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
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1956
Yard period / shipyard · Norfolk — In the shipyard at Norfolk, per the ship's deck log.
1956
Yard period / shipyard — In the shipyard, per the ship's deck log.
1956
Mooring / movement · Norfolk — Moored/underway near Norfolk, per the ship's deck log.
1957
Mooring / movement · NORFOLK — Moored/underway near NORFOLK, per the ship's deck log.
1957
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1957
Mooring / movement · Norfolk — Moored/underway near Norfolk, 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.
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Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Tidewater (AD-31), a Shenandoah-class destroyer tender, served the U.S. Navy from 1946 to 1971, initially in reserve before being recommissioned in 1951 for Korean War-era support. Over her active career, she conducted ten Mediterranean deployments with the 6th Fleet while maintaining tender duties with the Atlantic Fleet from her home port of Norfolk, including service as an advanced base ship during the 1967 Six-Day War. Upon decommissioning, she was transferred to the Indonesian Navy as KRI Dumai (652), serving until scrapped in 1984.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Charleston Navy Yard
Laid down
1944-11-27
Launched
1945-06-30
Commissioned
1946-02-19
Decommissioned
1971-02-20
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Korean War era Atlantic Fleet 1951-1954
Cold War Mediterranean deployments 1954-1969
Cold War Atlantic Fleet operations 1951-1971
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Norfolk VA — home port 1952-1971
Charleston SC — home port 1946-1951
Souda Bay Crete — advanced base 1967
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
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.
Final Disposition
transferred to Indonesian Navy 1971; scrapped 1984
Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Tidewater? This tender carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Tidewater, hull number AD-31, was a tender, built by Charleston Navy Yard and commissioned in 1946. She served through Korean War era Atlantic Fleet, Cold War Mediterranean deployments, and Cold War Atlantic Fleet operations. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Tidewater, AD-31 — 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 Tidewater from makers such as Foster-Wheeler, Robert Wager, Westinghouse, and Aurora allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Tidewater 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 Tidewater (AD-31) was a Klondike-class destroyer tender that served the U.S. Navy from 1946 through 1975 — a 29-year service life that places her squarely within the heaviest period of asbestos use in U.S. Navy ship construction. Across her service, Tidewater’s crew worked daily in machinery spaces, engineering plant, and habitable compartments constructed with extensive asbestos-containing materials.
The equipment manifest below is drawn from BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) ship-specific documentation that identifies the machinery and equipment manufacturers installed aboard Tidewater. Each entry is a documented item of equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source evidence for asbestos-exposure case development by Navy veterans and their families.
Equipment Manifest
Equipment Manifest — USS Tidewater (AD-31). 51 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 ships of this era are documented to have included:
Pipe lagging and thermal insulation on 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 turbines, reduction gears, and auxiliary machinery
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 spaces
Asbestos rope, wick, and tape in glands, joints, and seal applications
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, and overhauled.
VA Benefits for Tidewater 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 documented Tidewater equipment manifest is direct evidence of the asbestos-containing materials her crew worked around.
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 Tidewater (AD-31). 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.
Tidewater AD-31 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Tidewater AD-31 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Tidewater AD-31 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 Tidewater AD-31 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Tidewater AD-31'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 Tidewater AD-31?
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 Tidewater AD-31?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Tidewater AD-31 include: Allis-Chalmers, Atwood & Morrill Co., Aurora, C. H. Wheeler Company, DeLaval, DeLaval Separator Company, Electro-Dynamics. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Tidewater AD-31 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Tidewater AD-31 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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