USS Sargo (SSN-583)

Evidence

10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).

1. [1]DANFS vol. VI, Sargo II (SSN-583) entry - Mare Island construction; 1960 submerged Arctic-basin exploration including North Pole surfacing; 14 June 1960 stern-room oxygen-charging fire (one crew member killed); first nuclear ship refueled at Pearl Harbor NSY (Internet Archive scan of the official DANFS volume; live NHHC page returned 404) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS vol. VI (R-S), Sargo II entry and spec block (p. 346)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: laid down 21 February 1956 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, Calif.; launched 10 October 1957 (sponsor Mrs. Frank T. Watkins); commissioned 1 October 1958, Comdr. Daniel P. Brooks in command. Designated before completion for an Arctic cruise - sail strengthened at the building yard; further modifications after a 19,000-mile Pacific shakedown; scientific instruments installed after arrival at home port Pearl Harbor 1 October 1959. 18 January 1960: departed under Lt. Comdr. J. H. Nicholson for submerged Arctic-basin exploration; rendezvoused with USCG icebreaker Staten Island near St. Matthews Island 25 January and made her first stationary dive in ice; passed the Diomedes and crossed the Arctic Circle 29 January; passed under the North Pole 9 February (0934) and surfaced through the ice about 25 feet from the pole (1049); rendezvoused with ice island T-3 17 February; returned to Pearl Harbor 3 March 1960 after 11,000+ miles, 6,003 under ice, with new data on Arctic ice, Arctic waters, Alpha Ridge, and deep water at the western end of the Northwest Passage. 14 June 1960: explosion and fire in the stern room while charging oxygen tanks from the dock killed one crew member; shipyard for the remainder of the summer. First 7th Fleet deployment January-May 1961 (Philippines; Sydney Coral Sea Celebration). Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard overhaul July 1962 - winter 1963 - first nuclear ship refueled at that shipyard. August 1964: supported Gulf of Tonkin operations. February 1966 - 5 April 1968: PHNSY overhaul and refueling (third reactor core installed). Eastern and western Pacific schedule maintained into 1974, including joint British-Australian-American South China Sea exercises January 1969 (entry end).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-18

   Study period

   1956-1974

   Population

   MINSY construction trades (1956-58); PHNSY trades (1960 repairs, 1962-63, 1966-68); crew (1958-1988)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. Yard periods are documented as events with no material detail. Live NHHC DANFS page returned 404 - the citation is the Internet Archive full-text scan of the official DANFS volume (verbatim primary text); defect disclosed.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sargo-ssn583-01

2. [2]Lowe v. General Electric Company et al., No. 2:09-cv-64063-ER (E.D. Pa., consolidated under MDL-875; transferred from N.D. Cal. No. 08-04461), Order, Doc. No. 57, filed 2012-06-25 (order dated 2012-06-21, Robreno, J.) - Motion for Summary Judgment of Defendant Warren Pumps, LLC DENIED [court_record]

   Locator

   Doc. No. 57 at 1-2 (vessel list, exposure recital), 7-10 (Lowe and Ay declarations), 13-14 (product-ID/causation holding)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Federal court order in asbestos litigation expressly naming this hull. Plaintiff Admiral Beverly James Lowe alleged asbestos exposure during Navy service July 1958-1964; the Warren Pumps-pertinent exposure is recited as occurring at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Naval Submarine Base (New London), and the Electric Boat Division 'while overseeing new construction of the following submarines: USS Sargo, USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Ethan Allen.' Lowe's declaration - held admissible over 'sham affidavit' and other objections - states he observed original packing removed from Warren pumps aboard ships on 5-30 occasions within about 10 feet, beginning while he served as Engineering Officer at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, that the new pumps had failed during sea trials ('weep' list), and opined the packing was asbestos-containing; expert Charles Ay opined era Warren pumps incorporated asbestos gaskets/packing (John Crane Super Seal #1) and that the observed removal more likely than not involved asbestos. ORDERED 21 June 2012: Warren Pumps' summary-judgment motion DENIED - plaintiff's own declaration constituted sufficient product-identification evidence for a reasonable jury to conclude exposure to asbestos from original Warren-supplied packing as a 'substantial factor' in his asbestosis; maritime law held applicable (exposure aboard ships/submarines = sea-based work); the bare-metal defense did not defeat the claim; punitive-damages claims severed to the MDL court.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-18

   Study period

   1958-1964 (alleged exposure window); 2008-2012 (litigation)

   Population

   Beverly James Lowe (USN officer; Engineering Officer at Mare Island NSY, then submarine new-construction oversight at Mare Island, SUBASE New London, and Electric Boat, 1958-1964)

