USS Ashtabula (AO-51) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler commissioned 7 August 1943 and serving the U.S. Navy through 1982 — Pacific Theater WWII combat replenishment, Korean War, and Vietnam War operations across 39 years.
The 57-entry equipment manifest below is sourced from ship-specific BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation identifying machinery and equipment installed aboard. Each entry is documented equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source material for asbestos-exposure case development by Navy veterans and surviving families.
Equipment Manifest
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propelling machinery | Bethlehem Ship Corp | General propelling | |
| Pumps | Ingersoll Rand | Piping | |
| Pumps | Worthington | Piping | |
| Pumps | Peerless | Piping | |
| Pumps | Warren | Piping | |
| Pumps | Sawyer Derbyshire | Piping | |
| Pumps | Johnson Pac Marine | Piping | |
| Pumps | Davidson | Piping | |
| Pumps | Taco | Piping | |
| Pumps | Viking | Piping | |
| Pumps | Gould | Piping | |
| Ventilation and Heat | Joy | ||
| Ventilation and Heat | Buffalo Forge | ||
| Electrical | General Electric | ||
| Commissary | Edison | ||
| Commissary | Groen Mfg | ||
| Laundry Machine | Ajax | ||
| Laundry Machine | American Laundry Co | ||
| Windlass | Hyde | Machinery | |
| Windlass | Worthington | Machinery | |
| Windlass | Westinghouse | Machinery | |
| Windlass | Kiesling | Machinery | |
| Windlass | Warren | Machinery | |
| Steam | Walter Morton Corp | Machinery | |
| Steam | Viking | Machinery | |
| Steam | Griscom Russell | Machinery | |
| Steam | Davis Engineering | Machinery | |
| Steam | Whiton Machine Co | Machinery | |
| Steam | Davidson | Machinery | |
| Steam | Peerless | Machinery | |
| Steam | Nash | Machinery | |
| Marine Steam Turbine | DeLaval | Machinery | |
| Marine Steam Turbine | Quimby | Machinery | |
| Marine Steam Turbine | Falk | Machinery | |
| Marine Steam Turbine | Bethlehem Steel | Machinery | |
| Marine Steam Turbine | Ingersoll Rand | Machinery | |
| Steam Turbine | Westco | Equivalent to SMHD | |
| Steam Turbine | Carrier | Equivalent to SMHD | |
| Boiler | Foster Wheeler | Type boiler | |
| Motor and Controller | Westinghouse | Data for pumps | |
| Separator | DeLaval | Shortage list of spares | |
| Separator | Worthington | Shortage list of spares | |
| Separator | Foster Wheeler | Shortage list of spares | |
| Separator | Ingersoll Rand | Shortage list of spares | |
| Separator | Nash Eng | Shortage list of spares | |
| Fuel Oil Service Pump | Quimby | Lubrication oil service pumps | |
| Circulating Pump | Worthington Pump Mach Corp | Installed on ship | |
| Main Engines | General Motors | 2 | Model 16278A, Serial Nos 12159, 12161, 12218, 12226 |
| Fuel Filter | Kisen | ||
| Raw Water Pump | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| Fresh Water Pump | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| Fuel Strainer | Viking | Type fuel strainer | |
| Ready Trip Button Switch | Westinghouse | ||
| Lubricating Oil Generator Bearing | Viking | Pressure static contact maker | |
| Contact Block | Lee | For raw water | |
| Relief Valve | Crane | 12 PS IRQ | |
| Air Intake | Ingersoll Rand | Fresh water |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Ashtabula
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy fleet oilers of this era are documented to have included:
- Pipe lagging and thermal insulation on main steam, feed-water, fuel-oil, condensate, and saltwater piping throughout machinery spaces
- Boiler block insulation, refractory brick, and gun-blocks around the main boilers
- Asbestos gaskets and braided packing in valves, flanges, pumps, condensers, heat exchangers, and turbine glands
- Insulation jackets and removable lagging on main propulsion turbines, reduction gears, ship-service turbine generators, and forced-draft blowers
- Sheet asbestos and Marinite panels as fire-stops, bulkhead insulation, and overhead insulation
- Vinyl asbestos floor tile (VAT) in passageways, berthing, mess decks, and habitable compartments
- Asbestos rope, wick, and tape in gland-seal applications throughout the engineering plant
Sailors in Boilerman, Machinist’s Mate, Engineman, Electrician’s Mate, Hull Maintenance Technician, Damage Controlman, and other engineering ratings worked routinely in spaces where these materials were installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced.
VA Benefits for Ashtabula Veterans
The 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. The Ashtabula equipment manifest is direct documentary evidence of the asbestos-containing materials her crew worked around throughout her service life.
Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products are also available, and do not reduce VA compensation.
Speak with an asbestos attorney with Navy veterans experience →
Equipment manifest derived from public-record BUSHIPS documentation specific to USS Ashtabula (AO-51). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.