USS Essex (CVA-9) was a Essex-class aircraft carrier (lead ship) that served the U.S. Navy from 1942 through 1969 — a 27-year service life that places her squarely within the heaviest period of asbestos use in U.S. Navy ship construction. Across her service, Essex’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 Essex. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boilers | Babcock & Wilcox | ||
| Distiller Condenser Fresh Water Pump | Buffalo | ||
| Distiller Condenser Condensate Pump | Buffalo | ||
| Distilling Condenser Circulating Pump | Buffalo | ||
| Evaporator Brine Overboard Discharge Pump | Buffalo | ||
| Evaporator Tube Nest Drain Pump | Buffalo | ||
| Vacuum Drain Tank Ejector | CH Wheeler | ||
| Distilling Plant Air Ejectors | CH Wheeler | ||
| Diesel Fuel Oil Purifier | DeLaval | ||
| Lube Oil Purifier | DeLaval | ||
| Deaerating Feed Tank | Elliott | ||
| Emergency Ship's Service Generator Diesel Engines | Fairbanks Morse | ||
| Ship's Service Turbo Generators | General Electric | ||
| 250 KW Diesel Generators | General Electric | ||
| Distilling Plants | Griscom Russell | ||
| Fuel Oil Heaters | Griscom Russell | ||
| HP Air Compressors | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| MP Air Compressors | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| LP Air Compressor | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| Main Condensate Pumps | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| Auxiliary Condensate Pumps | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| MP Air Compressor Turbine | Moore | ||
| Dynamo Condensers | Newport News Shipyard | ||
| Diesel Fuel Oil Service Pump | Northern | ||
| Fuel Oil Tank Drain Pump | Northern | ||
| Fuel Oil Booster & Transfer Pump | Quimby | ||
| Fuel Oil Service Pump | Quimby | ||
| Lube Oil Service Pumps | Quimby | ||
| Forced Draft Blowers | Sturtevant | ||
| Forced Draft Blower Turbines | Sturtevant | ||
| Main Feed Pump Turbines | Sturtevant | ||
| Main Feed Booster Pump Turbines | Sturtevant | ||
| Fire & Flushing Pump Turbines | Sturtevant | ||
| Lube Oil Service Pumps | Terry | ||
| Fuel Oil Booster & Transfer Pump Turbines | Terry | ||
| Fuel Oil Service Pump Turbines | Terry | ||
| Auxiliary Condensate Circulating Pumps | Warren | ||
| Auxiliary Machinery Cooling Water Pumps | Warren | ||
| Bilge Pumps (Reciprocating) | Warren | ||
| Distiller Circulating Pumps | Warren | ||
| Distiller Condensate Pumps | Warren | ||
| Distiller Fresh Water Pumps | Warren | ||
| Emergency Feed Pumps (Steam Reciprocating) | Warren | ||
| Evaporator Brine Overboard Discharge Pumps | Warren | ||
| Evaporator Feed Pumps | Warren | ||
| Evaporator Tube Nest Drain Pumps | Warren | ||
| Fire & Flushing Pumps | Warren | ||
| LP Drain Pumps | Warren | ||
| Refrigerating Circulating Water Pumps | Warren | ||
| Port & Cruising Fuel Oil Service Pump | Waterbury | ||
| Main Propulsion Turbines | Westinghouse | ||
| Main Condensers | Westinghouse | ||
| Gland Exhauster Condensers | Westinghouse | ||
| Main Air Ejectors | Westinghouse | ||
| Auxiliary Air Ejectors | Westinghouse | ||
| Main Circulating Pumps | Westinghouse | ||
| Main Circulating Pump Turbines | Westinghouse | ||
| Main Condensate Pump Turbines | Westinghouse | ||
| Main Feed Pumps | Worthington | ||
| Main Feed Booster Pumps | Worthington | ||
| Auxiliary Feed Booster Pumps | Worthington |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Essex
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 Essex 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 Essex 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 Essex (CVA-9). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.