Landing Craft Utility (LCU) were the primary US Navy amphibious landing craft for delivering heavy vehicles, tanks, artillery, and bulk cargo from ship to shore in amphibious assault operations — the successors to the WWII LCT (Landing Craft Tank). The LCU 1466 class (commissioned from 1954) and subsequent LCU 1610 class (commissioned from 1960) were purpose-built landing craft with diesel propulsion, providing the amphibious force with a reliable, seaworthy craft capable of open-ocean transit and beach landing. LCU crews typically numbered about 13 men operating in close quarters aboard these 119–135 foot landing craft on extended amphibious operation deployments.

Diesel Engineering and Asbestos

LCU landing craft used diesel propulsion with asbestos-containing auxiliary materials:

  • Diesel engine auxiliary insulation — the diesel engines and their exhaust systems aboard LCU landing craft used asbestos-containing thermal insulation on high-temperature engine components and exhaust manifolds. Enginemen maintaining the LCU diesel propulsion plant in the confined below-deck engineering spaces worked in proximity to asbestos-insulated diesel components throughout their deployments
  • Engine room gasketing and packing — the engine room gaskets and valve packing throughout LCU diesel and auxiliary systems used asbestos-containing compressed fiber gaskets and packing material for sealing engine components. Routine diesel engine maintenance involved gasket and packing replacement operations releasing asbestos fiber from the asbestos-containing materials
  • Auxiliary heating systems — the crew habitability heating systems aboard LCU landing craft used insulated hot water or steam heating piping with asbestos-containing insulation in the crew accommodation areas

LCU Interior Construction

LCU landing craft used 1950s-1970s construction materials throughout:

  • The crew berthing and pilot house spaces aboard LCU landing craft used construction materials consistent with the era of the vessel’s commissioning, with asbestos-containing products in the deck and interior construction of these amphibious craft built during the period when asbestos materials were standard in naval construction

VA Claims for LCU 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. Enginemen, Boatswain’s Mates, and crew members who served aboard LCU landing craft 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 Landing Craft Utility (LCU)

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.