Tang Class Submarine (SS-563) — Asbestos in Postwar Fleet Submarines

The Tang class fleet submarines — six boats commissioned between 1951 and 1952, hull numbers SS-563 through SS-568 — represented the first postwar US Navy submarine design, incorporating lessons learned from the captured German Type XXI Elektroboot with a streamlined hull form, increased battery capacity, and improved snorkel capability. Tang class submarines were built at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Electric Boat and used Fairbanks-Morse 38D8-1/8 opposed-piston diesel engines for surface propulsion and battery charging, with Westinghouse electric motors for submerged propulsion. The streamlined hull incorporated the GUPPY-type teardrop configuration that became standard for postwar US submarines. Tang class submarines, like all diesel-electric submarines of the era, incorporated asbestos-containing pipe insulation on the submarine hull piping systems, asbestos-containing gasket materials in diesel engine assemblies, and asbestos-containing construction materials in crew spaces throughout the submarine pressure hull.

Diesel Engine Asbestos Materials

Tang class Fairbanks-Morse diesels incorporated asbestos throughout:

• Fairbanks-Morse opposed-piston engine gaskets — the Fairbanks-Morse 38D8-1/8 opposed-piston diesel engines in Tang class submarines incorporated asbestos-containing cylinder head gaskets, exhaust manifold gaskets, and engine end cover gaskets throughout the engine assembly. Machinist’s Mates performing engine maintenance in Tang submarine engine rooms removed and replaced asbestos gasket materials throughout diesel engine maintenance operations
• Exhaust system insulation — Tang class submarine diesel exhaust piping incorporated asbestos-containing insulation on exhaust components in the submarine hull. The confined engine room spaces concentrated any asbestos fiber released from exhaust insulation disturbance during maintenance operations

Submarine Hull System Asbestos

Tang submarines incorporated asbestos in hull valve and piping systems:

• Hull valve packing and sea valve packing — Tang class submarines incorporated numerous hull stop valves, sea valves, and ballast system valves with asbestos-containing braided packing in valve stuffing boxes. Machinist’s Mates performing hull valve packing maintenance encountered asbestos packing materials throughout the submarine valve maintenance work
• High-pressure air system piping insulation — the high-pressure air systems in Tang submarines used throughout ballast tank operations and torpedo tube operations incorporated asbestos-containing insulation and gasket materials in high-pressure air piping and component connections

Crew Space Construction Asbestos

Tang submarine interior construction incorporated asbestos:

• Crew berthing and working space construction — Tang class submarine crew berthing, crew’s mess, officer’s wardroom, and working spaces incorporated asbestos-containing materials in the submarine interior construction consistent with early 1950s Navy submarine construction specifications. Submarine crews living and working in these spaces accumulated background asbestos exposure from the interior construction during patrol and operational deployments

VA Claims for Tang Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy submarines. Machinist’s Mates, Torpedomen, and crew members who served aboard Tang class submarines and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.

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.