Anchorage Class Dock Landing Ship (LSD-36) — Asbestos in the Cold War Dock Ship

The Anchorage class dock landing ships — five ships commissioned between 1969 and 1972, designated LSD-36 through LSD-40 — were the Cold War replacement for the aging Thomaston class dock landing ships, incorporating an enlarged well deck for accommodating air cushion landing craft and heavier amphibious vehicles. Built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Anchorage class LSDs used two Babcock & Wilcox boilers providing steam to two sets of Westinghouse geared steam turbines on two shafts. The Anchorage class served as the dock landing ship element of Cold War amphibious ready groups throughout the 1970s and 1980s before being supplemented by the Whidbey Island class and Harpers Ferry class LSDs. Anchorage class dock landing ships incorporated asbestos-containing boiler insulation and steam plant pipe insulation throughout their two-boiler propulsion plants consistent with the late 1960s and early 1970s construction specifications.

Anchorage Class Two-Boiler Steam Plant Asbestos

Anchorage class LSDs incorporated asbestos throughout their B&W boiler and Westinghouse turbine propulsion:

• Babcock & Wilcox boiler casing insulation — the two Babcock & Wilcox boilers aboard Anchorage class LSDs incorporated asbestos-containing insulation on boiler casings and steam drum surfaces consistent with the late 1960s boiler construction specifications. Boilermen performing boiler maintenance in Anchorage class firerooms worked in proximity to the asbestos-containing boiler insulation throughout their engineering watch assignments
• Steam main and auxiliary steam pipe insulation — the steam main piping connecting Anchorage class boilers to the Westinghouse propulsion turbines incorporated asbestos-containing pipe insulation consistent with the late 1960s steam plant construction specifications. Engineering ratings accumulated background asbestos exposure from the steam system pipe insulation
• Westinghouse propulsion turbine insulation — the Westinghouse geared steam turbines aboard Anchorage class LSDs incorporated asbestos-containing turbine casing insulation. Machinist’s Mates performing turbine maintenance worked in proximity to turbine casing insulation during maintenance operations
• Well deck ballast system pipe insulation — the ballast piping systems for well deck flooding and deflooding operations aboard Anchorage class LSDs incorporated pipe insulation on heated ballast piping consistent with the construction specifications

VA Claims for Anchorage Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy dock landing ship service. Machinist’s Mates, Boilermen, and crew members who served aboard Anchorage class dock landing ships 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.