USS Franklin (CV-13), an Essex class aircraft carrier commissioned January 31, 1944 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company (Newport News, Virginia), was the most heavily damaged US Navy warship to survive WWII. On March 19, 1945, while operating 50 miles off the Japanese coast, Franklin was struck by two bombs from a Japanese aircraft that penetrated the flight deck and ignited armed and fueled aircraft — the resulting fires and explosions killed 807 of her crew and wounded 487 more. Franklin survived and was brought back to New York under her own power, but damage was so severe she never returned to service. Franklin was powered by nine Babcock & Wilcox boilers driving four sets of Westinghouse geared turbines producing 150,000 shaft horsepower.

Essex Class Steam Plant and Asbestos

USS Franklin’s nine-boiler fleet carrier steam plant used asbestos throughout:

  • Main boiler insulation — Franklin’s nine Babcock & Wilcox boilers used asbestos block insulation on boiler casings and asbestos-containing refractory in firebox construction from the original 1944 commissioning. Boiler Tender ratings maintaining Franklin’s boilers worked in the carrier’s four fire rooms in direct proximity to asbestos-insulated boiler surfaces during Pacific operations
  • Main steam system pipe insulation — the main steam piping from nine boilers to four turbine sets in the 27,200-ton carrier used asbestos pipe covering throughout the engineering spaces from the original 1944 construction. Engineering ratings in the machinery spaces were in continuous proximity to asbestos-insulated steam piping
  • Turbine insulation — Franklin’s Westinghouse geared turbines used asbestos-containing thermal insulation lagging consistent with WWII Essex class carrier construction specifications

1944 Fleet Carrier Interior Construction

Franklin used WWII-era construction throughout:

  • The crew berthing, hangar deck, and working spaces aboard Franklin used WWII-era construction materials including asbestos deck tile and interior construction consistent with the Essex class fleet carrier design

VA Claims for USS Franklin Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy fleet carriers. Engineering ratings and surviving crew members who served aboard USS Franklin (CV-13) 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 Franklin

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.