As the lead boat of the S-class submarines, the USS S-1 (SS-105) also served the Royal Navy. It was built by Fore River Shipbuilding Company in Massachusetts in 1917. The submarine was commissioned in 1920 and later temporarily decommissioned for 3 years, a period during which it might have been insulated with asbestos, a toxic mineral whose inhalation can cause terrible diseases such as lung cancer and asbestosis. The USS S-1 (SS-105) took part in World War II and it was forever decommissioned in 1942, subsequently being transferred to the Royal Navy. A wide variety of asbestos-containing materials were used in the construction of the USS S-1 (SS-105) and remained on the submarine throughout its service life. Asbestos was used in nearly every part of a ship, including boiler rooms, engine rooms, pump rooms, propulsion rooms, weapons and ammunition storage rooms, and even mess halls and sleeping quarters. Soundproofing materials, prevalent on submarines built before 1980, due to its inherent need for stealth, contained asbestos. Packing for valves, and insulation jackets were manufactured from asbestos cloth and other materials.
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