USS Blue (DD-744) was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer commissioned 20 March 1944 — Pacific Theater WWII combat operations (Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Palau, Iwo Jima, Okinawa), Korean War, Vietnam War, and Cold War service through 1971.
The 48-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boilers, Express superheated single uptake water tube with Economizers | Babcock & Wilcox | 4 | Design type |
| Economizers | Foster Wheeler | ||
| Blowers | Westinghouse Electric Co. | ||
| Main Propulsion Turbine, Single Flow Impulse Stage Type | General Electric | 2 High pressure, 2 Low pressure with astern, 2 Cruising turbines | |
| Reduction gear | Falk Corp. | ||
| Reduction gear | De Laval | ||
| Main Condensers | Foster Wheeler | 2 | |
| Auxiliary Condensers | Foster Wheeler | 2 | |
| Main Distilling Apparatus, 12000 gpd | Griscom-Russell | 1 | |
| Emergency Distilling Apparatus, 4000 gpd | Griscom-Russell | 1 | |
| Ships Service Turbine drive Generators | Westinghouse Electric Co. | ||
| Ships Service Turbine drive Generators | General Electric | ||
| Emergency Diesel Generators | General Motors | 2 | Model 3-368a |
| Ships Service Air Compressors | Worthington | ||
| Ships Service Air Compressors turbine drive | FB Sturtevant | ||
| Main Refrigeration | Carrier Corp. | 2 | |
| Auxiliary Refrigeration | Frick Ice Maker Co. | 1 | |
| Main Feed pump | De Laval | ||
| Main Feed Booster Pump | De Laval | ||
| Main Feed Booster Pump | Ingersoll Rand Co. | ||
| Auxiliary Feed Booster Pump | De Laval | ||
| Auxiliary Feed Booster Pump | Ingersoll Rand Co. | ||
| Emergency Feed Pump | Warren | ||
| Main Condensers Pump | De Laval | ||
| Auxiliary Condensers Pump | De Laval | ||
| Main Condensers Circulating Pump | Warren | ||
| Auxiliary Condenser Circulating Pump | Buffalo | ||
| Fuel Oil Booster Pump | De Laval | ||
| Main Fuel Oil Pump | De Laval | ||
| Main Lubricating Pump | De Laval | ||
| Distiller Circulation Pump | Buffalo | ||
| Distiller Condensating Pump | Buffalo | ||
| Distiller distribution Pump | Buffalo | ||
| Evaporator Brine Pump | Buffalo Pump Co. | ||
| Evaporator Drain Pump | Buffalo Pump Co. | ||
| Vacuum Pump for Emergency Generator Unit | Nash pump Co. | ||
| Oil Purifier Pump | De Laval | ||
| Diesel Oil Purifier Pump | De Laval | ||
| Fire & Bilge Pump | Warren Pump Corp. | ||
| Drainage Pump | Sawyer Electric Co. | ||
| Fresh Water Pump | Warren Steam Pump Co. | ||
| High Pressure Valves, Steam Traps | Yarway Steam valve | ||
| Reduction Valves | Grove | ||
| Super heater Valves | Yarway | ||
| Manifold Vent Valve | Pitometer Log Corp. | ||
| High temperature Insulation | Johns Mansfield | ||
| Asbestos Cloth | Raybestos Co. | ||
| Asbestos Tape 1 to 3 inch | Johns Mansville |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Blue
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 Blue 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 Blue 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 Blue (DD-744). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.