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Did you serve aboard the USS Hornet? This aircraft carrier carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Hornet, hull number CV-12, was an aircraft carrier, built by Newport News Shipbuilding and commissioned in 1943. She served through WWII Pacific Theater, Korean War, and Vietnam Wars. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Hornet, CV-12 — 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 Hornet from makers such as Warren, Warren Pumps, and Certaineed Corporation allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Hornet 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 Hornet (CV-12) is a documented U.S. Navy aircraft carrier with asbestos-exposure evidence in the public litigation record. The equipment manifest below was assembled from depositions, expert reports, and manufacturer interrogatory responses filed in U.S. asbestos litigation that reference equipment installed aboard this vessel.
Equipment Manifest
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipe | Certaineed Corporation | Pipe products listed in USS Hornet (CV-12) manifest | |
| Fire Pumps | Warren | Installed aboard USS Hornet; repaired these pumps and replaced insulation | |
| Bilge Pumps | Warren | Installed aboard USS Hornet; repaired these pumps and replaced insulation | |
| Feed Pumps | Warren | Installed aboard USS Hornet; repaired these pumps | |
| bilge pump | Warren Pumps | Work performed on bilge pump and pumps aboard USS Hornet | |
| Fire Retardant Linoleum | Congoleum Nairn, Inc. | 40 yards (600 sq ft) for barber shop installation; fire resistant cement included | |
| Boilers | Babcock & Wilcox | 8 | Per DANFS (Essex-class characteristics); public domain |
| Steam turbines | Westinghouse | Per DANFS (Essex-class characteristics); public domain |
Note: this manifest is derived from public asbestos litigation records (depositions, expert reports, manufacturer interrogatories) rather than primary BUSHIPS construction documents. Entries reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed legal records.
Documented Asbestos Evidence
Burger testified that insulation was present “throughout the fire rooms in the WASP” — a sister Essex-class carrier — and that this insulation “would have contained asbestos.” As an Essex-class carrier, Hornet shares the class-wide asbestos documentation established across her sister ships:
- Over 250 tons (380,000 lbs per expert Mangold’s analysis) of amosite asbestos thermal insulation per Essex-class carrier
- Amosite asbestos throughout piping and machinery insulation; chrysotile asbestos in naval wire and cable
- Babcock & Wilcox boilers (contract NObs 784, Essex-class standard)
- Crane Co. auxiliary steam valves with asbestos-containing gaskets and packing
- Griscom-Russell distillers; De Laval oil purifiers; Terry Steam turbine drives (fuel oil service pumps)
- Insulation removal during shipyard repairs and overhauls produced the largest amount of insulation dust across Essex-class vessels
Hornet’s service history — including museum/display use at Alameda, California — and her role in the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 recovery missions bring additional significance to sailors who served during her 1943–1970 active career.
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References reflect what has been alleged or documented in publicly filed asbestos litigation. This does not constitute a finding of fact or liability. This site does not provide legal or medical advice.
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 Hornet
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 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.
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.
