Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]research packet jj-packet.md (1 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-porter-dd356-pkt-jj-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Porter III (DD-356), NHHC online entry (Interim Update, Robert J. Cressman, 10 September 2024); live page serves 404 - Wayback capture 2025-12-09 cited [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS entry 'Porter III (DD-356)', spec block + service narrative + interim-update credit line
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Current NHHC DANFS record for this hull: third U.S. Navy ship named for Commodore David Porter (1780-1843) and his son Adm. David Dixon Porter (1813-1891); laid down 18 December 1933 at Camden, N.J., by the New York Shipbuilding Corp.; launched 12 December 1935; sponsored by Miss Carlile Patterson Porter; commissioned at Philadelphia 25 August 1936, Cmdr. Forrest B. Royal in command. Shakedown off northern Europe; St. John's, Newfoundland, for George VI coronation ceremonies May 1937; Washington Navy Yard during the Boy Scout Jamboree June-July 1937; reassigned to the Pacific Fleet, arrived San Francisco 5 August 1937, homeported San Diego. Departed Pearl Harbor 5 December 1941, escaping the Japanese attack by two days; patrolled Hawaiian waters; convoyed to the west coast 25 March 1942 and operated with TF 1 for four months; returned to Pearl Harbor mid-August; sortied 16 October with TF 16 for the Solomons. On 26 October 1942 in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, Porter 'was torpedoed by a Grumman TBF-1 Avenger that had had to make a forced landing near the task group, Enterprise (CV-6) not wanting to bring a plane on board still carrying her torpedo. The weapon became fully armed after the ditching, and hit the destroyer in her engineering spaces.' Crew abandoned ship; scuttled by gunfire from Shaw (DD-373); stricken from the Navy Register 2 November 1942. One battle star for WWII service (Battle of Santa Cruz, in which she was lost). Updated spec block: displacement 1,850; length 381'1"; beam 36'11"; draft 10'4" mean; speed 37.0 knots designed; complement 194; armament 8 5-inch, 8 1.1-inch, 2 .50-cal MG, 8 21-inch torpedo tubes, 2 depth charge tracks.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1933-1942
- Population
- New York Shipbuilding construction trades 1933-36; prewar and wartime crew (design complement 194)
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. Live NHHC page returns 404 at access date; the cited text is a Wayback Machine capture (2025-12-09) of the official page. The 2024 interim update's torpedo-source account (ditching TBF-1 Avenger) supersedes the print edition's 'torpedoed by a submarine' - see ev-02 and gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-porter-dd356-01
-
[3]DANFS print edition, Porter III (DD-356) (verbatim transcription, HyperWar/ibiblio; identical transcription on hazegray.org) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- HyperWar/ibiblio DANFS transcription dd356.html, spec block + closing narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Print DANFS record for this hull: identical build/service chronology to the current NHHC entry (laid down 18 December 1933 by New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden; launched 12 December 1935; commissioned at Philadelphia 25 August 1936, Comdr. Forrest B. Royal; shakedown, 1937 events, Pacific Fleet service; 5 December 1941 departure from Pearl Harbor; TF 1 west-coast operations; TF 16 sortie 16 October 1942). Divergent loss account: 'Porter was torpedoed by a submarine and, after the crew had abandoned ship, was sunk by gunfire from Shaw. Her name was struck from the Navy List 2 November 1942.' Print spec block: dp. 1,850; l. 381'0"; b. 36'2"; dr. 10'5"; s. 35 k.; cpl. 238; a. 8 5", 8 40mm, 8 21" tt., 2 dct.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1933-1942
- Population
- Construction trades 1933-36; crew 1936-42
- Limitations
- Older print edition: its 'torpedoed by a submarine' wording is superseded by the NHHC 2024 interim update (ev-01, ditching TBF-1 Avenger torpedo); secondary literature splits (Hammel credits I-21; Frank finds Japanese records unsupportive). Spec block differs from the updated entry (35 kt / cpl. 238 vs. 37 kt / cpl. 194) - conflicts carried in gaps. Documents history, not materials.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-porter-dd356-02
-
[4]United States Navy Memorial, Navy Log 'Lost Ship's Tribute' entry: Porter, DD-356 [museum_official]
- Locator
- navylog.navymemorial.org Porter (DD-356) tribute page + Lost At Sea log
