The Gleaves class destroyers — approximately 66 vessels commissioned between 1940 and 1942 — represented the US Navy’s transitional destroyer design as the nation mobilized for war, based on the Benson class hull with modifications and built at Bath Iron Works, Federal Shipbuilding, and other yards. Displacing approximately 1,630 tons, Gleaves class destroyers were powered by General Electric or Westinghouse steam turbines driven by Babcock & Wilcox boilers. The Gleaves class served primarily in Atlantic convoy escort duty against German U-boat operations during the critical 1942–1944 period, with several vessels lost in Atlantic convoy battles. The class also participated in the North Africa invasion landings (Operation Torch), Sicily and Anzio landings, and Normandy D-Day operations before some vessels transferred to Pacific operations. WWII-era destroyer construction at Bath Iron Works and other yards incorporated asbestos-containing materials throughout the steam propulsion systems and interior construction.

Steam Plant Engineering and Asbestos

Gleaves class steam propulsion systems used asbestos materials:

  • High-pressure steam boiler insulation — Gleaves class destroyers used Babcock & Wilcox boilers operating at high steam pressure with asbestos block insulation on boiler casings, asbestos pipe covering on steam main lines, and asbestos lagging on boiler surfaces throughout the boiler rooms. Boiler Tender ratings maintaining these boilers in the confined boiler rooms of these 1,630-ton destroyers accumulated asbestos exposure from both the installed insulation and from disturbed insulation during boiler maintenance
  • Turbine room steam distribution piping — the steam turbine rooms housed GE or Westinghouse turbines served by steam distribution piping with asbestos pipe insulation and asbestos-containing gasket materials in the steam line flange connections throughout the turbine spaces
  • Auxiliary machinery spaces — the auxiliary machinery spaces serving ship’s evaporators, pumps, and steam-powered equipment used asbestos-containing pipe insulation and gasket materials throughout the auxiliary steam systems

Atlantic Convoy and Amphibious Assault Service

Gleaves class destroyers performed critical WWII missions:

  • Atlantic convoy escort — Gleaves class destroyers escorted Allied convoys across the Atlantic against German U-boat attacks during the Battle of the Atlantic, with engineering ratings maintaining the high-pressure steam plants throughout sustained Atlantic operations
  • Mediterranean and Normandy amphibious operations — Gleaves class destroyers provided gunfire support and escort for the North Africa, Sicily, Anzio, and Normandy amphibious landings, with crew members serving in the steam engineering spaces throughout these sustained amphibious operations

VA Claims for Gleaves Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy destroyers. Engineering ratings and crew members who served aboard Gleaves class destroyers 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 Gleaves Class

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.