Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]research packet 904-packet.md (5 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: PHANTOM
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-sc-538-sc538-pkt-904-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Submarine Chaser Photo Archive, SC-538 (ex-PC-538) - build timeline, PC-to-SC reclassification, Soviet transfer, specifications, disposal [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 12/150538.htm header block, chronology block, specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 17 May 1941 by the Peterson Boat Works, Sturgeon Bay, WI; launched 1 April 1942; commissioned USS PC-538 16 May 1942; reclassified SC-538 8 April 1943; transferred to the Soviet Union 16 August 1945 and reclassified BO-321; assigned to the Pacific Fleet 26 August 1945; placed out of service 11 July 1956 and scrapped; struck from the Navy Register 1 January 1983. Specifications: displacement 95 t; length 110'10"; beam 17'; draft 6'6"; speed 21 kts; complement 28; armament one 40mm mount, one or two twin .50-cal machine guns, two or three K-gun depth-charge projectors, 14 depth charges, two Mk 20 Mousetrap rails; propulsion two 1,540-bhp General Motors (Electro-Motive Division) 16-184A diesel engines, two shafts. Page explicitly notes 'There is no DANFS history available for SC-538.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1941-1956; 1983 (U.S. register strike)
- Population
- Peterson Boat Works construction trades (1941-42); U.S. crew (1942-45); Soviet crew (1945-56)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestone dates generally track official records but carry no citations. Transfer-date figure (16 Aug) conflicts with the NHC Project HULA appendix (17 Aug); carried in gaps. Page verified live 2026-10-03 at navsource.net. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-538-sc538-01
-
[3]Richard A. Russell, Project HULA: Secret Soviet-American Cooperation in the War Against Japan, The U.S. Navy in the Modern World Series No. 4 (Washington, DC: Naval Historical Center, 1997) - official NHC publication; appendix transfer table names this hull [other_primary]
- Locator
- Appendix, 'U.S. Navy Combatant Ships Transferred to the USSR Under Project HULA, May-September 1945,' pp. 39-40 (SC538 / BO-321 / 17 Aug. / 1956-stricken row); subchaser-program narrative pp. 28, 34-35
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The NHC transfer appendix lists SC538 -> BO-321, transfer date 17 August 1945, disposition '1956-stricken' - one of 32 submarine chasers transferred at Cold Bay under Project HULA (56 planned; 24 crews remained partially trained when the program closed). Program context from the same official history: Navy Detachment 3294 at Cold Bay (Fort Randall), Alaska, trained ~12,000 Soviet personnel and transferred 149 ships in 142 days; the subchaser program was troubled by 'shoddy repair work and supply shortages in Seattle,' and 13th Naval District subchasers were substituted for unsatisfactory vessels.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945-1956
- Population
- Soviet receiving crew (Aug 1945); Navy Detachment 3294 personnel
- Limitations
- Official NHC monograph - the strongest source for this hull's transfer. Appendix transfer date (17 Aug) conflicts with NavSource (16 Aug) and the Soviet-side secondary record (Soviet crew accepted custody 16 Aug) - consistent with custody transfer preceding the formal flag ceremony, but unresolved; carried in gaps. Book content is program-level except the appendix row; no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-538-sc538-02
-
[4]National Archives photograph of SC-538 at Kodiak, Alaska, 5 May 1943 (cataloged in NavSource photo captions, contributor Jim Flynn) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 12/150538.htm photo block (image 1215053802, '5 May 1943, Kodiak, AK, National Archives photo')
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A National Archives photograph places this hull at Kodiak, Alaska, on 5 May 1943 - physical-presence documentation that she operated in Alaskan waters during the Aleutian-era sea-frontier period, over two years before her Cold Bay transfer.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1943-05-05
- Population
- U.S. crew (1943, Alaskan waters)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: the photograph establishes presence at Kodiak on one date - not a duty station, patrol record, or work history. NARA identifier (NAID) not transcribed in the NavSource caption; the underlying RG photo record was not directly verified this session. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-538-sc538-03
-
