USS Luce (DD-522)
The USS Luce (DD-522) served in the U.S. Navy for approximately two years during World War II. She was named for Stephen B. Luce, who served with the U.S. Navy around the turn of the 20th century. Luce was built as a Fletcher-class ship.
Construction
Luce was laid down in Staten Island, New York by Bethlehem Steel in August 1942. She was launched in March 1943 and commissioned in June 1943, with Commander D.C. Varian at the helm. Luce carried a crew of 273 and had a cruising speed of 38 knots. She was armed with five five-inch anti-aircraft guns, four one and one-tenth-inch anti-aircraft guns, four 20-millimeter anti-aircraft guns, and ten 21-inch torpedo tubes.
Naval History
Luce began her naval career steaming to Pearl Harbor as a plane guard for Enterprise. She spent time patrolling off Attu Island, Alaska before she was tapped to participate in the bombardment of Paramushiru in the Kurile Islands. During the engagement, Luce was responsible for destroying a 2,000-ton enemy freighter.
In late 1944, Luce participated in the assault at Leyte, sailed to New Guinea as part of an escort patrol, and supported the landing at Houn Gulf. At the end of December, she headed off to screen transports as part of the Lingayen attack. As she arrived in January 1945, Luce was immediately attacked—but she was successful in fending off the attacking planes, splashing one in the bargain. She then spent the next several months escorting resupply convoys.
In March, Luce left Leyte to support the landings at Okinawa, where she was assigned radar picket duty off Kerama Retto. In May, she was attacked by two Japanese kamikaze planes. Luce successfully splashed one of the planes, but the explosion from the downed plane’s bomb was enough to cause a power failure onboard. This kept her from responding quickly to the second plane, which struck the aft section of the ship and knocked out the port engine. The ship’s engineering spaces quickly flooded, and the rudder jammed. Half an hour after the impact, Luce suddenly listed to starboard and the order was given to abandon ship. Just a few moments later, she sank completely in a violent explosion. While some of her crew made it to safety, 126 were lost.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Luce (DD-522)
The asbestos risk on World War II destroyers was significant. Luce would have used the mineral in a wide variety of applications and in nearly every compartment of the ship. Her combat actions likely increased the overall risk on board, as wear and tear damage and enemy fire released clouds of asbestos dust into the air. Many of her crew were lost with the ship, but the survivors, those who served aboard Luce before her final voyage, and the workers that built and maintained her may still have been harmed by the asbestos on board. There are usually legal options available to veterans and civilians with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-522.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd522txt.htm
NavSource Naval History, USS Luce (DD-522).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/522.htm
