USS Hull (DD-350)
The USS Hull (DD-350) served in the US Navy for less than a decade during the early part of the 20th century, and earned ten battle stars for her service in World War II. She was named for Captain Isaac Hull who served in the War of 1812. Hull was laid down as a Farragut-class destroyer.
Construction
Hull was laid down by the New York Navy Yard in March 1933, launched in January 1934, and commissioned in June 1935 with Commander R.S. Wentworth in command. Carrying a crew of 160, Hull was 341 feet three inches long, had a range of 6,500 nautical miles, and was armed with five 5-inch anti-aircraft guns, four one-half inch machine guns, and eight 21-inch torpedo tubes.
Naval History
Hull commenced operations with the Pacific Fleet out of San Diego, California in October 1935, and participated in fleet exercises and training. Prior to World War II, Hull operated as a plane guard for Navy aircraft carriers, and began operating out of Pearl Harbor in October 1939. Hull was conducting routine exercises when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and then was assigned to screening and convoy duty.
In December, Hull was deployed to the Fiji Islands and the Solomon Islands. During this deployment, Hull participated in the assault on Guadalcanal, screened cruisers during shore bombardments, and protected transports against submarines. Hull returned to Pearl Harbor in October 1942, was repaired at San Francisco, and operated in the Aleutians as a patrol and aided in the bombardments and troop landings at Kiska Island. She then participated in the strikes on Wake Island in September 1943, and conducted screening and patrol operations in the Marshall Islands in January 1944. The destroyer also participated in bombardments of Mille Atoll and Wotje.
Hull also provided gunfire during minesweeping operations at Saipan, and patrolled during the troop landings there in June, as well as participated in key anti-aircraft engagements. In July, Hull patrolled off Guam and, following repairs in Seattle, returned to Pearl Harbor in October before joining a refueling group en-route to the Philippine Sea. In December 1944, Hull was overcome by waves during a typhoon, but seven officers and 55 enlisted men were saved by other vessels in the fleet.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Hull (DD-350)
Rapid developments in the industrial economy in the 1800s resulted in the development of steam engines and other high-temperature machinery which demanded the use of asbestos insulation. In the 1930s, fireproof asbestos insulation was used on seagoing vessels like Hull because of new laws regarding fire safety. Asbestos-containing material was installed extensively aboard ships and at shore installations by the Navy until a ban in the 1970s. Aboard Hull, asbestos could be found insulating engines, boilers, and turbines, and was also present in pumps, valves, and gaskets.
An extraordinary amount of asbestos-containing material could also be found in drydock and sailors and workers were exposed there as well, particularly shipfitters, pipefitters, and boilermakers. When repairing contaminated machinery, asbestos dust would fly into the air and stick to the clothes of dockyard workers who would come home, exposing their families to the toxic dust. The repeated inhalation of asbestos can, over time, cause an often fatal cancer known as mesothelioma.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-350.
(http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd350txt.htm) Retrieved 10 January 2011.
NavSource Naval History, USS Hull (DD-350).
(http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/350.htm) Retrieved 10 January 2011.
