The USS S-35 (SS-140) was commissioned in 1922 and subsequently became inactive, as the engines needed to be improved. One year later, it was operating again. Exposure to asbestos is very likely to have occurred on the submarine, as the mineral was a very popular insulating material at the time. The submarine partook in World War II and won one battle star. It was permanently decommissioned in 1945 and later sunk as a target.
By the twentieth century, asbestos was found in literally thousands of products and used in nearly every industry, including by the US Navy, which used the mineral in the construction, repair, and maintenance of ships and vessels. Asbestos does not cause a problem when fully covered, and undisturbed, but if fibers are released and inhaled by a person they can cause potentially life-threatening diseases.
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