USS Pillsbury (DE-133)

Evidence

9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).

1. [1]research packet ie-packet.md (2 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED. — real identity: USS Pillsbury; hull DE-133; destroyer escort, Edsall class (later DER-133, radar picket).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-pillsbury-de133-pkt-ie-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, Pillsbury II (DE-133) - builder, dates, specifications block, full service narrative, disposition (verbatim transcription; live NHHC page serves 404 site-wide) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry, specifications block + service narrative

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS record for this hull: second ship named for Rear Admiral John E. Pillsbury (1846-1919), geographer and Gulf Stream authority; laid down 18 July 1942 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.; launched 10 January 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Elsie G. Richardson; commissioned 7 June 1943, Lt. Comdr. W. Parker, USNR; flagship Escort Division 4, Casablanca/Gibraltar convoys; Task Group 21.12 hunter-killer with Guadalcanal (CVE-60); 8 April 1944 made initial sound contact and hedgehog attack, then with Flaherty (DE-135) sank U-515 (6 officers incl. captain + 57 crew captured); repair at Norfolk; May 1944 'bring one back live' mission; 4 June 1944 ~100 miles off Cape Verdes, with Jenks (DE-665) and Chatelain (DE-149), depth-charged U-505 to the surface in 13 minutes - Pillsbury lowered the boarding party that captured her (U-boat captain + 5 officers + 53 crew taken), Presidential Unit Citation; 24 April 1945 sank U-546 with TU 22.7.1; with Pope (DE-134) escorted surrendered U-858 to Cape May, N.J.; out of commission in reserve 1947, Florida Group; June 1954 to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, redesignated DER-133 August 1954, recommissioned 15 March 1955, Newport R.I. Atlantic Barrier radar picket (seven patrols, five Argentia trips, one Summerside P.E.I. in 1958); decommissioned 20 June 1960; struck NVR 1 July 1965; sold for scrapping to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, in 1966. Five battle stars. Spec block: 1,200 t, 306', 21 kt, cpl. 216, Edsall class.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1942-1966

   Population

   Consolidated Steel construction trades 1942-43; wartime and DER-era crew (DANFS complement 216)

   Limitations

   DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content - contains no asbestos information. Live NHHC page returns 404 (site-wide outage, second consecutive day); verbatim HyperWar/ibiblio transcription cited. 'Repair at Norfolk' does not name the facility; first decommissioning given only as 'in 1947'.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pillsbury-de133-01

3. [3]NPS National Register of Historic Places registration/NHL documentation, U-505 (IX C U-Boat), NRIS 89001231 [nps]

   Locator

   NPS continuation sheet, section 8, 'Capture of U-505' narrative

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NPS record naming this hull in the U-505 capture: Task Group 21.12 (escort carrier Guadalcanal with destroyer escorts Chatelain, Flaherty, Pope, and Pillsbury; commander Capt. Daniel V. Gallery) had prepared to capture a U-boat by boarding. After depth charges jammed U-505's rudder and forced her up, 'the destroyer escorts Pillsbury, Jenks, and Chatelain fired small arms at her to encourage the crew to abandon ship'; a boarding party in a motor whaler 'led by Lieutenant Albert David from Pillsbury' boarded, secured code books, and disarmed 13 of 14 five-pound TNT scuttling charges. Guadalcanal towed four days until fleet tug Abnaki took over to Bermuda (arrival 19 June 1944); TG 21.12 received the Presidential Unit Citation, classified until after the war. The nomination identifies U-505 as the first war-prize vessel captured on the high seas by the U.S. Navy since 1815 (predecessor: Sloop-of-War Hornet's 23 March 1815 prize), the only Type IX U-boat captured by the Allies; the prize yielded an Enigma machine, codebooks, and charts.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1944; nomination circa 1989

   Population

   Task Group 21.12 crews; Pillsbury boarding party

   Limitations

   NPS documentation of the vessel's combat history and significance - contains no asbestos or materials information and does not address exposure. Confirms the boarding party came from this hull (Lt. Albert David).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pillsbury-de133-02

