Evidence
15 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-15).
-
[1]research packet 921-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: MISMATCH — real identity: USS **SC-659** — a 110-foot wooden submarine chaser (USCG documentation below confirms type via the WAVR conversion lineage: "existing hulls from the surplus of USN 110' wooden Submarine Chasers").
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-sc-659-sc659-pkt-921-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Submarine Chaser Photo Archive, USCGC Air Gannett (WAVR 423) ex-USS SC-659, ex-USS PC-659 - construction timeline, specifications, Navy-to-Coast-Guard transfer and disposal (verified live via firecrawl 2026-10-03) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 12/150659.htm header block, timeline list, specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 16 December 1941 by American Cruiser Inc., Trenton, MI; launched 29 June 1942; delivered 7 October 1942 and commissioned USS PC-659; reclassified SC-659 in April 1943; transferred to the Coast Guard 19 October 1945; commissioned USCGC Air Gannett (WAVR 423) 5 December 1945; struck from the Naval Register 3 January 1946; sold 26 September 1947; 'Burned in Krabs Lake, Pascagoula, MS in 1963.' Specifications: displacement 94 t.; length 110'10"; beam 17'; draft 6'6"; speed 21 kts.; complement 28; armament one 40mm gun mount, two .50 cal. machine guns, two 'Y Gun' depth-charge projectors, two depth-charge tracks; propulsion two 1,540 bhp General Motors (Electro-Motive Div.) 16-184A diesels, two shafts. Call sign Nan-William-Tare-Charlie. One photo credited to Historical Collections of the Great Lakes.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1941-1963
- Population
- American Cruiser construction trades (1941-42); Navy crew (1942-45); Coast Guard crew/caretakers (1945-47); merchant crews (1947-c.1963)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestone dates here are corroborated by uboat.net (construction dates), Flynn/USCG Historian compilations (CG entry and sale dates), and shipbuildinghistory (delivery, USCG disposition). 'Krabs Lake' is a NavSource misspelling - the Jackson County MS waterway is Krebs Lake (USGS, NOAA charts, USACE reports). The 'commissioned USS PC-659' notation reflects the class-wide temporary PC hull-symbol assignment on SC-497-class hulls, not a PC-461-class vessel (see ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-12).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-01
-
[3]uboat.net, Allied Warships: USS SC-659 (SC-659), submarine chaser of the SC-497 class - ordered/laid-down/launched/commissioned dates and one wartime escort event (verified live via firecrawl 2026-10-03) [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship page 8876, data table and 'Notable events' section
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Independent corroboration of milestones: ordered 18 September 1941; laid down 16 December 1941; launched 29 June 1942; commissioned 7 October 1942; built by American Cruiser Inc. (Trenton, Michigan). One documented wartime event: the damaged light cruiser HMS Phoebe (Capt. C.P. Frend, RN) departed Key West for New York 11 January 1943 escorted by USS YMS-36, USS SC-682, and USS SC-692; 'On 13 January 1943, USS YMS-36 and USS SC-692 were relieved by USS SC-659 (Ens. R.W. Hahn, USNR). On 14 January 1943 USS SC-659 parted company after having been relieved.' Phoebe arrived Gravesend Bay ~2030 on 15 January.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1941-1945
- Population
- Ens. R.W. Hahn USNR and crew (January 1943 escort)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation (specialist naval-reference site, not an official registry); used for milestone corroboration and the escort event only. Lists the hull as SC-677-series 'USS SC-659' throughout - including for the January 1943 event that predates the documented April 1943 PC->SC reclassification (she was administratively PC-659 at the time; see ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-12). No asbestos content; no other theater or assignment record for this hull was located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-02
-
[4]U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, 'Air Class Cutters' (history.uscg.mil, dated 2020-04-13; verified live via firecrawl 2026-10-03) [other_primary]
- Locator
- history.uscg.mil Air Class Cutters article 2148105 - narrative paragraph, spec block, and transfer list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official USCG program documentation naming this hull: 'The Air Class cutters were 70 Navy SC 497-class patrol boats the Coast Guard requested to be permanently transferred from the Navy to the Coast Guard for air-sea-rescue duties. Initially, 36 were provided on a loan basis. However, due to a shortage of CG personnel immediately following World War II, few 110-foot SCs became operational and those that did saw little service. Those units placed "in commission in reserve" status were assigned one deck petty officer and one engine-room rate as caretakers.' AIR GANNET appears in the official list of Air-class cutters transferred to the Coast Guard. Class service details: 2 GM Model 16-184A diesels, twin screw, 135 tons displacement, 111 ft 6 in length, complement 16 (1 officer, 15 enlisted) in CG configuration; electronics SF-1 radar; armament reduced to small arms.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945-1947
- Population
- Coast Guard Air-class crews and 2-man caretaker crews (1945-47)
- Limitations
