USS Morrison (DD-560)
The USS Morrison (DD-560) served in the U.S. Navy for two years in the early 20th century, before being sunk by Japanese aircraft, and received eight battle stars for her service in World War II. She was named for John Gordon Morrison who served with honor during the Civil War. Morrison was a member of the Fletcher class of naval destroyers.
Construction
Morrison was laid down at Seattle, Washington by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation in June 1942, launched in July 1943, and commissioned in December with Commander Walter H. Price in command. Carrying a crew of 273, Morrison was armed with five 5-inch anti-aircraft guns, four 1.1-inch anti-aircraft guns, four 20-millimeter anti-aircraft guns, and ten 21-inch torpedo tubes. Morrison had a cruising speed of 38 knots and a range of 6,500 nautical miles at 15 knots.
Naval History
Morrison was deployed to the South Pacific in February 1944, and arrived at Pearl Harbor before moving on to the Marshall Islands. In April, Morrison conducted screening duties in the Admiralty Islands while aircraft carriers refueled for service in the Carolines. Following training at Pearl Harbor in May, Morrison provided gunfire support for the troop landings at Saipan in June, and then operated with Task Group 68.4 for the Guam invasion in August.
Morrison participated in the strike on Mindanao, Philippines in September and later led a force that intercepted a Japanese convoy en-route to the Philippines. In October, Morrison conducted screening and plane guard duty during the Luzon attack. The destroyer returned to Luzon during the Battle for Leyte Gulf, where she rescued 400 survivors following the bombing of Princeton, who were later transferred to Birmingham.
Morrison participated in fleet exercises in the Hawaiian Islands, and then bombarded targets in Okinawa during the invasion in April. A few days later, Morrison commenced radar picket operations in the area, and endured occasional Japanese aircraft raids. Several suicide planes made it through a combat air patrol in May and attacked Morrison, which after several hits sank so quickly that 152 crew members were lost. The sunken hull was donated to the Government of the Ryukyu Islands in July 1957.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Morrison (DD-560)
Significant innovations in the industrial economy late in the 19th century resulted in the proliferation of steam engines and other high-temperature machinery that necessitated the use of asbestos products. Morrison deployed asbestos as an insulator and to fireproof equipment on board. Her crew was at significant risk for exposure, which can lead to diseases like mesothelioma.
Developing an asbestos disease is strongly associated with the duration and level of asbestos exposure. Sailors performing engineering and damage control duties often endured particularly high levels of exposure. Morrison’s combat history suggests that much of the asbestos on board would have been friable, easily releasing individual fibers into the surrounding air when handled or moved. Veterans of Morrison that survived her sinking may have a higher-than-normal chance for mesothelioma cancer as a result of their wartime asbestos exposure.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-560.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd560txt.htm
NavSource Naval History, USS Morrison (DD-560).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/560.htm
