USS Laffey (DD-724) 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 Laffey (DD-724) herself has not yet been published; this pattern reflects what was standard for vessels of this class.
Class Equipment Pattern
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Feed Pump | Warren | Documented across 4 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Asbestos Cloth | Raybestos Co. | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Auxiliary Condenser Circulating Pump | Buffalo | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Auxiliary Condensers | Foster Wheeler | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Blowers | Westinghouse Electric Co. | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Distiller Circulation Pump | Buffalo | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Distiller Condensating Pump | Buffalo | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Distiller Distribution Pump | Buffalo | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Economizers | Foster Wheeler | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Evaporator Brine Pump | Buffalo Pump Co. | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Evaporator Drain Pump | Buffalo Pump Co. | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Fire & Bilge Pump | Warren Pump Corp. | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Fresh Water Pump | Warren Steam Pump Co. | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Main Condensers | Foster Wheeler | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Main Condensers Circulating Pump | Warren | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Manifold Vent Valve | Pitometer Log Corp. | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Reduction Gear | Falk Corp. | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Reduction Gear | De Laval | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Reduction Valves | Grove | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Ships Service Air Compressors | Worthington | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Ships Service Turbine Drive Generators | Westinghouse Electric Co. | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Ships Service Turbine Drive Generators | General Electric | Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Asbestos Tape | Johns Mansville | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Auxiliary Condensers Pump | De Laval | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Auxiliary Feed Booster Pump | De Laval | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Auxiliary Feed Booster Pump | Ingersoll Rand Co. | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Auxiliary Refrigeration | Frick Ice Maker Co. | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Boiler | Babcock & Wilcox | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Diesel Oil Purifier Pump | De Laval | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Drainage Pump | Sawyer Electric Co. | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Emergency Diesel Generators | General Motor | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Emergency Distilling Apparatus | Griscom-Russell | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Fuel Oil Booster Pump | DeLaval | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Fuel Oil Booster Pump | De Laval | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| High Temperature Insulation | Johns Mansfield | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Main Condensers Pump | De Laval | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Main Distilling Apparatus | Griscom-Russell | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Main Feed Booster Pump | De Laval | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Main Feed Booster Pump | Ingersoll Rand Co. | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Main Feed Pump | De Laval | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Main Fuel Oil Pump | De Laval | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Main Lubricating Pump | De Laval | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Main Propulsion Turbines | General Electric | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Main Refrigeration | Carrier Corp. | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Oil Purifier Pump | De Laval | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Pump | Worthington | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Sonar | General Electric | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Super Heater Valves | Yarway | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Turbine | General Electric | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer | |
| Vacuum Pump For Emergency Generator Unit | Nash Pump Co. | Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-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 Laffey (DD-724), this page will be updated to reflect her unique equipment profile.
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Laffey
U.S. Navy destroyers built between the 1930s and 1980s were constructed with extensive asbestos-containing materials throughout machinery spaces, engineering plants, and habitability compartments. The standard ACM categories installed and maintained aboard included:
- Pipe lagging and thermal insulation — 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 and burner fronts.
- Asbestos gaskets and braided packing — valves, flanges, pumps, condensers, heat exchangers, and turbine glands.
- Insulation jackets and removable lagging — main propulsion turbines, reduction gears, ship-service turbine generators, and forced-draft blowers.
- Sheet asbestos and Marinite panels — fire-stops, bulkhead insulation, and overhead insulation throughout damage-control zones.
- Vinyl asbestos floor tile (VAT) — passageways, berthing, mess decks, wardroom, and habitable compartments.
- Asbestos rope, wick, and tape — gland-seal applications throughout the engineering plant.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Laffey
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 Presumptive Benefits — No Filing Deadline
The U.S. 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 under 38 CFR § 3.309(d). No statute of limitations applies to VA disability compensation claims.
Available benefits may include monthly disability compensation, Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses, priority VA healthcare enrollment, and Special Monthly Compensation for severe cases. Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products do not reduce VA compensation.
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.