USS Blakeley (DD-150)
The USS Blakeley (DD-150) served in the US Navy for over two-and-a-half decades in the 20th century. She was named for Master Commandant Johnston Blakeley, who served in the Quasi-War and the War of 1812, and who was posthumously advanced to Captain for his final mission on Wasp. Blakeley was built as a Wickes-class ship.
Construction
Blakeley was laid down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Company in March 1918, launched in September, and commissioned in May 1919 with Commander W. Brown, Jr., in command. Carrying a crew of 103, Blakeley had a cruising speed of 35 knots and was armed with four 4-inch rapid-fire guns, two anti-aircraft guns, and twelve 21-inch torpedo tubes.
Naval History
Blakeley operated on the east coast of the United States, and then was decommissioned in June 1922 at Philadelphia Navy Yard. From 1932 to 1937, Blakeley was assigned to the Scouting Fleet, and then wasn't re-commissioned until October 1939 when she joined the Neutrality Patrol. Blakeley was deployed to escort convoys carrying troops to Curacao in February 1942. She was torpedoed by a German submarine in May, while on patrol duty near Martinique, and lost 60 feet of bow in the attack, killing six crew members and wounding 21 others. Blakeley received emergency repairs at Port de France, Martinique.
Blakeley was further repaired at Port Castries in Santa Lucia, and at San Juan, Puerto Rico, and then underwent an overhaul in Philadelphia to be fitted with a bow from the decommissioned Taylor. In September 1942, Blakeley returned to escort and patrol duty with the Caribbean Sea Frontier. During this deployment, Blakeley also served hunter-killer duty with TG 21.13 in January and February 1943, and in May operated on a convoy escort to Tunisia.
From March to June 1945, Blakeley participated in submarine training in Long Island Sound, and then was decommissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard in July. Blakeley was stricken from the Navy list in August and sold for scrap in November 1945.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Blakeley (DD-150)
Installing asbestos-containing materials in the design of naval vessels was ordered by law in the United States in the 1930s, after a fire at sea aboard a cruise ship resulted in enormous loss of life. Blakeley, like most Navy ships of the time, installed asbestos insulation in large quantities, particularly in engines and engine spaces, as well as to insulate pipes in all sections of the ship. Asbestos has long been known for its ability to insulate; however, it has also been demonstrated to be the principal cause of serious conditions such as asbestos cancer and pleural mesothelioma.
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Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-150. (http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd150txt.htm) Retrieved 23 December 2010.
NavSource Naval History, USS Blakeley (DD-150).
(http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/150.htm) Retrieved 23 December 2010.
