USS Colhoun (DD-801)
The USS Colhoun (DD-801) served in the U.S. Navy during the Second World War before being sunk by enemy aircraft. She was named for Rear Admiral Edmund Ross Colhoun who served in the Mexican War and the Civil War. Colhoun was among the Fletcher class of destroyers.
Construction
Colhoun was laid down at Seattle, Washington by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation in August 1943, launched in April 1944, and commissioned in July with Commander George R. Wilson in command. Supporting a crew complement of 273, Colhoun was 376 feet, five inches long and had a displacement of 2,924 tons. She was armed with five 5-inch anti-aircraft guns, four 1.1-inch anti-aircraft guns, four 20-millimeter anti-aircraft guns, and ten 21-inch torpedo tubes. Driven by Westinghouse turbines, Colhoun had a cruising speed of 38 knots and a range of 6,500 nautical miles at 15 knots.
Naval History
Colhoun began training and patrol duty at Pearl Harbor in October 1944, and then conducted screening operations for troop transports at Iwo Jima in February 1945. During this deployment, Colhoun also operated as a radar picket ship and provided fire support for onshore forces during the invasion. Colhoun was struck by enemy fire from shore batteries in March, resulting in one fatality and 16 injuries.
Colhoun was repaired at Saipan and then returned to radar picket duty at Okinawa by the end of March. In April, Colhoun responded to a request for help from Bush, which was damaged by Japanese kamikaze planes. She shot down three enemy aircraft before one struck directly. Colhoun continued to counter-attack, shot down two more planes, and then was hit by another on the side, the bomb from which exploded, damaged both boilers, and pierced the hull below the waterline.
Additional explosions and a hit by a final kamikaze to the bridge wrecked Colhoun, and most of her crew were rescued by LCS-48. The incident resulted in 32 casualties and 23 wounded crew members. Colhoun was later sunk by Cassin Young. She was awarded one battle star for her actions during World War II.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Colhoun (DD-801)
The engineering and power plant compartments of Colhoun used asbestos-containing materials in large amounts as insulation for steam pipes, to fireproof steam boilers, and to cover elements of the ship's engines and turbines. Despite this, even parts of the ship that had no mechanical function were contaminated with asbestos containing materials, as the substance was used in putty, adhesives, mortar, seals, pipe coverings, and other hardware. Exposure to asbestos is linked to a number of serious health concerns, including mesothelioma. Sailors who regularly worked with asbestos insulation over many months or years are at much higher risk of developing asbestos injuries than personnel with lower levels of exposure over the same time period, or a very high level of exposure over a short time frame.
The battle damage sustained by Colhoun increases the risk of asbestos exposure amongst her crew. Damaged and worn asbestos products become friable, meaning individual fibers begin to separate from material. These minute fibers can then easily become airborne, where they pose the greatest danger. Working in proximity to damaged components exposed Colhoun's sailors and dockyard personnel to much greater levels of asbestos than the amounts dealt with in the course of normal duty.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-801.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd801txt.htm
NavSource Naval History. Colhoun (DD-801).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/801.htm
