Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
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[1]DANFS, Raton (SS-270) - Manitowoc construction; eight patrols incl. Kumano attack; Philadelphia NSY radar-picket conversion; repeated Mare Island overhauls; AGSS service to 1969; scrapped 1973 (verbatim transcription via Internet Archive capture; live NHHC page returned 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS service narrative and spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 29 May 1942 by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, Wis. (sponsor Mrs. C. C. West); launched 24 January 1943; commissioned 13 July 1943, Lt. Cmdr. J. W. Davis in command. Seven-plus war patrols - Bismarck Archipelago-Solomons-New Guinea (sank Onoe Maru, Hokko Maru, Yuri Maru; drew escorts off Gato so Gato could sink Columbia Maru), Mindanao-Celebes-Halmahera (sank Heiwa Maru), Java-Karimata-South China Seas, fourth patrol (sank destroyer Iki; captured a sailing vessel with 11 prisoners), South China Sea off Luzon, sixth patrol (sank Shiranesan Maru and Takai Maru; three hits on cruiser Kumano; sank Unkai Maru and Kurasaki with Ray), Yellow Sea seventh patrol (sank tanker Toryu Maru, Rezikan Maru, Eiju Maru), and a final Hong Kong lifeguard patrol. Overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard early 1945 and again postwar. Arrived New London 12 March 1946 for 2d Fleet training duty; in reserve fall 1948; decommissioned at New London 11 March 1949. Towed to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard July 1952 for radar picket conversion; redesignated SSR-270 18 July 1952; recommissioned 21 September 1953. San Diego homeport; repeated WestPac/SEATO deployments; Mare Island overhauls 1958, 1961, 1963-64; redesignated AGSS-270 1 July 1960; rescue-bell test ship May 1968. Decommissioned at Mare Island Naval Shipyard and stricken 28 June 1969; stripped hull designated a Pacific Fleet gunnery target; sold 12 October 1973 to American Ship Dismantlers Corp., Portland ($37,128; removed 15 December 1973). Six battle stars.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. Yard-period asbestos disturbance is era inference, not a per-hull record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-raton-ss270-01
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[2]NavSource Online Submarine Photo Archive, header 'as built' spec block for this hull; corroborated by DANFS spec block (diesel-electric) and BuShips Ships' Data 1945 submarine machinery tables (via shipscribe.com, per Gato class profile) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page header spec block for this hull (https://www.navsource.net/archives/08/08270.htm)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Machinery fit for this hull per NavSource 'as built' spec block: diesel electric reduction gear with four General Motors main generator engines, 5,400HP, fuel capacity 116,000 gal., four General Electric main motors, 2,740HP, two 126-cell main storage batteries, twin screws. NO BOILERS and no steam plant - the asbestos-relevant machinery profile differs materially from steam classes (no boiler/furnace insulation, no steam-line lagging run-outs; exposure-relevant systems are diesel exhaust lagging, engine gaskets/packing, hull thermal/acoustic insulation, and auxiliary equipment). DANFS documents multiple Mare Island Naval Shipyard periods (early 1945; postwar; 7 July - 24 November 1958; January - April 1961; November 1963 - early 1964) and the 1952-53 SSR conversion at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard - repeated documented yard periods across 25 years.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- The NavSource spec block is a class-standard spec sheet, not a per-hull machinery survey - actual installed equipment is presumed class-typical and unverified for this specific hull. No hull-specific machinery or material list was located. Establishes propulsion type only, not fiber content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-raton-ss270-02
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[3]Gato class profile ev-gato-class-07 (era/design inference for diesel-electric fleet boats) built on navypedia member table and BuShips Ships' Data 1945; GAO HRD-80-2 for the Navy's era asbestos-use regime [other_primary]
- Locator
- class profile gato-class.class.json ev-07; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Class/era inference for diesel-electric fleet boats of this build period: era-standard applications likely included asbestos-containing diesel exhaust lagging, engine gaskets and packing, hull thermal and acoustic insulation, insulation around galley/refrigeration equipment, and electrical/battery materials.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- CLASS/ERA INFERENCE ONLY - no ship-specific material schedule, insulation survey, or asbestos product list was located for this hull. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity. Does not establish exposure or eligibility for any individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-raton-ss270-03
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[4]CourtListener API v4 (opinions type=o, RECAP dockets type=r) exact-name and hull-number searches; site:courtlistener.com index sweep as throttling fallback [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows for this vessel
