USS Suffolk County (LST-1173) was a DeSoto County-class tank landing ship, built by Boston Naval Shipyard, and, like every steam-powered warship of her era, carried asbestos insulation, gaskets, and packing throughout her machinery and piping spaces.
The equipment reference below is hull-specific and primary-source — transcribed from the ship’s own Navy construction, equipment-certification, and material-inspection records. It is not a secondary Wikipedia summary; each entry cites the record that ties the manufacturer to this hull.
Equipment Reference
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main propulsion diesel engines (Model 38 1/8, 12-cylinder, 2-cycle, 850 rpm; engines 1A/1B/1C/2A/2B/2C) | Fairbanks-Morse | 6 | Hull-specific record: U.S. Navy Sub-Board of Inspection and Survey (InSurv) material inspection report, LST-1173/S3 Serial 541, 19 Nov 1959, Sec. VII Machinery Installation item 4 - 'Six Model 38 1/8, 12 cylinder 2 cycle, 850 rpm Fairbanks-Morse Diesel engines.' |
| Auxiliary boilers (125 psi water tube 'D' type) | Combustion Engineering | 2 | Hull-specific record: InSurv material inspection report LST-1173, Serial 541, 19 Nov 1959, Sec. VII item 12 - 'Two 125 psi Combustion Engineering water tube "D" type auxiliary boilers are installed.' |
| Low pressure evaporators / distilling apparatus (12,000 GPD) | Griscom-Russell | 2 | Hull-specific record: InSurv material inspection report LST-1173, Serial 541, 19 Nov 1959, Sec. VII item 17 - 'Two Griscomb-Russell [Griscom-Russell] 12,000 GPD low pressure evaporators are installed with HAGEVAP feed treatment.' |
| Feed water control system (feedwater regulator/valves) | Copes-Vulcan | Hull-specific record: 1970 overhaul/repair availability (R.R. Allen, Inc., J.O. 365/70) for LST-1173 - work request for services of a Copes-Vulcan factory representative in connection with the ship's feed water control system. | |
| Boat davits (davit arms with screw-jack locking devices) | Welin | Hull-specific record: SUBINSURVLANT InSurv deficiency list, LST-1173, ser 498 of 17 Mar 1971, Deck item IG006dk - 'screw jacks for the locking devices on the port Welin davit arms.' | |
| Lifeboat releasing gear (release hook tripper bills) | Raymond | Hull-specific record: SUBINSURVLANT InSurv deficiency list, LST-1173, ser 498 of 17 Mar 1971, Deck item IG002dk - 'Raymond release hook tripper bills' on the ship's boat davits. | |
| Portable ventilation blowers | Red Devil | Hull-specific record: SUBINSURVLANT InSurv deficiency list, LST-1173, ser 498 of 17 Mar 1971, Damage Control items IG012dc / IIG056dc - 'Red Devil blowers' aboard the ship. | |
| Galley grease interceptor / exhaust hoods | Gaylord | Hull-specific record: SUBINSURVLANT InSurv deficiency list, LST-1173, ser 498 of 17 Mar 1971, Supply item IG011sp - 'Gaylord grease interceptor hoods' in food preparation spaces. | |
| Firefighting foam proportioner (installed foam system) | Hale | Hull-specific record: SUBINSURVLANT InSurv deficiency list, LST-1173, ser 498 of 17 Mar 1971, Damage Control item IG032dc - 'The Hale foam proportioner used with the forward installed foam tank.' |
Source: these 9 equipment-and-manufacturer entries were transcribed from the primary Navy records for USS Suffolk County (LST-1173). Per public litigation records, the machinery aboard ships of this type — boilers, steam turbines, pumps, valves, and their asbestos insulation, gaskets, and packing — allegedly contained asbestos. This is a documentary reference published by an independent publisher; it is not legal advice.
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 Suffolk County
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.
