USS Stoddert (DD-302)
USS Stoddert (DD-302) was one of 156 Clemson-class destroyers to be constructed for the U.S. Navy after World War I. She was the first of two naval vessels named in honor of Benjamin Stoddert, who was the first U.S. Secretary of the Navy.
Construction
Stoddert was laid down by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in San Francisco, California on July 4, 1918. Sponsored by Mrs. Gavin McNab, she was launched on January 8, 1919. Lieutenant Commander Norman Scott took command of Stoddert on June 30, 1920.
Naval History
Following commissioning, Stoddertjoined Division 33 of the Reserve Destroyer Squadron, Pacific Fleet. For the next five months, she operated along the California coast. In addition to participating in tactical exercises, Stoddertengaged in antiaircraft practice, gun drills and target towing off Coronado Island.
In January 1921, Stoddert and her fleet joined the Atlantic Fleet in the Panama Canal Zone. Together, the fleets held tactical, strategic and gunnery exercises as they cruised to Valparaiso, Chile. After participating in the inter-fleet championships at Balboa, Stoddert returned to San Diego, California and resumed normal operations.
In February 1923, Stoddert assisted with testing the strategic defense of the Panama Canal Zone. The following month, she joined her fleet in engaging in combined tactical and strategic maneuvers while in Panama. During this time, she also conducted experimental torpedo practice and engaged in a variety of experimental firings against Coast Battleship No. 4.
In July 1923, Stoddert escorted Henderson (AP-1), which was carrying President Warren G, Harding. That September, she visited the San Diego Harbor in order to participate in a commemoration for those men who were lost in the Honda Point Disaster. For the next four years, she continued to participate in fleet maneuvers, torpedo exercise and other routine engagements in a variety of places, including Hawaii, Melbourne, Lyttelton and Guantanamo Bay.
In August 1927, Stoddert provided emergency assistance to the Dole flight, which was a non-stop airplane race spanning from San Francisco to Honolulu. Stoddert and the other 52 ships in her Battle Fleet covered approximately 350,000 square miles as they searched for planes that had been reported missing. She then resumed routine operations along the Pacific Coast.
On May 20, 1930, Stoddert was decommissioned in accordance with the London Treaty, which called for the reduction of naval armaments. She was then fitted with experimental radio-controlled light targets and was designated as Light Target No.1. The experiments helped pave the way for future remote-controlled naval vessels.
On April 6, 1931, Stoddert was recommissioned and reclassified as auxiliary AG-18. She was later redesignated as DD-302, after which she was involved in experimental operations. While based in San Diego, Stoddertwas used as the target for fleet gunnery exercises, diving bombing and aerial torpedoes.
On January 10, 1933, the ship formerly known as Stoddert was decommissioned at San Diego, with many of her crew transferring to mobile target ship Lamberton (AG-21). Her name was struck from the Navy list on June 5, 1935 and she was sold for scrap on August 30 of that year.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Stoddert (DD-302)
Manufacturers started utilizing asbestos fibers in the 1800s because it was an effective fireproofing agent for industrial and construction applications. Naval vessels such as Stoddert employed asbestos-containing materials as an insulating material for their boilers, engines, turbines, and pumps. In the engineering compartment of a ship, asbestos containing materials was used everywhere because these areas generated huge amounts of thermal energy.
No matter what the job, sailing on Stoddert meant exposure to asbestos to some extent. Large quantities of asbestos were found anywhere where work was being done on Navy ships, such as in drydocks and dockyards. Boilermakers and shipfitters were also subject to asbestos exposure which is strongly linked to the development of mesothelioma.
Sources
Stoddert. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Department of the Navy – Naval Historical Center.
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s19/stoddert.htm Retrieved 31 December 2010.
