USS St. Paul (CA-73) was a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser commissioned 17 February 1945 and serving the U.S. Navy through 1971 — combat operations in Pacific Theater WWII, Korean War (where she was the flagship of the U.N. Naval Forces during the Inchon landings and Yalu River campaign), and Vietnam. The equipment data below is drawn from the 1948 BUSHIPS Report of Material Inspection conducted at Long Beach, California — primary-source documentation of the machinery installed aboard.
Equipment Manifest
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double effect evaporator | Bethlehem Steel Company | 2 | BuShips Design, low pressure, 20,000 g.p.d. |
| Emergency evaporator | Griscom-Russell | 1 | Solo shell, low pressure, 10,400 g.p.d. |
| Refrigeration compressor | Carrier Corporation | 2 | 5-ton capacity units |
| Air conditioning unit | Carrier Corporation | 2 | 12.77-ton capacity for CIC and Central; 4.0-ton capacity for Steering Engine station |
| Air conditioning unit | General Electric | 1 | 3.80-ton capacity for Flag Plot |
| Air conditioning unit | York | 4 | 0.85-ton capacity for Magazines |
| Air conditioning unit | Frick | 1 | 6.02-ton capacity for Sick Bay |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard St. Paul
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy heavy cruisers 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 St. Paul 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 St. Paul 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 St. Paul (CA-73). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.