The USS Phoenix (CL-46) was a Brooklyn-class light cruiser laid down on April 25, 1935, and launched on March 19, 1938. It was commissioned on October 3, the same year under Capt. John W. Rankin’s command with the hull number CL-46 and served in the U.S. Navy for 8 years until it was decommissioned on July 3, 1946. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 868 people on board and had its main missions in Australia, Brisbane, San Pedro, Santos, Leyte, and Morotai. After decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on January 27, 1951, and sold to Argentina where it was renamed 17 de Octubre. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Phoenix received 11 battle stars. Because of a number of unique and valuable qualities, including the high tensile strength and superior insulating ability, asbestos was used extensively on American ships from the early 1940s through the late 1970s. There are six different types of asbestos, and they fall into two categories of silicate fibers. All types of asbestos are carcinogenic, however, the amphibole type appears more potent in causing mesothelioma than the chrysotile type although both types cause lung cancer and mesothelioma.
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