USS SWASEY (DD-273)

Evidence

15 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-15).

1. [1]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Swasey I (DD-273)' (verbatim transcription; live NHHC page returns 404 - standing NHHC link rot) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry, specifications block + service narrative (entire entry is 3 short paragraphs)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS record for this hull (Swasey I): Clemson class; 1,216 tons displacement; 314'4" length; 30'11" beam; 9'4" draft; 34+ knots; complement 122; armament 4x4-inch, 1x3-inch, 12x21-inch torpedo tubes. Laid down 27 August 1918 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Squantum, Mass.; launched 7 May 1919; sponsored by Miss Mary L. Swasey; commissioned 8 August 1919. Assigned to the Pacific Fleet; arrived Pearl Harbor fall 1919; served there until summer 1922; returned to San Diego; decommissioned at San Diego 10 June 1922; in the reserve fleet 17 years; reactivated 18 December 1939; after an overhaul and sea trials, transferred to Great Britain 26 November 1940; struck from the Navy list 8 January 1941.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1918-1941 (U.S. Navy career)

   Population

   Bethlehem Squantum Victory Destroyer Plant construction trades 1918-19; Navy crew 1919-1922 and 1939-1940 (DANFS spec complement 122)

   Limitations

   DANFS documents service history and design specifications, not materials or asbestos content; the overhaul location and scope for the 1939-40 reactivation are not stated. Mirror transcription cited because no live NHHC page for Swasey I was located (all tested history.navy.mil URL patterns returned 404). naval-history.net gives the U.S. commissioning as 31 July 1919 - conflict carried in gaps, DANFS figure used.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-swasey-dd273-01

2. [2]naval-history.net, 'HMS Rockingham (G 58) - ex-US Destroyer,' Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2, Lt Cdr Geoffrey B. Mason RN (Rtd), 2005 (compiled from Admiralty records; includes Don Kindell convoy-movement addendum) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Ship header paragraph; 'Details of War Service' 1940-1944 entries; battle honours line

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Royal Navy service of this hull as HMS Rockingham (G 58), from Lt Cdr Geoffrey B. Mason's compiled service history: transferred to the RN and commissioned at Halifax, Nova Scotia 26 November 1940; arrived Devonport 22 December 1940 and refitted by HM Dockyard (mainmast removed, after three funnels reduced, after 3-inch and 4-inch mountings landed, British 12-pdr HA gun fitted in X-position, depth-charge throwers and RN ASDIC recorders fitted); joined 8th Escort Group for Western Approaches convoy defence February 1941; commercial-yard refit at Southampton 14 May - 21 August 1941 with 'Stage 2' modifications (20mm Oerlikons, forward torpedo-tube set removed, British triple centreline mounting fitted); 1st Escort Group, Londonderry, from October 1941; troop/special convoy work December 1941 - March 1942 (CT8, NA1, CT10, AMC Ausonia Bermuda escort, NA4, WS17); Atlantic convoys with 1st EG April - May 1942 (incl. ONS16); London refit 23 June - October/November 1942 (Type 271 and Type 286 radar fitted); MKF1 escort November 1942; Atlantic convoys January - July 1943 (ON162, SC119, ON171); withdrawn August 1943 and converted at a Belfast shipyard to an Air Target Ship through mid-December 1943; work-up at Tobermory; allocated to Rosyth Command 11 January 1944 as a target for aircrew training off eastern Scotland. Battle honours: Atlantic 1941-43, Biscay 1943.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1940-1944 (Royal Navy career)

   Population

   RN crew, HMS Rockingham 1940-1944; HM Dockyard Devonport and commercial-yard refit workforces (Southampton 1941, London 1942, Belfast 1943)

   Limitations

   A respected compiled service history drawing on Admiralty records - it is secondary compilation, not the underlying documents; refit scopes are recorded as events without material content. No asbestos, insulation, or hazmat content anywhere in the record. The site labels this transferred-Clemson subtype 'Type A - BELMONT-Class'; pennant rendered G 58.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-swasey-dd273-02

3. [3]NavSource Naval History destroyer archive, USS Swasey (DD-273) page (Wayback capture 2024-12-09; live navsource.org refuses automated fetches) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource DD-273 page - spec block, building-data lines, fate line, namesake bio cell, 'On British Service' summary, commanding-officer list, photo caption grid

