Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
-
[1]research packet ju-packet.md (8 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-pettit-de253-pkt-ju-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Pettit (DE-253) (namesake biography, builder, dates, service narrative, disposition; live NHHC page returns 404 - verbatim transcription via Tin Can Sailors destroyers.org explicitly citing 'Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, April 2016'; spec block via HistoryCentral transcription) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- destroyers.org/ships/de-253 ship-history block (DANFS April 2016) + namesake biography; spec block via historycentral.com/navy/DE/pettit.html DANFS transcription (cpl. 216; cl. Edsall)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: named for Robert Lee Pettit (born Clare, Mich., 17 November 1906; enlisted 13 September 1927; Radioman First Class 16 February 1938; died at his post in the burning radio compartment of his attacking PBY at Jolo Harbor, Philippines, 27 December 1941; awarded the Navy Cross). Laid down 6 February 1943 by Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Tex.; launched 28 April 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Robert Lee Pettit; commissioned 23 September 1943, Lt. Commander William B. Ellis, USCG, in command. After Atlantic shakedown reported to Commander, Destroyers, Atlantic; assigned to Destroyer Escort Division 20 December 1943, operating out of Norfolk training DE nucleus crews; late December escorted a convoy Norfolk to Casablanca, arriving 2 January 1944, returning to Brooklyn 24 January 1944; trained at Montauk Point, N.Y., and Casco Bay, Maine; February 1944-June 1945 escorted trans-Atlantic convoys principally Londonderry-New York with calls at Cherbourg, Le Havre, Plymouth, Liverpool, and Southampton. After V-E Day proceeded via Guantanamo Bay, Panama Canal, and San Diego to Pearl Harbor (arrived 25 July); departed for Eniwetok 27 August (arrived 3 September); September-November 1945 searched for possible Allied survivors on southwest Pacific islands; December 1945 weather patrol from Pearl Harbor. Decommissioned 6 May 1946 and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, berthed at Norfolk into 1970; sunk as a target off Puerto Rico 30 September 1974.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1943-1974
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades 1943; wartime Coast Guard-manned crew (DANFS spec block cpl. 216); Atlantic Reserve Fleet caretakers 1946-1973
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. Live NHHC page returns 404 (standing link rot, matches Batch-01/4037); verbatim transcription cited. The narrative's reserve-fleet note ('Into 1970 she is berthed at Norfolk') predates the 1973 striking and 1974 sinking, which the April 2016 edition supplies as a one-line disposition.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pettit-de253-01
-
[3]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. I (1945), Destroyer-Escort Vessels roster row 261 for PETTIT, DE-253 (shipscribe.com scan; OCR of book pp. 256-257) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v1 roster row 261, PETTIT DE-253 (book pp. 256-257; shipscribe scan PDF p. 138; 400-dpi re-OCR of left page captured the FMR design group and price cells)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Contemporaneous official BuShips roster row for this hull (row 261, alphabetical listing): PETTIT, official number DE-253, design group FMR; builder Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Tex.; contract price $2,921,000; contract signed 18 January 1942; keel laid [Feb.] 6, 1943; launched 28 April 1943; first preliminary completion 10 August 1943; preliminary acceptance 23 September 1943; commissioned 23 September 1943. The $2,921,000 / 18 January 1942 contract row matches the Brown-built DE-238 through DE-255 block visible in neighboring rows (Marchand DE-249, Otterstetter DE-244, Sloat DE-245, Snowden DE-246, Stanton DE-247).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1942-1943
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding Co. construction trades, Houston, Tex., 1943
- Limitations
- Official contemporaneous build roster - documents identity, builder, contract, and dates; contains no insulation or materials information and says nothing about asbestos. Keel month digit lost in OCR ('[...] 6, 1943'); corroborated as 6 February by DANFS and NavSource.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pettit-de253-02
-
[4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. I (1945), Destroyer-Escort Vessels design-group table, group 4 / FMR (shipscribe.com scan; OCR of book pp. 234-235) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v1 DE design-group table, group-4 row (book pp. 234-235; shipscribe scan PDF p. 127)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official BuShips design-group table: design group 4 (symbol FMR - 'Fairbanks Morse diesel reverse gear drive') - machinery 4 Fairbanks-Morse model 38D8-1/8 geared diesel engines, 6,000 shp, 2 shafts; boiler columns read 'None'; diesel ship's-service generators; 21 kt; accommodations 15 officers + 201 enlisted; armament 3 x 3 in/50 cal. D.P. Documents that the FMR design carried a diesel plant with no boilers or steam system.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1945 (publication)
- Population
- FMR-design crews (design accommodations 15 officers + 201 enlisted)
- Limitations
