USS Pawcatuck (AO-108 / T-AO-108) was a Mispillion-class fleet oiler commissioned 10 March 1946 and serving the U.S. Navy/MSC through 1991 — Atlantic Fleet underway replenishment, Mediterranean Sixth Fleet, Vietnam War operations, and Operation Desert Storm support across 45 years of service.
The 59-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbines | Westinghouse Electric Corp. | 2 | Main Propulsion Units |
| Gears | Westinghouse Electric Corp. | 2 | Main Propulsion Units |
| Boilers | Babcock and Wilcox | 4 | |
| Pumps | Allis-Chalmers | 2 | Main Circulators |
| Meters | General Electric Co. | 2 | Main Circulators |
| Pumps | Ingersoll Rand | 2 | Main Feed Pumps |
| Turbines | Winton Turbine Mfg. Co. | 2 | Main Feed Pumps |
| Standby Feed Pump | National Transit Co. | 1 | |
| Condensers | Westinghouse Electric Corp. | 2 | |
| Motor | General Electric Co. | 3 | Main Cargo Pumps |
| Stripping Pumps | National Transit Co. | 3 | |
| Main Condensate Pumps | Allis-Chalmers | 2 | |
| Motors | General Electric Co. | 2 | Main Condensate Pumps |
| 500 KW AC Generators | General Electric Co. | 3 | |
| Gears | General Electric Co. | 3 | 500 KW AC Generators |
| Turbines | General Electric Co. | 3 | 500 KW AC Generators |
| Generator | Burke | 1 | 60 KW Emergency Diesel Generator |
| Engine | Superior | 1 | 60 KW Emergency Diesel Generator |
| F.O. Service Pumps | De Laval | 2 | |
| L.O. Service Pumps | De Laval | 2 | |
| L.O. Standby Pumps | National Transit Co. | 2 | |
| 60 KW Motor Driven Generator | General Electric Co. | 1 | Motor by General Electric |
| Fire Pump | National Transit Co. | 1 | |
| Anchor Windlass | American Engineering Co. | 1 | |
| Windlass | American Engineering Co. | ||
| Raging | American Engineering Co. | ||
| Steering Gear | American Engineering Co. | 1 | |
| Engine | American Engineering Co. | 1 | Associated with Steering Gear |
| Deck Winches | American Engineering Co. | ||
| Turbines | General Electric | ||
| Generators | General Electric | ||
| Boilers | Combustion Engineering | ||
| Pumps | Worthington | ||
| Compressors | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| Evaporators | Servel | ||
| Pump | WORTHINGTON | ||
| Compressor | SULLIVAN | ||
| Generator | WESTINGHOUSE | ||
| Motor | GENERAL ELECTRIC | ||
| Gyrocompass | Sperry | ||
| Sonar | Sangamo | ||
| Radio Direction Finder | Marconi | ||
| Loran | Sperry | ||
| Valves | Jenkins | ||
| Compressor | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| Motors | General Electric | ||
| Generators | Westinghouse | ||
| Turbines | Curtis | ||
| Boilers | Babcock & Wilcox | ||
| Heat Exchangers | Foster Wheeler | ||
| VESSEUR | Richard K | 953 75 33 | |
| Blower | SPENCER | ||
| Motor | WESTINGHOUSE | ||
| Generator | GENERAL ELECTRIC | ||
| Valve | JENKINS | ||
| GMC | General Motors Corporation | ||
| Compressor | Westinghouse | ||
| Turbine | Westinghouse | ||
| Gauge | Ashcroft |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Pawcatuck
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy fleet oilers 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 Pawcatuck 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 Pawcatuck 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 Pawcatuck (AO-108). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.