The Coontz class consisted of ten destroyer leaders (later reclassified as guided missile destroyers) commissioned between 1960 and 1961. Originally designated DLG-6 through DLG-15 and reclassified DDG-37 through DDG-46 in the 1975 reclassification, the Coontz class served as large anti-aircraft warfare escort ships for carrier battle groups. The lead ship, USS Coontz (DLG-9/DDG-40), was built at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. These 512-foot steam-powered ships used two or three boilers driving steam turbines and carried extensive asbestos insulation in their engineering plants consistent with the late-1950s construction era.

Steam Plant Asbestos

Coontz-class destroyer leaders used steam turbine propulsion with asbestos insulation:

  • Boiler plant — the boilers aboard Coontz-class ships used asbestos boiler lagging on external surfaces, asbestos refractory brick in combustion chambers, and asbestos sealing materials at boiler access points. BT ratings maintaining the boiler plant performed lagging maintenance and boiler inspection in the confined fireroom spaces
  • Main steam piping — the steam distribution piping in the Coontz-class engineering spaces used asbestos magnesia pipe covering on main steam and auxiliary steam piping. The engineering spaces of these large destroyers had extensive steam piping overhead and along the bulkheads — all covered with asbestos magnesia block insulation that deteriorated under operational conditions and released asbestos fiber into the engineering space atmosphere
  • Engineering auxiliaries — steam-driven boiler feed pumps, ejectors, and ship’s service turbine generators used asbestos-containing gasket and packing materials in the MM and BT ratings’ maintenance routines

Coontz-Class Ships

The ten ships of the Coontz class include: Coontz (DDG-40), King (DDG-41), Mahan (DDG-42), Dahlgren (DDG-43), William V. Pratt (DDG-44), Dewey (DDG-45), Preble (DDG-46), Farragut (DDG-37), Luce (DDG-38), and Macdonough (DDG-39).

VA Claims for Coontz-Class Veterans

VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims on a case-by-case basis. Veterans generally need evidence of in-service asbestos exposure, a current asbestos-related diagnosis, and a medical link between them. Engineering ratings who served aboard Coontz-class ships 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 Coontz-Class Destroyer Leaders (DLG)

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 Disability Claims for Asbestos-Related Disease

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates asbestos claims individually. A veteran generally needs medical evidence of a current asbestos-related disease, service evidence supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a medical opinion connecting the two. Ship assignments, Navy ratings, and equipment records can help document the exposure history but do not create automatic service connection.

Approved claims may provide monthly disability compensation and related benefits. Survivors may separately qualify for Dependency & Indemnity Compensation when the applicable requirements are met. Civil lawsuits and asbestos-trust claims use different standards; claimants should obtain individualized advice about how the processes interact.

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.