USS Boise (CL-47), a Brooklyn class light cruiser commissioned August 12, 1938 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company (Newport News, Virginia), served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during WWII. Boise participated in the Battle of Cape Esperance (October 11–12, 1942) in the Guadalcanal campaign, where she helped sink a Japanese cruiser and three destroyers before sustaining serious damage from Japanese gunfire. Boise was powered by eight Babcock & Wilcox boilers driving four sets of Parsons geared steam turbines producing 100,000 shaft horsepower. She was decommissioned after WWII and transferred to Argentina in 1951.

Late 1930s Steam Plant and Asbestos

USS Boise’s eight-boiler steam plant used asbestos throughout the engineering spaces:

  • Main boiler insulation — Boise’s eight Babcock & Wilcox boilers used asbestos block insulation on boiler casings and asbestos-containing refractory in firebox construction from the original 1938 commissioning. Boiler Tender ratings maintaining Boise’s boilers worked in direct proximity to asbestos-insulated boiler surfaces in the cruiser’s fire rooms during Atlantic and Pacific operations
  • Main steam system pipe insulation — the main steam piping from Boise’s eight boilers to four turbine sets used asbestos pipe covering throughout the engineering spaces from the original 1938 construction. Engineering ratings in the fire rooms and engine rooms were in continuous proximity to asbestos-insulated steam piping during underway operations
  • Turbine insulation — Boise’s Parsons geared turbines used asbestos-containing thermal insulation lagging consistent with late 1930s light cruiser construction specifications

1938 Light Cruiser Interior Construction

Boise was built with late 1930s construction materials:

  • The crew berthing, mess, and working spaces throughout Boise’s hull used late 1930s construction materials including asbestos-containing deck products, overhead insulation, and bulkhead construction throughout the cruiser’s interior from the original commissioning

VA Claims for USS Boise Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy light cruisers. Engineering ratings and crew members who served aboard USS Boise (CL-47) 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 Boise

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.