- Class/design documentation for the whole FMR group (85 hulls), not a per-hull material schedule - establishes plant type and accommodations, not insulation content or asbestos. Table OCR'd from a scanned page; individual cell values partially garbled.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pettit-de253-03
-
[5]Navypedia, 'FMR' destroyer escorts (EDSALL) (1943-1944) - class roster and technical-data table (compiled reference) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navypedia FMR/Edsall-class page, roster table row DE253 (yard no. 24) + 1.1946 armament note
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Class roster: 85 Edsall-class (FMR) hulls completed by two builders - Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex. (DE-129 through DE-152 and DE-316 through DE-338) and Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, Tex. (DE-238 through DE-255 and DE-382 through DE-401). DE-253 Pettit appears in the Brown block as yard no. 24, stricken 8.1973. The class's January 1946 armament configuration is listed for hulls DE-238-250, 252-255 (and others) - DE-253 is inside the covered range.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1942-1974
- Population
- Edsall-class construction and operating crews (85 hulls)
- Limitations
- Compiled secondary reference (class-level): the builder block and hull row corroborate the per-hull BuShips roster and NavSource stricken date. Not a materials or asbestos source - used for class enumeration only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pettit-de253-04
-
[6]NavSource Destroyer Escort Photo Archive, USS Pettit (DE-253) page (specs, building/operational data, awards, commanding-officer list, photo captions; Wayback capture 2024-08-03 - live page fetch failed) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navsource.org/archives/06/253.htm building-and-operational-data block + CO table + photo captions (Wayback 2024-08-03 capture)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource compiled record for this hull: keel laid 6 February 1943 by Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Tex.; launched and christened 28 April 1943, sponsor Mrs. Robert Lee Pettit; commissioned 23 September 1943, Lcdr. William B. Ellis, USCG, in command; decommissioned 6 May 1946 after 2 years 7 months service; struck from the NVR 1 August 1973; sunk as a target off Puerto Rico 30 September 1974. Radio call sign NFLN; complement 8/201. Awards: American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal; WWII Victory Medal. Commanding-officer list (Hechler/Reeves compilation): Lcdr. William B. Ellis, USCG (23 Sep 1943-1 Feb 1945); Lt. Woodward B. Rick, USCGR (1 Feb-30 Oct 1945); Lt. Louis A. Volse, USCGR (from 30 Oct 1945) - all three Coast Guard officers, consistent with Coast Guard manning of the hull. Photo captions place the ship at the South Boston Navy Yard between 15 November 1945 and 4 February 1946 (contributor a USCG BM1), and laid up with Cockrill (DE-398) in the Inactive Ship Facility of Norfolk Naval Shipyard awaiting disposal.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1943-1974
- Population
- Wartime Coast Guard-manned crew (NavSource complement 8 officers/201 enlisted); reserve-fleet caretakers 1946-1973
- Limitations
- Compiled secondary archive, not a contemporaneous record - dates concur with DANFS/SDB where they overlap and supply the stricken date and sinking date that the pre-1973 DANFS narrative lacks. Contributed photo captions are unattributed detail (Boston yard window, Norfolk Inactive Ship Facility). No asbestos or materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pettit-de253-05
-
[7]Era/design inference - BuShips SDB 1945 design-group-4 machinery row (no boilers; F.M. diesel) + GAO HRD-80-2 era context + Atlas class-pattern precedent for diesel-powered escorts (Edsall-class sibling record ev-uss-edsall-de129-06; cannon-class profile ev-cannon-class-03) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v1 pp. 234-235 group-4 row (machinery, 'None' in boiler columns); cf. batch-4037 uss-edsall-de129 ev-06 (same class, same application set)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: an Edsall-class (FMR) destroyer escort built 1943 would have carried era-standard asbestos applications appropriate to a diesel-powered escort - exhaust-system insulation and lagging, gaskets and packing, electrical insulation, brake linings on winches and windlass, fireproofing, and deck coverings. Because the FMR plant has no boilers or steam lines (SDB 1945 design-group-4 machinery row), the largest asbestos categories of steam ships (boiler and steam-line insulation) do not apply to this design.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1943-1974
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades 1943; Coast Guard-manned crew 1943-46; reserve-fleet maintenance 1946-73
- Limitations
- Class/era and design inference only - NOT a hull-specific finding. No insulation schedule or material list for DE-253 was located; this establishes era-consistent expectation for the type, not that any specific material went aboard this hull. Does not quantify material or establish any individual's exposure. Builder yard (Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, Tex.) is not in the Atlas shipyards dataset - no yard-level asbestos documentation is attached.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pettit-de253-06
-
[8]Keri Heath, 'World War II-era vessels in Galveston to undergo asbestos abatement', Galveston Daily News, 27 July 2020 (citation re-verified in class-f gato-class profile, accessed 2026-09-16; page fetch returned HTTP 200 on 2026-09-28) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- galvnews.com article_c2c77857, 27 Jul 2020
