USS Biddle (DD-955)
The USS Biddle (DD-955), later renamed Claude V. Ricketts, served in the US Navy for three decades in the mid-to-late-20th century. She was named for Captain Nicholas Biddle of the Continental Navy during the American Revolution, and Admiral Claude Vernon Ricketts who served as the Vice Chief of Naval Operations in the U.S. Navy. Biddle was laid down as a Charles F. Adams destroyer.
Construction
Biddle was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in October 1959, launched in June 1960, and commissioned in May 1962 with Commander Paul Roth in command. Supporting a crew complement of 333 to 350, Biddle was 437 feet in length and had a displacement of 4,526 tons. She was armed with two five-inch rapid fire guns, a surface-to-air missile system, an anti-submarine rocket launcher, and six 12.75-inch anti-submarine torpedo tubes. Geared turbines and two screws allowed for a top cruising speed of 33 knots and a range of 4,500 nautical miles at 20 knots.
Naval History
Biddle was commissioned in May 1962 and, in July 1964, was renamed USS Claude V. Rickets/DDG-5. The former Biddle participated in a mixed-manning experiment from June 1964 to late-1965, which involved a complement of crew members from the U.S. Navy as well as the United Kingdom, West Germany, Italy, Greece, and The Netherlands. In November 1975, she conducted rescue operations when USS Belknap collided with John F. Kennedy, and received little damage despite being moored alongside Belknap while multiple explosions occurred on that vessel.
The former Biddle operated in the Atlantic in the 1980s, was in dry dock at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in 1982, and was decommissioned in October 1989. Stuck from the Navy list in June 1990, the guided missile destroyer was sold for scrap in April 1994, which was retracted in October 1996. She was resold to the Metro Machine Corporation and broken up at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in November 2002.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Biddle (DD-955)
At the time that the USS Biddle was being built, asbestos products were heavily used in many areas of the ship. It was considered an excellent insulating and fireproofing material and heavy equipment such as the engines, boilers, turbines and pumps that operated in high heat environments needed protection that the material could provide.
For decades, sailors on the USS Biddle, especially those who performed work duties in these areas like mechanics, plumbers, boilermen and firemen worked with the material daily, often in closed, poorly ventilated areas. As a result they were highly susceptible to breathing in asbestos dust that was created while performing routine maintenance or repairs. Asbestos exposure is the number one cause of mesothelioma cancer, a serious illness that is often life-threatening.
Many brave men and women served on the USS Biddle and today they may be at risk for or diagnosed with mesothelioma. If you are one of them, please fill out the form on this page to receive more information about the disease, treatment options, and what your legal rights might be.
Sources
The Big Nickel. USS Claud V. Ricketts DDG-5/USS Biddle DDG-5. Ship’s Specifications, Brief History.
http://thebignickel.org/History.html
NavSource Naval History. USS Lawrence (DD-953).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/01004.htm
