USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865) was a Gearing-class destroyer, built by Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island, and, like every steam-powered warship of her era, carried asbestos insulation, gaskets, and packing throughout her machinery and piping spaces.
The equipment reference below is hull-specific and primary-source — transcribed from the ship’s own Navy construction, equipment-certification, and material-inspection records. It is not a secondary Wikipedia summary; each entry cites the record that ties the manufacturer to this hull.
Equipment Reference
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Pressure Turbine | General Electric | 2 | Hull-specific record: USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865) CO ltr Serial 285, 17 May 1956 (Main Propulsion Turbine Casings; lifting of). Port ser. 67837, Stbd ser. 67854; last casing lift 12-7-53. |
| Cruising Turbine | General Electric | 2 | Hull-specific record: USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865) CO ltr Serial 285, 17 May 1956 (Main Propulsion Turbine Casings; lifting of). Port ser. 67835, Stbd ser. 67834; casings never lifted. |
| Low Pressure Turbine | General Electric | 2 | Hull-specific record: USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865) CO ltr Serial 285, 17 May 1956 (Main Propulsion Turbine Casings; lifting of). Port ser. 67839, Stbd ser. 67838; casings never lifted. |
| Ship Service Turbo-Generator | General Electric | 2 | Hull-specific record: Board of Inspection & Survey Material Inspection Report, USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865), 23 May 1956 (Sec. VIII Electrical Installation). Two 400 KW, 450 V A.C. direct-connected turbo-generators, one in each machinery space. |
| Emergency Diesel Generator | General Electric | 2 | Hull-specific record: Board of Inspection & Survey Material Inspection Report, USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865), 23 May 1956 (Sec. VIII Electrical Installation). Two 100 KW, 450 V A.C., 1200 RPM diesel-driven generators in fwd and after emergency generator rooms. |
| Master Gyro Compass | Sperry | 1 | Hull-specific record: Board of Inspection & Survey Material Inspection Report, USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865), 23 May 1956 (Sec. VIII Electrical Installation). Sperry MK 11, Mod 6 master gyro compass with 15 repeaters. |
| Boilers (economizers and cyclone-baffle pyramid screens) | Foster Wheeler | Hull-specific record: Board of Inspection & Survey Material Inspection Report, USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865), 23 May 1956 (Sec. XIV BuShips Machinery work list). Item 47s cites 'Foster Wheeler economizers'; item 25s cites Foster Wheeler Co. pyramid screens for the cyclone baffles of boilers Nos. 1 and 2 (four boilers, Nos. 1-4). | |
| Boiler Feed-Water Regulator (automatic feed control valve) | Bailey | Hull-specific record: Board of Inspection & Survey Material Inspection Report, USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865), 23 May 1956 (Sec. XIV BuShips Machinery work list). Item 31s 'Bailey Feed Regulator, #2 boiler'; item 32s 'Bailey automatic feed control valve on #3 boiler'. | |
| Regulator Valves (Main Feed Pumps and Lube Oil Pumps) | Leslie | 4 | Hull-specific record: Board of Inspection & Survey Material Inspection Report, USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865), 23 May 1956 (Sec. XIV BuShips Machinery work list). Item 20s: four Leslie Regulator Valves on #3 and #4 Main Feed Pumps and #1 and #2 Lube Oil Pumps. |
| Star Shell Computer (GFCS Mk 37 Mod 53; computer Mk 1 Mod 0) | Arma Corporation | 1 | Hull-specific record: Board of Inspection & Survey Material Inspection Report, USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865), 23 May 1956 (Sec. XIV BuOrd work list). Item 5r: star shell computer Mk 1, Mod 0, Serial No. 588, a component of GFCS Mk 37, Mod 53, Arma Corp. |
Source: these 10 equipment-and-manufacturer entries were transcribed from the primary Navy records for USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865). Per public litigation records, the machinery aboard ships of this type — boilers, steam turbines, pumps, valves, and their asbestos insulation, gaskets, and packing — allegedly contained asbestos. This is a documentary reference published by an independent publisher; it is not legal advice.
The asbestos-containing products documented on U.S. Navy vessels and at shipyards are catalogued by manufacturer on AsbestosIndex. These records cross-reference which companies supplied which materials and to which facilities.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Charles R. Ware
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the public asbestos litigation record document that the following Navy ratings worked routinely in spaces where ACM was installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced:
VA Disability Claims for Asbestos-Related Disease
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates asbestos claims individually. A veteran generally needs medical evidence of a current asbestos-related disease, service evidence supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a medical opinion connecting the two. Ship assignments, Navy ratings, and equipment records can help document the exposure history but do not create automatic service connection.
Approved claims may provide monthly disability compensation and related benefits. Survivors may separately qualify for Dependency & Indemnity Compensation when the applicable requirements are met. Civil lawsuits and asbestos-trust claims use different standards; claimants should obtain individualized advice about how the processes interact.
How to file a VA disability claim: VA claims are filed directly with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — not with a law firm. Start at VA.gov › Hazardous Materials Exposure, call 1‑800‑827‑1000, or get free help filing from a Veterans Service Organization: DAV, VFW, or American Legion.
VA Claims Guide on This Site › Compare: VA vs. Civil Lawsuit
Source notes: equipment-manifest entries (where shown) are sourced from public-record BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation, NARA archives, and the public asbestos litigation record. Manufacturer attributions link to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Nothing on this page constitutes medical or legal advice.