- Names this hull in the transferred-cutter list but gives no Air Gannet-specific station, operational history, or decommissioning date - consistent with the documented 'few became operational' program reality. The spec block on the page is generic to the class (its builder line cites Dooley's Basin, a different yard). No asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-03
-
[5]James T. Flynn, 'U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Craft Major Classes - 100-feet to 150 feet in Length 1915 to 2012, Part 1' (USCG Historian's Office compilation distributed via media.defense.gov; fetched via firecrawl 2026-10-03, direct curl 403) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Flynn patrol-craft compilation, '110-foot World War II SC's - Air Class WAVR's' section (narrative + roster table row WAVR 423)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Flynn's Air-class WAVR roster gives this hull's Coast Guard dates: 'WAVR 423 | Air Gannet | ex. SC-659 | 5Dec1945 | Sold 26Sep1947.' Program narrative: surplus USN 110' wooden submarine chasers were chosen for the post-WWII air-rescue expansion, 'Quickly stripped of their armament and already equipped with most of the needed Electronics and other essential gear'; post-war demobilization of USCG Reservists left too few Coast Guardsmen to man the WAVRs, 'The result was that very few WAVR's actually entered full service, but instead were placed "In Commission in Reserve" with a two man skeleton crew of care takers.' 'By 1947 all of the 70 WAVR's were Decommissioned Awaiting Disposal.' Class specs: Displ. 134-Tfl; 110'10"x17'x6.5'; 2 diesels 1,540 (or 800) HP, 2 screws; 21 (or 15.6) kts; complement 3 officers + 25 enlisted (Navy configuration); armament 1-3"/23, 2-.50 cal MG, 2 mousetrap, 2 DC tracks (removed in CG service).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945-1947
- Population
- Air-class caretaker crews (1945-47)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific CG dates corroborating NavSource; no station assignment or operational record for Air Gannet is given (consistent with caretaker-crew status). Flynn is a USCG Historian-compiled reference work, not a registry; OCR-quality errors exist in the table ('Kestral', 'Graylag', 'Kildeer'). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-04
-
[6]James T. Flynn, 'U.S. Coast Guard "W" Numbers' (USCG Historian's Office compilation distributed via media.defense.gov; fetched via firecrawl 2026-10-03, direct curl 403) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Flynn W-numbers table, 423 block
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The official-style USCG hull-number cross-index lists 'WAVR 423 Air Gannet ex. SC-659', confirming the designation chain SC-659 -> WAVR-423 for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945-1947
- Limitations
- Cross-index only - confirms designation and lineage, nothing else. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-05
-
[7]'List of Boats Owned by the Smiths' (Lewes Historical Society compilation, E.L. Sherrill III, hosted by Delaware Public Archives, archivesfiles.delaware.gov; fetched via firecrawl 2026-10-03) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SC_214 PDF: fleet table row 51, footnote 3, official-number table, disposition-unknown section
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Post-sale merchant service documented: the hull appears as fleet No. 51 in the Smith fleet list - '1942 | Air Gannet | 107.1 [registered length] | Texas Menhaden Co.' with footnote 'Formerly the WAVR-423 (USCG) and the SC-659 (USN). (Subchaser converted to air-sea rescue vessel.)' The associated official-number table lists 'Air Gannet 259057', matching the wartime O.N. recorded in the shipbuildinghistory yard table. The Smiths' divisions (Fish Products Co., Smith-Meal Co., Fish Meal Co., Atlantic Navigation Co., Texas Menhaden Co.) ran the Lewes DE / Reedville VA menhaden fleets with Gulf operations; the list's compiler records her disposition as unknown (2001).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1947-1963
- Population
- Merchant crews, Texas Menhaden Co. menhaden fishery (1947-c.1959+)
- Limitations
- Private fleet-list compilation hosted by a state archive - authoritative for fleet membership and official number, not a registry document. The registered length (107.1 ft) is the documented figure under measurement, not a different hull. The list does not date her acquisition or departure from Smith ownership - it brackets her merchant service as Texas Menhaden Co. property between the 1947 sale and the 1959-still-documented NARA file. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-06
-
[8]National Archives at Atlanta finding aid, 'RG 26, 36, 41 - Vessel Documentation Case Files - Fernandina, Florida' (archives.gov; verified live via firecrawl 2026-10-03) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov Atlanta finding aid, alphabetical vessel table row 'Air Gannet'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A U.S. vessel-documentation case file for this hull exists at the National Archives at Atlanta: the finding aid lists 'Air Gannet | 259057 | 1959 | 1 | 36 | Oil screw' - a merchant vessel documentation file under official number 259057 (matching the wartime/post-sale O.N.), dated 1959, in Record Group 36 (U.S. Customs Service) from the Fernandina, Florida custom district. The file demonstrates the hull remained documented on the merchant registry into at least 1959.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1947-1959+
- Population
