The USS Lionfish (SS-298) was one of the advanced Balao-class submarines engineered during World War II to counter Japanese naval forces across the Pacific Theater. While the vessel made invaluable her wartime contributions and represented technological improvements over earlier designs, she also contained asbestos that created serious health risks for naval personnel and shipyard employees who served aboard or maintained her, potentially leading to mesothelioma and other fatal diseases.
The Balao-Class Submarines
The USS Lionfish belonged to the Balao-class submarine fleet that represented an enhancement over the already-proven Gato-class design. The Balao submarines made critical engineering improvements that revolutionized underwater warfare capabilities during World War II. They featured a reinforced STS (Special Treatment Steel) construction that allowed them to pursue deeper diving operations than their predecessors could, extending their tactical depth range from 250 feet to 300 feet below surface level.[1]
The Balao-class maintained the 11,000 nautical mile operational radius that made extended missions feasible for previous classes, while adding structural enhancements that improved combat effectiveness. These submarines were built with double-hulls, with a pressure-resistant inner hull surrounded by a hydrodynamic outer shell. The space between the two offered capacity for additional fuel storage and ballast systems, maximizing operational endurance for long deployments.
About the USS Lionfish
Construction and Commissioning
Named after the venomous lionfish species found in Indo-Pacific waters, the USS Lionfish was built at Portsmouth Naval Yard. Construction began in December 1942, and the vessel was launched in November 1943 under the sponsorship of Mrs. Harold C. Train. The submarine entered active service in November 1944, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Edward D. Spruance, son of the renowned Admiral Raymond Spruance.[2]
The Lionfish measured 311 feet 9 inches in total length, with a beam of 27 feet 3 inches and a draft of 15 feet 3 inches. She displaced 1,526 tons when surfaced and 2,424 tons when submerged. The submarine accommodated a crew of 66 officers and enlisted men and could achieve surface speeds of 20.25 knots and submerged speeds of 8.75 knots. Her armament included ten 21-inch torpedo tubes (six forward, four aft) capable of carrying 24 torpedoes, plus deck-mounted guns including a 5-inch/25 caliber gun, Bofors 40mm, and Oerlikon 20mm weapons.[1]
Combat Operations in World War II
After completing shakedown training along the New England coast, the Lionfish proceeded to Pacific waters for combat operations. Her first war patrol commenced in April 1945, in Japanese territorial waters. During this initial deployment, she experienced significant enemy activity that necessitated evading two torpedoes launched by a Japanese submarine on April 11th. Weeks later, her crew successfully engaged and destroyed a Japanese schooner using deck gun fire.[3]
The submarine then rendezvoused with USS Ray and performed humanitarian rescue operations, transporting B-29 bomber crew survivors to safety at Saipan before proceeding to Midway Island for resupply and maintenance.
Patrol Achievements
The Lionfish began her second and final combat patrol in June 1945. In July, after she’d engaged a surfaced Japanese submarine with torpedo fire, crew members observed explosions and smoke through the periscope. She subsequently engaged two additional Japanese submarines during this patrol period.
As the war drew to a close, the Lionfish transitioned to lifeguard operations, conducting search and rescue missions for downed American aircrew off the Japanese coastline. When hostilities officially ended, she sailed for San Francisco and was decommissioned at Mare Island Navy Yard in January 1946. For her World War II service, the USS Lionfish earned one battle star.
Post-War Service and Reactivation
The Lionfish returned to active duty in January 1951 under Lieutenant Commander Arthur G. McIntyre’s leadership. Following shakedown operations along the California coast, she left San Diego in April and transited the Panama Canal to reach Key West, Florida, in April.
From June 1951, the Lionfish served as a training platform for the Sonar School before relocating to her new homeport of New London, Connecticut. She conducted extensive training operations from New London through September, then deployed to Guantanamo Bay for additional exercises before returning for overhaul and coastal training duties.
Mediterranean Deployment
In July 1952, the submarine embarked on a cruise to Bermuda and Nassau, returning to New London in August. She then deployed to the Mediterranean in October, participating in NATO exercises while visiting Malta, Izmir, Phaleron, Taranto, and Naples. The Lionfish concluded this deployment on December 12th and returned to the United States.
