USS Talbot (DD-114)
The USS Talbot (DD-114) served in the U.S. Navy for over two and a half decades during the early 20th century. She was named for Silas Talbot, a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Talbot was built as a Wickes-class ship.
Construction
The Wickes-class ship was laid down in July 1917 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by William Cramp & Sons, launched in February 1918, and commissioned in July with Lieutenant Commander Isaac P. Dortch in command. Talbot was 314 feet, five inches in length and carried a crew of 103. She was armed with four 4-inch rapid-fire guns, two anti-aircraft guns, and twelve 21-inch torpedo tubes.
Naval History
Talbot sailed for the British Isles from New York in 1918 and made several round-trip voyages until being assigned to the Pacific Fleet in 1919. In March 1923, Talbot was decommissioned at San Diego, California, and put in reserve. She was re-commissioned in May 1930 and was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 10 of the Battle Force, and in 1937 supported the Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet in Hawaii. Talbot sailed for Pearl Harbor the day after the Japanese attack and conducted patrols off the Hawaiian islands for 10 days, and then escorted convoys along the Pacific coast of the United States with the Patrol Force of the 12 Naval District.
Talbot was reclassified as high-speed transport APD-7 in March 1943, and joined the Rendova Attack Group in June. During this deployment, she participated in the occupation of Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands in August, and rescued crew members and passengers from McKean when it was bombed off Japan. In October 1944, Talbot received hull damage following the explosion of the ammunition ship Mount Hood at Seeadler Harbor, Papua New Guinea. She was reconverted to destroyer status in July and decommissioned at San Pedro, California in October 1945, following a Board of Inspection and Survey report. Struck from the Navy list the same month, Talbot was then sold for scrap to Boston Metals Company of Baltimore, Maryland in January 1946.
Talbot earned nine stars on her Asiatic-Pacific campaign ribbon, for participating in the New Georgia Group, Treasury-Bougainville, Bismarck Archipelago, Hollandia, Mariana Islands, Leyte, Luzon, Manila Bay-Bicol, and Okinawa operations.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Talbot (DD-114)
Many compartments on board Talbot were contaminated with asbestos fibers. While asbestos insulation was concentrated in the engineering compartments, it could be found everywhere on the ship, as asbestos-based putty, cement, and paint were used in a multitude of applications. Pumps and valves were constructed with asbestos packing, and asbestos gaskets were common in shipboard machinery of all types.
Workers on shore were also at risk. The work taking place in dockyards was primarily centered on ship repair, demolition, and construction. This work often involved cutting, sawing and scraping asbestos based materials which created large amounts of airborne asbestos fibers. This created an exposure risk to both workers and their families as often, asbestos particles would stick to a dock worker's clothing that they would then carry home. Scientific researchers have recognized a compelling association between breathing asbestos fibers and the emergence of malignant mesothelioma.
There are legal solutions available to veterans who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or other ailments caused by asbestos. If you served on the USS Talbot and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, please fill out the form on this page to learn more.
Sources
NavSource Naval History, USS Talbot (DD-114).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/114.htm
Destroyer History. USS Talbot
http://www.destroyerhistory.org/flushdeck/usstalbot.html
