USS Breese (DD-122 / DM-18) was a Wickes-class destroyer converted to a destroyer minelayer in 1937 — Pacific Theater WWII service including being present at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 (credited with the first U.S. surface-vessel anti-submarine kill of WWII), and operations through Iwo Jima before decommissioning in 1946.

The 34-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 Manifest — USS Breese (DM-18). 34 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
EquipmentManufacturerQtyNotes
Electric MotorGeneral Electric
PumpWorthington
ValveJenkins
CompressorIngersoll Rand
GeneratorGeneral Electric
TurbineWestinghouse
CondenserFoster Wheeler
GyrocompassSperry1
Sonar EquipmentGeneral Electric1
TurbineGeneral Electric2Main propulsion
BoilerBabcock & Wilcox4
Electrical GeneratorGeneral Electric
SearchlightGeneral Electric
Mushroom VentU.S.S. BreeseShip equipment
Reduction GearWestinghouse
CondenserWestinghouse
Reduction GearGeneral Electric2
CondenserGeneral Electric2
Feed PumpWorthington
EvaporatorTripler
Air CompressorGeneral Electric
Electric GeneratorGeneral Electric
MotorGeneral Electric
Reduction GearAllis-Chalmers2
Steam TurbineGeneral Electric4
BoilersBabcock & Wilcox4Water-tube type
TurbinesGeneral Electric2Steam turbines for propulsion
GeneratorsGeneral Electric3Electrical power generation
CondensersGeneral Electric2Steam condensers
PropellersNavy Yard2Bronze propellers
Diesel EngineFairbanks Morse2
Steam TurbineWestinghouse2
Air CompressorWorthington2
Radio EquipmentWestinghouse

Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Breese

The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy destroyer minelayers 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 Breese 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 Breese 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 Breese (DM-18). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.