On June 30, 1953, she arrived at Boston Naval Shipyard for deactivation procedures. After being towed to New London on November 3rd, the submarine was decommissioned in December 1953 and assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
Final Service and Museum Display
In 1960, the USS Lionfish was reactivated for reserve training operations at Providence, Rhode Island. She continued in this capacity until being stricken from the Navy Register in 1971. Two years later, in 1973, she was permanently installed as a memorial exhibit at Battleship Cove, where she has become one of the museum’s most visited attractions.
Asbestos Contamination of Naval Vessels
During the periods when the USS Lionfish was built and operational, there was no public knowledge of the long-term lethal health consequences of asbestos exposure. Without this important information, the U.S. Navy relied heavily on the material throughout its fleet’s structures. Military engineering standards mandated asbestos incorporation due to its exceptional resistance to heat, fire, and corrosion. These properties were deemed essential for naval vessel safety and operational effectiveness, so this practice continued until the mid-1970s, when scientific evidence of asbestos-related health dangers became widely recognized.
Naval vessels like the Lionfish contained asbestos in hundreds of components and systems, creating widespread exposure opportunities for crew members and maintenance personnel, as well as any shipyard workers assigned to perform refits and upgrades.
Submarine-Specific Asbestos Dangers
The unique operational environment aboard submarines intensified asbestos exposure risks for naval personnel in several ways:
Confined Spaces: Though the Balao-class represented an expansion and improvement in size and habitability, submarines were still extremely compact environments. With fire prevention and temperature control of paramount concern, asbestos was applied extensively, even in living quarters, the mess and kitchen, and other confined spaces.
Closed Air Systems: Submarine ventilation systems continuously recirculated air within sealed compartments, prolonging and repeating exposure to airborne asbestos particles that crew members could inhale.
Torpedo Compartments: Weapons storage areas incorporated asbestos materials in gasket systems, insulation applications, and safety equipment installations.
Stealth Requirements: Submarines like the Lionfish required advanced noise reduction capabilities for effective reconnaissance and attack missions. Much of this sound-dampening technology relied heavily on asbestos-based insulation materials.
Health Risks from Asbestos Exposure
While asbestos presents no immediate threat when properly contained and undisturbed, it becomes extremely dangerous when it is disturbed, damaged, or deteriorated. When this happens, the mineral breaks down into tiny fibers that are extremely lightweight and easily released into the environment. Serious health hazards can occur when these microscopic particles are inhaled or ingested. This typically happens during:
- Routine maintenance operations or emergency repair work
- Material degradation from operational vibrations, impacts, or aging
- Cutting, drilling, or other mechanical activities involving asbestos materials
- Environmental deterioration over time
Asbestos-Related Disease Risks
Scientific research has definitively established connections between asbestos exposure and multiple severe health conditions. Mesothelioma represents the most dangerous of these diseases. It is an aggressive and typically fatal cancer that affects a protective membrane called the mesothelium that surrounds the lungs, abdomen, and heart. Approximately 3,500 Americans receive mesothelioma diagnoses annually, with nearly all cases attributed to asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma presents exceptional treatment challenges due to its resistance to conventional cancer therapies. The disease’s long latency period, with symptoms typically appearing 20 to 50 years after initial exposure, hampers the timeliness of diagnosis and treatment, and making matters even more complicated is the fact that early symptoms often resemble common respiratory illnesses like flu or bronchitis, frequently delaying victims’ decision to seek medical care. Every day that goes by allows the disease’s malignant tumors to advance and become more difficult to treat.
The most prevalent form of the rare form of cancer affects the chest cavity (pleural mesothelioma), while some patients develop abdominal involvement (peritoneal mesothelioma). Rarely, the disease may occur in the heart cavity (pericardial mesothelioma) or the cavity that holds the testes (testicular mesothelioma).
Veterans who served aboard the USS Lionfish also face elevated risks for:
Lung Cancer: Asbestos exposure significantly increases lung cancer risk, particularly among individuals with smoking histories.
Asbestosis: A progressive lung condition characterized by tissue scarring from inhaled asbestos fibers, leading to breathing difficulties and reduced lung function.
Other Malignancies: Various cancers affecting the throat, reproductive organs, and other body systems.
Pleural Abnormalities: Asbestos exposure can lead to pleural thickening, pleural plaques, and pleural effusions, all of which make breathing difficult and are often precursors to a pleural mesothelioma diagnosis.