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource/NHHC-photo-archive record for this hull (Wayback capture): Clemson class; machinery '26,500 SHP; Geared Turbines, 2 screws'; 35 knots; crew 114; laid down by Bethlehem Shipbuilding, Squantum 27 August 1918; stricken 8 January 1941; 'Struck mine September 27 1944 30 miles southeast of Aberdeen and sank while under tow.' Commanding-officer list (compiled by Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves): LCDR Forde Anderson Todd Aug 1919 - Aug 1920; CDR James David Willson Aug 1920 - Jul 1921; LT Leon Buford Scott Jul 1921 - Jun 1922; LCDR Bruce Draper Kelley Dec 1939 - Nov 1940. Carries the DANFS namesake biography: Lieutenant Charles Swasey, born in Massachusetts, appointed midshipman 28 September 1854, commissioned lieutenant 31 August 1861, served aboard Varuna (engagement with Governor Moore below New Orleans, 24 April 1862) and as executive officer of Sciota, West Gulf Blockading Squadron; wounded near Donaldsville, La., 4 October 1862 and died the same day. Robert Hurst's British-service summary adds: on 27 September 1944, returning to Aberdeen, 'poor navigation brought her into the defensive minefields off the east coast' - a friendly-field loss consistent with naval-history.net's note that the mine was probably part of the British East Coast Barrier.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1918-1944

   Population

   Navy crew 1919-22 and 1939-40 (per CO-list periods); RN crew 1940-44

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer-run archive hosting official NHHC/NARA/IWM photographs - the images and captions are primary; header spec/fate lines and the CO list are compilations. Crew figure 114 conflicts with DANFS 122 (carried in gaps); its 'Geared Turbines' line is a compilation, not a hull machinery survey. The namesake bio is DANFS biographical text (omitted from the hazegray transcription of this entry). No asbestos or materials content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-swasey-dd273-03

4. [4]U.S. Navy Filing Manual, 1941 (4th edition), destroyer (DD) ship list - HyperWar transcription [other_primary]

   Locator

   NFM 1941 DD section, 'DD273 Swasey (stricken)' line

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Contemporaneous Navy administrative documentation for this hull: the 1941 Navy Filing Manual destroyer index lists 'DD273 Swasey (stricken)' - confirming the hull was off the Navy list by the manual's 1941 compilation, consistent with the DANFS-recorded 8 January 1941 striking after the November 1940 transfer.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1941

   Limitations

   The filing manual documents stricken status at its 1941 compilation date but gives no exact strike date; the 8 January 1941 figure rests on DANFS/NavSource. No materials or asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-swasey-dd273-04

5. [5]National Archives, Special List 44, Named Vessels, Swasey (DD-273) and Swasey (DE-248) entries [other_primary]

   Locator

   Alphabetical named-vessels table, three Swasey (DD-273) rows and one Swasey (DE-248) row

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA's Special List 44 (Named Vessels deck-log index) lists three deck-log runs for Swasey (DD-273): 8/8/1919 - 12/31/1921; 1/1/1922 - 6/10/1922 (a duplicate row for the same run is annotated 'see Shubrick, 1922' - part of that period's log may be filed under sister USS Shubrick DD-268); and 12/18/1939 - 11/26/1940. The run boundaries exactly match the DANFS commissioning, first decommissioning, reactivation, and Halifax transfer dates. The same index lists Swasey (DE-248) 8/31/1943 - 6/30/1945 - the same-name destroyer escort, useful for disambiguation.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1919-1922; 1939-1940

   Limitations

   Collection coverage index only; the deck logs themselves were not inspected, and NARA states deck logs provide no direct evidence of shipboard asbestos. No HMS Rockingham-era (RN) run appears in the U.S. list; RN logs would be at the UK National Archives (not checked to item level).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-swasey-dd273-05

6. [6]U.S. Naval Historical Center photograph NH 43161, Online Library of Selected Images caption (HyperWar mirror) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NH 43161 picture-data caption, verbatim