4. [4]NavSource Naval History, Destroyer Escort Photo Archive, USS Pillsbury (DE-133) - specifications block and dated building/operational data [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource DE-133 page, specifications block + 'Building and Operational Data' + photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Secondary compilation corroborating and extending the DANFS record: specifications FMR type (4 Fairbanks-Morse Mod. 38D8-1/8 geared diesel engines, 4 diesel-generators, 6,000 shp, 2 screws, 21 kt); dated entries - keel laid 18 July 1942 at Consolidated Steel, Orange, Tex.; launched/christened 10 January 1943, sponsor Mrs. Elsie G. Richardson, daughter of RAdm. Pillsbury; commissioned 7 June 1943 at the Orange City Dock; Navy Day at Mobile, Ala. 27 October 1945; decommissioned 1 May 1947 (exact date unknown) at Green Cove Springs, Fla., Florida Group Atlantic Reserve Fleet; towed to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard June 1954 for DER conversion; reclassified DER-133 August 1954; recommissioned 15 March 1955 at Philadelphia for Atlantic Barrier Patrol at Newport, R.I.; decommissioned 20 June 1960 at Newport; struck NVR 1 July 1965; sold 4 November 1966 to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore. USN photographs (BuShips 57806/57808) document the ship at the New York Naval Shipyard (Brooklyn) on 24 December 1943. Awards: Combat Action Ribbon, PUC, American Campaign, EAME with 5 stars, WWII Victory.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1942-1966

   Population

   Crew and yard workers (index-level)

   Limitations

   Secondary archival compilation - used as corroborating index data and photographic evidence, not as authority over DANFS. Contains no asbestos information. BuShips photo presence at the New York Naval Shipyard documents presence only; purpose (availability, fitting, visit) unstated.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pillsbury-de133-03

5. [5]Destroyer History Foundation, 'Edsall-class destroyer escorts in World War II' (sources: Bauer & Roberts, Friedman, Whitley, DESA, Global Security) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Edsall class page, General Information + FMR paragraph + Decorations

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Class record establishing propulsion type: in the Edsall class 'diesels were again fitted in a Buckley hull - this time a Fairbanks Morse design for submarines with a compact single reduction gear transmission - the FMR (Fairbanks Morse diesel with reversible gear drive) type,' 6,000 shp, 'regarded as the most successful of the 6,000 shp classes'; design complement 15 officers/201 enlisted; FMRs built at Consolidated (Orange) and Houston. Confirms Pillsbury, Pope, Chatelain and Jenks received the PUC with Guadalcanal (CVE-60).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1943-1945 (class service)

   Population

   Edsall-class crews (class context)

   Limitations

   Class-level reference, not a hull record - establishes the diesel (non-steam) plant, which attenuates boiler/steam-line asbestos inference for this class. Contains no asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pillsbury-de133-04

6. [6]GAO HRD-80-2, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure' (18 Oct 1979), incl. enclosed CNO letter Ser 4542/318054 (5 Jan 1979), Enclosure I [gao]

   Locator

   HRD-80-2 report body (Navy's policy on use of asbestos) + CNO letter Enclosure I paragraphs on specification changes and non-insulation applications

   Finding type

   regulatory

   Finding

   Navy-era asbestos context: the CNO letter states asbestos was the Navy's major use aboard ships as thermal insulation; insulation product specifications were changed to asbestos-free only in 1971-73 (formal no-asbestos policy NAVSEAINST 5100.2 issued 24 Oct 1975), and ships were still being delivered with asbestos insulation as late as May 1978; asbestos also served in 'other applications, such as pipe hanger liners, gaskets, etc.' and per the report body in clutches and electric cables. The post-1975 policy replaced asbestos insulation only when damaged or removed for repairs, leaving an estimated 30-50% untouched over a ship's life; a one-time fleet removal (~$2 billion) was rejected. A vessel built in 1943 and scrapped in 1966 was constructed and disposed of entirely inside the pre-policy era.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1979 (report); policy era 1971-1979

   Population

   Navy shipyard workers and fleet (program-level)

   Limitations

   Program-level era evidence - does not name or inspect this hull; the letter's Attachment 1 insulation-status table covers only ships delivered since 1973 or under construction, so this hull appears nowhere in it. Establishes standard-practice era context, not asbestos presence aboard DE-133. gao.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch; identical full report text retrieved via the Justia GAO mirror (gao.justia.com) and the quoted passages verified there.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pillsbury-de133-05

7. [7]Era/yard inference keyed to DANFS dates, NavSource BuShips photo captions, Destroyer History Foundation class record, GAO HRD-80-2 era policy, and the Atlas shipyards.json yard records (philadelphia-naval-shipyard tier 3; brooklyn-navy-yard tier 3) [other_primary]

   Locator

   DANFS narrative dates; NavSource photo captions; shipyards.json records 'philadelphia-naval-shipyard', 'brooklyn-navy-yard'; HRD-80-2 policy dates

