USS Cobbler (SS-344) was a Tench-class submarine that served the U.S. Navy from 1945 through 1973 — a 28-year service life that places her squarely within the heaviest period of asbestos use in U.S. Navy ship construction. Across her service, Cobbler’s crew worked daily in machinery spaces, engineering plant, and habitable compartments constructed with extensive asbestos-containing materials.
The equipment manifest below is drawn from BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) ship-specific documentation that identifies the machinery and equipment manufacturers installed aboard Cobbler. Each entry is a documented item of equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source evidence for asbestos-exposure case development by Navy veterans and their families.
Equipment Manifest
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Diesel Engine | General Motors | 4 | 16-Cylinder, 2-cycle, 1600HP. Model 16-278A. Maxim Silencer muffler. |
| Reduction Gears | Farrel-Brimingham | 2 | |
| Main Generators | General Electric | 4 | 1100 KW, 415 VDC |
| Main Propulsion Motors | General Electric | 2 | Double-armature (2700 HP each shaft) 115 VDC motors coupled to the propeller shaft. |
| FWD, AFT Switchboards | Plainville Electrical Products Co. | 1 | Original to ship. |
| HP Air Compressor | Hardie-Tynes | 2 | For HP air systems and torpedo charging. 300psi |
| LP Air Compressor | Roots Connersville | 1 | Electro-Dynamic motor. 1600 cfm at 10 psi. |
| 1000 GPD Distilling Plant | EB Badger & Sons | 2 | Model X-1, 750 Gallon per day. Kleinschmidt Unit. Johns Manville packing (type not specified) |
| Refrigerating Plants | Carrier | ||
| A/C Plants | York | York plans specify asbestos gaskets. | |
| Distilling Plant Pump | Warren | 4 | Electro-Dynamic motor. |
| Hydraulic Plant Pump | DeLaval | ||
| Main Fuel Oil Pump | Northern | 4 | |
| FO Transfer Pump | Viking | 2 | |
| Fuel Oil Purifier | Sharples | 2 | |
| Lubricating Oil Purifier Pump | DeLaval | 2 | |
| Lubricating Oil Purifier | Sharples | 2 | |
| Main Engine Salt Water Pump | Ingersoll-Rand | 4 | |
| Main Engine Fresh Water Pump | Ingersoll-Rand | 4 | |
| Aux Engine Salt Water Pump | Ingersoll-Rand | 1 | |
| Auxiliary Engine Fresh Water Pump | Ingersoll-Rand | 1 | |
| Main Engine Fuel Oil Pump | Northern Pump | 2 | |
| Aux. Engine Fuel Oil Pump | Northern Pump | 1 | |
| Refrigerating Circulating Water Pump | Warren | 1 | Electro-Dynamic motor. Warren Plans specify asbestos sheet gaskets. |
| Trim Pump | Goulds | 1 | |
| Priming Pump for Trim Pump | Nash Engineering | 1 | General Electric motor |
| Main Drainage Pump | Gardner-Denver | 1 | Electro-Dynamic motor |
| Main Hydraulic Pump | DeLaval | 2 | Electro-Dynamic motor. |
| Steering Hydraulic Pump | Waterbury | 2 | Electro-Dynamic motor |
| Steering Hydraulic Pump | Viking | 2 | Electro-Dynamic motor |
| Bow & Stern Plane Tilting, & Aft Capstan Hydraulic Pumps | Waterbury | 4 | 2 are motor-driven. |
| Bow & Stern Plane Tilting, & Aft Capstan Hydraulic Pumps | Viking | 4 | 2 are motor-driven. |
| Main Engine Coolers | Harrison | ||
| Aux Engine Coolers | Harrison | ||
| Galley Ranges | Edison General Electric | ||
| Valves (various) | Electric Boat | ||
| Gate Valves | Chapman | ||
| Air Reducing Valves for Main & Aux Engines | Grove | ||
| Psi Reducing Valves for Distilling Units | Kieley & Mueller | ||
| Valves | Leslie | ||
| Starting Valve for Air System | Lunkenheimer | ||
| Relief Valves for Distillate Tank | Lunkenheimer | ||
| Relief Valves (LO Coolers, Red Gear) | Manning, Maxwell, Moore | ||
| Steam Traps | Yarway | ||
| Torpedo Battery Charger | Ward Leonard | 1 | Replaced Franklin model in 1959 |
| Circuit Breakers | Cutler Hammer | ||
| Rectifiers | Westinghouse | ||
| Controllers | Trumbull |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Cobbler
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy ships of this era are documented to have included:
- Pipe lagging and thermal insulation on 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 turbines, reduction gears, and auxiliary machinery
- 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 spaces
- Asbestos rope, wick, and tape in glands, joints, and seal applications
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, and overhauled.
VA Benefits for Cobbler 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 documented Cobbler equipment manifest is direct evidence of the asbestos-containing materials her crew worked around.
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 Cobbler (SS-344). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.