[5]U.S. Naval Historical Center, Online Library of Selected Images: USS SC-661, 1942-1945 (mirrored at HyperWar/ibiblio); and USS SC-508 page in same series [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHC Online Library usnsh-s/sc661.htm and usnsh-s/sc508.htm (ibiblio HyperWar mirror)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHC descriptions of sister SC-497-class hulls document the class pattern: SC-661 'a 95-ton 110-foot submarine chaser... loaned to Russia under Lend-Lease in May 1945 and served as BO-303 until 1954'; SC-508 'a 95-ton 110-foot submarine chaser... Commissioned in March 1942 as PC-508 and soon renamed SC-508' - confirming both the class tonnage/length figures and the class-wide PC-to-SC designation change that SC-538 followed. No SC-538 page exists in the NHC Online Library series (checked 2026-10-03).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- SC-497-class crews generally (1942-45)
- Limitations
- Class-level context only - these pages document sister hulls, not SC-538; used to corroborate class tonnage (95 t) and the PC->SC reclassification pattern. Live history.navy.mil equivalents not located; ibiblio HyperWar mirror of NHC Online Library pages used. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-538-sc538-04
-
[6]HyperWar, 'US Navy Sub Chasers, 1940-1945' - SC-497 class specification block and hull disposition table (compiled from official U.S. Navy data) [other_primary]
- Locator
- HyperWar ships-sc.html, 'SC-497 Class' spec block and disposition table, row 'SC-537-538'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The SC-497 class table carries: displacement 98 tons; length 110'10"; beam 17'; draft 6'6"; speed 20 knots; armament 1 x 3"/50, 2x2 .50-cal. mg; complement 2 officers + 20 enlisted; diesel engines, twin screws, 1,200 shaft hp. The hull disposition table lists 'SC-537-538 | 1942-44 | Lend-Lease to USSR' - corroborating this hull's Lend-Lease disposition path.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1942-1944 (table coverage)
- Population
- SC-497-class crews generally
- Limitations
- Compiled secondary index (HyperWar, Patrick Clancey) built on official Navy data - class-table figures differ from NavSource's hull page (98 t vs 95 t; 20 vs 21 kts; 2+20 vs 28 complement; 3"/50 vs 40mm armament), reflecting different reference baselines within the class production run; variants noted in gaps. Ship-specific claim is only the Lend-Lease disposition flag. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-538-sc538-05
-
[7]Naval Marine Archive (shipbuildinghistory dataset), 'Peterson Builders, Sturgeon Bay WI' - yard build table; corroborated by companion 'Sub Chasers PC SC PCE PCS WWII' hull list [other_primary]
- Locator
- navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/shipyards/large/peterson.html, Part '17 Sub Chasers (SC)' table, row 'SC 538'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The builder's-yard table records this hull: 'SC 538 | Unnamed | US Navy | Sub Chaser | 136 | 110 | 16-May-42 | To USSR 1945 as BO 321, struck 1983, scrapped' - corroborating the builder identity, delivery/commissioning date, Soviet transfer, 1983 register strike, and scrapping. The yard built 17 SC-497-class boats for the Navy; Peterson Boat Works was founded 1907, built sub chasers during WWII, and reorganized as Peterson Builders in 1946.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1941-1945; 1983 (register strike)
- Population
- Peterson Boat Works trades (1941-42)
- Limitations
- Secondary compiled yard list (shipbuildinghistory/navalmarinearchive) - consistent with NavSource but not a primary registry. '136' is the table's tonnage/figure column (likely gross tons vs NavSource's 95-t displacement; unverified). The same table mis-dates sister SC-537's USSR transfer to 1946 (Russell's appendix shows 26 May 1945) - yard-table dates used only where they corroborate stronger sources. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-538-sc538-06
-
[8]Era inference built on: NavSource hull specifications (2 x GM EMD 16-184A diesels, wooden hull, no steam plant); HyperWar SC-497 class spec block; NHHC sister-hull descriptions (95-ton 110-foot wooden subchasers) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specs; HyperWar SC-497 spec block; GAO HRD-80-2 product-page description (era context)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A wooden-hulled diesel submarine chaser built 1941-42 sits inside the Navy's asbestos-use era (GAO HRD-80-2: Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not substitute alternatives until the early 1970s), but the hull form sharply bounds the applications: with no boilers or steam plant, the era-typical asbestos-relevant applications aboard a diesel craft of this period were engine-exhaust lagging, gaskets, and machinery packing - not the boiler/turbine/pipe lagging complex of steam vessels.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1941-1956
