USS Conquest (MSO-488) is a aggressive-class ocean minesweeper in the U.S. asbestos litigation record. The equipment manifest below is a class-pattern reference assembled from manufacturer and machinery entries documented across 7 sister ships of the same class. Ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation for USS Conquest (MSO-488) herself has not yet been published; this pattern reflects what was standard for vessels of this class.
Class Equipment Pattern
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiler Auxiliary Cylotherm Type | US Radiator Corp. | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper | |
| Diesel V Cylinder Engines | Packard Motors | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper | |
| Fire Pump | Worthington Pump | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper | |
| Main Distilling Apparatus | E B Badger & Sons Co. | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper | |
| Main Refrigeration | Carrier Co. | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper | |
| Reduction Gear | Westinghouse | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper | |
| Ships Service Air Compressor Hplp | Gardner Denver Co. | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper |
Note: this manifest is a class-level pattern derived from sister-ship BUSHIPS records and public asbestos litigation documents. Individual ship-specific variations may exist. Where ship-specific documentation becomes available for USS Conquest (MSO-488), this page will be updated to reflect her unique equipment profile.
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Conquest
U.S. Navy ocean minesweepers built between the 1930s and 1980s were constructed with extensive asbestos-containing materials throughout machinery spaces, engineering plants, and habitability compartments. The standard ACM categories installed and maintained aboard included:
- Pipe lagging and thermal insulation — 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 and burner fronts.
- Asbestos gaskets and braided packing — valves, flanges, pumps, condensers, heat exchangers, and turbine glands.
- Insulation jackets and removable lagging — main propulsion turbines, reduction gears, ship-service turbine generators, and forced-draft blowers.
- Sheet asbestos and Marinite panels — fire-stops, bulkhead insulation, and overhead insulation throughout damage-control zones.
- Vinyl asbestos floor tile (VAT) — passageways, berthing, mess decks, wardroom, and habitable compartments.
- Asbestos rope, wick, and tape — gland-seal applications throughout the engineering plant.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Conquest
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 Presumptive Benefits — No Filing Deadline
The U.S. 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 under 38 CFR § 3.309(d). No statute of limitations applies to VA disability compensation claims.
Available benefits may include monthly disability compensation, Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses, priority VA healthcare enrollment, and Special Monthly Compensation for severe cases. Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products do not reduce VA compensation.
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.