USS Paricutin (AE-18) was a Mount Hood-class ammunition ship commissioned 27 January 1945 — Pacific Theater WWII ammunition replenishment, Korean War, Cold War Pacific Fleet, and Vietnam War combat replenishment service through 1973.
The 33-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boilers | Combustion Engineering | ||
| Main Engines | General Electric Co. | ||
| Reduction Gears | General Electric Co. | ||
| Condensers | Allis Chalmers Company | ||
| Air Compressors | Ingersoll-Rand Company | ||
| Air Compressors | Worthington Pump | ||
| Distilling Units | Griscom Russell | Main | |
| Distilling Units | Davis Engineering Corp. | Emergency | |
| Forced Draft Blowers | Buffalo Forge Co. | ||
| Fire Pumps | Goulds Pumps, Inc. | ||
| Circulating Pump for Condenser | Allis Chalmers Mfg. Co. | ||
| Condensate Pump | Allis Chalmers Mfg. Co. | ||
| Distilling Plant Pumps | Aldrich Pump Co. | ||
| Salt Water Booster Pump | Lobard Governor Corp. | ||
| Oil Pumps | Quimby Pump Co. | ||
| Oil Pumps | Westinghouse Elec. Co. | ||
| Auxiliary Condenser | Allis Chalmers Co. | ||
| Auxiliary Condenser | Wheeler Mfg. Co. | ||
| Typewriter | Underwood | ||
| Ballast Pump | Cobe Pump | ||
| Cargo Winch | Ideal | USBi, vendor | |
| Cargo Winch | Hoist | USBi, vendor | |
| Cargo Winch | Liebherr | USBi, vendor | |
| Air Drier | Lumidaire | ||
| Boiler | Babcock & Wilcox | ||
| Engine | General Electric | ||
| Turbine | General Electric | ||
| Generator | General Electric | ||
| Lovejoy Couplings | Lovejoy | port and starboard | |
| Boilers | Babcock & Wilcox | ||
| Turbines | General Electric | ||
| Generators | General Electric | ||
| Condensers | General Electric |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Paricutin
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy ammunition ships 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 Paricutin 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 Paricutin 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 Paricutin (AE-18). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.