USS Sturtevant (DD-240)
The USS Sturtevant (DD-240) served in the U.S. Navy for nearly two and a half decades in the early 20th century. She was named for Albert D. Sturtevant who served with the U.S. Navy during World War I. Sturtevant was built as a Clemson-class ship.
Construction
Sturtevant was laid down in Camden, New Jersey by the New York Shipbuilding Company in November 1918, launched in July 1919, and commissioned in September 1920. In November, Lieutenant Commander Ewart G. Haas assumed command of Sturtevant. Carrying a crew of 114, Sturtevant had a cruising speed of 35 knots and was armed with four 4-inch rapid-fire guns, one three-inch anti-aircraft gun, and twelve 21-inch torpedo tubes.
Naval History
Sturtevant reached the Mediterranean Sea in December 1920 and continued on to the Adriatic Sea, where she operated out of Spalato, Croatia until June. Overhauled at Constantinople, Sturtevant operated in the Sea of Marmara and in the Black Sea, and then aided in the relief operation during the Russian Civil War between 1921 and 1923. Sturtevant returned to the United States for overhaul from July to October 1923, and then served in the Mediterranean until May, when she began operations along the Atlantic seaboard.
In December, Sturtevant was designated flagship of Division 41, Squadron 14 Scouting Fleet. During this deployment, Sturtevant conducted fleet exercises in the Panama Canal Zone, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the British West Indies. She sailed for the Pacific and Hawaii from April to June, and in July, returned to the Atlantic where she operated until being decommissioned at Philadelphia from January 1931 to March 1932. Sturtevant was deployed to the Panama Canal Zone in April and supported marines in Nicaragua, Haiti, and Cuba, before being reassigned to the Battle Force in the Pacific in late 1935.
When re-commissioned in September 1939, Sturtevant operated as a convoy escort and on neutrality patrol on the east coast until March 1942, and then operated in the Caribbean until late April. Sturtevant was with a convoy near Key West, Florida in April when an explosion from an American-laid mine occurred. Thinking they were under attack from an enemy submarine, her crew dropped depth charges which exploded and severely damaged Sturtevant. She sank several hours later with the loss of 15 crew members, and was struck from the Navy list in May 1942.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Sturtevant (DD-240)
Since the late 19th century, the mineral asbestos was used in factory and industrial workplaces. Beginning in the 1930s, asbestos insulation material was installed on board ships because of new safety regulations; though Sturtevantwas laid down before those rules were passed, ships of her era still used asbestos extensively. It wasn't long before Navy men started to develop pleural mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses, and common uses of asbestos were banned in the 1970s.
Members of the crew whose occupations resulted in more frequent exposure to damaged asbestos fiber had an increased chance of developing malignant mesothelioma later in life. Engineers, machinists, machinist’s mates, and boilermen were especially at risk. Because asbestos is actually a mineral, when something damages it the tiny fibers can shed off and become friable. Asbestos in a friable condition is more hazardous because the fibers can become airborne where they can be absorbed by the body.
Increased exposure to asbestos, and specifically airborne asbestos, amplifies a person's risk of developing pleural mesothelioma. Repairing fire- or water-damaged asbestos or damaged components exposed Sturtevant's sailors and dock workers to potentially high levels of asbestos. The legal system offers options for former sailors who discover they have malignant mesothelioma.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-240.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd240txt.htm Retrieved 30 December 2010.
NavSource Naval History, USS Sturtevant (DD-240).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/240.htm Retrieved 30 December 2010.
