Frigates are ships that played a critical role in U.S. naval history. Though originally square-rigged sailing ships, the years surrounding World War II led to the small, quick warships being equipped with radar and sonar so that they could escort convoys and guard against enemy submarines. Through much of the 20th century, frigates were constructed using asbestos and asbestos-containing materials. This exposed those who built, maintained, and served onboard the ships at risk of being diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.
About Frigates
The term frigate has been used for centuries to describe a wide range of warships that were characteristically faster and lighter than other ships. They were used for patrolling and escorting convoys. During the Revolutionary War years, they carried sails on three masts and were later equipped with iron armor.[1]
Though the frigates used during World War II had no relation to their historic predecessors, they were equally useful as escort vessels. Though they had limited range and speed, they were designed purely for convoy duties and were of significant importance to the war effort. Due to their construction standards being the same as those of mercantile ships, they could be mass-produced by a wide range of shipyards. They were used to protect other warships and merchant marine vessels from enemy submarines, as well as to guide and protect ships carrying supplies for both military and civilian populations.[1]
Later versions of the ships were outfitted with surface-to-air missile technologies and became known as “guided missile frigates,” though they continued to be used as escort ships. They were later reclassified as guided missile cruisers or destroyers in 1975.[1]
There have been several different frigate classifications used by the U.S. Navy in recent years. Before 1975, ships that are now classified as FF or FFG were classified as DE or DEG (destroyer escort).[2]
- Bronstein class FF (1963)
- Garcia class FF (1964 to 1968)
- Knox class FF (1969 to 1974)
- Glover class AGFF (1965)
- Brooke class FFG (1966 to 1988)
- Oliver Hazard Perry class FFG (1977 to 1989)
The First Frigates
Though the definition of frigates has changed over the centuries, they have always been fast, maneuverable, and lightly armed. However, it wasn’t until the 18th century that the term began being applied to a specific type of vessel used for protection and patrol work. The original frigates carried about two dozen light guns on their upper decks, while their lower decks had ports for more guns and long oars. They fended off pirates and patrolled coastlines but were generally useless at doing battle in bad weather because their lower guns were so close to the water.[3]
By the 18th century, naval strategy was incorporated into the design of frigates, and they were redesigned. Their upper decks were converted to make them strong enough to support heavier armaments, while their lower decks were converted to crew accommodations. This allowed the frigates to move more quickly and to handle better in bad weather. This new ship style was quickly adopted by multiple navies around the globe; they were used by the French in the War of the Austrian Succession and by the British, whose Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson called them “the eyes of the fleet.” By the end of the 18th century, the U.S. Congress passed an act authorizing the construction of six new frigates in this style – this was considered the founding act of the U.S. Navy.[3]
Frigates in World War II
When ships began being powered by steam rather than by sail, the term frigate was replaced by cruiser, but as World War II began, the British revived the term, using it to describe small escort ships used to guard convoys from enemy submarines.[4] Referred to as Destroyer Escorts, World War II’s frigates were highly specialized ships that were capable of moving at 20 knots and were equipped with both sonar and depth charges. There were 75 Tacoma class frigates built between 1943 and 1945. Because the Navy only required that they be built to mercantile standards, they lacked the strength of other military vessels but were manufactured far more quickly.[5]
After World War II, the U.S. assigned the frigate classification to large, destroyer-type ships designed to accompany fast carrier forces. They were initially intended as anti-air and anti-submarine vessels, but the installation of surface-to-air missile capabilities placed greater emphasis on their anti-air role. Eight frigates were built that used nuclear propulsion, and in 1970, the patrol frigate was created, reintroducing the term frigate as a descriptive for any antisubmarine vessel.[6]
By 1975, another U.S. Navy reclassification designated America’s remaining frigates as cruisers or destroyer vessels. From 1977 to 1989, the Oliver Hazard Perry class of frigates was built and used through the beginning of the 21stcentury.[6]
Asbestos Use in U.S. Navy Frigates
Unaware of its dangers, the U.S. military depended on asbestos in applications throughout all branches of service, but especially in the Navy. Asbestos added strength, durability, fireproofing, and insulation, which made it invaluable for protecting vessels from the impact of enemy fire. It also had the advantage of being inexpensive and readily accessible. The toxic material was a component of materials and parts used in the construction of all types of Navy vessels, including frigates. It was most frequently used in the insulation that protected the crews, though it was also a component of equipment installed onboard the ships. According to military reports, there were over 250 different asbestos-containing materials used in ship construction and repairs. Many of them were used for:
- Insulation around pipes and in the engine rooms, galley, and crew messes.
- Pipe lagging
- Boiler insulation and parts
- Pumps
- Valves
- Gaskets
- Fireproofing materials
- Asbestos gloves and blankets
- Deck matting, flooring material, tiles
Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure?
Any personnel or service member who built or served onboard Navy frigates was at risk of being exposed to asbestos, but those who were in the greatest danger were those who worked in the shipyards, engine rooms, and boiler rooms or were responsible for maintenance or repairs of onboard equipment. This included:
- Shipyard workers
- Pipefitters
- Boiler workers
- Repair and maintenance workers
- Painters
- Electricians
- Insulation installers
- Machinists
All of these workers were exposed to asbestos that had been disturbed by installation, removal, or manipulation during repairs. Breathing in the friable asbestos fibers released into the air by these actions leads to a significant risk of asbestos-related disease, but this is especially true for those who worked in close quarters like boiler or engine rooms. This is why the largest group of people diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis or asbestos-related lung cancer are Navy veterans, who represent roughly one-third of all those diagnosed each year.
