The SS Attleboro Victory was laid down by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard Corporation under the Emergency Shipbuilding program in 1945. It served in the European Theatre of Operations in the Atlantic Ocean and was named after the Attleboro city of Massachusetts. The primary responsibility of the SS Attleboro Victory was to transport cargo to the troops fighting in the war. The ship weighed approximately 10,500 tons and was designed to replace the old Liberty ships, which were less tall, less wide, less fast, and less long. In 1976, the ship was scrapped in Brownsville, Texas.
Since asbestos was a highly prevalent material in shipbuilding during the last century, U.S. Navy ships would contain numerous hazardous products and the SS Attleboro Victory is no exception. On the ship, asbestos was present mostly in the form of insulation, as it has amazing fire resistance properties. Thereby, the heaviest asbestos exposure occurred in the propulsion room, the damage control room, the pump room, and the engine room. However, everyone who served aboard the ship was exposed to asbestos to a certain extent and they are at risk of developing diseases such as lung cancer as a result of asbestos exposure.
760-621-6147