The Baltimore class heavy cruisers — 14 hulls (CA-68 through CA-130, non-consecutive) built between 1941 and 1945 at Bethlehem Steel (Quincy), Newport News Shipbuilding, and Bethlehem Steel (San Francisco) — were the principal US Navy heavy cruisers of World War II. Baltimore class cruisers used four General Electric steam turbines producing 120,000 shaft horsepower with four Babcock & Wilcox boilers operating at 600 PSI / 850°F — a more powerful and more heavily armored design than the contemporary Cleveland class light cruisers. Their engineering spaces required comprehensive asbestos insulation identical in pattern to other WWII-era steam-powered cruisers, applied at the scale of the Baltimore class’s larger hull and more powerful propulsion plant.

Steam Plant and Asbestos

The Baltimore class four-boiler, four-turbine plant required asbestos insulation throughout the engineering spaces:

  • Four B&W boilers in four firerooms with asbestos block, sectional covering, and cement on boiler casings, steam drums, and superheater sections at 850°F operating temperature
  • Four GE steam turbine sets in four engine rooms with asbestos block insulation on turbine casings and exhaust connections
  • Main steam piping at 600 PSI from firerooms to engine rooms — asbestos block lagging throughout the engineering spaces
  • Auxiliary steam systems serving the heavy cruiser’s hotel load for 1,700-man crews using asbestos-insulated pipe distribution throughout the hull
  • Interior ship construction in berthing, divisional spaces, and working areas throughout the larger heavy cruiser hull

Conversion to Guided Missile Cruisers

Six Baltimore class heavy cruisers were converted to guided missile cruisers — three to Albany class (CAG-1/CG-10, CG-11, CG-12) and three to the Boston class (CAG-1, CAG-2) — in the late 1950s and early 1960s. These conversions involved major aft-hull reconstruction to install TALOS and TERRIER missile systems while retaining the original steam propulsion plant. The CAG/CG conversions served through the 1970s with the original WWII-era asbestos-insulated engineering plant.

Named Baltimore Class Hulls

Named Baltimore class heavy cruisers include USS Baltimore (CA-68), USS Boston (CA-69), USS Canberra (CA-70), USS Quincy (CA-71), USS Pittsburgh (CA-72), USS St. Paul (CA-73), USS Columbus (CA-74), USS Helena (CA-75), USS Bremerton (CA-130), USS Fall River (CA-131), USS Macon (CA-132), USS Toledo (CA-133), USS Los Angeles (CA-135), and USS Chicago (CA-136).

VA Claims for Baltimore Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy cruisers. Veterans who served aboard Baltimore class heavy cruisers or their CAG/CG conversions and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.

Product & Manufacturer Reference

The asbestos-containing products documented on U.S. Navy vessels and at shipyards are catalogued by manufacturer on AsbestosIndex. These records cross-reference which companies supplied which materials and to which facilities.

Pipe Covering & Block Insulation Thermal insulation applied to steam lines, valves, and equipment in engine rooms and fire rooms Marine Products Insulation, gaskets, and packing products specified for naval and commercial marine applications Boilers & Steam Equipment Boiler manufacturers and insulation products — central to the fire room exposure pathway Gaskets & Packing Sheet and ring gaskets used throughout piping flanges, valve bonnets, and pump housings Electrical Products Wire insulation, switchgear arc chutes, and panel liners used throughout electrical spaces Full Product Index Search all 200+ manufacturers and 1,500+ documented asbestos products on AsbestosIndex™

Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Baltimore Class (CA)

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the public asbestos litigation record document that the following Navy ratings worked routinely in spaces where ACM was installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced:

VA Presumptive Benefits — No Filing Deadline

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions presumed to be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure under 38 CFR § 3.309(d). No statute of limitations applies to VA disability compensation claims.

Available benefits may include monthly disability compensation, Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses, priority VA healthcare enrollment, and Special Monthly Compensation for severe cases. Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products do not reduce VA compensation.

How to file a VA disability claim: VA claims are filed directly with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — not with a law firm. Start at VA.gov › Hazardous Materials Exposure, call 1‑800‑827‑1000, or get free help filing from a Veterans Service Organization: DAV, VFW, or American Legion.

VA Claims Guide on This Site › Compare: VA vs. Civil Lawsuit

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.