U.S. Navy minesweepers protected other navy vessels from explosives hidden underwater. They provided this essential service during World War II personnel landings. Like other navy ships, minesweepers contained asbestos in many components, leading to high rates of mesothelioma in U.S. Navy veterans today.
About Minesweepers and Asbestos
Although not as necessary today, minesweepers have played an essential role in the Navy for decades. Unfortunately, many minesweepers were built with asbestos in hundreds of components, putting veterans at risk of exposure and related illnesses like pleural mesothelioma.
Navy ships are no longer made with asbestos, but many still contain asbestos materials, including minesweepers. Anyone serving aboard these older vessels has much less risk than previous sailors but could still be exposed to asbestos.
What Is a Minesweeper?
A minesweeper is a ship that detects and removes mines from the sea to protect other ships. The modern use of minesweepers dates back to just before World War I. The British government recognized the need to clear the waters and initially used fishing trawlers to clear mines from the English Channel.
A special fleet of mine-clearing trawlers assigned to the Royal Navy became the first modern minesweeping force. Crews included fishermen outfitted with protective gear.
The minesweeper class of ship continued to evolve over the years:[1][2]
- Eventually, the British Navy developed and built specialized vessels with equipment designed specifically for detecting and clearing mines.
- The first dedicated minesweepers were used in World War I, and their use peaked during World War II when both Axis and Allied forces relied heavily on them to protect their fleets and civilian ships. They may be considered the unsung heroes of that war, as they often entered waters long before any other fleet ships did, clearing the way and making sure the area was safe.
- In the U.S. Navy, minesweepers would serve in other conflicts, including the Korean and Vietnam Wars and during the Cold War.
- Modern minesweepers contain specialized equipment to detect mines underwater. They are not supposed to detonate the mines. They are soundproofed to evade detection by enemy fleets.
- Mechanical sweeps cut the cables tied to mines and tag them so that they can be secured later. When detonating mines, minesweepers use equipment called influence sweeps. These are towed behind the ship and give off a signature that detonates the mine.
Types of Minesweeper Vessels in the U.S. Navy
Over many decades, the U.S. Navy used several designations for minesweepers. The basic designation for the original minesweeper is simply AM. Other types of minesweepers include:[3]
- Motor minesweepers (AMS)
- Coastal minesweepers (MSC)
- Inshore minesweepers (MSI)
- Harbor minesweepers (AMB)
- Mine Countermeasures (MCM)
- Ocean minesweepers (AMO)
- Coastal minehunters (MHC)
- Underwater mine locator (AMCU)
History of Minesweepers in the U.S. Navy
Minesweeper technology evolved significantly over the decades since the Navy first used them to detect and remove explosives.
World War I
The U.S. Navy’s first minesweeper was the USS Lapwing, designated AM 1. It was built in 1917 and commissioned in 1918. It gave its name to the first class of U.S. minesweepers, the Lapwing class, first used in World War II.
About thirty of these ships were sent to the North Sea to clear mines along the coasts of Scotland and Norway and prevent the German Navy’s movement. Many of these ships continued to clear mines even after the war ended.
Minesweepers in World War II
During World War II, minesweepers came into their own, a time during which most of the AM-designated ships were built and commissioned for the U.S. Navy. In total, the Navy deployed nearly 500 ships involved in mine detection and clearing.
The technology on these ships was not as advanced as today’s few remaining minesweepers. They towed equipment that cut cables to mines. The mines floated to the surface and were detonated with guns.
In addition to minesweeping, these vessels had escorting duties, conducted patrols, and even conducted anti-submarine operations.
The Korean War
Minesweepers were deployed to a lesser degree during the Korean War, sweeping the waters off the coast of the Korean Peninsula and restricting the movement of the North Korean military.
Unfortunately, the minesweepers used during this war had a significant flaw. The enemy’s magnetic mines targeted their steel hulls. Mines caused many U.S. casualties during the war.
The Vietnam War
During the Korean War, the destruction caused by mines led the U.S. to create a new class of minesweepers, designated MSOs. These were also used during the conflict in Vietnam.
They were smaller than previous minesweepers and had wooden and bronze hulls. They had technology enabling them to detect and clear magnetic mines, acoustic mines, and more traditional moored mines.
The Cold War and Modern Minesweepers
Minesweepers were used less frequently after the Vietnam War, but a few were instrumental in patrolling waters during the Cold War.
