USS English (DD-696) — Class Equipment Pattern & Asbestos Exposure Record
Class-pattern equipment record for USS English (DD-696). 50 consensus machinery and manufacturer entries documented across 50 sister ships of the Allen...
By Rights Watch Media Group LLC•June 6, 2026•3 min read
Shipyard, deployment, and service events for this vessel documented in the public record — court filings, the ship’s deck logs, or the crew’s own cruise book (each entry cites its source). Dry-dockings, overhauls, and yard periods were when asbestos insulation was torn out and replaced, the peak-exposure work for the crew and yard workers aboard.
1956
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1957
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
Derived from publicly filed asbestos-litigation records, ship’s deck logs, and the crew’s own cruise books. Historical service events; this does not constitute legal or medical advice.
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USS English (DD-696) underway in October 1962Source: Wikimedia Commons — public domain (U.S. Navy photograph)
Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS English (DD-696), an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, served from 1944 to 1970 in the U.S. Navy, seeing combat in World War II and the Korean War while also participating in Cold War operations including the Cuban Missile Crisis. After decommissioning in 1970, she was transferred to the Republic of China Navy and renamed ROCS Hui Yang, serving until 1999. She was expended as a target and sunk off Hualien on 14 October 2003.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Kearny, New Jersey
Launched
1944-02-27
Commissioned
1944-05-04
Decommissioned
1970-05-15
Notable Tours / Service Eras
WWII Pacific Theater 1944-1945
Korean War 1950-1951
Cold War Atlantic/Mediterranean 1949-1970
Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
Combat Actions
Formosa airstrikes· 1944-12 screen for Task Force 38
Iwo Jima operation· 1945-02 carrier screen and air support
Okinawa operation· 1945-04 naval gunfire support and carrier screen
Korean War — Hungnam withdrawal· 1950-10 fire support
Korean War — coastal bombardment· 1951-01 direct fire-support ship
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Norfolk, Massachusetts — home port 1949-1970
Pearl Harbor — training 1944
Ulithi — replenishment base 1944-1945
Yokosuka, Japan — forward base 1950-1951
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
San Pedro Bay, Philippines· 1945-06 to 1945-07 repairs
Asbestos rip-out, insulation replacement, and gasket-packing work occurred during these yard periods. Sailors aboard during overhauls had peak exposure to airborne asbestos fiber.
Notable Incidents
12 January 1945 — mistakenly opened fire on U.S. submarine USS Rock (SS-274) in South China Sea; Rock crash-dived unharmed
11 May 1945 — assisted Bunker Hill damaged by kamikaze, evacuated Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher
31 October 1954 — collided with destroyer Wallace L. Lind, lost 50 feet of bow, no casualties
2 September 1988 (as Hui Yang) — accidental gunfire killed two non-commissioned officers aboard destroyer Shao Yang
Final Disposition
sunk as target 2003
Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS English? This destroyer carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS English, hull number DD-696, was a destroyer, built by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. and commissioned in 1944. She served through WWII Pacific Theater, Korean War, and Cold War Atlantic and Mediterranean. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS English, DD-696 — insulated and sealed with asbestos. Each shipyard overhaul and major repair meant asbestos insulation was torn out and replaced — peak-exposure work for the yard workers and the crew aboard. Exposure was worst in the engineering spaces, where the snipes worked — but asbestos lined the whole ship, so all hands were exposed. The companies that made the asbestos equipment aboard — not the Navy — are who asbestos claims are brought against. According to asbestos litigation records, the equipment aboard the USS English from makers such as Babcock and Wilcox, Babcock and Wilcox, General Electric, and Falk allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS English and were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim against the companies that made the asbestos products used aboard your ship. This is educational information from an independent publisher — not a law firm — and is not legal advice.
USS English (DD-696) is a allen m. sumner-class destroyer in the U.S. asbestos litigation record. The equipment manifest below is a class-pattern reference assembled from manufacturer and machinery entries documented across 50 sister ships of the same class. Ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation for USS English (DD-696) herself has not yet been published; this pattern reflects what was standard for vessels of this class.
Class Equipment Pattern
Equipment Manifest — USS English (DD-696). 28 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Gearing-class destroyer
Reduction Gear
Falk
Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Gearing-class destroyer
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 English (DD-696), this page will be updated to reflect her unique equipment profile.
AsbestosIndex™Product & Manufacturer Reference
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 English
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:
Fireman (FN) — engineering-plant tending across boiler and engine rooms
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.
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.
Documented Asbestos-Exposure Environments — U.S. Navy Service
Public-domain U.S. Navy photographs illustrating the engineering spaces, ratings, and yard environments where asbestos materials were routinely encountered during normal duty.
All images are public domain (U.S. Government works). Specific photographs depict generic Navy engineering and yard environments — not the named vessel above. Asbestos materials shown or implied include pipe lagging, boiler insulation, steam-line covering, and gasket / packing materials standard on U.S. Navy vessels through the early 1980s.
English DD-696 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are English DD-696 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. English DD-696 is documented in the public U.S. Navy asbestos litigation record. U.S. Navy vessels of her service era were built to BUSHIPS specifications that required asbestos insulation throughout engineering spaces, on steam lines, around boilers and turbines, and in gasket and packing materials.
Which shipboard components on English DD-696 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of English DD-696's era include: boiler insulation and lagging, steam-line pipe insulation, turbine and reduction-gear casings, valve packing, gaskets, brake and clutch friction materials, electrical wire insulation, overhead pipe coverings in berthing and mess spaces, and Navy-issue boiler cement and refractory in fireboxes.
What ratings were exposed to asbestos serving on English DD-696?
Navy ratings with the highest documented asbestos exposure include Machinist's Mate (MM), Boiler Technician (BT), Hull Maintenance Technician (HT), Engineman (EN), Electrician's Mate (EM), Interior Communications Electrician (IC), Damage Controlman (DC), and Pipefitter / Shipfitter. Officers in engineering departments also encountered asbestos in normal duty. Shipyard workers performing overhaul, repair, or refit work had concentrated exposure during yard periods.
What equipment manufacturers are documented on English DD-696?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard English DD-696 include: Babcock & Wilcox, Babcock and Wilcox, De Laval, DeLaval, Falk, Ford Instrument, General Electric. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do English DD-696 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. English DD-696 veterans generally need medical records showing the current disease, service records supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a doctor's statement connecting the two. Veterans may file at VA.gov, call 1-800-827-1000, or seek free help from an accredited Veterans Service Organization such as DAV, VFW, or the American Legion.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this site. References to ships, shipyards, companies, products, and asbestos-containing materials are drawn from public VA records, NARA archives, EPA/OSHA databases, and public litigation records. All references reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed records. Consult a licensed physician for medical guidance and a qualified attorney for legal advice regarding your specific situation.
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