USS SAMPSON (DD-394)

Evidence

8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).

1. [1]DANFS, Sampson II (DD-394) - full service narrative and specifications [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC DANFS entry 'Sampson II (DD-394)', spec block + full service narrative; canonical live URL history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/sampson-ii.html returns 404 (2026-09-27); verbatim capture via Wayback 2021-01-20; identical transcription at hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd394txt.htm via Wayback 2006-09-27

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS identifies the second Sampson (DD-394) as a Somers-class destroyer: laid down 8 April 1936 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; launched 16 April 1938, sponsored by Mrs. Louisa Smith Thayer; commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard 19 August 1938, Comdr. W. Granat in command. Spec block: dp. 2,130; l. 381'0"; b. 36'2"; dr. 10'4"; s. 32 k.; cpl. 287; a. 8 5", 2 .50 cal. mg., 8 1.1", 12 21" tt. Service: European-waters shakedown Oct-Nov 1938; Battle Force, U.S. Fleet; San Diego-based fleet tactics 1939-40 incl. Hawaii battle practice April-June 1940; Norfolk from July 1940; Caribbean economic-survey mission Nov-Dec 1940; Neutrality Patrol eastern seaboard to Placentia Bay; convoy escort Newfoundland-Iceland from 3 September 1941 (Hvalfjordur 16 Sep; convoy to Boston arriving 4 Nov); Newport patrol with Warrington (DD-383) 23 Dec 1941-12 Jan 1942; Southeast Pacific Forces at Balboa from 17 Jan 1942, incl. S-26 search 25-29 Jan; South American coastal patrol sweeps and Society/Galapagos escort through May 1943; southwest Pacific from June 1943 (Noumea/Espiritu Santo; Guadalcanal and Purvis Bay escort; submarine contact 2-3 Oct 1943); screened CVEs Natoma Bay and Manila Bay in the 20 March 1944 Kavieng/Emirau operation; Seventh Fleet at Milne Bay; flagship of RADM W. M. Fechteler, CTF 77, for the 27 May 1944 Biak landing at Bosnik - a crashing Japanese aircraft passed over her bridge and hit SC-699; Atlantic Fleet duty from 25 June 1944 (New York Navy Yard 4 July; TF 63 flagship; convoy UGS-49 to Bizerte plus four further Mediterranean round trips); Boston Navy Yard May-July 1945; midshipman/training duty Chesapeake-Guantanamo; Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 16 September 1945 for inactivation overhaul; decommissioned 1 November 1945; stricken 28 November; sold for scrap 29 March 1946. One battle star for World War II.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1936-1946

   Population

   Bath Iron Works construction trades 1936-38; crew 1938-45 (design complement 287)

   Limitations

   DANFS documents identity, specifications, service, and disposal; it does not describe machinery insulation, asbestos content, or materials. Live NHHC page 404s - the archived capture of the canonical NHHC URL is cited, cross-checked against the hazegray verbatim transcription (hazegray.org unreachable from this machine: DNS failure).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sampson-dd394-01

2. [2]NHHC Online Library of Selected Images, 'USS Sampson (DD-394), 1938-1946' (Naval Historical Center photo-catalog page with service summary) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Photo index page narrative + cataloged photographs NH 103705, NH 103704, NH 59925, NH 67819, NH 66342

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The U.S. Naval Historical Center / NHHC Online Library of Selected Images holds a dedicated page, 'USS Sampson (DD-394), 1938-1946', summarizing: an 1850-ton Somers-class destroyer built at Bath, Maine; commissioned August 1938; European shakedown; East Coast/Caribbean operations until April 1939, then Pacific; Atlantic from July 1940 for Neutrality Patrol Newfoundland-West Indies; convoy escort from late summer 1941; post-Pearl Harbor anti-submarine patrols; Panama from early 1942 with a year of Latin-American-west-coast escort/patrol; southwest Pacific from May-August 1943; submarine attack October 1943 and Kavieng bombardment March 1944; Seventh Fleet New Guinea amphibious operations April-May 1944; Atlantic convoy escort June 1944 to German surrender (five round trips East Coast-Mediterranean); training duty summer 1945; out of commission early November 1945; sold for scrapping March 1946. Cataloged photographs include NH 103705 (Gulf of Panama, 14 March 1943, Measure 16 camouflage), NH 59925 (steaming near USS Saratoga CV-3, circa 1940), NH 103704 (underway 1939-40), NH 67819, NH 66342.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1938-1946

