USS Hornet (CV-8), a Yorktown class aircraft carrier commissioned October 20, 1941 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company (Newport News, Virginia), is one of the most storied ships of the Pacific War — launching the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo on April 18, 1942 from 668 miles at sea, participating in the Battle of Midway (where she launched strike aircraft against the Japanese carrier force), and ultimately being sunk at the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands on October 26, 1942 after absorbing four Japanese aerial torpedo hits and six dive bomb hits. Hornet was powered by nine Babcock & Wilcox boilers driving four sets of Parsons geared turbines producing 120,000 shaft horsepower. During her brief eleven-month operational career, crew members worked throughout her engineering spaces in proximity to the original 1941 asbestos-containing construction materials.

Yorktown Class Steam Plant and Asbestos

USS Hornet’s nine-boiler fleet carrier steam plant used asbestos throughout the engineering spaces:

  • Main boiler insulation — Hornet’s nine Babcock & Wilcox boilers used asbestos block insulation on boiler casings and asbestos-containing refractory in the firebox construction from the original 1941 commissioning. Boiler Tender ratings maintaining Hornet’s boilers worked in the fire rooms in direct proximity to asbestos-insulated boiler surfaces during the carrier’s operational period
  • Main steam system pipe insulation — the main steam piping from nine boilers to four turbine sets in the 20,000-ton fleet carrier used asbestos pipe covering throughout the engineering spaces from the original 1941 construction. Engineering ratings in the fire rooms and engine rooms were in proximity to asbestos-insulated steam piping throughout underway operations and maintenance periods
  • Turbine insulation — Hornet’s four sets of Parsons geared turbines used asbestos-containing thermal insulation lagging consistent with WWII fleet carrier construction specifications

1941 Fleet Carrier Interior Construction

Hornet was built with standard WWII fleet carrier construction materials:

  • The crew berthing, mess decks, and working spaces throughout Hornet’s 19,800-ton hull used 1941 WWII construction materials including asbestos deck tile, asbestos-containing overhead insulation, and bulkhead construction consistent with the Yorktown class fleet carrier design era

VA Claims for USS Hornet (CV-8) Veterans

VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims on a case-by-case basis. Veterans generally need evidence of in-service asbestos exposure, a current asbestos-related diagnosis, and a medical link between them. Engineering ratings and crew members who served aboard USS Hornet (CV-8) during her operational career 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 Hornet

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 Disability Claims for Asbestos-Related Disease

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates asbestos claims individually. A veteran generally needs medical evidence of a current asbestos-related disease, service evidence supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a medical opinion connecting the two. Ship assignments, Navy ratings, and equipment records can help document the exposure history but do not create automatic service connection.

Approved claims may provide monthly disability compensation and related benefits. Survivors may separately qualify for Dependency & Indemnity Compensation when the applicable requirements are met. Civil lawsuits and asbestos-trust claims use different standards; claimants should obtain individualized advice about how the processes interact.

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.