USS Lexington (CV-2) and USS Saratoga (CV-3) were converted from Lexington class battlecruiser hulls under the Washington Naval Treaty’s carrier tonnage allowances, commissioned in 1927 at Bethlehem Steel (Quincy). The Lexington class carriers used a unique turbo-electric drive arrangement — sixteen Yarrow boilers generating steam to drive four General Electric turbo-generators producing electricity to power four electric drive motors — a propulsion arrangement chosen for the original battlecruiser design that was retained in the carrier conversion. The sixteen-boiler steam plant required asbestos insulation on an extraordinary scale commensurate with the large number of boilers and the extensive steam piping connecting them to the turbo-generator sets.

Sixteen-Boiler Steam Plant and Asbestos

The Lexington class sixteen-boiler turbo-electric drive plant required asbestos insulation in massive quantities for the era:

  • Sixteen Yarrow boilers in eight firerooms — asbestos block, sectional covering, and cement on sixteen boiler casings, steam drums, and uptakes
  • Four GE turbo-generator sets driving the ship through electric motors — asbestos insulation on the turbine casings and high-temperature steam connections on each turbo-generator unit
  • Steam piping distribution from sixteen boilers to four turbo-generators — extensive asbestos-insulated main steam piping throughout the ship’s engineering spaces
  • Electric drive motors and auxiliary electrical equipment — while the motors themselves did not require asbestos insulation, the steam piping systems supplying power to the drive system throughout the ship’s engineering plant did

USS Saratoga Service Through WWII

USS Lexington (CV-2) was lost at the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. USS Saratoga (CV-3) survived and served throughout the Pacific War — in the Guadalcanal campaign, operations in the Bougainville area, and later supporting carrier operations through 1945. Saratoga was used as a target vessel in the Bikini Atoll atomic bomb tests in July 1946 and sank following the Baker underwater test. Navy personnel who served aboard Saratoga throughout her WWII career were present in engineering spaces with asbestos insulation on the original 1927-era propulsion plant.

VA Claims for Lexington/Saratoga Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy carriers. Veterans of WWII who served aboard USS Saratoga (CV-3) and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits. The age of these claims requires early documentation of service — DD-214 equivalents and service records are the primary documentation for WWII-era claims.

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 Lexington 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.