- Merchant documentation chain (1959)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: the finding aid establishes that a documentation case file exists, not its contents - the file was not examined and is not digitized. File contents (mortgages, enrollment, surrender date) could pin down her exact merchant-service window and final documented owner. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-07
-
[9]shipbuildinghistory.com (T. Colton), 'American Cruiser Works, Riverside MI' yard table + 'U.S.C.G. Air-Sea-Rescue Cutters (WAVR)' table + 'Sub Chasers Built During WWII' SC list (verified live via firecrawl 2026-10-03; mirrored at navalmarinearchive.com and shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net) [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com American Cruiser yard table row SC 659; wavr.htm row 659/423; pc2 master SC table row SC-659
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Yard-record compilation: SC 659, O.N. 259057, US Navy sub chaser, 136 LDT / 110 ft, delivered 7-Oct-42, disposition 'To USCG 1945 as Air Gannett (WAVR 423), sold 1948 as Air Gannett, burnt 1963' - built at American Cruiser Works (yard page headed 'Riverside MI'; the same compiler's master SC table gives 'American Cruiser, Wilmington DE', and the WAVR table also 'Wilmington DE'). The compiler notes on the yard page that he 'can find no information about this company' - a very small wartime boat yard whose located output was ten SC-497-class hulls (SC 511, 512, 658, 659, 682-687).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1941-1963
- Population
- American Cruiser yard trades (1941-42)
- Limitations
- Shipbuilding-history compilation (secondary, the standard reference for U.S. yard output); corroborates delivery date, official number, and the USCG/merchant/burned disposition chain. Yard location is internally inconsistent in this source (Riverside MI header vs Detroit/Wilmington DE rows - Wilmington DE is almost certainly an error; see ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-09 for the official USN record placing American Cruiser Co. at Detroit/Trenton/Wyandotte MI). Its 'sold 1948' conflicts with Flynn and NavSource's 26 Sep 1947. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-08
-
[10]'U.S. Naval Activities, World War II, by State' - Michigan section (official USN administrative-history compilation, HyperWar/ibiblio transcription; verified live via firecrawl 2026-10-03) [other_primary]
- Locator
- USN-Act MI.html, Detroit item 30; Trenton section item 1; Wyandotte section item 1
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official U.S. Navy wartime administrative index corroborating this hull's builder and its Michigan location: 'Supervisor of Shipbuilding, American Cruiser Co., Detroit, Mich.' (headquarters list), 'Branch Office, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, American Cruiser Co., Trenton, Mich.' (Trenton section), and 'Supervisor of Shipbuilding, American Cruiser Co., Wyandotte, Mich.' (Wyandotte section). The official record fixes American Cruiser Co. in the downriver Detroit communities of Detroit/Trenton/Wyandotte - consistent with NavSource's 'Trenton, MI' for this hull and against the 'Wilmington DE' figure in shipbuildinghistory's tables.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1941-1945
- Population
- American Cruiser yard trades (1941-42)
- Limitations
- Document-type caveat: the index lists the Navy's Supervisor-of-Shipbuilding offices overseeing the builder, which is strong but indirect evidence of where the yard built this hull. 'Riverside MI' (shipbuildinghistory yard header) is consistent with the same downriver area (Riverview adjoins Trenton). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-09
-
[11]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (wooden SC-497-class hull, 2x GM 16-184A diesels); USCG Historian Air-class page and Flynn patrol-craft specs (same plant); shipbuildinghistory builder record (small emergency boat yard, 1941-42 build); GAO HRD-80-2 era context (ev-11) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; Flynn/USCG spec blocks; shipbuildinghistory yard table; GAO HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A 110-foot wooden-hulled submarine chaser delivered in October 1942 by a small boat yard sits inside the U.S. Navy's documented peak asbestos-use era. Era-standard asbestos applications aboard a diesel-powered wooden SC of this period were limited but present in kind: diesel-engine exhaust lagging and muffler insulation, gaskets and flange packing in engine and piping systems, valve stem packing, and electrical insulation in the confined below-decks crew spaces. The wooden hull eliminated structural lagging, and the diesel plant eliminated the boiler/steam-line insulation that dominated asbestos exposure on steam vessels - the exposure profile of this type is engine-room-centered and smaller in absolute quantity than that of steam combatants, but the confined-volume dynamic of a 110-foot craft applies.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1941-1963
- Population
- American Cruiser yard trades (1941-42); Navy engine-room ratings and crew (1942-45); USCG engine-room caretaker and crew (1945-47); merchant crews (1947-63); persons present at the 1963 Krebs Lake burning
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or purchase record located for SC-659. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity; no manufacturer attribution. The wooden-hull/diesel design materially narrows the plausible asbestos footprint relative to steel steam vessels - inference should not be read as 'heavily insulated'.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-10