List of U.S. Navy Frigates Where Asbestos was Used
America’s frigate fleet included dozens of vessels known to have been constructed or have used asbestos-containing materials. They include:
- USS Albert David (FF-1050)
- USS Aylwin (FF-1081)
- USS Badger (FF-1071)
- USS Bagley (FF-1069)
- USS Barbey (FF-1088)
- USS Blakely (FF-1072)
- USS Bowen (FFT-1079)
- USS Bradley (FF-1041)
- USS Brewton (FF-1086)
- USS Bronstein (FF-1037)
- USS Brooke (FFG-1)
- USS Brumby (FF-1044)
- USS Capodanno (FF-1093)
- USS Connole (FF-1056)
- USS Cook (FF-1083)
- USS Davidson (FF-1045)
- USS De Wert (FFG 45)
- USS Donald B. Beary (FFT-1085)
- USS Downes (FF-1070)
- USS Duncan (FFG-10)
- USS Edward McDonnell (FF-1043)
- USS Elmer Montgomery (FF-1082)
- USS Estocin (FFG-15)
- USS Fahrion (FFG-22)
- USS Fanning (FF-1076)
- USS Flatley (FFG-21)
- USS Francis Hammond (FF-1067)
- USS Gallery (FFG-26)
- USS Garcia (FF-1040)
- USS George Philip (FFG-12)
- USS Glover (AGFF-1)
- USS Gray (FF-1054)
- USS Harold E. Holt (FF-1074)
- USS Hepburn (FF-1055)
- USS Ingraham (FFG-61)
- USS Jack Williams (FFG-24)
- USS Jesse L. Brown (FFT-1089)
- USS John A. Moore (FFG-19)
- USS John L. Hall (FFG-32)
- USS Joseph Hewes (FFT-1078)
- USS Julius A. Furer (FFG-6)
- USS Kauffman (FFG-59)
- USS Kirk (FF-1087)
- USS Knox (FF-1052)
- USS Koelsch (FF-1049)
- USS Lang (FF-1060)
- USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG-23)
- USS Lockwood (FF-1064)
- USS Mahlon S. Tisdale (FFG-27)
- USS Marvin Shields (FF-1066)
- USS McCandless (FFT-1084)
- USS McCloy (FF-1038)
- USS McClusky (FFG-41)
- USS McInerney (FFG-8) U
- SS Meyerkord (FF-1058)
- USS Miller (FF-1091)
- USS Moinester (FFT-1097)
- USS O’Callahan (FF-1051)
- USS Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7)
- USS Ouellet (FF-1077)
- USS Patterson (FF-1061)
- USS Paul (FF-1080)
- USS Pharris (FF-1094)
- USS Ramsey (FFG-2)
- USS Rathburne (FF-1057)
- USS Reasoner (FF-1063)
- USS Richard L. Page (FFG-5)
- USS Roark (FF-1053)
- USS Robert E. Peary (FF-1073)
- USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG-49)
- USS Sample (FF-1048)
- USS Samuel Eliot Morison (FFG-13)
- USS Schofield (FFG-3)
- USS Sides (FFG-14)
- USS Stark (FFG 31)
- USS Stein (FF-1065)
- USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG-29)
- USS Talbot (FFG-4)
- USS Thach (FFG-43)
- USS Thomas C. Hart (FF-1092)
- USS Trippe (FF-1075)
- USS Truett (FFT-1095)
- USS Underwood (FFG-36)
- USS Valdez (FF-1096)
- USS Voge (FF-1047)
- USS Vreeland (FF-1068)
- USS W. S. Sims (FF-1059)
- USS Wadsworth (FFG-9)
- USS Whipple (FF-1062)
Do Navy Ships Still Contain Asbestos?
In the mid-1970s, the American public and the military became aware of the dangers of asbestos. The Navy stopped using the material on its ships, including the frigates, and began a robust asbestos abatement program that either scrapped the vessels entirely or removed the material from areas where there was a risk of personnel being exposed to it. Still, there is a slight risk that those who serve on Navy frigates that were built while asbestos was being used may be exposed to legacy asbestos that remains hidden behind walls, in boiler insulation, or other materials.
Veterans Exposed to Asbestos on Frigates May be Eligible for Compensation
Though the best-known U.S. Navy frigates were in use during World War II, the vessels continued as popular and invaluable assets to the Navy’s fleet in the decades that followed. Because asbestos use was not discontinued until the late 1970s, any service member or civilian who worked on frigates in use through that date and beyond was likely to have been exposed to asbestos and may be at risk of being diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease.
If you feel well and have no symptoms, it’s still imperative that you notify your healthcare professional of your history of asbestos exposure. Because asbestos-related illnesses are so rare, it is common for them to be misdiagnosed as more common, benign illnesses, and this delays appropriate treatment. If your physician knows that you are at risk, they can include mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other illnesses in your differential diagnosis and identify your condition faster.
If you’ve been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease after having served on a Navy frigate, you may be eligible for special veterans compensation and benefits, including:
- Medical care at a VA Treatment Center. Veterans have access to free healthcare and mesothelioma experts at treatment centers around the country.
- VA compensation. Veterans who can show that their asbestos exposure was service-related can file for special disability compensation. Mesothelioma’s VA disability rating is 100%.
- Personal injury lawsuits. Though veterans cannot sue the military or the government, they may be able to pursue justice by filing a lawsuit against the asbestos companies that supplied the toxic material to the Navy.
- Asbestos trust funds. Many asbestos companies filed for bankruptcy after being ordered to pay millions in damages to victims. As part of the process, they were required to establish trust funds to compensate future victims.
If you were diagnosed with mesothelioma after serving on a U.S. frigate, an asbestos attorney can provide you with the information you need to choose your best path forward. With the name of the frigate you served on and the years you served, they will be able to identify all of the companies that played a part in your illness.
References
View All References
