USS Charette (DD-581) was a Fletcher-class destroyer commissioned 18 May 1943 — Pacific Theater WWII combat operations (Solomons, Gilberts, Marshalls, Marianas, Philippines), Korean War, and Cold War service. Transferred to Greece as Velos in 1959. Equipment manifest below is sourced from BUSHIPS class records for Fletcher-class destroyers with Westinghouse turbines starting at DD-581.
The 33-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Turbine | Westinghouse (Design) | 2 | S.H.P. designed |
| Reduction Gears | Falk | Double reduction, cast iron, single pinion | |
| Shafting | Kingsbury | Various dimensions and specifications listed | |
| Bearings | Kingsbury | Oil lubricated thrust bearings | |
| Reduction Gear | Kingsbury | Navy specification | |
| Boiler | Babcock & Wilcox | 4 | Water tube type |
| Turbine | General Electric | 2 | Geared turbine |
| Generator | General Electric | 2 | AC generator |
| Motor | General Electric | AC motor | |
| Pump | Worthington | Centrifugal pump | |
| Condenser | Combustion Engineering | 2 | Surface condenser |
| Main Condensate Pump | Worthington | 2 | Centrifugal, WM type |
| Main Condensate Pump | Ingersoll | 1 | Centrifugal, WM type |
| Main Condensate Pump | Westinghouse | 1 | Turbine |
| Main Condenser Pump | Worthington | 1 | Water cooled |
| Main Condenser Pump | General Electric | 1 | Water cooled |
| Main Condenser Pump | Westinghouse | 1 | Water cooled |
| Condensate Pump | Delavel Steam Turbine Co. | 2 | One each engine room |
| Main Feed Booster Pump | Delavel Steam Turbine Co. | 2 | One each engine room |
| Aux Face Booster Pump | Delavel | 2 | Motor driven |
| Main Feed Booster Pump | Worthington Manufacturing | 2 | Vertical direct |
| Main Feed Booster Pump | Allis Chalmers | 1 | Vertical direct |
| Fuel Oil Strainer | Stramo Esquire | 2 | |
| Current Oil Stream Filter | Stramo Esquire | 1 | 630/78 capacity |
| Main Condenser Circulating Pump | Warren Pumps | 2 | One each engine room |
| Aux Condenser Case Pump | Worthington | 2 | One each engine |
| Main Feed Pump | Worthington | 4 | Two each engine room, centrifugal |
| Fuel Oil Pump | Worthington | Centrifugal | |
| Main Feed Pump | Gould | 4 | Two each engine room |
| Main Feed Pump | Skinner | 4 | Two each engine room |
| Main Feed Pump | De Laval | 2 | 52.2 GPM, Centrifugal type |
| Emergency Feed Pump | De Laval | 1 | 29.4 GPM, Centrifugal type |
| Fire & Flushing Pump | Buffalo | 2 | 2500 GPM, Centrifugal type |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Charette
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 Charette 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 Charette 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 Charette (DD-581). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.