The USS Diomedes (ARB-11) was an Aristaeus-class battle damage repair ship laid down on October 19, 1944, and launched on January 11, the following year. It was commissioned on June 23, 1945, under Lt. Cmdr. S. H. P. Read’s command with the hull number ARB-11 and served in the US Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned on December 3, 1946. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 260 people on board and had its main missions in Okinawa, Hong Kong, Kiirun, Taku, Pearl Harbor, Charleston, and Florida. After the decommissioning, the ship was transferred to West Germany where it was renamed Wotan (A513). Asbestos, the highly valued mineral, could be found in virtually every area of the ship in hundreds of applications including fireproofing, streamlines, pumps, boilers, condensers, evaporators, distillers, turbines, deck material, and electrical components. If you suffer from a disease caused by exposure to asbestos and you are also a Navy veteran, there is a possibility that your time in service is the reason for your illness.
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