   Limitations

   Rule 56 sufficiency ruling, not a merits finding - no court found that asbestos exposure aboard this hull in fact occurred; the denial means a reasonable jury could so conclude. The order lists USS Sargo among three submarines of the alleged oversight exposure and does not isolate which hull carried the specific pumps observed. 'USS Sargo' here is the nuclear submarine SSN-583 - the only Sargo extant or under construction at Mare Island in the 1958-64 window (SS-188 was lost in 1945). Sargo commissioned 1 October 1958, so Lowe's July-1958 start covers her fitting-out/sea-trials period - consistent with, but not proof of, the declaration's sea-trials framing. Post-order disposition (remand to N.D. Cal. or settlement) not located. Does not establish quantity, exposure for any other individual, or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sargo-ssn583-02

3. [3]Naval Vessel Register detail page, SARGO (SSN 583), captured 2019-04-15 via Internet Archive Wayback (live nvr.navy.mil detail pages unreachable in this environment) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR SHIPSDETAIL_SSN_583.HTML, Vessel Status and Milestone Dates tables

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Official NVR record: SARGO (SSN 583), submarine (nuclear-powered), class SSN 578; status 'Disposed of by submarine recycling', status changed 04/05/1995; builder Naval Shipyard Mare Island; award 09/29/1955; keel 02/21/1956; launch 10/10/1957; commission/delivery 10/01/1958; decommission 02/26/1988; stricken 04/21/1988; custodian Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton; propulsion 'Steam Turbine (Nuclear)'; 30.0 years commission-to-decommission.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-18

   Study period

   1955-1995

   Limitations

   Official register of status and milestone dates only; contains no asbestos or material information. Wayback capture of the official record; live NVR page unreachable here.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sargo-ssn583-03

4. [4]Navysite.de, USS Sargo (SSN-583) unofficial ship page - post-DANFS disposition data, propulsion, crew figures, incident detail (secondary compilation; not a primary record) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navysite SSN-583 general-characteristics, history, and accidents sections

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Disposition and characteristics (secondary compilation): deactivated 26 February 1988; stricken 21 April 1988; entered the Ship-Submarine Recycling Program 14 April 1994; completed 5 April 1995. Propulsion: one S3W nuclear reactor, two propellers. Crew field: 8 officers, 75 enlisted. Incident detail beyond DANFS: the 14 June 1960 fire began with a leak in the high-pressure line charging oxygen aboard; when dock units could not control it, officers took the submarine a short distance from the dock and submerged it with the stern hatch open to extinguish the blaze - the Navy stated the reactors were sealed off with 'absolutely no danger of an explosion from the reactor compartment'; about three months of drydock repairs; a Thailand royal cruise had been scheduled for the next day. Also: 1960 Bering Strait ice-keel collision during Ice Exercise '60 (bow damage), and 13 October 1965 collision with USS Barb (SSN-596) 15 miles west of Oahu (minor damage, no injuries).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-18

   Study period

   1960-1995

   Population

   PHNSY repair trades (1960); crew (1960, 1965 incidents)

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation (unofficial site), not a primary record - used for disposition corroboration, propulsion detail, and incident detail beyond DANFS. Crew figure (8+75=83) conflicts with DANFS spec block (95) - see gaps. Fire/fatality basics are DANFS-verified; granular detail is the compiler's. No asbestos or material content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sargo-ssn583-04

5. [5]USSVI Bowfin Pearl Harbor Base, 'Tolling of the Boats Lost in June' (2026-06-01) - reproduction of MM3(SS) James E. Smallwood's posthumous Navy and Marine Corps Medal citation for the 14 June 1960 USS Sargo fire; Smallwood Hall dedication [museum_official]

   Locator

   bowfinpearlharborbase.com 'Tolling of the Boats Lost in June' - 'Smallwood Hall' section (citation quoted verbatim)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Veterans' organization reproduction of the official award citation: MM3(SS) James E. Smallwood was killed in the 14 June 1960 stern-room explosion and fire aboard this hull while supervising the charging of high-pressure oxygen at Submarine Base Pearl Harbor - per the citation, he 'firmly and meticulously carried out the ship's safety precautions,' kept the watertight door and bulkhead flappers shut, and 'undoubtedly prevented further loss of life and a probable major disaster'; posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. The page also records that 'Smallwood Hall,' the Submarine Base Pearl Harbor bachelor enlisted quarters, was dedicated to his memory on 26 February 1988 - the same date as Sargo's decommissioning.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-18

   Study period

   1960; 1987-1988

   Population

   MM3(SS) James E. Smallwood (deceased, 1960); Sargo crew during the casualty

   Limitations

   USSVI base publication reproducing the official citation text - the award citation itself is a primary document but is carried here via the veterans' reproduction, not the Navy awards register. Narrative detail beyond the quoted citation is the page author's. No asbestos or material content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sargo-ssn583-05

6. [6]Universal Ship Cancellation Society, 'A History of the Submarines Built at Mare Island Naval Shipyard,' Frame 2 exhibit - USS Sargo SSN-583 entry (naval-history society compilation; secondary) [other_primary]

