USS Bache (DD-470) was a Fletcher-class destroyer commissioned 14 November 1942 and serving the U.S. Navy through 1968 — Pacific Theater WWII combat (Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, Philippines), Korean War, and Cold War Atlantic Fleet operations. Driven aground and wrecked by a hurricane off Rhodes, Greece, in 1968.
The 8-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiler | Babcock & Wilcox | 4 | Oil fired express with superheater, 634 pounds steam |
| Turbine | General Electric | 4 | Cross compound, double flow, and Curtis types |
| Propeller | Bethlehem Steel Co | 2 | Solid steel propellers, 12 blades, 112 inch diameter |
| Propeller Shaft | Bethlehem Shipbuilding Division | 2 | Staten Island facility |
| Windlass | Hyde Co | 1 | Direct connected electric motor driven type with wildcat and capstan, 16000 pounds hoisting capacity |
| Hydraulic Pump | LA Tool Co | 2 | Variable delivery pumps for steering gear, 10951 and 10948 serial numbers |
| Bilge Pump | Star Elec Co | 2 | Submersible motor type, portable drainage, 180 GPM at 50 PSI |
| Fresh Water Pump | Warren Co | 2 | Steam operated, 30 GPM at 809 PSI, single suction impeller type |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Bache
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy destroyers 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 Bache 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 Bache 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 Bache (DD-470). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.