USS Canopus (AS-34) was a Simon Lake-class submarine tender commissioned 4 November 1965 and serving the U.S. Navy through 1994 — supporting the Atlantic Fleet ballistic-missile submarine force throughout the Cold War from forward bases at Rota, Spain and Holy Loch, Scotland.
The 52-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distilling Plant | Schutz | ||
| Refrigeration Unit | Vilter | ||
| Air Compressor | Worthington | ||
| Pump | Gould | ||
| Electric Motor | General Electric | ||
| Diesel Engine | Cooper-Bessemer | ||
| Evaporator | Schutz | ||
| Generator | General Electric | ||
| Gyro Compass | Sperry | ||
| Loran | Not specified | Manufacturer unclear from image | |
| Radar Set | Not clearly specified | Multiple radar sets listed but manufacturers not legible | |
| Radio Direction Finder | Not specified | ||
| Fathometer | Not specified | ||
| Sound-Powered Telephone | Not specified | ||
| FOOD MIXER | HOBART | ||
| MEAT GRINDER | HOBART | ||
| POTATO PEELER | HOBART | ||
| VEGETABLE CUTTER | HOBART | ||
| Sound Powered Telephone | Stromberg-Carlson | ||
| Turbine Generator | General Electric | ||
| Main Feed Pump | Worthington | ||
| Diesel Engine | Fairbanks Morse | ||
| Fuel Oil Heater | Clayton | ||
| Air Compressor | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| Gyrocompass | Sperry | ||
| Radar | General Electric | ||
| Sonar | General Electric | ||
| Engine | Westinghouse | ||
| Turbine | General Electric | ||
| Boiler | Combustion Engineering | ||
| Pump | Worthington | ||
| Switchboard | General Electric | ||
| Laundry Equipment | Milnor | ||
| Ironer | Milnor | ||
| Washer | Milnor | ||
| Turbines | General Electric | ||
| Generators | General Electric | ||
| Pumps | Worthington | ||
| Motors | General Electric | ||
| MAGNETIC COMPASS | RITCHIE | ||
| SONAR | RAYTHEON | ||
| Radar | Sperry | ||
| Sonar | Sperry | ||
| Turbines | Westinghouse | ||
| Generators | Westinghouse | ||
| Compressors | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| Anchor Windlass | Markey | ||
| Radar Set | General Electric | ||
| Sonar Equipment | Consolidated Edison | ||
| Electrical System | Westinghouse | ||
| Boiler | Babcock & Wilcox | ||
| Evaporator | Spirax-Sarco | ||
| Diesel Engine | Coco with Ege Cooking Kitchen | Text unclear in source image |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Canopus
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy submarine tenders 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 Canopus 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 Canopus 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 Canopus (AS-34). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.