USS Ruchamkin (APD-89) — Equipment Manifest & Asbestos Exposure Record
Documented equipment manifest and asbestos exposure record for USS Ruchamkin (APD-89), a Crosley-class high-speed transport in service 1945–1969. 18...
By Rights Watch Media Group LLC•June 6, 2026•3 min read
Shipyard, deployment, and service events for this vessel documented in the public record — court filings, the ship’s deck logs, or the crew’s own cruise book (each entry cites its source). Dry-dockings, overhauls, and yard periods were when asbestos insulation was torn out and replaced, the peak-exposure work for the crew and yard workers aboard.
1956
Yard period / shipyard · Boston Naval Shipyard — In the shipyard at Boston Naval Shipyard, per the ship's deck log.
1956
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1956
Yard period / shipyard — In the shipyard, per the ship's deck log.
1957
Dry-docking — Dry-docked, per the ship's deck log.
1957
Yard period / shipyard — In the shipyard, per the ship's deck log.
1957
Yard period / shipyard · Boston Naval Shipyard — In the shipyard at Boston Naval Shipyard, per the ship's deck log.
1957
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
Derived from publicly filed asbestos-litigation records, ship’s deck logs, and the crew’s own cruise books. Historical service events; this does not constitute legal or medical advice.
Log every ship, shipyard, or base where you served — build a personal asbestos-exposure record for VA claims and civil litigation.
Your MusterLog is empty.
Use the gold button on any ship, shipyard, or base page to log a duty station.
Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Ruchamkin (APD-89) served as a high-speed transport and amphibious control vessel in three commission periods spanning 1945–1946, 1951–1957, and 1961–1969. After extensive service in Atlantic and Mediterranean amphibious operations, including participation in Operation Steel Pike I and support during the Dominican Crisis, she was decommissioned and transferred to the Colombian Navy as ARC Córdoba (DT-15) in 1969, serving until 1980.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Philadelphia Navy Yard
Laid down
1944-02-14
Launched
1944-06-15
Commissioned
1945-09-16
Decommissioned
1969-11-24
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Initial commission 1945–1946
Cold War Atlantic Fleet 1951–1957
Berlin Crisis and Cold War Atlantic/Caribbean 1961–1969
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Norfolk, Virginia — home port 1951–1955
Boston, Massachusetts — home port 1955–1957
Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia Beach — home port 1961–1969
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Company· 1963-1964 FRAM II overhaul
Asbestos rip-out, insulation replacement, and gasket-packing work occurred during these yard periods. Sailors aboard during overhauls had peak exposure to airborne asbestos fiber.
Notable Incidents
14 November 1952 collision with merchant tanker Washington off Virginia Capes — seven troops lost
Final Disposition
Scrapped; hull and superstructure re-erected at Jaime Duque amusement park near Bogotá, Colombia
Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Ruchamkin? This transport carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Ruchamkin, hull number APD-89, was a transport, built by Philadelphia Navy Yard and commissioned in 1945. She served through Initial commission, Cold War Atlantic Fleet, and Berlin Crisis and Cold War Atlantic and Caribbean. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Ruchamkin, APD-89 — insulated and sealed with asbestos. Each shipyard overhaul and major repair meant asbestos insulation was torn out and replaced — peak-exposure work for the yard workers and the crew aboard. 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 Ruchamkin from makers such as Babcock and Wilcox, Westinghouse, General Electric, and Combustion Engineering allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Ruchamkin 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 Ruchamkin (APD-89 / LPR-89) was a Crosley-class high-speed transport commissioned 16 February 1945 — Pacific Theater WWII underwater demolition team operations, Korean War, and Cold War amphibious force service through 1969.
The 18-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 Manifest — USS Ruchamkin (APD-89). 18 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy high-speed transports 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 Ruchamkin 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. The Ruchamkin 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.
Equipment manifest derived from public-record BUSHIPS documentation specific to USS Ruchamkin (APD-89). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.
AsbestosIndex™Product & Manufacturer Reference
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.
Documented Asbestos-Exposure Environments — U.S. Navy Service
Public-domain U.S. Navy photographs illustrating the engineering spaces, ratings, and yard environments where asbestos materials were routinely encountered during normal duty.