In the 1980s, the U.S. Navy constructed a new class of vessels called mine countermeasure ships, or MCMs. These minesweepers used sonar and video to find mines. They could then use cable cutters and a detonator to destroy the mines remotely.[4]
There are eight current U.S. Navy minesweepers of the MCM class still active today. They were important for clearing mines in the Persian Gulf wars of the early 1990s and are currently stationed in Bahrain and Japan.[4]
Where Was Asbestos Used on Navy Minesweepers?
Most U.S. Navy ships used asbestos from the 1930s to the 1970s. Construction included asbestos because of its abundance, inexpensive cost, and ability to insulate and fireproof effectively. Heat and fire are major problems aboard ships. For decades, asbestos was used heavily in minesweepers and other navy vessels.
Asbestos insulated many components and areas of minesweepers. It was used around and in boilers and turbines and around steam pipes. Packing, cement, cloth, felt, and gaskets throughout the ships were made with asbestos.
Protective gear for men who handled hot equipment and guns, such as heat-proof gloves, was made with asbestos. Hundreds of parts on all types of Navy ships were made with asbestos. Documentation records specific use of asbestos on minesweepers, including the USS Tanager, in service in World War II.
Who Was at Risk of Exposure to Asbestos on Minesweepers?
Any Navy veteran who served on a ship could have been exposed to asbestos. The fibers could come loose and contaminate the air.
Inhaled fibers could lodge in the body and cause damage over the years, leading to mesothelioma or lung cancer in some veterans. Ships like minesweepers had a lot of enclosed spaces with little ventilation, which further increased the risk of exposure and inhalation.
Veterans at the greatest risk of asbestos exposure on minesweepers and other Navy ships included:
- Those who worked in the boiler and engine rooms
- Insulation workers
- Maintenance and repair workers who could have disrupted asbestos insulation
- Others whose work might have disrupted insulation, including electricians, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Workers in shipyards who built and repaired minesweepers
Claims to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) document numerous instances of sailors being exposed to asbestos in their roles on various minesweepers.
U.S. Navy Minesweepers Made with Asbestos
Some of the U.S. minesweepers that are likely to have been made with asbestos include:
- USS Admirable, commissioned 1943, sold
- USS Affray, commissioned 1958, scrapped
- USS Albatross, commissioned 1940, to Maritime Commission
- USS Barrier, commissioned 1944, sold
- USS Cardinal, commissioned 1940, scrapped
- USS Chickadee, commissioned 1943, sold to Uruguay
- USS Conquest, commissioned 1955, sold to Taiwan
- USS Curlew, commissioned 1940, scrapped
- USS Dominant, commissioned 1954, scrapped
- USS Eagle, commissioned 1942, sold
- USS Excel, commissioned 1955, scrapped
- USS Goldfinch, commissioned 1941, sold
- USS Gull, commissioned 1940, sold
- USS Illusive, commissioned 1953, sold
- USS Intrigue, commissioned 1944, sold to Mexico
- USS Murrelet, commissioned 1945, sold to Philippines
- USS Oracle, commissioned 1943, scrapped
- USS Persistent, commissioned 1956, sold to Spain
- USS Pilot, commissioned 1943, sold to Mexico
- USS Reaper, commissioned 1954, scrapped
- USS Revenge, commissioned 1943, scrapped
- USS Rival, commissioned 1954, sold
- USS Salute, commissioned 1955, sunk by mine
- USS Starling, commissioned 1942, sold to Mexico
- USS Staunch, commissioned 1944, scrapped
- USS Tanager, commissioned 1945, to U.S. Coast Guard
- USS Wheatear, commissioned 1945, scrapped
- USS Zeal, commissioned 1943, sunk as target
Help for Navy Veterans with Mesothelioma
If you served in the Navy and now have mesothelioma or another asbestos illness, help is available. Contact an asbestos law firm or attorney to talk about your options. Mesothelioma lawyers can provide a free case evaluation and explain what you can do to seek benefits or compensation.
The VA offers free healthcare, which is a good place to start if you have a mesothelioma diagnosis. You can also make a claim with the VA for disability and other benefits.
For a successful claim, you will need your service records that show a ship you served on and a role that likely exposed you to asbestos. You also need to show medical records.
Another option is to seek compensation through a lawsuit or asbestos trust fund claim. Veterans can sue the companies that supplied the Navy with asbestos materials. Those companies that went bankrupt cannot be sued but usually have an established trust for compensating veterans.
Navy veterans served their country and now have higher rates of mesothelioma than any other population. It’s important to speak up, work with an advocate, and get the compensation you deserve for service-related illness.
