USS Bainbridge (DLGN-25) was a Bainbridge-class nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser that served the U.S. Navy from 1962 through 1996 — a 34-year service life that places her squarely within the heaviest period of asbestos use in U.S. Navy ship construction. Across her service, Bainbridge’s crew worked daily in machinery spaces, engineering plant, and habitable compartments constructed with extensive asbestos-containing materials.
The equipment manifest below is drawn from BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) ship-specific documentation that identifies the machinery and equipment manufacturers installed aboard Bainbridge. Each entry is a documented item of equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source evidence for asbestos-exposure case development by Navy veterans and their families.
Equipment Manifest
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Propulsion Turbines | General Electric | 2 | |
| 1000KW Emergency Diesel Generator Set | Fairbanks Morse | 2 | |
| Turbine for 2500 KW Ship Service Generator | General Electric | ||
| 2500KW Ship Service Generators | General Electric | ||
| Boilers (MC-5000) | Cyclotherm | 4 | 2 per FR. Crane Co. |
| Low-Pressure (LP) Air Compressor | Worthington | ||
| Aux. Gland Leakoff Exhauters | Spencer | Leakoff = exhaust | |
| Distilling Plants (18,000 GPD) | Maxim | Whitlock basket type evaporator condenser. | |
| Main Feed Pump (TD) | Ingersoll Rand | 6 | Terry Turbine. |
| Main Feed Pump (MD) | Warren | ||
| Main Condenser Circulating Pump (TD) | Warren | 2 | Whiton Turbine. 1 per ER. |
| Reserve Feed Transfer Pump | Buffalo | ||
| Fire Pump (TD) | Warren | Whiton Turbine | |
| Reactor Fill Pumps (MD) | Byron Jackson | ||
| Reactor Plant FW Circulating Pump | Aurora | Reliance motor. | |
| SW Diesel Generator Pump | Aurora | 4 | 1 per ER, 1 per Pump Room. Reliance motor. |
| Air Conditioning Circulating Pump (MD) | Aurora | 2 | Westinghouse motor. 1 in Pump Room. |
| Aux. Machinery Cooling Water Pump (MD) | Aurora | 1 | 1 in ER. Westinghouse motor. |
| Aux. Boiler Drain Transfer Pump | Worthington | ||
| Potable Water Pump | Warren | ||
| Reactor Compartment Drain Pump | Weil | ||
| Main LO Service Pump (TD) | Warren | ||
| LO Pump | Northern | 2 | For Main Circ. Pump. |
| Standby LO Pumps | Warren | ||
| Distilling SW Circulating Pump | Buffalo | ||
| Distiller Feed Pump | Buffalo | ||
| Sonar Fresh Water Circulating Pump | NO ID | Westinghouse motor. | |
| Decay Heat Removal Pump | Chem. Pump Division | Max 150psi, 300 degrees Fahrenheit. | |
| Steam Generator Water Cooler | Davis | ||
| Jacketed Water Cooler | Ross | ||
| LO Heater | American Standard | ||
| Float Switches for Various Pumps | Westinghouse | ||
| LO, FO Purifiers | Sharples | ||
| Deaerating Feed Tank | Cochrane | ||
| Governors for Fire Pumps and LO Pumps | Atlas | Requested replaced per 1962 MIR | |
| Gate Valves for Firemain | Atwood & Morrill | ||
| Gate Valves for Main Circulating System | Chapman | ||
| Reactor Fill System Gate Valves | Darling | ||
| Automatic Back Pressure Valves | Foster Engineering | ||
| Exhaust Pressure Relief Valves | Farris | ||
| Balanced Globe Valves for Main Steam | Gimpel | ||
| Valves, Solenoid operated | Ruggles-Klingemann | ||
| Main Steam Valves | Walworth |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Bainbridge
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy ships of this era are documented to have included:
- Pipe lagging and thermal insulation on 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 turbines, reduction gears, and auxiliary machinery
- 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 spaces
- Asbestos rope, wick, and tape in glands, joints, and seal applications
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, and overhauled.
VA Benefits for Bainbridge 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 documented Bainbridge equipment manifest is direct evidence of the asbestos-containing materials her crew worked around.
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 Bainbridge (DLGN-25). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.