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- US Navy Memorial record for this hull: 'Ship Designation: DD-356. Date Lost: Monday, October 26, 1942. Submarine Attack off Guadalcanal. While operating in company with Task Force 16 northeast of Guadalcanal the US Force engaged a strong Japanese force in the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands. During the ensuing action, Porter was torpedoed by a submarine and critically damaged. 15 crewmembers died in the mishap. When it was determined that the damage of Porter was beyond repair the crew abandoned ship, and the hulk was sunk by gunfire from USS Shaw.' The page's Lost At Sea log lists 14 named sailors (prepared by CAPT R.O. Strange USN Ret.).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1942
- Population
- Crew at loss 1942-10-26 (14-15 dead; approximately 300 survivors per secondary sources)
- Limitations
- Memorial tribute, not a materials or survey record. Repeats the superseded submarine-torpedo account (NHHC 2024 update attributes the fatal torpedo to a ditching US TBF-1 Avenger). Internal variance: narrative reads 15 dead while the Lost At Sea log lists 14 names - carried unreconciled in gaps. Survivor count not stated; secondary sources read approximately 300 rescued by Shaw.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-porter-dd356-03
-
[5]Destroyer History Foundation, 'USS Porter' and 'Porter Class' pages (sources: Robert Stern; Naval Historical Center incl. DANFS; Bureau of Construction and Repair General Information Book for USS Porter; Bauer & Roberts; Friedman) [other_primary]
- Locator
- destroyerhistory.org/goldplater/ussporter/ + /porterclass/ (General Information and Operations sections)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Reputable secondary record for this hull: Porter operated as flagship of Destroyer Squadron 5 (1 October 1941 organization table: DesRon 5 flag; DesDiv 9 = Drayton, Flusser, Lamson, Mahan; DesDiv 10 = Cushing, Perkins, Preston, Smith); departed Pearl Harbor 5 December 1941 with DesDiv 9 in Lexington's TF 12 ferrying Marine scout bombers to Midway; sortied 16 October 1942 in Enterprise's TF 16 (South Dakota, Portland, San Juan, destroyers Mahan, Conyngham, Shaw, Cushing, Smith, Preston, Maury); 'hit by the torpedo carried by the Avenger torpedo plane whose crew she stopped to rescue.' Class machinery per the BuC&R General Information Book for USS Porter: 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers (400 psi, 645 deg F superheat), geared turbines, 50,000 shp, 2 shafts; designed complement 13 officers + 193 enlisted; 8 ships built 1933-37 (4 New York Shipbuilding, 4 Bethlehem Fore River).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1933-1942
- Population
- Crew 1936-42; New York Shipbuilding construction trades 1933-36
- Limitations
- Secondary foundation compilation, not an official record; its machinery table quotes the BuC&R General Information Book for USS Porter, which is itself the archival lead carried in ev-05. The rescue-context torpedo narrative exceeds the DANFS record; consistent with the current NHHC account. Documents service and machinery, not asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-porter-dd356-04
-
[6]NARA Special List 44 (Named Vessels deck-log index) entry: Porter (DD-356), log span 8/27/1936-10/28/1942; NARA RG19, Bureau of Construction and Repair General Information Book for USS Porter - cited as the Destroyer History Foundation's dimensional/machinery source [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA Special List 44 named-vessel table, 'Porter (DD-356)' row (8/27/1936-10/28/1942); NARA RG19 GIB for USS Porter cited at destroyerhistory.org/goldplater/porterclass/ footnote 1
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Two hull-specific archival leads located. (1) NARA Special List 44 indexes deck logs for 'Porter (DD-356)' covering 8/27/1936-10/28/1942 - a continuous span matching her entire commissioned service, ending two days after the sinking. (2) A BuC&R General Information Book for USS Porter exists and was consulted by the Destroyer History Foundation for the class data page (footnoted source for dimensions, machinery, and designed complement); NARA RG19 General Information Books carry per-vessel material specifications - the most promising lead for hull-level insulation/materials documentation on this hull.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1933-1936
- Limitations
- Archival leads only - the deck-log pages and the GIB were not retrieved, and their asbestos-relevant content (if any) is unverified; deck logs record operations, not materials, and GIB holdings typically record design-level material specifications rather than installed-condition certification. The 8/27/1936 log-start date corroborates the 27 August commissioning variant (see gaps) without resolving it.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-porter-dd356-05
