USS Sterett (DD-27)
The USS Sterett (DD-27) served in the US Navy for 25 years beginning in the second decade of the 20th century. She was named for Lieutenant Andrew Sterett who served in the Quasi-War with France in the late 1700’s. Sterett was built as a Paulding-class ship.
Construction
The 742-ton Sterett was laid down in March 1909 by Fore River of Quincy, Massachusetts, launched in May, and commissioned in December 1910 with Lieutenant Robert L. Berry in command. She had a top speed of 32.8 knots and was 293 feet, 10 inches long, and armed with five three-inch guns and three 18-inch torpedo tubes. Sterett had a fuel capacity of 236 tons of oil and was propelled by four boilers and three Parsons turbines that provided 17,393 horsepower.
Naval History
Sterett operated along the east coast of the United States, in the Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico. During this deployment, Sterett participated in exercises in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She was placed on reserve in November 1913 but operated with the torpedo fleet, sailing exclusively in the Caribbean with a reduced complement starting in January 1916. Sterett supported the US Marines at Monte Cristo, Dominican Republic, in 1916, and helped restore order in Santiago.
In January 1917 Sterett sailed up the Mississippi River from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Vicksburg, Mississippi, and then returned to the Gulf of Mexico to patrol the Texas coast. Sterett was deployed to Queenstown, Ireland in April 1917 when the United States entered World War I, and escorted convoys to Berehaven, Ireland or Devonport England. On May 31, 1918, she encountered a surfaced U-boat and dropped depth charges when it submerged. Oil and air bubbles at the surface indicate the German submarine was damaged. Sterett pursued the submarine but was unsuccessful at ramming or firing at it during the next encounter.
Sterett continued convoy duty continuously throughout 1918, and used airborne surveillance against submarine warfare. Following the November 1918 Armistice, she returned to Charleston, South Carolina, and was decommissioned in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in December 1919. Sterett was struck from the Navy list in 1935 after 15 years of inactive duty, and sold for scrap to M. Black and Company.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Sterett (DD-27)
Sailors aboard the USS Sterett were exposed to asbestos containing products throughout the vessel. Asbestos was used in Paulding-class ships anywhere that durable heat and fire resistance were needed. The concentration of this dangerous mineral was highest in the boiler rooms and engine rooms, but it was also used in mess halls and as a covering for steam pipes. When asbestos products are worn down or otherwise damaged, they release minuscule fibers into the air, posing a significant health risk to those that breathe them in. The most serious consequence of asbestos exposure is mesothelioma, a rare and almost always deadly cancer.
If you or a family member served on the Sterett or helped service or scrap her and later developed mesothelioma, you likely have a legal right to compensation. Find out more by completing the form on this page. We'll send you a free information kit that can answer many common questions about the disease, treatment options, and your legal options.
Sources
NavSource Naval History, USS Sterett (DD-27).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/027.htm Retrieved 17 December 2010
Department of the Navy – Naval Historical Center.
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-s/dd27.htm Retrieved 17 December 2010
Tin Can Sailors, USS Sterett (DD-27), Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
http://www.destroyers.org/DANFS/h-DD-27.htm Updated 1981. Retrieved 17 December 2010
