Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Preble? This Navy ship carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Preble was a Navy ship. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Preble — insulated and sealed with asbestos. 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 Preble from makers such as Babcock and Wilcox, DeLaval, General Electric, and C.H. Wheeler allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Preble 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 Preble (DLG-15) was a Farragut-class guided-missile destroyer-leader (later redesignated guided-missile destroyer, DDG-46) that served the U.S. Navy from her commissioning on 9 May 1960 through decommissioning on 28 September 1991. She was built at Bath Iron Works, Maine, and operated primarily from Pacific Fleet bases over her 31-year service life — a service span squarely within the heaviest asbestos use period in U.S. naval construction.
The equipment manifest below is drawn from BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) ship-specific documentation that identifies the machinery and equipment manufacturers installed aboard the Preble. Each entry below is a documented item of equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source evidence for asbestos-exposure case development.
Equipment Manifest
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 750 KW Turbine Generator Set | General Electric | ||
| Main Forced Draft Blowers | Hardie-Tynes | ||
| Main Boilers | Babcock & Wilcox | ||
| Deaerating Feed Tank | Cochrane Corp. | ||
| Propulsion Turbine | DeLaval | ||
| Main Condensers | C.H. Wheeler | ||
| Aux. Gland Exhauster Condensers | C.H. Wheeler | ||
| Distilling Plant | Bethlehem Steel | ||
| Main Feed Pumps | General Electric | ||
| Main Feed Booster Pumps | Allis-Chalmers | ||
| Reserve Feed Transfer Pump | Well Pumps | ||
| Emerg. Diesel S.W. Booster Pump | Well Pumps | ||
| F.W. Drain Pump | Well Pumps | ||
| Main Circulating Pumps | Warren | ||
| Main Condensate Pumps | Warren | ||
| Mechanical Cooling SW Circ. Pumps | Aurora | ||
| Distiller Feed Pump | Aurora | ||
| Aux. Machy Cooling Water Pump | Aurora | ||
| Aux. Cond. Circ. Pumps | Aurora | ||
| Aux. Condensate Pumps | Aldrich | ||
| Main Fuel Oil Service Pump | DeLaval | ||
| Port Fuel Oil Service Pump | DeLaval | ||
| Main Lube Oil Service Pump | DeLaval | ||
| D.O. Transfer Pump | DeLaval | ||
| F.O. Transfer Pump | DeLaval | ||
| Fire Pumps | Warren | ||
| Fuel Oil Transfer Pumps | DeLaval | ||
| Oily Bilge & Fuel Oil Tank Stripping Pump | Warren | ||
| Mechanical Cooling Chilled Water Circ. Pump | M.T. Davidson | ||
| F.W. Potable Pumps | M.T. Davidson | ||
| Vacum Priming Pump | Nash | ||
| H.P. Air Compressor | Worthington | ||
| L.P. Combustion Control Compressor | Worthington | ||
| Fuel Oil Heaters | Davis Engineering | ||
| Lube Oil Purifiers | Sharpies | ||
| Diesel Oil Purifiers | Sharpies |
Asbestos Exposure Aboard Preble
The Preble’s engineering plant — Babcock & Wilcox main boilers, DeLaval propulsion turbines, General Electric 750 kW turbine generators, multiple compressors and pump systems — used the standard asbestos-containing materials of her era:
- Pipe lagging and thermal insulation on steam, feed-water, fuel-oil, and condensate piping throughout machinery spaces
- Boiler block insulation and refractory around the main boilers
- Asbestos gaskets and braided packing in valves, flanges, pumps, and turbine glands (Warren Pumps fire pumps documented with original 1959 tech manual)
- Insulation jackets on turbines, reduction gears, and auxiliary machinery
- Marinite and sheet asbestos as fire-stops, bulkhead insulation, and overhead insulation
- Vinyl asbestos floor tile throughout berthing, mess, and habitable compartments
Crew members in Boilerman, Machinist’s Mate, Engineman, Electrician’s Mate, Hull Maintenance Technician, Damage Controlman, and Storekeeper ratings worked routinely in spaces where this equipment was installed, maintained, and overhauled.
VA Benefits for Preble Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions that may be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure. Preble’s documented equipment manifest is direct evidence of the asbestos-containing materials her crew worked around.
Speak with an asbestos attorney with Navy veterans experience →
Equipment manifest derived from public-record BUSHIPS documentation specific to USS Preble (DLG-15). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.
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 Preble
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.
