Albany Class Cruiser Conversion (CG-10) — Asbestos in the Rebuilt Cold War Missile Cruiser

The Albany class guided missile cruisers — USS Albany (CG-10), USS Chicago (CG-11), and USS Columbus (CG-12) — were three Baltimore class heavy cruisers converted from gun cruisers to guided missile cruisers at Boston Naval Shipyard and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard between 1958 and 1964. The conversion gutted the original heavy cruiser topside armament and rebuilt the ships as double-ended Talos and Tartar guided missile cruisers with comprehensive electronic warfare and fleet air defense capability. Albany class conversions retained the original Baltimore class four-boiler, four-turbine steam propulsion plants from the WWII construction, incorporating the WWII-era asbestos-containing boiler and steam plant construction throughout the converted cruisers’ service. The conversion work additionally installed new combat systems spaces, CIC compartments, and missile magazine spaces using Cold War construction materials incorporating additional asbestos-containing pipe insulation and construction materials in the rebuilt ship’s interior. Albany class guided missile cruisers thus carried layered asbestos from two construction periods — the WWII original Baltimore class hull construction and the Cold War conversion overhaul — throughout their service into the 1980s.

Albany Class WWII-Era Steam Plant Asbestos

Albany class cruisers retained original Baltimore class steam plant asbestos:

• Baltimore class four-boiler propulsion plant insulation — the original four Babcock & Wilcox boilers retained from the Baltimore class heavy cruiser construction incorporated the WWII-era asbestos-containing boiler casing insulation and steam drum insulation throughout the converted cruisers’ service. Boilermen serving aboard Albany class cruisers worked with the WWII-era boiler insulation maintained through the conversion and throughout subsequent service
• WWII-era steam main pipe insulation — the high-pressure steam main piping retained from the original Baltimore class construction incorporated WWII-era asbestos-containing pipe insulation on the steam mains in the engine rooms and firerooms. Engineering ratings working in Albany class engineering spaces accumulated background asbestos exposure from the WWII-era steam main pipe insulation throughout their engineering watch assignments
• General Electric main propulsion turbine insulation — the four General Electric geared steam turbine sets retained from the original Baltimore class construction incorporated asbestos-containing turbine casing insulation consistent with the WWII-era turbine construction. Machinist’s Mates performing turbine maintenance in Albany class engine rooms worked in proximity to the WWII-era turbine casing insulation

Albany Class Conversion-Era Asbestos

Cold War conversion work added additional asbestos-containing materials:

• Rebuilt combat systems spaces — the CIC (Combat Information Center), weapons control spaces, and combat systems equipment rooms rebuilt during the Albany class conversion incorporated asbestos-containing pipe insulation and insulation board in the reconstructed interior spaces consistent with Cold War naval construction specifications of the late 1950s and early 1960s
• Missile magazine construction — the Talos and Tartar missile magazine spaces and below-deck missile handling areas constructed during the Albany class conversion incorporated asbestos-containing construction materials in the new interior construction added during the conversion overhaul
• Electronics spaces and fire control rooms — the rebuilt electronics equipment rooms, radar rooms, and fire control equipment spaces constructed during the Albany class conversion incorporated asbestos-containing construction materials in the new compartment construction

VA Claims for Albany Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy cruiser service. Machinist’s Mates, Boilermen, and crew members who served aboard Albany class guided missile cruisers and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.

Source notes: equipment-manifest entries (where shown) are sourced from public-record BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation, NARA archives, and the public asbestos litigation record. Manufacturer attributions link to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Nothing on this page constitutes medical or legal advice.