USS Thatcher (DD-514)
The USS Thatcher (DD-514) served in the U.S. Navy for approximately two years during the first half of the 20th century. She was named for Henry Knox Thatcher, who served with the U.S. Navy during the 19th century. Thatcher was built as a Fletcher-class ship.
Construction
Thatcher was laid down in Bath, Maine by Bath Iron Works in June 1942. She was launched in December 1942 and commissioned in February 1943, with Lieutenant Commander Leland R. Lampman at the helm. Thatcher carried a crew of 273 and had a cruising speed of 38 knots. She was armed with five five-inch anti-aircraft guns, four one and one-tenth-inch anti-aircraft guns, four 20-millimeter anti-aircraft guns, and ten 21-inch torpedo tubes.
Naval History
Follower her shakedown cruise in Casco Bay, Thatcher was assigned to escort duty, traveling from New York to Casablanca. In June 1943, she was sent to the Pacific, where she joined the fleet based at Pearl Harbor.
Thatcher was part of a significant engagement in early November, when her fleet bombarded the Buka-Bonis airfields and supported a landing on Cape Torokina. It was the following day when the fleet spotted blips on the radar: a group of Japanese ships was approaching rapidly. The battle was significant, with 19 torpedoes launched against the enemy ships. Fortunately, the Allied forces suffered no serious losses—though Thatcher collided with another ship and soon required minor repairs.
After a stint at San Francisco, Thatcher returned to Pearl Harbor in March 1944. She participated in many strikes and bombardments during the following twelve months and, though she emerged from enemy engagement unscathed, did suffer five casualties and structural damage when one of her own guns accidentally fired.
Things changed dramatically for Thatcher on May 13, 1945. While assigned to radar duty near Okinawa, she was attacked by a large fleet of Japanese aircraft. She suffered a direct hit from a kamikaze pilot just aft of the bridge, losing steering, radar, and external communications. Fourteen men were killed or missing, and another 53 were wounded.
Though Thatcher remained afloat, she never fully recovered from her injuries. She returned to the U.S. in July, where officials determined that she should be scrapped. Thatcher was decommissioned in November and later broken up and sold for scrap.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Thatcher (DD-514)
Asbestos was employed widely aboard ships and at naval facilities until the late 1970s. Because of its versatility, asbestos-containing materials were found in almost every corridor and compartment. No matter where on the ship a sailor worked, serving on Thatcher meant exposure to asbestos to at least some degree. Those operating boilers, maintaining pumps, or performing repairs had the greatest exposure.
Damage from collisions and shellfire increased the asbestos risk on Thatcher. When asbestos products are damaged, individual fibers can shake free and create a fine dust. As the dangers of the mineral were not well understood during Thatcher’s service, her sailors had little or no protection against inhaling those dangerous fibers. Breathing asbestos-contaminated air can cause mesothelioma.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-514.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd514txt.htm) Retrieved 22 January 2011.
NavSource Naval History, USS Thatcher (DD-514).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/514.htm) Retrieved 22 January 2011.
