Asbestos Exposure on Ships:

USS SAN DIEGO CL 53 CRUISER

USS San Diego was an Atlanta-class light cruiser of the United States Navy, and was the second to carry the name. It was commissioned just after the U.S. entry into World War II and active throughout the Pacific theater. Armed with sixteen 5 inch (127 mm)/38 caliber DP anti-aircraft guns and sixteen Bofors 40 mm AA guns, the Atlanta-class cruisers had the heaviest anti-aircraft broadside of any warship of World War II. The cruiser was commissioned on 10th January 1942, with Captain Benjamin F. Perry in command. San Diego escorted the USS Saratoga at best speed and barely missed the Battle of Midway. On 15th June 1942, she began escort duty for Hornet in operations in the South Pacific. San Diego gave antiaircraft protection for Enterprise as part of the decisive three-day Naval Battle of Guadalcanal from 12 to15 November 1942. After several months of service in the dangerous waters surrounding the Solomon Islands, San Diego sailed via Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, to Auckland in New Zealand, for replenishment. San Diego was one of the most decorated US ships of the Second World War, being awarded 18 battle stars, and was the first major Allied warship to enter Tokyo Bay after the surrender of Japan. The cruiser was decommissioned on 4th November1946.

Some of her characteristics are:
  • Weight 8200 long tons in full capacity
  • Length 541 feet
  • Speed 32 knots
  • Complement was made up of 796 officers and enlisted

Asbestos on board the USS San Diego has serious consequences

Asbestos is considered at the moment to be the 5th most dangerous material known to man. Unfortunately this very material was present in abundance on the USS San Diego, as well as any other military ship of the time. There numerous records of former navy crew members being infected with asbestos fibers, and developing a related disease.

Have you been exposed to asbestos on the USS San Diego? Contact an attorney!

USS San Diego was a very important source of people infected with asbestos related diseases back in the 60’s and 70’s. Most of them had no idea about the legal possibilities, but if you are a former crew member of the San Diego we recommend getting informed about the matter and following a strict set of instructions from an appropriate lawyer. Many of those that followed legal actions received amounts large enough to pay the medical bills involved with treating the disease.

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