   Locator

   uscs.org MINSY exhibit, Frame 2, 'USS Sargo SSN-583' entry

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   USCS's Mare Island submarine-construction exhibit identifies this hull as the 'first nuclear submarine built at Mare Island' - the yard's entry into nuclear construction, consistent with the documented sequence (Sargo laid down 1956; the yard's next nuclear boat, Scamp SSN-588, followed in 1959). The same entry corroborates her launch (10 October 1957), the February 1960 North Pole cruise mileage, decommissioning (26 February 1988), and the April 1994 - April 1995 recycling window.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-18

   Study period

   1956-1995

   Population

   MINSY construction trades (1956-58)

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation by a naval-history society, not an official Navy record - used for the yard-construction milestone only. The same entry's 'first to surface at the North Pole' phrasing is imprecise (Skate SSN-578 surfaced there first, March 1959; Sargo's distinction is the winter submerged exploration documented by DANFS) and is not carried.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sargo-ssn583-06

7. [7]Kase v. Metalclad Insulation Corp., Cal. Ct. App. (4th Dist.) 2021 (CourtListener opinions 4324658, 4332654) [court_record]

   Locator

   Opinion, specification-history discussion

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Court-documented era regime: the Navy's submarine insulation procurement specifications (SUBSAFE's MIL-I-24244 post-1963; predecessor BuShips practice before) covered asbestos-containing insulation for submarine construction and overhaul - the regime applicable to this hull's 1956-58 Mare Island build and documented availabilities (post-fire repairs summer 1960; PHNSY overhaul and the yard's first nuclear refueling July 1962 - winter 1963; PHNSY overhaul and third-core refueling February 1966 - April 1968).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-18

   Study period

   2021 (opinion); regime described 1950s-forward

   Population

   Navy submarine construction/maintenance trades

   Limitations

   Sargo is not named in the opinion; documents the era spec regime only. Does not establish materials aboard this hull, exposure, causation, quantity, or eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sargo-ssn583-07

8. [8]Era inference anchored to DANFS-documented construction and yard periods for this hull (Mare Island 1956-58 build; PHNSY refuelings/overhauls 1962-63 and 1966-68) [other_primary]

   Locator

   construction-era inference from DANFS dates and yard periods

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era inference: a first-generation nuclear attack submarine built 1956-58 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in the peak asbestos era would era-typically have carried asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, and packing around its secondary steam and auxiliary machinery; documented yard-disturbance windows (post-fire repairs summer 1960; PHNSY overhaul and the yard's first nuclear refueling July 1962 - winter 1963; PHNSY overhaul and third-core refueling February 1966 - April 1968) are the kind in which era insulation was installed and removed.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-18

   Study period

   1956-1995

   Population

   MINSY construction trades (1956-58); PHNSY trades (1960, 1962-63, 1966-68); crew (1958-1988)

   Limitations

   CLASS/ERA INFERENCE ONLY - no ship-specific material schedule, survey, or insulation record was located for this hull. Nuclear propulsion itself establishes nothing about asbestos; the inference attaches to conventional steam-side systems. Does not establish asbestos aboard USS Sargo, any exposure, or any quantity.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sargo-ssn583-08

9. [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 that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - covering this hull's entire construction era (1956-58) and all service-era insulation events (1960 repairs; 1962-63 and 1966-68 PHNSY refueling overhauls; later availabilities).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-18

   Study period

   1979

   Population

   Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review

   Limitations

   Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403) - content via product-page description.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-sargo-ssn583-09

10. [10]Negative finding: beyond the Lowe order (ev-02), no qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located across DANFS/NHHC, NVR, litigation, and ACM-survey/abatement/disposal sweeps (direct CourtListener sweep blocked - see limitations) [other_primary]

    Locator

    see search_ledger sl-uss-sargo-ssn583-01..10

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Beyond the Lowe summary-judgment order, no qualifying ship-specific asbestos record was located: no hull ACM survey, abatement contract, or Ship-Submarine Recycling Program hazmat disclosure naming USS Sargo (SSN-583) was found, and no merits-level exposure adjudication exists - Lowe remains a sufficiency-stage record. Direct CourtListener API v4 sweeps (exact-name 'USS Sargo' and hull-number 'SSN-583', type=r and type=o) could not be executed - the shared 125/day quota was exhausted (HTTP 429); web-indexed court records surfaced no qualifying hit beyond Lowe.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-18

    Study period

    2026-09-18

    Limitations

    Absence of a located record is not proof no record exists - the direct CourtListener sweep was blocked by the documented rate limit and remains an open re-run lead; the Mare Island worker 'Exhibit A' vessel rosters identified in sibling batches (Cooks, Halseth, Estes, Davis, Cronin, Agena v. GE et al.) are plausible hosts for an SSN-583 string since she was built at Mare Island, but could not be index-verified this pass. The 1995 recycling-disposal path left no retrievable hazmat-disclosure trail in located sources. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-sargo-ssn583-10