USS Pillsbury (DD-227)
The USS Pillsbury (DD-227) served in the US Navy for more than two decades in the early 20th century, before being sunk by enemy gunfire, and earned two battle stars for her service in World War II. She was named for Rear Admiral John E. Pillsbury who was a geographer and served as Chief of the Bureau of Investigation. Pillsbury was built as a Clemson-class destroyer.
Construction
Pillsbury was laid down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by the William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Company in October 1919, launched in August 1920, and commissioned in December with Lieutenant H.W. Barnes in command. Carrying a crew of 114, Pillsbury was 314 feet, five inches long and armed with four 4-inch rapid-fire guns, one three-inch anti-aircraft gun, and twelve 21-inch torpedo tubes.
Naval History
Pillsbury operated primarily with the Asiatic Fleet. In November 1941, Pillsbury left Manila along with other units of the fleet, and was deployed to Borneo where she resided during the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. When the United States entered World War II, Pillsbury conducted reconnaissance sorties and anti-submarine patrols out of Balikpapan on Borneo, Indonesia. Pillsbury later on operated out of Surabaya, Java to conduct night patrols and attempted to disrupt a Japanese convoy following the raid on Bali in February 1942.
Pillsbury escaped an encounter with a Japanese warship that same month, following an unsuccessful attempt to torpedo the enemy. Later that day, Pillsbury participated in an attack on another enemy ship, and soon disabled the destroyer which was in flames. Pillsbury was then detached from the group and left for Tjilatjap with Parrott for overhaul.
A few days later that March, Pillsbury encountered a force of Japanese ships that were assigned to prevent Allied ships from escaping the region south of Java. She was sunk, along with Asheville, by Japanese cruisers in Bali Strait in the Netherlands East Indies, 200 miles east of Christmas Island, while Edsall was also sunk during this attack. Japanese forces departed the area and no survivors were taken onboard any of the enemy ships.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Pillsbury (DD-227)
Using asbestos in the construction of all ships was mandated by the US Congress in the 1930s, after a deadly fire on a luxury liner killed 137 passengers and crew. Vessels like Pillsbury used asbestos insulation frequently, especially in ship's boilers and engineering rooms, and in fireproofing all over the vessel. If an asbestos-based product becomes worn it can become "friable", which means that the fibers can be broken off and escape into the atmosphere, where they can be inhaled or ingested by sailors or dockworkers, increasing the chances of contracting mesothelioma. The mineral asbestos was known even in ancient times for its insulation properties; however, it was also demonstrated to be the principal cause of such life-threatening conditions such as pleural plaques and pleural mesothelioma.
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Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-227.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd227txt.htm Retrieved 29 December 2010.
NavSource Naval History, USS Pillsbury (DD-227).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/227.htm Retrieved 29 December 2010.
