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.
1953
Western Pacific deployment · Honolulu, USA — Documented port calls: Honolulu, USA, Hong Kong, Kobe, Japan, Sasebo, Japan, Yokosuka, Japan, Chongjin, Korea, Hungnam, Korea, Inchon, Korea, Wonsan, Korea… (per the ship's 1953 cruise book).
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.
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Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Saint Paul (CA-73) was a Baltimore-class cruiser that served with distinction from commissioning in February 1945 through the Korean War era. After shakedown and combat operations in the final months of WWII, she participated in occupation duty in the Far East and subsequently saw extensive action during the Korean War, providing gunfire support to UN forces across three combat tours (1950–1951, 1951–1952, 1953). The ship was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1978 and scrapped in 1980.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Bethlehem Steel Company, Quincy, Massachusetts
Laid down
1943-02-03
Launched
1944-09-16
Commissioned
1945-02-17
Notable Tours / Service Eras
WWII Pacific Theater 1945
Post-WWII occupation duty 1945-1949
Korean War 1950-1953
Cold War Far East operations 1954-1956
Combat Actions
strikes on Honshū, Japan· 1945-07 to 1945-08 screened carriers, bombarded targets
Korean War gunfire support operations· 1950-11 to 1951-01 provided shore bombardment and troop support
Korean War second tour operations· 1951-11 to 1952-04 gun strike missions, antiaircraft escort
Korean War third tour operations· 1953-04 to 1953-07 ground assault support, final gunstrikes
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Shanghai, China — flagship operations 1945-1949
Long Beach, California — major repair facility 1950s
Bremerton, Washington — overhaul yard 1950s
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
Terminal Island, California Naval Shipyard· 1946-01 refit — collision damage repair
Terminal Island, California Naval Shipyard· 1946-08 overhaul
San Francisco, California· 1951-06 to 1951-09 yard work
Long Beach, California· 1954-1955 overhaul — bridge enclosure modification
Bremerton, Washington· 1956 upkeep and 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
21 December 1945 collision with LST-144 off Shanghai — slight bow damage
17 November 1950 shrapnel injury from near miss, six men wounded
21 April 1952 powder fire in forward 8-inch turret — 30 killed
11 July 1953 direct hit from shore battery at Wonsan — only casualty-free direct hit, 3-inch mount damaged
27 July 1953 fired last gunshot of Korean War at 2159 hours
Final Disposition
struck from Naval Vessel Register 31 July 1978, sold for scrapping January 1980
USS Saint Paul (CA-73) is a documented U.S. Navy heavy cruiser with asbestos-exposure evidence in the public litigation record. The equipment manifest below was assembled from depositions, expert reports, and manufacturer interrogatory responses filed in U.S. asbestos litigation that reference equipment installed aboard this vessel.
Equipment Manifest
Equipment Manifest — USS Saint Paul (CA-73). 8 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
Note: this manifest is derived from public asbestos litigation records (depositions, expert reports, manufacturer interrogatories) rather than primary BUSHIPS construction documents. Entries reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed legal records.
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.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Saint Paul
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:
Fireman (FN) — engineering-plant tending across boiler and engine rooms
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.
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.
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.
Saint Paul CA-73 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Saint Paul CA-73 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Saint Paul CA-73 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 Saint Paul CA-73 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Saint Paul CA-73'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 Saint Paul CA-73?
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 Saint Paul CA-73?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Saint Paul CA-73 include: Cutler Hammer, DeLaval Separator Company, General Electric, Halliburton, Leslie Controls, Quimby, Warren Pumps. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Saint Paul CA-73 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Saint Paul CA-73 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.
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