The USS Manta (SS-299) was a Balao-class submarine that served the United States Navy from 1944 to 1967, participating in both the final stages of World War II and the early Cold War era. Built in the production rush created by America’s entry into the war, the Manta was constructed using significant amounts of asbestos that put many of those who served and trained on the ship at risk for mesothelioma and other significant illnesses.
About the USS Manta
The second vessel that the Navy named after the large, graceful marine animal known for its curiosity and intelligence, the USS Manta was laid down in January 1943 at the Cramp Shipbuilding Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The submarine was launched ten months later, in November 1943, with Mrs. Michael J. Bradley serving as sponsor. After completion of construction and sea trials, the vessel was commissioned in December 1944 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Edward P. Madley.[1]
As a Balao-class submarine, the Manta was technologically advanced and impressive in size for its era. The vessel measured 311 feet 8 inches in length with a beam of 27 feet 3 inches and a draft of 15 feet 8 inches. She displaced 1,525 tons on the surface, 2,424 tons when submerged, and could achieve speeds of 20 knots on the surface and 8.75 knots underwater. She carried a complement of 81 officers and crew members and armament, including a 5-inch gun, a 40mm gun, and ten torpedo tubes.[2]
Operational History
World War II Service
After completing her shakedown cruise, the Manta departed New London, Connecticut, in March 1945, bound for Hawaii via the Panama Canal during the waning months of World War II. The submarine’s first war patrol commenced when she sailed from Pearl Harbor in May of that year with orders to patrol the waters off the Kuril Islands. This strategically important chain of islands between Japan and Russia had become a focal point for Allied submarine operations as the war entered its final phase. After completing her maiden combat deployment, the Manta returned to Pearl Harbor in July 1945.[1]
The submarine’s second and final war patrol began in the following month but was brief because hostilities ceased in August following Japan’s surrender. The Manta returned to Pearl Harbor in September and spent the remainder of the year assigned to conducting training operations.
Post-War Decommissioning and Reactivation
When the war ended, the Navy began the massive task of reducing its fleet to peacetime levels. The Manta was sent to San Francisco in January 1946 for a pre-inactivation overhaul and was decommissioned in June. The vessel was placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, along with hundreds of other Navy vessels suddenly transitioned into mothball status.
The outbreak of the Korean War and heightened tensions with the Soviet Union led to the Navy reactivating many vessels from the reserve fleet. The Manta was recommissioned in August 1949 under the command of Lieutenant E. H. Edwards Jr. The vessel received a new designation, ESS-299, and a month later, in September, was redesignated again as AGSS-299 and ordered to Key West, Florida.
Cold War Service and Experimental Operations
For the next four years, from 1949 to 1955, the Manta served in the specialized role that defined the second phase of her career. Operating from Key West, she functioned as a target ship for experimental antisubmarine warfare projects conducted by the Operational Development Force, Atlantic Fleet. This work was crucial during the early Cold War period, helping the Navy develop new tactics and technologies to counter the Soviet submarine threat.
The submarine’s role as a test platform allowed naval researchers to evaluate new sonar systems, underwater detection methods, and antisubmarine weapons. Her crew gained valuable experience in evasive maneuvers and underwater operations that would inform submarine doctrine for years to come.
Final Years and Disposal
In July 1955, the Manta departed Key West for Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to prepare for her second and final inactivation. She was towed to New London, Connecticut, where she was decommissioned in December 1955 and placed in the Inactive Reserve Fleet.
The submarine got a brief reprieve from retirement when she was assigned to Naval Reserve training duties with the 3rd Naval District in April 1960. This assignment gave reservists hands-on experience with submarine operations and maintenance, but by the mid-1960s, the aging Balao-class submarines were being replaced by more modern nuclear-powered vessels, making the training the ships could provide less than optimal.
Declared excess to the needs of the Navy, the USS Manta was struck from the Navy list in June 1967, ending her 23-year Navy career. The submarine was scrapped in September 1967.
The Navy’s Reliance on Asbestos
From the early 20th century on through the early 1980s, the U.S. Navy made widespread use of asbestos in submarine design, as well as in the other vessels it ordered built for the fleet. The high production required by World War II significantly increased the military’s use of the mineral in applications for all branches, as its characteristic strength, flame-retardant abilities, and thermal insulation made it ideal for protecting both physical and human assets.
After the war ended, the use of asbestos in submarines continued throughout the experimental submarine initiatives of the 1950s and 1960s. Naval leadership and engineers found the mineral’s attributes were especially valuable for its research submarines like the Manta, which faced increased risks of malfunctions and emergencies under the extreme conditions they were subjected to. Asbestos has a fibrous structure that makes it easy to shape and manipulate, and it was incorporated into hundreds of shipboard applications that were critical to the vessels’ compact design — from pipe lagging and seals to electrical insulation and fireproof panels. Though the manufacturers and suppliers that provided asbestos-containing materials had been receiving reports on the hazards of the material, they kept the information from the Navy, so it remained mandated for military shipbuilding until the early 1970s.
