USS Doyen (DD-280)
USS Doyen (DD-280) was one of over 150 Clemson-class destroyers constructed for the US Navy after World War I. She was named in honor of Charles A. Doyen, an officer in the US Marine Corps.
Construction
Doyen was launched by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Squantum, Massachusetts on July 26, 1919. She was sponsored by Miss F.E. Doyen, who was the daughter of Brigadier General Doyen. Commander J.H. Klein took command of Doyen on December 17, 1919.
As was the case with all Clemson-class destroyers, Doyen was capable of reaching speeds of up to 35 knots. She also featured wing tanks on either side of the ship, which allowed her to carry more fuel and travel greater distances than the preceding class.
Naval History
Following her commissioning, Doyen joined the Pacific Fleet. Assigned to perform local operations, Doyen arrived in San Diego, California on March 15, 1920. Five months later, she was placed in active reserve status. She then participated in reserve training and local exercises until June 8, 1922, at which time she was placed out of commission.
On September 26, 1923, Doyen was recommissioned in order to resume her regular schedule of training and tactical exercises. In addition to performing these duties in the west coast, Doyen also served in the Panama Canal Zone as well as in the Hawaiian Islands. Nearly one month after being recommissioned, Doyen provided escort to IJN Tama while also providing radio compass and communication for the nonstop voyage from San Diego to Hawaii.
In 1926, Doyen once again engaged in exercises in the Canal Zone as well as in the Caribbean. Later that same year, she cruised to Bremerton, Washington in order to complete an overhaul, after which she visited Ketchikan, Alaska and Duncan Bay, British Columbia.
On April 26, 1927, Doyen sailed for the east coast in order to participate in the Army-Navy maneuvers taking place in Newport, Rhode Island. She returned to the west coast two months later, at which time she resumed tactical exercises and training operations with the west coast Battle Fleet. During this time, she also operated out of Pearl Harbor as well as in the Canal Zone.
Doyen was decommissioned on February 25, 1930. She was scrapped on December 20, 1930 in accordance with the London Naval Treaty, which called for the limitation of naval armaments.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Doyen (DD-280)
Using asbestos fireproofing in the construction of marine ships was required by law in the US in the early 1930s, after a fire at sea aboard a luxury liner killed 137 people. Doyen, like most Navy ships at the time, utilized asbestos insulation extensively around boilers and engine rooms, and for fireproofing in the other sections of the ship. The damage done by asbestos fibers occurs when tiny fibers are inhaled or ingested; the fibers invade the lungs and mesothelium and occasionally other organs, leading to scar tissue in the case of asbestosis and damage at the DNA level in the case of lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Since pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma are often diagnosed in the later stages of the disease, the prognosis for these mesothelioma cases is often not positive. In addition, because malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon disease, not many hospitals or health-care providers are able to deliver first-rate mesothelioma treatment.
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Sources
Doyen. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Department of the Navy – Naval Historical Center.
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/d5/doyen-i.htm Retrieved 27 December 2010.
