The Mahan class destroyers — sixteen vessels commissioned between 1936 and 1937 (DD-364 through DD-379) — represented the US Navy’s pre-WWII destroyer development program, incorporating the lessons of earlier flush-deck destroyer construction in a 1,500-ton design with high-powered steam turbine propulsion. Mahan class destroyers displaced approximately 1,500 tons and were powered by steam turbines developing approximately 49,000 shaft horsepower through Babcock & Wilcox or Yarrow water-tube boilers operating at high pressure. The Mahan class served extensively in the Pacific Fleet, with multiple vessels present at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Several Mahan class vessels were lost in the Pacific — USS Mahan (DD-364), USS Perkins (DD-377), and USS Preston (DD-379) were sunk in combat. Surviving vessels served through the Pacific War in destroyer operations including the battles of the Coral Sea, Guadalcanal, and Philippine Sea. 1930s Navy destroyer construction used asbestos-containing materials throughout the steam propulsion systems and interior spaces.

Steam Propulsion Systems and Asbestos

Mahan class destroyer steam plants used asbestos extensively:

  • Boiler room asbestos insulation — Mahan class destroyers used Babcock & Wilcox or Yarrow water-tube boilers operating at pressures characteristic of 1930s destroyer propulsion. These boilers used asbestos block insulation on boiler casings, asbestos pipe covering on steam distribution lines from the boilers to the turbines, and asbestos-containing boiler lagging materials applied to the boiler exterior surfaces. Boiler Tender ratings maintaining these high-pressure steam plants accumulated significant asbestos exposure in the confined boiler rooms of these 1,500-ton destroyers
  • Steam turbine and reduction gear spaces — the steam turbines and reduction gears driving the twin screws of Mahan class destroyers were served by steam distribution piping using asbestos pipe covering and asbestos-containing flange gaskets throughout the turbine room steam systems
  • Auxiliary steam system piping — the auxiliary steam systems serving the ship’s evaporators, heating systems, and steam-powered auxiliaries used asbestos pipe insulation on heat-producing steam lines throughout the engineering spaces

Pacific War Service

Mahan class destroyers served throughout WWII Pacific operations:

  • Mahan class destroyers participated in early Pacific War operations including the Battle of the Coral Sea, Guadalcanal campaign operations, and subsequent Pacific island-hopping campaigns, with engineering ratings maintaining the high-pressure steam plants throughout sustained combat deployments in the Pacific

VA Claims for Mahan Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy destroyers. Engineering ratings who served aboard Mahan 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 Mahan 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.