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era inference for a 1943 wartime escort: built inside the Navy's asbestos-standard era (per GAO HRD-80-2), a diesel-plant Edsall-class hull would have carried period-standard asbestos-containing applications - exhaust-system lagging, machinery and flange gaskets, packing, electrical cable insulation, deck coverings, and bulkhead fireproofing - though NOT the boiler/steam-line thermal insulation typical of steam destroyers. Two documented asbestos-era yard events: BuShips photographs place the ship at the New York Naval Shipyard (Brooklyn) 24 December 1943 (yard tier 3, Kaylo documented in the Atlas dataset; purpose of presence unstated), and the June 1954 - March 1955 DER conversion was performed at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (yard tier 3, asbestos products documented incl. Kaylo, Unibestos, Garlock sheet gaskets/packing, Johns-Manville pipe insulation). Builder Consolidated Steel Corp. (Orange, Tex.) is absent from the Atlas yard dataset; disposal at Boston Metals Co. (1966) predates Navy asbestos-removal policy and the asbestos NESHAP.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1942-1966

   Population

   Consolidated Steel construction trades 1942-43; New York Naval Shipyard workers Dec 1943; Philadelphia NSY conversion workers 1954-55; crew 1943-47 and 1955-60

   Limitations

   Class/era and builder/yard inference only - no ship-specific finding. Yard-tier status evidences asbestos use AT the yards, not aboard this hull; conversion insulation scope undocumented; whether era materials remained aboard at scrapping is undocumented. Absence of the builder yard from the dataset is a dataset coverage gap, not evidence of low risk.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pillsbury-de133-06

8. [8]CourtListener API v4 authenticated sweep (see limitations_note for per-query classification) [court_record]

   Locator

   CourtListener search API results, queries logged in search_ledger rows sl-uss-pillsbury-de133-05/06/06b/06c

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener sweep returned no qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull: exact-name queries "USS Pillsbury" returned zero results in both the opinion and RECAP docket indexes; "Pillsbury"+asbestos returned 143 opinion hits, all name collisions on review (Pillsbury-as-counsel - Pillsbury Winthrop - and Pillsbury Co./Pillsbury Madison parties inside asbestos and insurance litigation, no vessel reference); "DE-133" returned 35 opinion hits, all identifier collisions (docket/exhibit numbers such as '2DE-133' inside unrelated criminal, commercial, and insurance matters - zero navy/ship/asbestos context); "DER-133" and "aboard the Pillsbury" each returned zero opinion hits; "Pillsbury"+asbestos returned 430 RECAP dockets, all surname/counsel-name collisions on review - the two closest, Pillsbury v. AC&S Inc. (E.D. Tex. 1:88-cv-00502) and PILLSBURY v. AC&S, INC. (E.D. Pa., Robreno, MDL-875 courtroom), are asbestos personal-injury cases by plaintiffs surnamed Pillsbury, not vessel references; remaining hits are Pillsbury Winthrop/Pillsbury & Levinson/Pillsbury & Coleman counsel appearances and Pillsbury Co./data-breach parties inside asbestos-bankruptcy and insurance dockets. No docket names the ship; the zero exact-name docket result independently confirms no 'USS Pillsbury' vessel text is indexed. Hull-attribution rule for any future hits: two commissioned hulls share the name - DD-227 (Clemson-class, sunk south of Java 1-4 March 1942, no survivors recovered) and DE-133 (1943-1960); exposure allegations dated March 1942 or earlier attach only to DD-227, June 1943 or later only to DE-133, with an eight-year interval in which no USS Pillsbury existed.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   2026-09-28 (sweep)

   Population

   Navy veterans 1943-1960 (hypothetical exposure population)

   Limitations

   A negative sweep is not proof no case exists - CourtListener coverage is incomplete for state trial courts and older dockets, and RECAP coverage is docket-driven. Fleet pacing intermittently blocked retries during the session; all queries ultimately completed. The two-hull attribution window is a naming hazard for any 'USS Pillsbury' allegation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pillsbury-de133-07

9. [9]Batch-4042 search ledger (this record): DANFS/HyperWar; NPS NHL U-505 nomination 89001231; NavSource; Destroyer History Foundation; GAO HRD-80-2 (Justia mirror); USS Slater restoration site; web-indexed asbestos-ship aggregators (lead-screening only) [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-pillsbury-de133-01 through sl-uss-pillsbury-de133-09

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for DE-133: no hull ACM survey, abatement contract, DER-conversion insulation scope, scrapping/disposal hazmat record, museum documentation, or docketed case naming this hull was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). A lead-gen 'asbestos-ships' aggregator page exists for this hull but is excluded per source policy (marketing site, not citable; it also misstates the hull's complement). Sister-ship check: the USS Slater (DE-766) museum restoration chronology - the only preserved Edsall-class hull - contains no asbestos disclosure text in the sections reviewed.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   2026-09-28

   Limitations

   Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943 hull scrapped in 1966 predates disclosure-era surveys entirely, so non-location is expected rather than exculpatory. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pillsbury-de133-08