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Did you serve aboard the USS Heermann? This destroyer carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Heermann, hull number DD-532, was a destroyer, built by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co. and commissioned in 1943. She served through WWII Pacific Theater, and Post-war reserve and reactivation. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Heermann, DD-532 — 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 Heermann from makers such as General Electric Company, Foster Wheeler, and Warren Pumps allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Heermann 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 Heermann (DD-532) was a Fletcher-class destroyer commissioned 6 July 1943 and most famous for her heroic role at the Battle off Samar (25 October 1944) — the smallest of Taffy 3’s escorts charging directly at Admiral Kurita’s superior Japanese surface force during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She served through 1957 and was later transferred to Argentina as ARA Almirante Brown.

The 6-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 Manifest — USS Heermann (DD-532). 6 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
EquipmentManufacturerQtyNotes
Main CondenserFoster WheelerDwg. No. N-2138B, Rev. L
Main Condenser and EjectorFoster WheelerDwg. No. 1F21390, Rev. G
L.P. Turbine Bolts (1" Pitted)General Electric CompanySecure L.P. turbine to condenser inlet flange
Distillate PumpWarren Pumps1Type 1-CVC-7
Sea Water Heater Drain PumpWarren Pumps1Type 11-2CV-6
Salt Water Overboard Discharge PumpWarren Pumps1Type 5-CVE-16

Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Heermann

The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy destroyers 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 Heermann Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions that may be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure. The Heermann 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 Heermann (DD-532). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.