-
[7]Porter-class machinery fit (Destroyer History Foundation citing BuC&R GIB + Friedman) + Atlas shipyard dataset, New York Shipbuilding record (era asbestos product documentation; cohort morbidity studies) [other_primary]
- Locator
- destroyerhistory.org Porter-class propulsion line; shipyards.json record 'new-york-shipbuilding' (asbestos_products_documented + evidence rows)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/yard inference: a 1,850-ton destroyer leader built 1933-36 with four Babcock & Wilcox 400-psi/645-deg-F superheated boilers and geared steam turbines would have carried period-standard asbestos insulation, steam-line lagging, gaskets, packing, fireproofing, and deck coverings; builder New York Shipbuilding (Camden) is documented at yard level in the Atlas dataset (asbestos products listed include Pabco Six-Ply block, Ehret 85% magnesia, Johns-Manville Transite, gaskets, packing, wire and felt insulation), with cohort studies of its workers in the yard record. NARA RG19 GIB (ev-05) is the hull-level archival lead.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1933-1942
- Population
- New York Shipbuilding construction trades 1933-36; crew 1936-42
- Limitations
- Class/era and builder-yard inference only - no ship-specific asbestos finding is made; the sunken hull precludes any survey confirmation. Yard-level product documentation does not establish installation aboard this specific hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-porter-dd356-06
-
[8]CourtListener API v4 authenticated searches (type=o opinions and type=r dockets), 2026-09-27 [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-porter-dd356-07 through sl-uss-porter-dd356-10
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation naming DD-356 located. Sweeps completed 2026-09-27: 'USS Porter' type=o returned 1 hit - United States v. Selleneit (Navy-Marine Corps C.C.A., filed 2026-03-17, docket 202400185), a criminal case whose 'USS Porter' is an Aegis-equipped ship = DDG-78, a name collision; 'aboard the Porter'/'aboard USS Porter'/'aboard U.S.S. Porter' type=o returned no result; 'DD-356' type=o returned no result. 'USS Porter'/'U.S.S. Porter' type=r returned 6 dockets, all non-qualifying: Volts Shipping Navigation S.A. v. United States, 1:14-cv-06333 (S.D.N.Y. 2014) - admiralty complaint consistent with the 2012 Strait of Hormuz collision of USS Porter DDG-78 (name collision); L3Harris Maritime Services v. BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, 2:23-cv-00259 (E.D. Va. 2023) - modern ship-repair contract dispute, DDG-78-era (name collision); United States v. Burke, 1:24-cr-00265 (D.D.C. 2024) - bribery prosecution, vessel mention in character letters (other litigation); United States v. Butler, 9:25-cr-80093 (S.D. Fla. 2025) - criminal case, mention in trial exhibits (other litigation). 'DD-356' type=r returned 2 dockets, both identifier collisions in bankruptcy filings - Arch Coal Inc. ch. 11, 16-40120 (Bankr. E.D. Mo. 2016) and the Madoff SIPA liquidation (Bankr. S.D.N.Y., Picard trustee) - 'DD-356' appears as a filing/exhibit or account identifier, not the ship.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 2026-09-27
- Limitations
- Litigation coverage is limited to CourtListener-indexed opinions and federal dockets; unindexed state trial-court filings, settled MDL-875 claimant records, and asbestos-trust claims are not covered. A WWII-era exposure allegation naming a bare 'USS Porter' would be ambiguous between DD-356 and DD-800 (both served WWII); no such hit was located. No search can prove the absence of all possible litigation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-porter-dd356-07
-
[9]Batch-3341 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (current + print transcription); US Navy Memorial Navy Log; Destroyer History Foundation; CourtListener API v4 (opinion + docket sweeps); NVR and NPS NRHP/NHL checks; general web sweep for asbestos litigation naming the hull [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-porter-dd356-01 through sl-uss-porter-dd356-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, materials disclosure, museum hazmat record, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Porter (DD-356) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull's 1942 combat loss and unsurveyed deep-water wreck make post-loss material records structurally improbable; prewar build records (NARA RG19 GIB, ev-05) remain the only plausible ship-specific materials source.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 2026-09-27
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1933-36 superheated-steam destroyer's standard fit is consistent with era asbestos use (ev-06). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-porter-dd356-08