- Finding type
- abatement_record
- Finding
- Documented asbestos aboard a preserved Edsall-class sister hull built by the SAME yard: the Galveston Daily News reported asbestos in public areas of USS Stewart (DE-238) and USS Cavalla (SS-244) at Seawolf Park, with contractor Separation Systems Consultants approved to proceed with abatement; the Galveston Park Board cited U.S. Navy inspection recommendations that an asbestos survey be conducted. USS Stewart is a Brown Shipbuilding-built Edsall-class hull (DE-238) - same class AND same builder as DE-253 - class-level corroboration that Edsall-class construction carried asbestos-containing material.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2020
- Population
- Museum staff/volunteers and Seawolf Park visitors; abatement crews
- Limitations
- Evidence about a sister hull (DE-238), NOT this hull: a museum-hull lifecycle DE-253 never had (DE-253 was sunk as a target in 1974). Same-builder provenance makes the corroboration closer than for Consolidated-built hulls, but it remains class-level: documents asbestos aboard one Edsall-class ship as delivered/preserved; establishes nothing about DE-253's materials, quantity, or any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pettit-de253-07
-
[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 the Navy's extensive shipboard asbestos insulation use with substitution not beginning until the early 1970s - DE-253 (built 1943) falls inside the documented asbestos-use era for Navy ship construction.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers
- Limitations
- Program-level era context only. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches); content via product-page description. Says nothing about this specific hull or any diesel-escort application specifically.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pettit-de253-08
-
[10]CourtListener API v4 opinion and docket sweeps for 'USS Pettit' / 'DE-253' / 'Pettit asbestos' (via fleet-paced authenticated helper cl-auth-search.py) [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener API v4 search results 2026-09-28: 'USS Pettit' type=o count=0; 'Pettit asbestos' type=o count=65 (all surname/counsel collisions); 'DE-253' type=o and 'USS Pettit' type=r blocked by fleet pacing (three stand-down responses)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation names this hull. Opinion sweep '"USS Pettit"' (type=o): 0 hits. Supplemental 'Pettit asbestos' (type=o): 65 hits, all surname/term collisions - 'Pettit' appears only as a person (plaintiffs Carl J. Pettit, Beverly Pettit, Britton K. Pettit) or counsel (Phelan, Pettit & Biedrzycki; Jeffrey L. Pettit of Phillips & Phelan; James J. Pettit of Greitzer & Locks) inside asbestos and other opinions; zero vessel, Navy, DE-253, or destroyer-escort references. Hull-number sweep '"DE-253"' (type=o) and docket sweep '"USS Pettit"' (type=r) could not be completed within the session - the fleet-paced request budget was exhausted; both retries returned the helper's stand-down signal. Both are carried in the search ledger as blocked and in gaps.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2026-09-28
- Limitations
- Sweep coverage is the CourtListener opinion + RECAP docket indexes only; state-court dockets not mirrored, PACER-only filings, and settled/undocketed claims are outside it. 'No result' does not prove no claim was ever filed - it proves no indexed opinion names the ship. The DE-253 opinion sweep and USS Pettit docket sweep remain unfinished (fleet pacing); a 'DE-253' opinion sweep is expected to be dominated by ECF document-entry-number false positives ('DE 253' docket-entry citations), the pattern observed for sibling hull DE-129.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pettit-de253-09
-
[11]Batch-4174 search ledger (this record): DANFS transcriptions; NavSource archive page; BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 1 (OCR); Navypedia class roster; GAO product page; NARA digitized deck-log inventory; VA/BVA web search; general web sweep; CourtListener sweeps (see sl-04 through sl-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-pettit-de253-01 through sl-uss-pettit-de253-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for DE-253: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, material schedule, or docketed asbestos claim naming DE-253 was found in the sources searched. The hull was sunk as a target off Puerto Rico in 1974, pre-dating the museum-donation and hazmat-disclosure era that produced records for sister hull Stewart (DE-238), and pre-dating modern vessel-disposal environmental review (RCRA 1976; TSCA asbestos rules). The only 'asbestos' hits naming USS Pettit (DE-253) in general web search are law-firm marketing listicles that enumerate every WWII hull - non-authoritative and excluded by batch rules.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2026-09-28
- Limitations
- Absence of a located record is not proof of absence aboard - 1943 escort construction falls inside the documented Navy asbestos-use era, and same-builder sister DE-238 carried documented asbestos. Deck logs (RG 24) and BuShips construction records (RG 19, incl. any General Information Book) at NARA are unsurveyed leads; target-sinking preparation records (1974) are an untraced archival lead. Does not establish that asbestos was or was not present aboard; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pettit-de253-10