- Population
- Peterson construction trades (1941-42); U.S. crew (1942-45); Soviet crew (1945-56); Soviet breakers (1956)
- Limitations
- Era inference only - no class-level insulation spec, material list, or survey for the SC-497 type was located, and no ship-specific record exists. Names era-typical applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity; no manufacturer attribution possible for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-538-sc538-07
-
[9]Designation cross-check: NavSource SC-538 page ('commissioned USS PC-538... reclassified SC-538 8 April 1943'); NavSource SC-497 page ('commissioned USS PC-497... reclassified SC-497 in April 1943'); NHC SC-508 page ('Commissioned in March 1942 as PC-508 and soon renamed SC-508'); batch re-scope QA note (2026-09-29) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 12/150538.htm and 12/150497.htm chronology lines; NHC usnsh-s/sc508.htm
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CLARIFICATION of the batch re-scope note ('PC-538 never existed as a PC vessel'): the accurate statement is that no PC-461-class steel patrol craft ever bore number 538 - the steel-PC numbering block skipped it. This hull, a wooden SC-497-type boat, WAS commissioned under the designation PC-538 (16 May 1942) and reclassified SC-538 on 8 April 1943, part of a class-wide reversion in which early wooden boats briefly carried PC numbers before returning to the SC series. 'PC-538' was this hull's real but short-lived designation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1942-1943 (designation window)
- Limitations
- Corrects shorthand in the re-scope note, not a material claim - the underlying conclusion (this is the SC-497-class hull, not a steel PC) is unchanged. The blanket PC->SC reclassification date for the class is documented only per-hull via NavSource (8 Apr 1943 here; April 1943 generally). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-538-sc538-08
-
[10]CourtListener API v4 search results (authenticated, fleet-paced helper): "SC-538" type=o + type=r, "PC-538" type=o + type=r, limit 20 each [court_record]
- Locator
- session captures cl-sc538-opinion.json (12 hits), cl-sc538-docket.json (10), cl-pc538-opinion.json (1), cl-pc538-docket.json (19)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Complete four-query CourtListener base sweep (exact-name and hull-number, opinion + docket indexes) returned 42 hits, ALL name collisions: 'SC 538'/'SC-538' state-court docket numbers (KY/AL/GA) and 'PC 538'/'PC-538' strings inside federal docket text plus one Indiana appellate docket number (49A02-9509-PC-538, McCullough v. State, 1996). Zero qualifying litigation naming the vessel and zero asbestos cases among all hits.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 2026-10-03
- Limitations
- Negative result covers CourtListener opinion and RECAP docket indexes as of 2026-10-03 for the designators 'SC-538' and 'PC-538'. A name match is not proof of absence of every possible filing - coverage is limited to what the indexes return for the quoted designators; 'BO-321' was not queried (Soviet designator, no plausible U.S. litigation surface). No ship or asbestos content in any collision hit.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-538-sc538-09
-
[11]Batch-7913 search ledger (this record): NavSource hull page; NHC Project HULA monograph (HyperWar PDF); NHHC Online Library sister-hull pages; HyperWar SC class table; Peterson yard build table; navalmarinearchive SC list; NVR (no entry); DANFS (no entry); sewar.ru BO-321 (secondary corroboration); CourtListener (complete 4-query sweep, all collisions) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-sc-538-sc538-01 through sl-uss-sc-538-sc538-13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, insulation material list, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming SC-538 / PC-538 / BO-321 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull has no DANFS entry, no NVR entry (pre-1987 disposal), and no preservation/museum documentation. The complete four-query CourtListener base sweep returned only name collisions - no qualifying litigation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 2026-10-03
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - era inference remains. Soviet-side records (Russian naval archives) are not accessible in this workflow; the 1956 scrapping predates ACM-handling disclosure regimes. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-538-sc538-10