USS Newport News (CA-148) was a Des Moines-class heavy cruiser commissioned 29 January 1949 — Mediterranean Sixth Fleet flagship, Lebanon crisis 1958, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Vietnam War combat operations (gunfire support, including the only triple-turret 8-inch automatic guns ever fielded) through her 1975 decommissioning.
The 7-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 | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gate Valves | Baird | Provide material monel trim and test following stop valves, various sizes and locations | |
| Fire Plugs | Baird | Renew stems and screws in fire plugs on main deck, located 2H 11161 154 and 153 | |
| Globe Diaphragm Reducing Valves | Kieley Mueller | 4 | Replace four valves for fire main pressure reduction to 35 PSI, 250 GPM capacity, 225 PSI hydrostatic pressure |
| Stop and Gate Valves | Baird | Repair or replace and test various stop and globe valves throughout ship | |
| Control Manifold Expansion Valve | LC Valve Co | 1 | Repair or replace thermal expansion valve type TCLF tube size 10 ton at frame 79, capillary bulb punctured |
| Deck Drains | Baird | 25 | Provide twenty-five deck drains to be picked up and installed by ship's force |
| 15 Pound CO2 Bottles | Wilson | 34 | Test thirty-four 15 pound CO2 bottles per BUSHIPS manual chapter procedures |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Newport News
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy heavy cruisers 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 Newport News 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 Newport News 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 Newport News (CA-148). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.