Evidence
6 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-6).
-
[1]DANFS, 'Thorn I (DD-647)', Naval History and Heritage Command (verbatim Wayback capture 2023-05-08 - live NHHC page returns 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry 'Thorn I (DD-647)' - name-history paragraph plus full service narrative; canonical URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/t/thorn-i.html (404 live 2026-09-27)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: the name Thorn was assigned 22 January 1941 to DD-505, an experimental 1,150-ton destroyer ordered from Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Kearny, N.J.; that contract was cancelled 10 February 1941 and replaced by the contract for Gleaves-class Thorn (DD-647). DD-647 was laid down 15 November 1942 at Kearny, N.J., by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.; launched 28 February 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Beatrice Fox Palmer; commissioned 1 April 1943, Lt. Comdr. Edward Brumby in command. Shakedown out of Casco Bay, Maine; DesRon 19; four round-trip convoy escorts New York-Norfolk-Casablanca (28 May 1943-2 January 1944); sent rescue party to Turner (DD-648) explosion in Ambrose Channel 3 January 1944; Pacific from late January 1944 (Panama Canal transit 29 January); Admiralties, Hollandia preparations (struck uncharted reef 10 April 1944, damaging screws and shafts); overhaul at Hunter's Point Navy Yard (arrived San Francisco 22 May 1944); Palaus landings; Leyte Gulf and Surigao Strait (17 salvoes, 12 hits observed on a Japanese destroyer); TF 38 fast-carrier screening; 18 December 1944 typhoon (assisted Cape Esperance CVE-88, searched for survivors); Lingayen and South China Sea raids; Iwo Jima; Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) rescue attempt 21 February 1945; Ryukyu/Okinawa replenishment-group screening (kamikaze crashed Taluga AO-62 two miles astern); second typhoon 5 June 1945; supported through Japan's surrender; departed Tokyo Bay 8 October 1945 via Singapore, Colombo, Cape Town, St. Helena, Ascension; arrived New York 7 December 1945; after a month's overhaul proceeded to Charleston, S.C., decommissioned and placed in reserve 6 May 1946; lay in reserve through the 1950s-60s; struck from the Navy list 1 July 1971; hulk authorized for use as a target and sunk by aircraft from America (CVA-66) in November 1973. Seven battle stars for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1941-1973 (per DANFS)
- Population
- Federal Shipbuilding construction trades 1942-43; wartime and reserve-period crew (design complement 276)
- Limitations
- DANFS documents builder, dates, service narrative, and disposition - not materials or asbestos content. The DANFS sinking entry (America CVA-66 aircraft, November 1973) conflicts with NavSource and secondary compilations (Saratoga CV-60 aircraft, 22 August 1974); the conflict is carried in gaps rather than silently reconciled. Live NHHC page returns 404; verbatim Wayback capture cited. Typographical defects in the printed DANFS entry ('Lunched', 'Pitylli') retained in the source and not corrected here.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-thorn-dd647-01
-
[2]HyperWar/ibiblio, 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945' - DD-647 USS Thorn specifications block (DANFS-derived) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ibiblio DD-647 specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Specifications block for this hull: Gleaves-class destroyer; displacement 1,630 tons; length 348 ft 4 in; beam 36 ft 0 in; draft 17 ft 5 in-17 ft 6 in; speed 37 knots; armament 4 5-inch/38, 21-inch torpedo tubes; complement 276; machinery 'High-pressure super-heated boilers, geared turbines with twin screws, 50,000 h.p.'; built at Federal, Kearny and commissioned 1943.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1943-1945
- Population
- Wartime crew (design complement 276)
- Limitations
- Specification summary only - documents design characteristics, not materials or asbestos content. Beam reads 36'0" here vs 36'1" in the DANFS entry and NavSource; immaterial difference noted. The ibiblio page's own 'Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships - USS Thorn' link (dafs/DD/dd647.html) is dead; DANFS text obtained via Wayback instead.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-thorn-dd647-02
-
[3]NavSource Naval History, Destroyer Photo Index DD-647 USS Thorn (verbatim Wayback capture 2021-05-08 - live host unreachable from research machine) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource DD-647 operational/building data block; photo captions dated 13 August 1973 (Philadelphia Navy Yard) and SINKEX series
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull: laid down by Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny, NJ, November 15 1942; launched February 28 1943; commissioned April 1 1943; decommissioned May 6 1946; stricken July 1 1971 - all agreeing with DANFS. Machinery listed as '50,000 SHP; Westinghouse Geared Turbines, 2 screws'; crew 208. 'Fate: Sunk as target by aircraft from CV-60 off Florida August 22 1974' - conflicts with DANFS (America CVA-66, November 1973). Photo captions document the hulk at Philadelphia Navy Yard on 13 August 1973 (ceremonies attended by former CO VADM F.H. Schneider) and a five-scene SINKEX photo series of the hull used as a target.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1942-1974
- Population
- Wartime crew; veterans attending 1973 Philadelphia Navy Yard ceremony
- Limitations
- Reputable secondary compilation, not an official record. Its sinking detail (CV-60 Saratoga, 22 August 1974) directly conflicts with DANFS (CVA-66 America, November 1973); neither is resolved here - DANFS is carried in the record fields and both versions are logged in gaps. Crew figure 208 conflicts with the DANFS spec block's 276. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-thorn-dd647-03
