Asbestos Exposure on Ships:

USS CALIFORNIA BB 44 BATTLESHIP

The USS California was ordered on the 28th of December 1915, and was commissioned for use on the 10th of August 1921. She was the flagship of the Pacific Fleet, being the first Tennessee class battleship. USS California served until she was sunk at Pearl Harbor, only to be salvaged and put back into service until 1947, when she was decommissioned as obsolete. No important honors were awarded to this ship during her service.

This is a complete list of specifications matching the USS California, before and after the rebuild:

  • Weighed 32400 tons
  • 624,5 feet in length
  • Maximum speed was 21 knots
  • 4 steam turbines were powering the propellers
  • Crew of 57 officers and 1026 men and women

After the ship was decommissioned, the USS California was sold for scrap in late 1959. She was built at the Mare Island Navy Yard, in California. At the time of her commissioning, USS California was seen as the most advanced ship in the world. She was one of the first to use sophisticated radar technology and she also made use of one of the largest weapons arsenal of any ship. Only after she was rebuilt did she receive the new radar technology of the time, together with 6 other major pacific fleet ships.

Asbestos USS California caused diseases

This is some of the few battleships that infected at least one of its’ crew members with asbestos to such an extent that it caused the death of the individual. The rest of the personnel were also at risk of developing an asbestos related disease during their service on board the ship. So did the repairman that rebuilt USS California, as well as those that built the original version. 100 people were lost during the attack and 62 were injured, the only casualties, besides the crew member that passed away, supposedly, by an asbestos associated disease. Reports say that this man was an ordinary sailor, and that he died around the year 1970, probably because of mesothelioma, even though at the time mesothelioma was not yet a known form of cancer, and the causes weren’t discovered either.

Have you been exposed to asbestos on USS California? Contact an attorney!

If you were a crew member, officer or repairman on board the USS California, you probably received a fairly high amount of asbestos through inhalation. If that is the case, and you have also developed asbestos related disease symptoms, we recommend that you contact a specialized asbestos or mesothelioma lawyer. He will evaluate your case and, if necessary, will represent you in a court of law towards helping you receive the rightful amount. This will allow you to pay for the most efficient treatment methods available.

Feel free to contact an asbestos expert if you require further details concerning asbestos on board battleships.