   Population

   Crew 1938-45

   Limitations

   Official photo-catalog page confirming identity and service outline; it contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information. Page is the verbatim mirror of the Naval Historical Center original; live history.navy.mil photo pages returned 404 from this machine at check time.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sampson-dd394-02

3. [3]NARA Special List 44 - Named Vessels, deck-log index, Sampson rows [other_primary]

   Locator

   Named-vessel table, 'Sampson (DD-394, DL-394)' row, 8/19/1938-11/1/1945

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA's named-vessel deck-log index (Special List 44) lists 'Sampson (DD-394, DL-394)' covering 8/19/1938 through 11/1/1945 - a hull-numbered row matching this ship's commissioned service window exactly (commissioned 19 August 1938; decommissioned 1 November 1945). An adjacent Sampson row (6/27/1916-6/15/1921, no hull number) belongs to the earlier DD-63.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1938-1945

   Population

   Crew 1938-45

   Limitations

   An index entry establishes that deck logs exist covering the interval - not that any log was reviewed, is digitized, or describes materials, overhauls, asbestos, or exposure. The 'DL-394' parenthetical is the indexer's alternate-designation note; DD-394 was never officially redesignated DL.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sampson-dd394-03

4. [4]NARA Ship Plan Index, SAMPSON / DD-394 rows (NAIDs 53485561, 175670586) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Ship Plan Index, SAMPSON DD-394 rows

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA's Ship Plan Index lists two SAMPSON DD-394 holdings in RG 19 (Bureau of Ships): Alphabetical Ship Drawings (NAID 53485561) and Microfilm (NAID 175670586). Separate index rows for SAMPSON DD-063 (NAIDs 53485562, 175670585) and SAMPSON DDG-10 (NAIDs 53485735, 153714878, 175670587) confirm NARA distinguishes the hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Limitations

   Catalog entries establish potentially relevant holdings only. No drawing or microfilm was retrieved or inspected; contents - including any construction, machinery, or insulation specification - remain unknown.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sampson-dd394-04

5. [5]Atlas shipyard dataset record 'bath-iron-works' (tier 2; OSHA 1987 inspection citations; documented products incl. Kaylo, Foster Wheeler gaskets, asbestos felt, packing, vinyl tile, adhesives); Somers-class machinery per secondary class references [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipyards.json record 'bath-iron-works', flagship evidence ev-bath-iron-works-01 (OSHA inspection); DANFS spec block (hull dates)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/yard inference only: a Somers-class destroyer built 1936-38 with a high-pressure four-boiler geared-steam plant (Gibbs & Cox design, ~600 psi / 850 deg F class figures) would have carried period-standard asbestos insulation, lagging, gaskets, packing, and fireproofing. The builder yard - Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine - carries an Atlas yard-level record (tier 2) whose documented products include Kaylo pipe covering, Foster Wheeler gaskets, asbestos felt, loose packing, vinyl floor tiles, and adhesives; the yard's flagship evidence is a 1987 OSHA health inspection recording asbestos-standard citations, and litigation product identifications attach to the yard.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1936-1945

   Population

   Bath Iron Works construction trades 1936-38; crew 1938-45

   Limitations

   Class/era and builder-yard inference only - NOT a ship-specific finding. The yard-level asbestos documentation postdates this hull's 1936-38 construction by decades (OSHA inspection 1987; litigation product IDs mid-century and later) and documents yard product usage, not materials installed aboard DD-394. No ship-specific asbestos record for this hull was located; none of the reviewed sources identifies any material aboard.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sampson-dd394-05

6. [6]CourtListener API v4 search results: 'USS Sampson' (o: 1 hit - DiBello 17 M.J. 77, /opinion/8664418/; r: 7 dockets); 'DD-394' (o: 1 hit - Tanner v. Cansler; r: 5 dockets); 'USS Sampson' asbestos (o: 0); 'aboard USS Sampson'/'aboard the Sampson' (o: 0) [court_record]

   Locator

   CourtListener type=o and type=r result sets for 'USS Sampson', 'DD-394', asbestos-qualified and aboard-phrased variants; retrieved 2026-09-27 via cl-auth-search.py

