USS Wasmuth (DD-338)
The USS Wasmuth (DD-338) served in the U.S. Navy for over two decades in the early 20th century, and earned one battle star for her actions during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. She was named for Henry Wasmuth who served with the Marine Corps in the Civil War. Wasmuth was built as a Clemson-class ship.
Construction
Wasmuth was laid down by Mare Island Navy Yard in August 1919, launched in September 1920, and commissioned in December 1921 with Commander W.P. Gaddis in command. Carrying a crew of 114, Wasmuth had a displacement of 1,215 tons and was armed with four 4-inch rapid-fire guns, one three-inch anti-aircraft gun, and twelve 21-inch torpedo tubes. She was driven by geared turbines and had a cruising speed of 35 knots.
Naval History
Wasmuth conducted trials off Sausalito and Mare Island, California until March 1922, participated in battleship torpedo practices at San Francisco in May, and was decommissioned at San Diego in July 1922 until March 1930. She participated in fleet exercises and maneuvers and operated with Destroyer Flotilla 2 on the west coast and in the Caribbean when reactivated. Wasmuth was converted to high-speed minesweeper DMS-15 in November 1940 at Pearl Harbor and retained most of her armory.
Wasmuth alternated between service in Hawaii and on the west coast until the fall of 1941, when tensions with Japan increased and she continued patrol and minesweeping duties. In port during the Japanese attack, Wasmuth opened fire on several enemy planes, and patrolled the channel entrance for Japanese submarines following the attack. She dropped depth charges offshore on the suspicion that enemy submarines were present.
Wasmuth operated between Johnston Island and Pearl Harbor until the spring of 1942, and escorted Convoy 4111 to San Francisco in May. She returned to Pearl Harbor on another convoy escort mission, and then departed for Kodiak Alaska and joined Task Force 8 for screening and escort duties for supply ships. During a storm after Christmas 1942, Wasmuth lost two depth charges which exploded below her. Her crew was rescued by Ramapo, and Wasmuth sank on December 29, 1942 off the Aleutian Islands, and was struck from the Navy list in September 1943.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Wasmuth (DD-338)
On board Wasmuth asbestos-based insulation was used in nearly all areas, both as insulation for important equipment and also on steam pipes. Large quantities of asbestos-containing materials could be found in certain parts of the ship, such as the engineering room, and in the ship’s pumps, valves, and machinery. The remaining sections of Wasmuth also contained asbestos, such as the dining areas and kitchens, bunk rooms, fuel storage compartments and ammo lockers.
The more often a person is exposed to asbestos fiber, the more likely the chances of developing mesothelioma. Asbestos-containing material that is damaged in collision or battle is particularly dangerous as asbestos fibers were prone to enter the air where they could be breathed in by those in the vicinity. Repairing battle-damaged insulation exposed Wasmuth's crew and dock workers, particularly shipfitters and boilermakers, to potentially dangerous quantities of asbestos putting them at risk for developing an asbestos related disease.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-338.
(http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd338txt.htm) Retrieved 7 January 2011.
NavSource Naval History, USS Wasmuth (DD-338).
(http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/338.htm) Retrieved 7 January 2011.