By 1973, the military began restricting its use of asbestos, and by 1975, the Navy had largely discontinued using it in new ship construction and upgrades of existing ships. Unfortunately, the decision to find a substitute for asbestos could not address the years of exposure suffered by sailors who had served or trained on the Manta, and the mineral remained embedded in existing Navy ships for decades. Unless asbestos posed an immediate and severe hazard, it was left in place until repairs required its removal. The Navy cataloged asbestos locations, trained personnel in safe handling, and adopted containment measures, but complete removal was deemed too big a project, too time-consuming, and too expensive. The official approach was to “manage in place” until affected vessels were eventually retired from service.[3]
Asbestos Use Aboard the USS Manta
Nearly every system and compartment of the USS Manta contained asbestos. At the time, asbestos was considered indispensable because of the insulation, fireproofing, and heat resistance benefits it offered. These qualities had been considered essential for both its original World War II combat purpose and for its later role as an advanced testing vessel.
Areas of the Manta that posed the greatest risk of asbestos exposure included:
- Engine and Machinery Areas
The submarine’s propulsion systems and machinery compartments were where the heaviest concentrations of asbestos were found. The engine room, battery sections, and experimental propulsion systems were insulated with asbestos to shield both equipment and crew from high temperatures. Exhaust systems, valves, and machinery joints relied on asbestos gaskets and packing to prevent leaks and maintain performance under experimental conditions.
- Living Quarters, Electrical Systems, and Safety Equipment
Crew areas and laboratories also incorporated asbestos in tiles, wall and ceiling panels, and protective coatings. Electrical wiring and control cables used asbestos insulation, while firefighting gear and emergency systems were designed with asbestos fibers to withstand intense heat during tests.
- Ventilation and Test Installations
Air handling systems and cooling ducts carried asbestos dust whenever maintenance or modifications disturbed their insulation, as well as any fibers released into the air by other activities on the submarine. Filters, seals, and packing materials also contained asbestos, while specialized experimental equipment incorporated it for heat control and flame resistance.
Who Faced the Greatest Risk of Asbestos Exposure on the Manta?
Those Manta’s crew members lived and worked in a compact, sealed environment, where air was constantly recirculated and asbestos fibers had no means of dispersal. This meant that anybody on board experienced constant exposure.
Engineering and technical staff were particularly vulnerable, as they routinely handled asbestos materials while repairing, cutting, or replacing insulation, gaskets, and equipment. The researchers, sonar operators, and test specialists assigned to the Manta also encountered and manipulated asbestos when they modified or operated the vessel’s experimental systems. Even personnel with no direct maintenance duties risked exposure through the Manta’s shared ventilation, as well as from surfaces in sleeping and working quarters contaminated by fibers carried on other crew members’ hair, skin, or clothing.
The Health Consequences of Asbestos
The microscopic fibers released from asbestos products can lodge permanently in the lungs or other tissues, causing long-term inflammation and cellular injury. These effects may remain hidden for decades before resulting in serious illness.
Non-cancerous conditions such as pleural plaques, effusions, and diffuse thickening of the pleura can impair breathing and cause pain, and are often early warning signs that more severe disease is developing. Asbestosis, a progressive scarring of lung tissue, leads to chronic breathing difficulty and lasting disability.
The most concerning and aggressive asbestos-related disease is mesothelioma, an aggressive and fatal cancer found almost exclusively in individuals who’ve been exposed to asbestos. It can develop in the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart, but doesn’t begin to show symptoms until many decades after exposure. With a typical survival period of just one to two years after diagnosis, it remains one of the deadliest occupational diseases linked to asbestos.
Options for Veterans Diagnosed with Mesothelioma After Serving on the USS Manta
Over the eight decades since the Manta was built, many veterans who served or trained on her have been diagnosed with asbestos-related conditions. Because the vessel was still active within the last sixty years, many more veterans may yet develop illnesses linked to their exposure.
As grim as a mesothelioma diagnosis is, there are many options and resources available for veterans who are impacted:
Veterans Affairs (VA) Claims
The VA has long recognized mesothelioma and other asbestos-related conditions as service-connected disabilities. Veterans diagnosed with these illnesses can qualify for expedited claims, leading to full disability benefits and related healthcare support.
Lawsuits Against Manufacturers
While the Navy itself cannot be sued, veterans and their surviving families may be eligible to pursue personal injury lawsuits or wrongful death claims against the companies that supplied asbestos products without warning of their dangers. Courts have awarded significant compensation, including multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts, to cover medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. Some companies have also been ordered to pay victims punitive damages as a result of their extreme disregard, malfeasance, fraud, or recklessness.
Asbestos Trust Funds
Dozens of companies bankrupted by asbestos litigation established trust funds to pay victims of their negligence, and other companies have set up similar trusts voluntarily. These accounts are estimated to collectively hold more than $30 billion in reserves. Though the amount paid by these trusts is generally less than what is provided by civil litigation, the claims process is generally less stressful than the process of filing a lawsuit and delivers payment much more quickly, though navigating it often requires legal guidance.
Why Working with an Experienced Mesothelioma Attorney Matters
Mesothelioma attorneys are professionals who specialize in asbestos litigation. They have years of experience helping veterans and their families identify sources of compensation, file VA claims, and pursue lawsuits or trust fund payments from the asbestos companies responsible for their exposure. Because asbestos diseases progress quickly and legal deadlines apply, early action is essential. A skilled attorney can gather your service records and medical reports and solicit expert testimony to support your case, easing the burden on your family while working to optimize the compensation you receive.
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