USS Nereus (AS-17) was a Fulton-class submarine tender that served the U.S. Navy from 1945 through 1971 — a 26-year service life that places her squarely within the heaviest period of asbestos use in U.S. Navy ship construction. Across her service, Nereus’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 Nereus. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Propulsion Engines | General Motors | 8 | 16 Cylinder |
| Main Propulsion Generators | Westinghouse | 8 | |
| Main Propulsion Motors | Westinghouse | 2 | |
| Ship Service Generators | General Motors | 4 | 750 KW; Diesel Engines |
| 3000psi High Pressure Air Compressors | Hardie-Tynes | 2 | |
| 600 psi Medium Pressure Air Compressors | Ingersoll-Rand | 1 | |
| 125 psi Low Pressure Air Compressors | Worthington | 4 | |
| Auxiliary Boilers | Combustion Engineering | 2 | |
| Distilling Plants | Foster Wheeler | 2 | 20,000 GPD |
| Distilling Plant Pumps | Buffalo | 10 | 2 sets of 5 pumps |
| Fire and Flushing Pumps | Buffalo | 2 | |
| Fire, Flushing & Bilge Pumps | Buffalo | 3 | |
| Boiler Feed Water Pumps | Buffalo | 2 | |
| Make-Up Feed Water Pumps | Buffalo | 2 | |
| Battery Water Circulating Pump | Buffalo | 1 | |
| Diesel Oil Service Pumps | Northern | 4 | |
| Diesel Oil Booster Pumps | Northern | 2 | |
| Boiler Fuel Oil Service Pumps | Northern | 2 | |
| Diesel Oil Transfer Pumps | Shutte and Koerting | 2 | |
| Lube Oil Transfer Pumps | Shutte and Koerting | 2 | |
| Fresh Water Distribution Pumps | Worthington | 2 | |
| Combined Air Removal and Condensation Pumps | Nash | 2 | |
| Refrigeration Plants | York | 3 | |
| Air Conditioning Units | Frick | 2 | |
| Air Conditioning Plants | General Electric | 2 | |
| Air Conditioning Plants | York | 1 |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Nereus
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 Nereus 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 Nereus 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 Nereus (AS-17). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.