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Litigation sweep for this hull: CourtListener API queries were already throttled at the daily cap (HTTP 429, 125/day - quota exhausted by prior same-day batch work), so the sweep ran on the site:courtlistener.com index fallback for the exact ship name and hull number. The fallback sweep surfaced only general Navy asbestos litigation and unrelated name collisions - nothing naming this hull. No qualifying asbestos litigation - and no litigation of any kind verified as naming this hull - was located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- A negative result is bounded by the search mechanism: CourtListener coverage is not exhaustive for state-court pleadings, and the API throttle meant docket-text and opinion queries could not complete - the site:-index fallback is corroboration, not a substitute for docket search. Does not prove no litigation exists.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-raton-ss270-04
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[5]Negative finding: no qualifying non-litigation ship-specific asbestos record located across DANFS/NHHC (via transcription mirrors and Internet Archive captures), NavSource, and ACM-survey/abatement/disposal sweeps [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows for this vessel
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No hull ACM survey, abatement contract, scrapping/disposal hazmat disclosure, or adjudicated exposure finding naming this vessel was located anywhere in the research sweep. The hull went through reserve-fleet/postwar custody and was sold for scrap; no hazmat or material-condition documentation of any kind was located for the conversion, reserve, or scrapping periods.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- Absence of a located record is not proof no record exists. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present aboard/within the hull, and does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-raton-ss270-05
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[6]DANFS closing narrative + NavSource disposition line - postwar custody, reserve, and terminal disposition for this hull [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS/NavSource disposition data
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Postwar custody and terminal disposition for this hull: arrived New London 12 March 1946 for 2d Fleet training; reserve fall 1948; decommissioned New London 11 March 1949; towed to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard July 1952 for radar picket conversion (SSR-270, 18 July 1952); recommissioned 21 September 1953; San Diego homeport with repeated WestPac deployments and Mare Island overhauls; AGSS-270 1 July 1960; decommissioned at Mare Island and stricken 28 June 1969; stripped hull designated a Pacific Fleet gunnery target; sold 12 October 1973 to American Ship Dismantlers Corp., Portland ($37,128; removed 15 December 1973). The hull remained in Navy custody into the asbestos-aware scrapping era (1973), but no hazmat or material-condition documentation was located for the conversion, reserve, or scrapping periods.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- Documents custody/loss/disposition only; no asbestos or material-condition content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-raton-ss270-06
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[7]National Archives, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' - research guidance naming RG 19 submarine GIBs and RG 38 Insurv submarine material inspection reports [nps]
- Locator
- NARA guided topic page, RG 19 Entry P 13 Item S-68; RG 38 Entry P 1-F
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival lead for future ship-specific material research: NARA's guided topic page for asbestos aboard U.S. naval vessels through 1961 identifies the record groups that would hold hull-level material documentation - RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) Submarine General Information Books (Entry P 13, Item S-68, 1913-1961) and RG 38 Board of Inspection and Survey submarine material inspection reports, which document machinery/system condition at trials, post-conversion, and pre-decommissioning.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- Research guidance only - describes where hull-specific records would reside, not their content for this vessel. No GIB or Insurv report for this hull was retrieved; the series is incomplete and a missing GIB is expected for many hulls.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-raton-ss270-07
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[8]DTIC technical report ADA122347, 'Removal of Pre-Formed Asbestos Insulation - A Project of the Manufacturing Technology Program' (NAVSEA/Pearl Harbor NSY prototype) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DTIC ADA122347 report summary text
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Navy program context for this hull's postwar custody period: a NAVSEA Manufacturing Technology Program report (DTIC ADA122347) documents that 'removal of asbestos thermal insulation from Naval vessels has become one of the most critical elements in the ship repair process,' describing sealed containments, PPE requirements, and the impregnation/entrapment removal technique developed at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard circa 1978-1980.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- Program-level document describing the late-1970s/1980s repair-era removal regime - it does not document work on this hull or even this class; it establishes only that shipboard ACM removal was a recognized Navy-wide repair problem in that era.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-raton-ss270-08