USS Wasp (CV-18) was a Essex-class aircraft carrier that served the U.S. Navy from 1943 through 1972 — 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, Wasp’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 Wasp. 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 | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.P. and L.P. Turbines | Westinghouse | 4 | |
| Boiler | Babcock & Wilcox | 1 | |
| Main Feed Pumps | Worthington | 8 | |
| Main Feed Pump Turbines | Sturtevant | 8 | |
| Main Feed Booster Pumps | Worthington | 8 | |
| Main Feed Booster Pump Turbines | Sturtevant | 4 | |
| Auxiliary Feed Booster Pumps | Worthington | 2 | |
| Emergency Feed Pumps (Reciprocating Steam) | Warren | 4 | |
| Main Circulating Pumps | Westinghouse | 4 | |
| Main Circulating Pump Turbines | Westinghouse | 4 | |
| Main Condensate Pumps | Ingersoll-Rand | 8 | |
| Main Condensate Pump Turbines | Westinghouse | 4 | |
| Auxiliary Condenser Cond. Pumps | Ingersoll-Rand | 4 | |
| Auxiliary Condenser Circ. Pumps | Warren | 4 | |
| L.P. Drain Pumps | Warren | 2 | |
| Aux Machinery Cooling Water Pumps | Warren | 6 | |
| Fire & Flushing Pumps | Warren | 10 | |
| Fire & Flushing Pump Turbines | Sturtevant | 4 | |
| Bilge Pumps | Warren | 6 | |
| Evaporator Feed Pumps | Buffalo | 2 | |
| Distiller Cond. F. W. Pumps | Buffalo | 2 | |
| Distiller Cond. Condensate Pumps | Buffalo | 2 | |
| Distiller Cond. Circ. Pumps | Warren | 2 | |
| Distiller Condenser F. W. Pump | Buffalo | 1 | |
| Distiller Cond. Condensate Pump | Buffalo | 1 | |
| Distiller Condenser Circulating Pump | Warren | 1 | |
| Evap. Brine Ovbd. Discharge Pumps | Buffalo | 2 | |
| Evap. Brine Ovbd. Discharge Pump | Warren | 1 | |
| Evap. Tube Nest Drain Pumps | Buffalo | 2 | |
| Evap. Tube Nest Drain Pump | Buffalo | 1 | |
| L.O. Service Pumps | Quimby | 8 | |
| L.O. Service Pump Turbines | Terry | 4 | |
| Diesel Fuel Oil Service Pumps | Northern | 2 | |
| Fuel Oil Tank Drain Pumps | Northern | 3 | |
| L.O. Purifiers | DeLaval | 2 | |
| Diesel F.O. Purifiers | DeLaval | 2 | |
| Diesel Gen. Cooling Water Booster Pumps | Worthington | 2 | |
| F.O. Booster & Transfer Pumps | DeLaval | 6 | |
| F.O. Booster & Transfer Pump Turbines | DeLaval | 2 | |
| Fuel Oil Service Pumps | Quimby | 8 | |
| Fuel Oil Service Pump Turbines | Terry | 8 | |
| Refrig. Cond. Circulating Water Pumps | Warren | 3 | |
| L.O. Service Chain Pumps | DeLaval | 4 | |
| Main Forced Draft Blowers | Sturtevant | 16 | |
| Main Forced Draft Blower Turbines | Sturtevant | 16 | |
| H.P. Air Compressors | Ingersoll Rand | 2 | |
| L.P. Air Compressors | Ingersoll Rand | 2 | |
| Fire Pump (Diesel) | Gardner-Denver | 1 | |
| Fire Pumps (Diesel) | Dayton Dowd Co. | 2 | |
| Port & Cruising F.O. Pumps | Waterbury Tool | 4 | |
| Main Condensers | Westinghouse | 4 | |
| Auxiliary Condensers | Bethlehem Steel Co. | 4 | |
| Fuel Oil Heaters | Griscom-Russell | 8 | |
| Deaerating Feed Tanks | Elliot | 2 | |
| Distilling Plants | Griscom Russell | 2 | |
| Air Ejectors (Distilling Plants) | C.H. Wheeler | 4 | |
| Turbo Generators | GE | 4 |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Wasp
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 Wasp 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 documented Wasp 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.
Speak with an asbestos attorney with Navy veterans experience →
Equipment manifest derived from public-record BUSHIPS documentation specific to USS Wasp (CV-18). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.