The USS Horace A. Bass (DE-691/APD-124/LPR-124) was a high-speed transport ship laid down, launched, and commissioned in 1944. The vessel was built to land and support raiding forces, while also serving a secondary role similar to a destroyer escort in protecting convoys. She joined the final phase of WW2, sailing west and reaching Okinawa in 1945. She helped repel intense Japanese air attacks, served on radar picket duty, and later escorted a convoy to Guam, sinking submarine Ro-109. Returning to Okinawa, the ship continued picket and escort missions until a kamikaze struck her, causing damage and casualties, but she remained operational until departing in August 1945. After the Korean War began in 1950, the transport ship was deployed to Korea, conducting raids on supply lines, destroying tunnels and bridges, and supporting shore bombardments. She aided the Inchon landing, continued raids and mine-clearing operations, and completed multiple tours disrupting enemy logistics before returning stateside in 1952. The Horace A. Bass was decommissioned in 1969 and stricken from the Register in 1974. Asbestos became a staple in WW2 shipbuilding, contaminating a large number of Navy ships and permanently affecting veterans’ health. Naval personnel harmed by exposure may qualify for compensation from asbestos trust funds and the VA.
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