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Did you serve aboard the USS Tucson? This cruiser carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Tucson, hull number CL-98, was a cruiser, built by Bethlehem Steel Corporation and commissioned in 1945. She served through WWII Pacific Theater, Post-war Far East operations, and Pacific Fleet training operations. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Tucson, CL-98 — 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 Tucson from makers such as DeLaval, Terry Steam Turbine Co., General Electric, and Ingersoll-Rand allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Tucson 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 Tucson (CL-98, later CLAA-98) was an Atlanta-class light cruiser commissioned 3 February 1945 and serving briefly through 1949. Designed for anti-aircraft defense of carrier task forces, Tucson featured an extensive battery of 5"/38-caliber dual-purpose guns.
The 9-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 | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Feed Pumps | Buffalo Pumps, Inc. | 3 | Horizontal two-stage double suction close-coupled three bearing units |
| Steam Turbines | Terry Steam Turbine Co. | Drive main feed pumps | |
| Main Turbo Generators | General Electric | 400 KW ship's service turbo generator sets | |
| Fuel Oil Priming Pumps | Cooper Bessemer | ||
| Ejector, Condenser and Compressor | Ingersoll-Rand | ||
| Valve | Crane Co. | 1 | Spring-loaded valve with flanged nipple |
| Steam Turbine | DeLaval | Reduction gears and steam turbine for pumps | |
| Steam Pump | Warren Steam Pump Co. | Fresh water pump in after fire room | |
| Booster Pump | Northern Pump Co. | P.O. booster pump in forward fire room |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Tucson
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy light 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 Tucson 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 Tucson 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 Tucson (CL-98). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.
