USS Ely (PCE-880) was a PCE-842-class patrol craft escort commissioned 24 November 1943 — Pacific Theater WWII convoy escort and anti-submarine warfare operations. The 71-entry manifest below is unusually complete for a small combatant and reflects extensive 1953–1957 inspection records.
The 71-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel Engine | General Motors | Main propulsion engine, 9000 brake horsepower | |
| Fire and Bilge Pumps | Allis-Chalmers | ||
| Fresh Water Pumps | Decatur Pump Co | ||
| Transfer Pumps | Jamesson | Drain booster and makeup pumps | |
| Hot Water Circulating Pumps | Pacific Marine Supply Co | ||
| Portable Utility Pumps | Star Electric | ||
| Portable Bilge Pumps | Sawyer | ||
| Diesel Generators | Cummins | ||
| Diesel Generators | Fairbanks Morse | ||
| Steam Jacketed Kettles | Badger | ||
| Distillers | Badger | 750 GPD vapor distiller units | |
| Refrigeration System | York | ||
| Refrigeration Units | American Laundry Machinery Co | ||
| Drying Tumblers | American Laundry Machinery Co | ||
| Steam Boiler | Ames Iron Works | Cyclotherm steam generator | |
| Reduction Gears | Falk | ||
| Air Compressors | Quincy | ||
| Refrigeration Units | Copeland | ||
| Refrigeration Units | Fwland Co | ||
| Motor Generators | Dodge | ||
| Gyro Compass | Sperry | Mark XIV | |
| Fire Bilge Pumps | Star Electric | Portable submersible | |
| Bilge Pumps | Sawyer | Portable submersible | |
| Shaft Revolution Counter | Cummins | ||
| Fire Extinguisher | Walter Kidde Co | Carbon dioxide | |
| Hand Pump Lube Oil Priming Pumps | Femyers Broco | For main engine | |
| Fire Fighting System | National Aerofoam Equipment Inc | National Foam | |
| Steam Jacketed Kettles | Groen Manufacturing Co | ||
| Compressed Air Plant Compressor | S.L. Bartlett Co | Portable hand operated | |
| Portable Air Testing Set | Allen Co | ||
| Mechanical Steering System | Sperry Gyroscope Co | ||
| Lubricating Oil Purifiers | DeLaval Separator Co | Centrifugal, Model No 43N23 | |
| Diesel Fuel Oil Purifiers | DeLaval Separator Co | Centrifugal | |
| Diesel Fuel Oil Transfer Pumps | Blackmer Pump Co | ||
| Refrigeration System | York Ice Machinery Corp | ||
| Vapor Compression Distilling Units | Badger | ||
| Fresh Water Distributing Pump | Decatur Pump Co | Burke Super Turbine Evaporator | |
| Drain Booster and Makeup Water Pump | Decatur Pump Co | Burke Super Turbine | |
| Fresh Water Pump | Aurora Pump Co | Electric motor driven, Type 14A | |
| Hot Water Circulating Pump | James Low Sons Co | Fresh water circulating system | |
| Searchlight Equipment | General Electric Co | Model 24G20, 24-inch | |
| Searchlight Equipment | General Electric Co | Model VB5, 24-inch | |
| Signalling Searchlight | General Electric Co | Navy Type 12, 12-inch | |
| Anchor Windlass | Equipco | Vertical windlass, single drum | |
| Electric Boat Winch | Parkersburg Rig and Reel Co | Single drum double gypsy | |
| Lathe | South Bend | Model 8113B, tool room lathe, underneath motor driven quick change gear | |
| Sensitive Drill | Canedy Co | Bench type, 16-inch | |
| Bench Grinder | Cincinnati Electrical Co | Type 138 | |
| Tool Post Grinder | Cincinnati Electrical Co | Type SA 109 | |
| Portable Electric Hand Drill | Stanley Works | Type 122 | |
| Range with Broiler | Warming Oven | Model 1A, with shelf and roasting oven | |
| Roasting Oven | Warming Oven | Model L, Type 60 | |
| Refrigerator | General Electric Co | ||
| Meat Chopping Machine | Enterprise | No 2112, meat grinder | |
| Coffee Grinder | Enterprise Manufacturing Co | No 61 | |
| Dishwashing Machine | G.S. Blakeslee Service Company | ||
| Airport Wipers | Kearfott Engineering Company | Window wiper | |
| Window Wipers | Trico | ||
| Electric Water Coolers | Ebco Manufacturing Co | Model NCS5 with fountains | |
| Sewing Machine | Singer Sewing Machine Co | Portable electric, models 9923 and 24 | |
| Electric Coffee Maker | Silex Company | Two unit | |
| Bells and Buzzers | Edwards Co | Annunciator, signalling systems | |
| Horns and Sirens | Federal Electric Co | Navy H2, H4 models | |
| Electric Tachometer | Indicator Systems Corp | Shaft revolution indicator | |
| Engine Order Telegraph | Bendix Aviation Corp | Magnetovoltmeter type DC | |
| Rudder Angle System | Bendix | ||
| Sound Powered Telephones | Automatic Electric Co | Interior communication system | |
| Washing Machine | American Laundry Machine Co | ||
| Portable Sterilizer | American Sterilizer Co | Dressing and instrument, rescue vessels only | |
| X-ray Film Processing Tank | General Electric X-ray Corp | Rescue vessels only | |
| Drying Tumbler Machine | American Laundry Machinery Co | Rescue vessels only |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Ely
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy patrol craft escorts 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 Ely 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 Ely 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 Ely (PCE-880). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.