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Official U.S. Naval Historical Center photograph NH 43161 documents this hull during construction: 'Victory Destroyer Plant, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Squantum, Massachusetts - Interior of the wet slips, photographed between 24 May and 21 July 1919 by Monks & Johnson, Boston, Mass. Ships whose bows are visible at right are (from front to rear): Meade (Destroyer #274), Swasey (Destroyer #273), Morris (Destroyer #271), and Tingey (Destroyer #272). Note ship components awaiting installation...' A contemporaneous official photograph placing DD-273 in the Squantum wet slips in the post-launch fitting-out period.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1919

   Population

   Bethlehem Squantum yard workforce, fitting-out period May-July 1919

   Limitations

   Photographic catalog record - documents the hull physically present and fitting out at the Squantum 'Victory Destroyer Plant' in mid-1919 with 'ship components awaiting installation'; says nothing about component or insulation materials, asbestos content, or which components were already aboard.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-swasey-dd273-06

7. [7]Imperial War Museums collections, object 205120979, photograph FL 12226 [museum_official]

   Locator

   IWM collections object page - catalogue number FL 12226, subject line 'ROCKINGHAM (ex USS SWASEY)'

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Imperial War Museums cataloged photograph FL 12226: 'HMS ROCKINGHAM,' cataloged under 'ROCKINGHAM (ex USS SWASEY)' - port bow view; Royal Navy official photographer; Ministry of Defence Foxhill Collection of Ship Photographs (IWM object 205120979). An official British photographic record of this hull in RN service. NavSource's captions also carry IWM Admiralty Official photo A 12498 (HMS Rockingham underway circa 1942, probably at Liverpool after her London refit).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1940-1944

   Population

   RN crew, HMS Rockingham (photographic record only)

   Limitations

   Photographic catalog record establishes this hull's RN-service appearance only; no material or asbestos content. iwm.org.uk blocks automated fetches (HTTP 403) - catalog details verified via search-returned object text and NavSource's caption reproduction.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-swasey-dd273-07

8. [8]DANFS specifications block (Clemson class, steam destroyer, 1918-19 construction) + Atlas shipyard dataset record 'bethlehem-shipbuilding' (corporate-level yard documentation) [other_primary]

   Locator

   DANFS specifications block; shipyards.json record 'bethlehem-shipbuilding'

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference only: a Clemson-class flush-decker built 1918-19 at Bethlehem Shipbuilding's Squantum 'Victory Destroyer Plant' with a steam plant (four boilers and geared turbines per class design; NavSource compilation lists 26,500 SHP) would have carried period-standard asbestos thermal insulation - era magnesia block/lagging (typically asbestos-felted), boiler and steam-line insulation, gaskets, packing, and related products. Yard-level context is weaker than for Fore River-built sisters: the Atlas shipyards dataset has no distinct entry for the Squantum yard; the corporate-level 'bethlehem-shipbuilding' record documents asbestos products (85% magnesia block, Marinite board, Transite pipe covering, Aircell, Armabestos, Limpet spray, Unibestos, Raybestos cloth, asbestos sheets, gaskets/packing, welding blankets/rods) but its evidence is anchored substantially to Sparrows Point (Baltimore) cohort studies and EPA site records - different physical yards of the same corporate family, not Squantum specifically.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1918-1944

   Population

   Bethlehem Squantum construction trades 1918-19; Navy crew 1919-22 and 1939-40; RN crew 1940-44

   Limitations

   Class/era and corporate-yard inference only - not a ship-specific finding. The yard dataset's asbestos documentation derives from cohort studies and EPA records for other Bethlehem yards (chiefly Sparrows Point, Baltimore); it evidences the corporate family's asbestos product environment, not installation on DD-273 at Squantum. Hull-level construction specifications would resolve this - NARA's Ship Plan Index does index DD-273 drawings (see ev-12), but they were not retrieved.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-swasey-dd273-08

9. [9]UK Treaty Series No. 21 (1940), 'Exchange of Notes regarding United States Destroyers and Naval and Air Facilities for the United States in British Transatlantic Territories,' Washington, 2 September 1940 (FCDO treaty library PDF) [other_primary]

   Locator

   TS 21/1940 exchange-of-notes text (Ambassador Lothian to Secretary Hull); DANFS narrative for this hull's inclusion