-
[12]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 - spanning this hull's entire construction (1941-42) and government service era (1942-47).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- 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, confirmed 2026-10-03) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-11
-
[13]NavSource SC-497 class-name page + SC photo index (12/15idx.htm) - class-wide 'ex-PC' reclassification pattern (both verified live via firecrawl this session, 2026-10-03; NavSource SC-659 page header styles her 'ex-USS PC-659') [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 12/150659.htm header ('ex-USS PC-659') and timeline; NavSource 12/150497.htm and 12/15idx.htm 'ex-PC' notations
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CLARIFICATION: NavSource styles this hull 'ex-USS PC-659' and records 'delivered 7 October 1942 and commissioned USS PC-659, reclassified SC-659 in April 1943.' This is not evidence that a PC-461-class patrol craft numbered PC-659 ever existed (the PC-461-class numbering block skips the 628-669 SC range - the basis of the Trill fact-QA re-scope of this record to SC-659): the early SC-497-class boats were commissioned under temporary PC hull symbols and reverted to SC in April 1943. The class namesake SC-497 itself commissioned as USS PC-497 and was reclassified SC-497 the same month, and the NavSource index shows the same 'ex-PC-nnn' notation across the early class (PC-497/498/501/503/504, PC-536-539, PC-639, PC-642/643, PC-667, and others). The January 1943 HMS Phoebe escort documented at uboat.net therefore belongs to this hull under its then-current PC-659 designation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1942-1943 (designation window)
- Limitations
- Corrects a catalog-level ambiguity, not a material claim: the hull was always an SC-497-class wooden subchaser; PC-659 was an administrative hull-symbol carried from commissioning to April 1943. Reclassification month rests on NavSource - no day-level date located; navypedia omits the PC prefix entirely for this hull. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-12
-
[14]CourtListener API v4 searches via cl-auth-search.py (authenticated, fleet-paced): base queries for this hull per batch protocol [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-sc-659-sc659-13 (opinion query result) and -14 (queued queries)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Partially executed: the "SC-659" opinion query (type=o, limit 20) returned 2,665 hits, all of them name collisions on state appellate docket-number fragments - Indiana '20A-SC-659', Kentucky '2002-SC-0659-MR'/'2004-SC-0659-KB'/'94-SC-659-DG'/'2011-SC-000659-DG', Michigan 'SC 659'/'SC-2023-0659', Alabama and Tennessee fragments - with zero mentions of the vessel, subchasers, or asbestos on the examined page. The remaining three base queries ("SC-659" docket; "Air Gannet" opinion + docket) were attempted but repeatedly denied by the fleet pacing budget (hourly token starvation shared across batch sessions); they never reached the API. Not a complete negative: the docket index and the Air Gannet name-space remain unsearched.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 2026-10-03
- Limitations
- Partial result, not a negative: one of four base queries ran (all collisions); three remain queued behind fleet pacing. A name collision is not a case; equally, a clean opinion page does not establish the absence of docketed litigation naming this hull or her Coast Guard name. Re-run the outstanding base queries when the budget frees; 'SC-659 asbestos' variant is permitted under protocol because the base opinion query overflowed its page.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-13
-
[15]Batch-8033 search ledger (this record): NavSource; uboat.net; USCG Historian Air-class page; Flynn patrol-craft and W-numbers PDFs (media.defense.gov); shipbuildinghistory (+NMA/njscuba mirrors); HyperWar official USN activities index (Michigan); Delaware Public Archives Smith fleet list; NARA Atlanta vessel-documentation finding aid; USCG muster-roll finding aid (NARA RG 26 Entry 108A); NHHC DANFS; NVR; NARA catalog (JS-blocked); CourtListener (partial - see ledger); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-sc-659-sc659-01 through -16
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS SC-659 / PC-659 / USCGC Air Gannet (WAVR-423 / ON 259057) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CAVEATS: CourtListener was only partially searched this session - the SC-659 opinion index returned all name collisions, and the docket index and Air Gannet name-space remain unsearched (fleet pacing). There is no DANFS entry for this hull (NHHC page absent) and no NVR entry (disposed 1947, before the NVR's post-1987 coverage). The USCG muster-roll finding aid lists folders for sister hulls (SC-511, SC-512, et al.) but none for SC-659 or Air Gannet. The hull's 1947-1963 merchant trail is documented (Smith fleet list, NARA ON 259057 file) but carries no material records; the 1963 Krebs Lake burning is attested only in secondary compilations.
- 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-standard diesel-exhaust lagging, gaskets, packing, and electrical insulation on a 1942 diesel craft would not require a ship-specific record to exist. The litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (partially paced). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sc-659-sc659-14