USS McLanahan (DD-615)
The USS McLanahan (DD-615) was commissioned by the U.S. Navy during the Second World War and remained on the Navy list until the early 1970s. She was named for midshipman Tenant McLanahan who served during the Mexican-American War. McLanahan was laid down as a Benson-class ship.
Construction
McLanahan was laid down at San Pedro, California by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in May 1941, launched in September 1942, and commissioned in December with Lieutenant Commander H.R. Hummer in command. Supporting a crew complement of 208, McLanahan was 348 feet, four inches long and armed with six one-half inch machine guns, four five-inch anti-aircraft guns, and ten 21-inch torpedo tubes.
Naval History
McLanahan was deployed, from San Diego, to Destroyer Squadron 16, Atlantic Fleet in February 1943, and then escorted convoys along the east coast. In April, McLanahan conducted a trans-Atlantic convoy to Algeria, returned to the east coast in June, and soon after sailed for North Africa. McLanahan provided anti-submarine and anti-aircraft protection for invasion forces at Sicily in July. After the operation, the destroyer continued with convoy duty for nine months, during which enemy aircraft bombed three vessels in her group.
McLanahan was deployed to Naples, Italy during combat operations at Anzio, where she provided gunfire support and protected supply lines. In late July, McLanahan moved on to support the preparations for the invasion of southern France. During the operation in August, McLanahan resumed fire support duties and protected forces and supplies from submarine and aircraft attacks. McLanahan left the Mediterranean at the end of August and arrived in New York by mid-September.
McLanahan returned to the Mediterranean in December and, in January 1945, patrolled during bombardment operations on the coast from Monte Carlo to Genoa. Enemy fire from a shore battery exploded near McLanahan in February, resulting in one casualty and damage. McLanahan began patrols from Gibraltar to Casablanca in late March and continued this duty until the war ended in Europe.
In August, McLanahan was prepared for duty in the Pacific before news of the Japanese surrender. The destroyer continued to serve with the Atlantic Fleet until November, and was decommissioned in February 1946. McLanahan was struck from the Navy list in July 1971 and sold for scrap in June 1974.
Asbestos Risk on the USS McLanahan (DD-615)
New fire safety regulations were put into effect in the 1930s that called for a better means of fireproofing on board naval ships, leading to the widespread adoption of asbestos as an insulator and fireproofing material. Nearly every section of McLanahan contained asbestos in significant quantities. Science would later discover that asbestos materials were extremely dangerous to humans. The mineral was largely banned from use in the 1970s.
Nearly every crewman aboard McLanahan suffered exposure to asbestos-containing materials, regardless of his assignment. Sailors stationed in engineering and performing damage control often had the highest level of exposure. The combat damage sustained by McLanahan presented an even greater asbestos risk, as torn asbestos insulation can release clouds of asbestos fibers into the air. When inhaled or ingested, tiny asbestos particles can become lodged in the respiratory tract and can eventually cause mesothelioma.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-615.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd615txt.htm
NavSource Naval History. USS McLanahan (DD-615).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/615.htm