-
[4]ibiblio DD-647 specifications block + Atlas shipyard dataset, Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. (Kearny) record (yard-level documentation incl. 1944 Owens-Illinois industrial health survey; NARA RG19 General Information Books archival lead) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ibiblio DD-647 specifications block; shipyards.json record 'federal-shipbuilding-kearny' (ev-federal-kearny-ihs-1944)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/yard inference: a Gleaves-class destroyer built 1942-43 with four high-pressure superheated boilers and geared steam turbines would have carried period-standard asbestos insulation, steam-line lagging, gaskets and packing, fireproofing, and deck coverings as standard fit. The builder, Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, is documented at yard level in the Atlas dataset (tier 2), including an Owens-Illinois Industrial Health Survey of the Kearny yard (30 August-2 September 1944) documenting insulator work with Johns-Manville Superex asbestos pipe covering and boiler insulation in confined shipyard spaces. NARA RG19 'General Information Books' holding per-vessel material specifications are an archival lead for hull-level specs.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1942-1946
- Population
- Federal Shipbuilding construction trades 1942-44; crew 1943-46
- Limitations
- Class/era and builder-yard inference only - no ship-specific asbestos finding exists for this hull. The 1944 yard survey postdates this hull's February 1943 launch and January 1944 departure for the Pacific; it documents yard practice at wartime peak, not materials installed aboard DD-647. NARA GIB retrieval not performed. This row adds context, not a ship-specific finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-thorn-dd647-04
-
[5]Dirma v. United States, 695 F. Supp. 714 (E.D.N.Y. 1988); Marine Hydraulics International, Inc. v. United States, 43 Fed. Cl. 664 (Fed. Cl. 1999); Ledbetter v. USS Thorn (DD 988), No. 2:94-cv-02271 (D.S.C. filed 1994); Zelasko v. USS Thorn (DD 988), No. 2:94-cv-02336 (D.S.C. filed 1994); Sloane v. 3M Co., No. 2:21-cv-02893 (D.S.C. filed 2021); Ruth v. Glebe, No. 2:15-cv-00533 (W.D. Wash. filed 2015) [court_record]
- Locator
- Dirma, 695 F. Supp. at 715-716 (facts: 1985 drydock injury, Coastal/Brooklyn Navy Yard); MHI, 43 Fed. Cl. at 668-669 (PPET past-performance list); CL dockets 10144841, 10144844 (captions); Sloane complaint ECF No. 1 paras. 91, 95 (service 1980-1983)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener 'USS Thorn' / 'DD-647' hits classified - every hit is a name collision on the later hull (DD-988, Spruance class, in service 1980-2004) or a coincidental string match, and none is asbestos litigation against or aboard DD-647. Opinions: Dirma v. United States (E.D.N.Y. 1988) - negligence action by a Coastal Dry Dock & Repair Corp. worker injured 26 June 1985 on scaffolding while putting insulation in the overhead of the 'mess' deck of USS THORN drydocked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard (in 1985 the only commissioned USS Thorn was DD-988; DD-647 had been sunk a decade earlier); Marine Hydraulics International v. United States (Fed. Cl. 1999) - post-award bid protest over the USS CARR repair contract, 'USS THORN (SRA; $3,746,754; 3 mos.)' in plaintiff's past-performance list (1990s availability of DD-988). Dockets: Ledbetter and Zelasko (D.S.C. 1994, NOS 120 marine contract actions) name 'USS Thorn (DD 988)' in the caption; Sloane v. 3M (D.S.C. 2021) is a PFAS/AFFF product-liability complaint - plaintiff served as a Navy firefighter 1980-1983 at Treasure Island, Naval Base Charleston, USS Hunley, USS Dale, and 'USS Thorn' (DD-988 era); Ruth v. Glebe (W.D. Wash. 2015 habeas) contains 'DD-647' only as a coincidental string inside scanned exhibits.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1980s-1990s (references); opinions/dockets 1988-2021
- Population
- n/a (references attach to DD-988 or are coincidental)
- Limitations
- All hits attach to DD-988 (which postdates this hull's sinking) or are coincidental; none is asbestos litigation and none adjudicates anything about DD-647. Ledbetter/Zelasko nature-of-suit code (marine contract actions) and captions alone do not establish subject matter, but hull attribution is explicit in both captions. Classification prevents these hits from inflating this hull's litigation record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-thorn-dd647-05
-
[6]Batch-3621 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live 404; Wayback capture used); hazegray DANFS mirror via Wayback; ibiblio HyperWar spec block; NavSource via Wayback; CourtListener name and hull-number sweeps; Atlas shipyard dataset; general web sweep (marketing/law-firm pages only) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-thorn-dd647-01 through sl-uss-thorn-dd647-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for DD-647: no hull ACM survey, no abatement contract, no hazmat or material disclosure, and no qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was struck 1 July 1971 and sunk as a target in 1973/74, so no museum, transfer, or in-service abatement context exists; the only candidate ship-specific records are archival (builder specifications, reserve-fleet and target-preparation records).
- 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 - era-consistent inference (ev-04) makes period-standard ACM plausible, but it is not ship-proven. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-thorn-dd647-06