All images are public domain (U.S. Government works). Specific photographs depict generic Navy engineering and yard environments — not the named vessel above. Asbestos materials shown or implied include pipe lagging, boiler insulation, steam-line covering, and gasket / packing materials standard on U.S. Navy vessels through the early 1980s.
Ruchamkin APD-89 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Ruchamkin APD-89 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Ruchamkin APD-89 is documented in the public U.S. Navy asbestos litigation record. U.S. Navy vessels of her service era were built to BUSHIPS specifications that required asbestos insulation throughout engineering spaces, on steam lines, around boilers and turbines, and in gasket and packing materials.
Which shipboard components on Ruchamkin APD-89 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Ruchamkin APD-89's era include: boiler insulation and lagging, steam-line pipe insulation, turbine and reduction-gear casings, valve packing, gaskets, brake and clutch friction materials, electrical wire insulation, overhead pipe coverings in berthing and mess spaces, and Navy-issue boiler cement and refractory in fireboxes.
What ratings were exposed to asbestos serving on Ruchamkin APD-89?
Navy ratings with the highest documented asbestos exposure include Machinist's Mate (MM), Boiler Technician (BT), Hull Maintenance Technician (HT), Engineman (EN), Electrician's Mate (EM), Interior Communications Electrician (IC), Damage Controlman (DC), and Pipefitter / Shipfitter. Officers in engineering departments also encountered asbestos in normal duty. Shipyard workers performing overhaul, repair, or refit work had concentrated exposure during yard periods.
What equipment manufacturers are documented on Ruchamkin APD-89?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Ruchamkin APD-89 include: Babcock & Wilcox, Carrier, Combustion Engineering, Escort Vessels, Fairbanks Morse, Fairbanks-Morse, General Electric. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Ruchamkin APD-89 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Ruchamkin APD-89 veterans generally need medical records showing the current disease, service records supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a doctor's statement connecting the two. Veterans may file at VA.gov, call 1-800-827-1000, or seek free help from an accredited Veterans Service Organization such as DAV, VFW, or the American Legion.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this site. References to ships, shipyards, companies, products, and asbestos-containing materials are drawn from public VA records, NARA archives, EPA/OSHA databases, and public litigation records. All references reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed records. Consult a licensed physician for medical guidance and a qualified attorney for legal advice regarding your specific situation.
Sponsored Legal Resource — Attorney Advertising
Connect With a Navy Asbestos & Mesothelioma Attorney
Navy veterans and civilian shipyard workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may have grounds for a civil claim against the asbestos product manufacturers whose materials were installed aboard. O'Brien Law Firm represents veterans and their families in the civil track at no upfront cost — separate from any VA disability benefits you may be eligible for.
Living with a diagnosis?
If you were diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, a filing deadline may already be running. You may have a legal claim now — and claims can often be pursued even if the company is out of business.
Lost a loved one to mesothelioma?
Surviving spouses and children may pursue a wrongful-death claim and asbestos-trust recovery on a loved one's behalf — a separate deadline that can run from the date of passing.
Free case evaluation — no obligation to hire
No attorney fee unless we make a financial recovery
Personal-injury and wrongful-death claims both evaluated
Civil claims against asbestos manufacturers & bankruptcy trust funds
Maritime statute of limitations: 3 years from diagnosis (46 U.S.C. § 30106)
Runs in parallel with VA benefits — civil recovery does not reduce VA disability compensation
Thank you. Your inquiry has been submitted. An attorney will be in touch shortly.
Attorney Advertising. This website is published by Rights Watch Media Group LLC, an independent media organization, and is not a law firm. Visiting this site or submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. O'Brien Law Firm is a licensed MO law firm. Free consultations are offered at no obligation. Legal representation is provided on a contingency basis — there is no charge unless a financial recovery is made on your behalf. Individual results vary; past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Inquiries submitted to navyshipexposure.com are routed directly and exclusively to O'Brien Law Firm. Rights Watch Media Group LLC is an independent publisher and is not a lawyer referral service. We do not sell or share inquiries with other firms.