   Finding type

   regulatory

   Finding

   The legal instrument under which this hull left U.S. service: the Anglo-American exchange of notes of 2 September 1940 ('Destroyers for Bases' agreement; UK Treaty Series No. 21 of 1940; 54 Stat. 2405, E.A.S. 181), under which the United States transferred 50 over-age destroyers to Great Britain in exchange for 99-year leases on naval and air base sites in British transatlantic territories and Newfoundland. DANFS documents Swasey among the ships so transferred (26 November 1940); naval-history.net records the RN commissioning at Halifax that day.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-27

   Study period

   1940

   Limitations

   The agreement does not name individual hulls; this hull's inclusion rests on the DANFS narrative (ev-01) and the RN commissioning record (ev-02). The instrument is context for the transfer, not evidence of any material condition aboard.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-swasey-dd273-09

10. [10]The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2026, S.I. 2026/286, Schedule 1 (in force 30 March 2026) + Aberdeenshire Council HER record NP63SW0001 (official UK local-government historic environment record) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Schedule 1 designated-vessels table - full alphabetical review; HER detail page https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/smrpub/master/detail.aspx?refno=NP63SW0001

    Finding type

    regulatory

    Finding

    Wreck-status check for this hull: HMS Rockingham is NOT among the vessels designated under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 in the consolidated designation order (S.I. 2026/286, Schedule 1, reviewed in full - the R section contains only HMS Recruit and HMS Repulse; no Rockingham entry). The wreck is therefore not a statutorily designated protected vessel; as a sunken Royal Navy warship it remains Crown property and a maritime war grave in practice. It is not a US 'sunken military craft' under 32 CFR 767.3 because title had passed to the United Kingdom before the sinking. The Aberdeenshire Council Historic Environment Record catalogs the wreck site (NP63SW0001): 'The destroyer HMS ROCKINGHAM (formerly named as USNS SWASEY) was mined on the 27th September 1944 at N56 47 W1 30, towed, abandoned and sank... built at Bethlehem (Squantum) and launched on 7 May 1919,' pennant G.58, fifth/last group of the Town class.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-27

    Study period

    1986-present (regulatory); wrecksite since 1944-09-27

    Limitations

    A designation-list review establishes regulatory status, not physical condition: the wreck (sinking position 56 deg 29 min N, 0 deg 57 min W) is unsurveyed in located public records, and non-designation does not remove the war-grave character of a sunken warship lost with one of her crew. The HER's mine-strike position (56 deg 47 min N, 1 deg 30 min W) differs from the sinking position as expected for a vessel taken under tow. No asbestos or materials content; the consequence is that no abatement or salvage documentation is expected to arise from the hull.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-swasey-dd273-10

11. [11]National Archives, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' [other_primary]

    Locator

    Research steps and sections 'General Information Books,' 'Board of Inspection and Survey Reports,' and 'Cartographic Branch'

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    NARA's shipboard-asbestos research guide states that documenting asbestos in U.S. Navy materiel requires vessel-specific research and identifies the relevant record series: RG 19 Bureau of Ships correspondence filed by hull designation (DD273), destroyer General Information Books, hull-arranged ship engineering drawings including insulation/lagging (S39) and piping (S48) drawings, and RG 38 Board of Inspection and Survey reports.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-27

    Study period

    1941-1961 (guide scope); hull construction 1918-19

    Limitations

    A research method and record-series map, not a DD-273 material record. The guide's stated scope (1941-1961) postdates this hull's 1918-19 construction and covers only marginally her 1939-40 reactivated period; pre-1941 construction records for this hull would sit in earlier RG 19/RG 45 series. No DD-273 item was retrieved from any listed series.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-swasey-dd273-11

12. [12]National Archives, Ship Plan Index, Swasey DD-273 entries [other_primary]

    Locator

    Alphabetical ship table, two SWASEY DD-273 rows (RG 19, Alphabetical Ship Drawings; Microfilm)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    NARA's Ship Plan Index lists two RG 19 drawing entries for this hull - 'SWASEY DD-273, Alphabetical Ship Drawings' (NAID 53487966) and 'SWASEY DD-273, Microfilm' (NAID 175670844) - meaning hull-arranged engineering drawings for DD-273 are indexed in NARA holdings and are the direct lead for hull-level construction/material specifications. (The same index lists Swasey DE-248 separately - Hull series NAID 153715009 and Microfilm NAID 175670845.)

