With 3 battle stars for World War II service, the USS Devilfish (SS-292) was laid down in 1941 by the Cramp Shipbuilding Company in Philadelphia. It was sponsored by Mrs. Frank W. Fenno Jr. and commissioned in 1944 under the command of Commander Edward Clark Stephen. The submarine patrolled the dangerous waters of Kii Suido and Bungo Suido off the island of Shikoku, and served as lifeguard for Army pilots making bombing raids on Japan. Since asbestos was heavily employed in shipyards at the time, all submarines built from 1920 to 1980 contained this carcinogen.
The USS Devilfish is no exception – asbestos could be found in numerous places onboard the submarine, especially in wall insulation. For this reason, we strongly advise everyone who served on it to keep a close eye on their health by undergoing yearly medical examinations to make sure the asbestos they inevitably inhaled has not caused any damage to their lungs. In 1967, the submarine was struck from the Naval Vessel Register and subsequently sunk as a target off San Francisco, California.
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