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Did you serve aboard the USS Nautilus? This submarine carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Nautilus, hull number SS-168, was a submarine, built by Mare Island Naval Shipyard and commissioned in 1930. She served through Inter-war period, and WWII Pacific Theater. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Nautilus, SS-168 — 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 Nautilus from makers such as Westinghouse, Crane, and Crane Co. allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Nautilus 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 Nautilus (SS-168) is a documented U.S. Navy submarine 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2" Sentinel Relief Valve | Westinghouse | 1 | Westinghouse dwg 1-JE-879; shock test approved May 1955 for duplicate valves installed aboard USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571) |
| Main Condenser | Westinghouse | S.O. 1-AP-2023; installed aboard USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571) | |
| Tube Protection Baffle | Westinghouse | Main condenser component; field alteration approved for USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571) | |
| Valves and fittings for atomic reactor plant | Crane Co. | Uniquely designed valves for USS Nautilus nuclear submarine reactor plant | |
| nuclear-grade valves | Crane | Supplied to USS Nautilus SSN-71 for first nuclear submarine | |
| Auxiliary Air Ejectors | Westinghouse | Coolant T-G set air ejectors for gland and vent condenser, per Bureau of Ships drawing S4600-3:159,595 |
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.
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 Nautilus
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.