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener authenticated API v4 sweeps 2026-09-27. Exact-name opinion search ('USS Sampson', type=o) returned 1 hit, a later-hull name collision: United States v. DiBello, 17 M.J. 77 (C.M.A. 1983) - court-martial recital naming 'USS SAMPSON (DDG 10)' at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the Charles F. Adams-class guided-missile destroyer in service 1961-1991, also built by Bath Iron Works. 'USS Sampson' + asbestos (type=o): count 0. 'aboard USS Sampson'/'aboard the Sampson' (type=o): count 0. 'DD-394' (type=o): 1 identifier-string collision (Tanner v. Cansler, Fla. App. 1977 - 'DD-394' is a docket-number fragment). 'DD-394' (type=r): 5 identifier-string collisions (political, employment, securities dockets and two bankruptcies, incl. W.R. Grace Ch. 11 where 'DD-394' is a claim/document number). 'USS Sampson' (type=r): 7 dockets - US Navy SEALs v. Biden (declaration appendix), Mitchell v. 3M (D.S.C. removal of NY state case No. 161500/2023), United States v. Butler (S.D. Fla. criminal trial exhibits), Northwest Territorial Mint bankruptcy (W.D. Wash.), Redman v. A.W. Chesterton (N.D. Cal. 2008 asbestos remand declaration), Central Grocers bankruptcy (creditor matrix). Full-text review resolved both ambiguous dockets: Redman - the 'USS Sampson' in ECF No. 11 (Rosenthal declaration exhibit) is 'USS Sampson (DDG-10)' in a Charles F. Adams-class ship list attached to technical reference material, a later-hull collision, non-qualifying; Mitchell - not an asbestos case at all, the removal exhibit pleads PFAS exposure (diabetes, kidney cancer) at military installations and lists 'USS Sampson' among a plaintiff's 1978-1989 duty stations (alongside NTC Great Lakes, NAS Charleston, NAS Mayport, NAS Whiting Field) - a window that chronologically excludes DD-394 (scrapped 1946) and fits only DDG-10 (in service 1961-1991), non-qualifying on both grounds.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   Litigation 1977-2025

   Population

   Unverified - no plaintiff-population link to this hull established

   Limitations

   No opinion names DD-394, and no indexed opinion combines 'USS Sampson' with asbestos. Both ambiguous docket references resolved on full-text review against this hull: Redman's is a DDG-10 class-list reference and Mitchell's is a PFAS (non-asbestos) pleading listing 'USS Sampson' among a plaintiff's 1978-1989 duty stations - chronologically impossible for DD-394 (scrapped 1946) and consistent only with DDG-10. No qualifying asbestos litigation naming DD-394 was located; the sweep's residue is a DDG-10-dominated collision pattern.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sampson-dd394-06

7. [7]Bounded review result across the repositories in this record's search ledger [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-sampson-dd394-01 through -09

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   In the authoritative sources reviewed for this record (verbatim DANFS via the archived NHHC page and the hazegray transcription, NHHC Online Library photo catalog, NARA Special List 44, NARA Ship Plan Index, NARA asbestos research guide, Atlas shipyard dataset, CourtListener opinion and docket sweeps), no document identifies asbestos or a specific asbestos-containing product aboard DD-394. Vessel asbestos content and any individual exposure aboard this hull remain unknown.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1936-2026 (documentation horizon)

   Limitations

   A bounded search result, not proof the hull was asbestos-free. A 1936-38 high-pressure steam destroyer plausibly carried period insulation materials, but no reviewed source identifies them. NARA drawings, microfilm, deck logs, and RG 19 correspondence (filed as 'DD394' hull correspondence in the 1940-1945 series) were not inspected; absence from digitized summaries cannot establish absence aboard.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sampson-dd394-07

8. [8]NARA, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' (research guide: RG 19 correspondence series, General Information Books, deck logs, muster rolls; yard files under QM/<contractor>) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Guide sections: Bureau of Ships General/Confidential/Secret Correspondence; yard-filing convention (NY = public yard, QM = private contractor)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA's guide to researching asbestos aboard Navy vessels (scope: US naval vessels up through 1961) identifies RG 19 Bureau of Ships records - General/Confidential/Secret correspondence 1940-1961 filed by hull designation (e.g., 'DD394'), class ('DD381 Class' for the Somers class namesake), and type ('DD') - plus General Information Books, engineering drawings, deck logs, and muster rolls, as the paths to vessel-specific material evidence. This hull's entire wartime service (1940-1945) falls inside the cited correspondence window; the builder yard's correspondence files would be under 'QM/Bath Iron Works' in the Navy Filing Manual scheme.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Limitations

   Research-method context, not evidence about this hull. No RG 19 correspondence, General Information Book, drawing, or deck-log content for DD-394 was retrieved or inspected; the guide establishes only that a research path exists. Caveat for this hull: construction (1936-38) predates the 1940-1945 correspondence series, so build-era material documentation would live in earlier series or the QM/Bath yard files.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sampson-dd394-08