spec block displacement 1,190 tons, length 314 ft 4 in, beam 31 ft 9 in, draft 9 ft 3 in, geared turbines, 35 knots, design complement 101; 92 servicemen killed or missing aboard (57 survived, 20 wounded; only seven bodies recovered) - 'the greatest loss of life on any of the ships sunk in the attack.' Wreck lies in about 27 m on a silty seabed, heavily salvaged; boiler sections, bricks, pipes, gauges and engine-room fittings remain visible mid-site; visiting US naval ships still pay tribute. Memorial: a 4-inch gun salvaged by diver Carl Atkinson in the 1950s, restored by the RAN for the 1992 War Service Memorial Year, mounted on the Darwin Esplanade pointing toward the wreck.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1920-1942; site management to present

   Population

   Crew at loss; wreck divers (access permitted under 'look but don't touch' policy)

   Limitations

   Heritage designation establishes legal protection and physical condition description, not materials inventory; the brochure does not mention asbestos. Casualty figure (92) is one of several conflicting official counts - see gaps. Design complement 101 is a spec figure, not the wartime muster.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-peary-dd226-03

5. [5]ABC News, 'Discovery of USS Peary propeller proves ship was a sitting duck in Darwin Bombing' (2020-07-09), reporting NT Heritage Division announcements [reputable_press]

   Locator

   ABC News article text and NT Heritage Division statements, 9 July 2020

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   In May 2020 Darwin Sub Aqua Club divers (Grant Treloar, Roland Hugli, Clive Bartsch) located two approximately 3-metre bronze propellers with shafts and struts in an extensive debris field some kilometres from the main Peary wreck site. The NT Heritage Division (director Michael Wells) assessed them as Peary's - consistent with no other known Darwin loss - indicating the first bomb broke the stern away and left the ship drifting disabled on the outgoing tide ('a sitting duck'). Australian and NT governments announced coordination with the US Naval History and Heritage Command for further survey; all Peary artefacts are automatically protected under the Commonwealth Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018 (interference penalties up to 5 years prison or $63,000 fines).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   2020

   Population

   Not applicable (wreck archaeology)

   Limitations

   Attribution of the propeller field to Peary was the Heritage Division's stated assessment pending further survey, not a final determination; demonstrates active official site management and statutory protection. No asbestos or materials content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-peary-dd226-04

6. [6]National Archives, Ship Plan Index, PEARY DD-226 entries [other_primary]

   Locator

   PEARY DD-226 entries, RG 19, Alphabetical Ship Drawings and Microfilm

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA's Ship Plan Index lists PEARY, DD-226, in Record Group 19 under Alphabetical Ship Drawings (NAID 53484721) and Microfilm (NAID 175670213). These collections are leads for examining ship-specific plans, including any available insulation and piping drawings.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1919-1920 (construction records)

   Population

   William Cramp & Sons construction trades 1919-20

   Limitations

   The index establishes holdings, not the contents of individual drawings. No Peary drawing or material schedule was retrieved or reviewed; the index is not evidence of asbestos aboard.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-peary-dd226-05

7. [7]National Archives, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' [other_primary]

   Locator

   Beginning Research; General Information Books; Cartographic Branch; Other Records and their usefulness

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   NARA's research guide describes potential asbestos-relevant Navy record groups for the period, including RG 19 destroyer General Information Books and S39 insulation/lagging and S48 piping drawings. It states that deck logs and muster rolls do not directly show asbestos aboard ships.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Limitations

   This is a research guide, not a Peary material record. It establishes where to search and why service records are insufficient; it does not show that a Peary GIB exists or that this ship contained asbestos.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-peary-dd226-06

8. [8]U.S. GAO, HRD-80-2, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure (1979) [gao]

   Locator

   Highlights, paragraphs 1-2

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   The 1979 GAO review documents asbestos insulation policy and exposure concerns across Navy shipbuilding and repair, with fieldwork at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards. This is program-level context only.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1941-1979 (GAO review period)

   Limitations

   GAO studied policy decades after Peary's 1942 loss and did not examine this hull. It cannot establish this ship's materials, exposures, or repair work.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-peary-dd226-07

9. [9]E. Andrew Wilde Jr. (ed.), 'The U.S.S. Peary (DD-226) in World War II', Destroyer History Foundation, 2007 + destroyerhistory.org Peary narrative page [other_primary]

   Locator

   destroyerhistory.org/flushdeck/usspeary narrative (references: deck logs, action reports, Wilde research, NARA BuPers casualty report); PDF compilation at destroyerhistory.org/assets/pdf/wilde/226peary_wilde.pdf

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Destroyer History Foundation compilation 'The U.S.S. Peary (DD-226) in World War II, Manila to Darwin, 12/10/41-2/19/42: Documents and Photographs' (E. Andrew Wilde Jr., ed., 2007) reproduces official deck logs, action reports, and the Bureau of Personnel casualty report for this hull. The accompanying foundation narrative (sourced to those records) adds detail not in DANFS: Peary was in a repair/overhaul availability at Cavite on 8 December 1941 with bow open and powerplant dismantled ('cold iron') after a collision with Pillsbury; one man killed by RAAF Hudson friendly fire off the Celebes 28 December; malignant malaria contracted at Ternate stricken 28 crew, 8 eventually died; anchored berth F-3 at 0100 on 19 February; the narrative records 89 killed including LCdr. Bermingham, 57 survivors (20 wounded); Bermingham posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. The underlying originals are held at NARA.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1941-1942 (documents); 2007 (compilation)

   Population

   Crew at loss

   Limitations

   Foundation-published compilation of official records; individual reproduced documents were not separately verified page-by-page (scanned PDF, 600+ pp.). The NARA originals (deck logs, action reports, BuPers casualty report) are the retrievable lead. Casualty count (89) is one of several conflicting figures - see gaps. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-peary-dd226-08

10. [10]Negative result from DANFS, AUCHD, NT Heritage, NARA Ship Plan Index, NARA asbestos research guide, GAO HRD-80-2, and Destroyer History Foundation review; see search_ledger [other_primary]

    Locator

    Search ledger sl-01 through sl-08

    Finding type

    vessel_history

    Finding

    The official sources, heritage records, and catalog entries reviewed for this record did not yield a ship-specific asbestos survey, product schedule, abatement record, or material finding for Peary. Asbestos presence aboard DD-226 remains unknown.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-27

    Limitations

    This is a bounded search result, not proof that asbestos was absent. Underlying NARA plans, General Information Books, and Cavite repair-availability records were not obtained. A 1919-20 steam-powered destroyer is consistent with era-standard insulation practices, but no ship-specific material identification is made.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-peary-dd226-09

11. [11]CourtListener authenticated API v4 search attempts via cl-auth-search.py fleet helper [court_record]

    Locator

    Search count 0 on exact-name opinion query; search ledger sl-09 through sl-11

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    An authenticated CourtListener API v4 opinion search for the exact phrase 'USS Peary' returned HTTP 200 with count 0 - no opinions indexed under the exact ship name. The hull-number opinion search ('DD-226') and exact-name docket search ('USS Peary', type=r) were blocked by the fleet pacing guard on spaced retries; the hull-number docket search was not run. No qualifying asbestos litigation finding can be made from this partial sweep.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-27

    Limitations

    The zero count applies only to the exact-name opinion query, not to dockets, hull-number variants, name-fragment queries, or all litigation. Pacing prevented the other results; this does not prove that no asbestos complaint or opinion exists.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-peary-dd226-10