How to read the ledger
The Service Ledger records only milestones whose date precision matches the source. A year remains a year. A period remains a period. That may look modest beside a day-by-day track, but it is more useful than false precision because each row tells the reader what kind of evidence supports it.
What the first release covers
The opening chronology follows construction, commissioning, early assignments, the Sasebo and western Pacific context, the Market Time period, and late-service status. It is designed as a route index: select an event, read the evidence note, then continue to the longer explanation of the setting.
Where the ledger can grow
Deck logs and finding aids may later refine dates or movements. Any revision should update the event record first, then regenerate the dependent pages. A correction is part of the research system, not an embarrassment hidden below it.