USS Emmons (DD-457)

The USS Emmons (DD-457) served in the U.S. Navy for half a decade in the early 20th century. She was named for Rear Admiral George Foster Emmons who participated in an expedition to Antarctica and served in the Mexican War and the Civil War. Emmons was laid down as a Gleaves-class vessel.

Construction

Emmons was laid down at Bath, Maine by the Bath Iron Works Corporation in November 1940, launched in August 1941, and commissioned in December with Lieutenant Commander T.C. Ragan in command. Carrying a crew of 208, Emmons was armed with four five-inch anti-aircraft guns, six one-half inch machine guns, and ten 21-inch torpedo tubes.

Naval History

Emmons sailed to Peru and Chile in January 1942 and then served patrol duty off New England. In April, Emmons escorted aircraft carrier Ranger to North Africa and spent the summer of 1942 conducting patrols off Newfoundland as well as operating as an escort from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia. In July, Emmons joined the British Home Fleet and escorted HMS Duke of York to Iceland, and then rendezvoused with a convoy to the Soviet Union.

Following a training run on the east coast, Emmons served as an aircraft carrier screen when troops were landed in Morocco in November, and then underwent overhaul at Boston. Emmons trained with officers of the Ecuadorean Navy in January 1943 and then was deployed to the British Home Fleet in May to guard convoys in the North Atlantic as well as British aircraft carriers off Norway in July.

Emmons continued aircraft carrier guard duty at Newport, Rhode Island and Casco Bay, Maine, from December 1943 to April 1944, and then was deployed to Algeria to conduct anti-submarine patrols. During the invasion of France in June, Emmons guarded minesweeping operations and participated in the bombardment prior to the landing, and later on guarded transport and supply ships against submarines.

Emmons was converted into high-speed minesweeper DMS-22 at Boston in November 1944, and then participated in clearing the waters off Okinawa before the invasion in April. While protecting Rodman as kamikaze planes attacked, Emmons was struck by five at once and suffered irreparable damage. Sixty crew members were lost and Emmons was sunk the next day.

Asbestos Risk on the USS Emmons (DD-457)

Every area of Emmons employed asbestos products. The engineering and boiler sections were the most heavily contaminated, but no area was completely safe from the mineral. Every sailor on this ship likely suffered exposure to asbestos while serving. Those performing repair and maintenance duties had the greatest exposure risk. Since any exposure can lead to mesothelioma, Emmons veterans should discuss their service on this ship when pursuing compensation for their asbestos injury.

Sources

Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-457.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd457txt.htm

NavSource Naval History, USS Emmons (DD-457).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/457.htm