USS Saratoga (CV-3), commissioned November 16, 1927 at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation (Camden, New Jersey), was one of two Lexington class aircraft carriers converted from incomplete Lexington class battle cruiser hulls following the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. Saratoga served throughout WWII as a fleet carrier, participating in Guadalcanal operations, the Gilbert Islands, Iwo Jima, and final operations against the Japanese home islands before being expended in the Bikini Atoll atomic bomb tests of Operation Crossroads in July 1946. Saratoga was a large carrier for her time — over 900 feet long with a 33,000-ton standard displacement — powered by turbo-electric propulsion using Westinghouse turbo-generators and electric propulsion motors.

Turbo-Electric Steam Plant and Asbestos

USS Saratoga’s turbo-electric propulsion system used extensive asbestos insulation:

  • Main boiler and steam system insulation — Saratoga’s steam plant driving the turbo-generators used numerous Babcock & Wilcox boilers insulated with asbestos block insulation and asbestos-insulated steam piping throughout the carrier’s extensive engineering spaces. Boilermen performing routine boiler maintenance in Saratoga’s firerooms worked in direct contact with asbestos-insulated boiler casings and steam piping throughout the WWII service period
  • Turbo-generator insulation — the large turbo-generators converting steam to electrical power for the carrier’s electric drive propulsion motors used asbestos-containing insulation in the turbine casings and steam system components
  • Electric propulsion motor insulation — the large electric propulsion motors driving Saratoga’s four shafts used early electrical insulation systems that in some constructions included asbestos-containing materials in motor winding insulation of the 1920s era

WWII-Era Carrier Construction

USS Saratoga’s construction reflected 1920s-era naval shipbuilding practices:

  • Accommodation and crew spaces — Saratoga’s crew berthing and working spaces throughout the carrier used construction materials standard for 1920s-era warship construction, including the asbestos-containing insulation and construction materials used in the extensive mechanical systems throughout this large vessel
  • Fleet carrier operations — Saratoga’s crew members serving during WWII Pacific Fleet carrier operations lived in the carrier’s asbestos-containing spaces throughout extended WWII deployments from Pearl Harbor and US West Coast ports

VA Claims for USS Saratoga CV-3 Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard WWII-era aircraft carriers. Surviving veterans (or their survivors) who served aboard USS Saratoga (CV-3) 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 Saratoga

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.