USS Leutze (DD-481)
The USS Leutze (DD-481) was a destroyer that served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. She was named in honor of Admiral Eugene Leutze (1847-1931).
Construction
Leutze (DD-481) was laid down in June of 1941 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. She was commissioned in March of 1944, with Commander B. A. Robbins, Jr., at the helm.
Naval History
Leutze spent her career in the Pacific theater, earning five battle stars for wartime service. Her first deployment was the September 1944 invasion of the Palaus, during which she bombarded enemy positions on the coast. Following this engagement, she headed for the Philippine Islands.
Leutze fought in the epic Battle of Leyte Gulf, though it cost the lives of 11 crewmembers from enemy fire. Action began on October 18, peaking on the 24th and 25th. The crew of Leutze battled tirelessly, firing upon enemy planes and surface ships, and assisting in the destruction of two Japanese battleships and three destroyers.
In January 1945, Leutze rescued an American sailor who fell overboard from the Makin Island (CVE-93). A week later, she sank two Japanese vessels.
Leutze’s next engagement was at Iwo Jima. Arriving at Iowa Jima on February 16, she took heavy enemy fire. As she protected Navy frogmen on the 17th, she took a direct hit on the forward stack, resulting in serious injury to her commanding officer and several others.
Following repairs, she participated in “Operation Iceberg,” or the invasion of Okinawa. She arrived in Okinawa on April 3, just as the Japanese began their policy of “Ten Go,” also known as Kamikaze attacks. The first wave came on April 6, and Leutze splashed two planes and destroyed a third. When she proceeded to assist Newcomb (DD-586), which had been hit three times and which was on fire, Leutze took a direct hit which resulted in one casualty, seven missing, and 30 wounded crewmembers. Leutze’s acting commanding office, Lieutenant Leon Grabowski, received the Navy Cross for his role in assisting Newcomb and for the Leutze’s own fighting role.
Leutze was taken in for emergency repairs and ended up at Hunter’s Point Shipyard in San Francisco, California, on August 3, 1945. With the war’s end, her repairs were halted, and she was decommissioned in December. She was purchased for scrap by Thomas Harris of Barker, New Jersey, in June of 1947.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Leutze (DD-481)
On Leutze asbestos was used in most compartments, both in insulation and on steam pipes. Some compartments employed asbestos fibers more extensively than did others. Asbestos insulated steam boilers, pumps, and engines. Remarkably, even compartments of Leutze not used for machinery were contaminated with asbestos in the form of cements and sealants.
The likelihood of developing mesothelioma rises significantly for sailors that handled frayed or worn asbestos materials. Asbestos insulation damaged in combat was particularly dangerous. Crewmen performing repairs had disproportionately high exposure to asbestos in comparison to sailors with other duties. Regardless of how you served, if you are a Navy veteran with mesothelioma, you have legal rights.
Sources
“Leutze.” Dictionary of American Fighting Ships.
http://www.history.navy.mil/DANFS/l5/leutze.htm