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-27

    Study period

    1918-1919 (drawings era)

    Limitations

    Index-level confirmation that drawings exist for this hull; the drawings themselves were not retrieved or inspected, and whether they include S39 insulation/lagging sheets is unknown. Unlike sister McCalla (DD-253), which has no index entries, DD-273 drawings are indexed - the strongest open lead for a hull-level material record.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-swasey-dd273-12

13. [13]CourtListener API v4 via cl-auth-search.py; queries "USS Swasey", "DD-273", "HMS Rockingham" (type=o and type=r) - all blocked pre-request by fleet pacing [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-swasey-dd273-12 through sl-uss-swasey-dd273-15

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    CourtListener sweep via the authenticated fleet helper on 2026-09-27 did not complete: the shared fleet-wide pacing budget (a per-session request allowance enforcing the ~114/hr / 2,800/day account limits) refused a request token before any HTTP call on repeated attempts across the session. No CourtListener opinion or docket result was obtained for 'USS Swasey,' 'DD-273,' or 'HMS Rockingham'; litigation status is unknown pending a later sweep. Hull attribution will require care when run: 'USS Swasey' references dated 1943-46 or describing a destroyer escort resolve to the second USS Swasey (DE-248), not this hull.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-27

    Study period

    2026-09-27

    Limitations

    A pacing-blocked sweep is NOT a litigation negative - it records that no CourtListener evidence was obtained this session, in either direction. Asbestos claims surfaced decades after this hull's 1944 loss and would typically name product manufacturers rather than the vessel; a same-name destroyer escort (DE-248, in service 1943-46) is the principal collision risk for any future hit.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-swasey-dd273-13

14. [14]DANFS specifications block 'cl. Clemson' (this hull) vs. upstream PRIMARY metadata label 'Hopkins' (a different hull, DD-249) [other_primary]

    Locator

    DANFS spec block; NFM 1941 DD249 Hopkins / DD273 Swasey lines; Aberdeenshire HER NP63SW0001

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Metadata correction for this record: every located authoritative source - the DANFS specifications block ('cl. Clemson'), NavSource's class line ('CLASS - CLEMSON'), the Aberdeenshire HER ('Formerly the USNS Swasey of the American Clemson class'), and the 1941 Navy Filing Manual destroyer list - identifies DD-273 as a Clemson-class destroyer built by Bethlehem at Squantum. An upstream PRIMARY metadata label of 'Hopkins' for this hull's class is incorrect; Hopkins (DD-249) is itself a different Clemson-class destroyer (converted to minesweeper DMS-13). The record uses the real hull, DD-273.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-27

    Study period

    1918-1944 (underlying facts); 2026-09-27 (correction)

    Limitations

    Corrects an upstream metadata label only; all cited sources agree on Clemson class for DD-273 and the correction does not change any service-history fact. VERIFY check per batch prompt found no exact or same-hull designation match at any tier; same-name VERIFY records on other hull numbers are not duplicates of this vessel.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-swasey-dd273-14

15. [15]Batch-3269 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (via transcription mirror), NavSource/Wayback, NARA Special List 44, NARA Ship Plan Index, NARA asbestos research guide, NHHC Online Library (NH 43161), IWM collections, naval-history.net, uboat.net, legislation.gov.uk, FCDO treaty library, Aberdeenshire HER, VA BVA index [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-swasey-dd273-01 through sl-uss-swasey-dd273-15

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, material specification, museum hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming DD-273 / USS Swasey (destroyer) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). A 1944 combat-zone loss after 1940 transfer leaves no post-service hull to survey; the wreck is unsurveyed and not PMRA-designated.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-27

    Study period

    2026-09-27

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - 1918-19 steam-plant construction makes period asbestos-containing insulation plausible at class/era level (see ev-08). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. Unexamined NARA RG 19 drawings (indexed, ev-12), RG 19/RG 45 pre-1941 construction records, deck logs (SL44 coverage confirmed), and UK National Archives Admiralty files remain open leads; the CourtListener sweep did not execute (pacing) and is pending, not a litigation negative.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-swasey-dd273-15