Were You Exposed to Asbestos on the USS Lionfish?
If you served on the USS Lionfish or were involved in its maintenance while it was in port, you have an increased risk of developing an asbestos-related illness like mesothelioma.
One of the biggest challenges of almost all the diseases linked to asbestos is their long latency period. Symptoms often don’t appear until fifty or even sixty years after exposure, which means that individuals who served on the Lionfish toward the end of her operational life may only now start showing signs of illness.
Because so many years go by between exposure and illness, many of those who are eventually diagnosed don’t initially connect the health impact they’re experiencing to events that far back in their past. For this reason, it’s critical to be proactive about your health.
Start by educating yourself about the warning signs of asbestos-related conditions and informing any health professional you work with of your exposure history. Recognizing the warning signs can help you get medical attention sooner rather than later.
Symptoms to watch for include:
- Respiratory symptoms: persistent cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, or chest tightness
- Chest-related symptoms: pain in the chest or ribs, fluid buildup around the lungs (pleural effusion)
- Abdominal symptoms: swelling or bloating, pain or discomfort, unexplained changes in bowel habits
- General symptoms: fatigue, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, night sweats
It’s just as important to make sure that your healthcare team is aware of your exposure history and has noted it in your medical records. Given how rare mesothelioma and other asbestos-related conditions are compared to other respiratory or cardiac issues, many physicians may not immediately think to look for them or to include them in their differential diagnosis.
By sharing your exposure history, whether in the military, occupational, or environmental, you make it possible for your physician to consider it as part of their process. This can influence the tests they order, the specialists they consult, and the speed at which a diagnosis is reached.
Awareness, education, and communication are powerful tools. Staying informed about the risks, monitoring yourself for potential symptoms, and working closely with your healthcare providers gives you the best chance of identifying asbestos-related illnesses at an earlier stage, when treatment options may be more effective.
Resources for USS Lionfish Veterans with Mesothelioma
Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related conditions should prioritize their health and family well-being, and that includes planning for financial security in the face of a devastating diagnosis. After establishing a treatment plan with medical professionals, it’s a good idea to explore the many support and compensation options that are available.
Benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs
The VA provides comprehensive assistance for service members who developed illnesses from military asbestos exposure, including:
Disability Compensation: Monthly payments for veterans whose health conditions are linked to military asbestos exposure, with payment amounts determined by the disability ratings assigned to their illness.
Medical Care: Specialized treatment through VA medical facilities and support for care at external cancer treatment centers nationwide.
Family Assistance: Comprehensive support services for eligible veterans and families, including counseling and home healthcare programs.
To qualify for these benefits, veterans need to complete a detailed claims process establishing the connection between their condition and their military service. Required documentation includes:
- Medical records confirming an asbestos-related diagnosis
- Evidence of military asbestos exposure
- Professional medical opinions linking the condition to service
Legal Compensation
Beyond the benefits offered by the VA, USS Lionfish veterans diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases have additional opportunities for compensation:
Civil Litigation: Veterans may be eligible to pursue personal injury lawsuits against manufacturers and suppliers of asbestos products used in naval vessels. These cases target private companies rather than the government, which is generally protected from liability beyond providing services through the VA. If Lionfish veterans die from their asbestos-related disease, their family members may be able to file wrongful death claims. Most of these cases are resolved through negotiated settlements rather than having to go to trial.
Asbestos Trust Funds: Many asbestos manufacturers have established compensation trusts for victims. These are usually set up as a result of bankruptcy proceedings, though some companies have established voluntary compensation programs.
Consultation with a Mesothelioma Attorney
Veterans should consult experienced asbestos attorneys to get a solid understanding of all the compensation options available to them. These specialized lawyers focus on asbestos claims and can provide comprehensive explanations and guidance about the legal process.
Attorneys typically ask for the following information to build a strong case:
- Complete service records and ship assignments
- Detailed work responsibilities and locations aboard the vessel
- Documentation of maintenance, repair, or construction activities
- Witness testimony from fellow service members
- Complete medical documentation of diagnosis and treatment
Prompt contact with an attorney is essential for preserving rights, as time limitations called statutes of limitations restrict how long victims have to file claims. Experienced mesothelioma attorneys can explain these requirements, provide realistic expectations, and work to minimize your family’s burden while maximizing the compensation you receive.
References
View All References
