Asbestos on Destroyer Escorts

Author: Tara Strand

Jennifer Lucarelli

Last Updated: 3/4/2026

Destroyer escorts were small warships built during World War II to protect convoys. They are no longer in service. Famous ships like the USS Slater served in major conflicts. These vessels often had asbestos. This put sailors and workers at risk for mesothelioma.

Learn About Asbestos Exposure on Navy Ships in Our Free Guide

History of Destroyer Escorts

Destroyer escorts (DEs) were small warships built by the United States and its allies during World War II (WWII). They mostly guarded convoys of merchant ships and warships from enemy vessels, but also supplied some protection against enemy planes. Before DEs, many merchant ships were targets for German and Japanese submarines.

The U.S. Navy launched the first destroyer escorts in 1943. They were faster and easier to build than bigger destroyers. In total, the Navy commissioned over 500 DEs by the end of the war. They had guns, depth charges and sonar to hunt submarines.

During WWII, destroyer escorts formed hunter-killer groups that tracked down and sank enemy submarines. They played a pivotal role in winning the Battle of the Atlantic. One DE, the USS England, sank six Japanese submarines in 12 days in 1944.

After the war, the Navy retired many DEs, sold them to allied navies or converted them for other uses. Some still served during the Korean War and later in the Cold War. Some destroyer escorts were later reclassified as DER (Radar Picket) or DEG (Guided Missile) ships. By the mid-1960s, the Navy had removed most WWII-era destroyer escorts from active duty.

The USS Parle was the last to serve. The Navy decommissioned the vessel in 1970. Today, two DEs still exist as museum ships: the USS Slater in Albany, New York, and the USS Stewart in Galveston, Texas.

Many destroyer escorts had asbestos on board. Shipbuilders used the mineral for insulation and fireproofing. As a result, many sailors on DEs came into contact with asbestos, which could later cause serious health problems.

Destroyer Escorts’ History at a Glance

Other Names/Classes: Buckley, Cannon, Claud Jones, Dealey, Edsall, Evarts, John C. Butler, Rudderow
Years of Operation: 1943 – 1970
Wartime Operations: Cold War, Korean War, Vietnam War, World War II (WWII)
Size of Crew: Roughly 200 people
Size of Ship: About 300 to 306 feet long
Noteworthy Ships: USS Dennis, USS John C. Butler, USS Raymond, USS Samuel B. Roberts, USS Slater

Notable Destroyer Escorts

Destroyer escorts were an important part of the U.S. Navy’s fleet. They helped protect larger ships and merchant convoys during major wars. Like most naval ships, these vessels used asbestos products to protect against heat and fire, which put many sailors at risk.

These ships often carried large crews and operated in active war zones. Some became known for their specific missions and service records, including the USS Samuel B. Roberts and the USS Slater.

USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413)

The USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort commissioned in 1944. During its service, the ship carried about 215 crew members and operated out of places like Boston, Pearl Harbor and the Panama Canal. For its actions, it earned one battle star and a Presidential Unit Citation.

The ship became well-known for its role in the Battle of Samar during WWII. In October 1944, the ship joined other destroyers and DEs to defend American escort carriers from a much larger Japanese force. Outnumbered and outgunned, the USS Samuel B. Roberts took the lead and protected the fleet. Its actions helped stop the attack but left the ship damaged.

The Roberts eventually sank, but the Battle of Samar earned it the nickname “the destroyer escort that fought like a battleship.” It is still seen as one of the most notable stands in naval history and is studied at military schools today.

Like many ships from this period, the USS Samuel B. Roberts likely contained large quantities of asbestos. Shipbuilders often used the mineral in insulation around boiler rooms, engine spaces and steam lines.

USS Slater (DE-766)

The USS Slater (DE-766) is a Cannon-class destroyer escort launched in 1944. The Navy built it to guard convoys from enemy submarines in the Atlantic. During its service, the ship carried about 216 crew members and took on missions in Key West, San Diego and many other locations. The Navy decommissioned the USS Slater in May 1947.

In 2012, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) named it a National Historic Landmark. Today, the USS Slater is fully restored and serves as a floating museum in Albany, New York. Visitors can walk through its passageways and learn about its naval service.

The Navy used asbestos in many shipbuilding and repair jobs. The USS Slater likely contained the mineral as well. This widespread use on ships may have caused significant asbestos exposure for sailors and shipyard workers.

Did You Know? Asbestos exposure is still responsible for thousands of deaths each year. Victims of asbestos exposure who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma may be eligible for financial compensation. Learn More About Financial Assistance Available

Complete List of Destroyer Escorts

In late 1941, the U.S. Navy had more than 500 destroyer escorts made across six different classes. Shipbuilders used asbestos-based products on each to help protect against fires and overheating. The table below is a complete list of destroyer escorts.

Destroyer Escorts Associated with Potential Asbestos Exposure
Name	Hull	Class	Commissioned	Fate
USS Abercrombie	DE-343	John C. Butler	5/1/1944	Sunk as Target, 1968
USS Acree	DE-167	Cannon	7/19/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Ahrens	DE-575	Buckley	2/12/1944	Scrapped, 1967
USS Ainsworth	DE-1090	Knox	3/31/1973	To Turkey
USS Albert David	DE-1050	Garcia	10/19/1968	To Brazil, 2001
USS Albert T. Harris	DE-447	John C. Butler	11/29/1944	Sunk as Target, 1969
USS Alexander J. Luke	DE-577		2/19/1944	Sunk, 1970
USS Alger	DE-101	Cannon	11/12/1943	To Brazil, 1945
USS Alvin C. Cockrell	DE-366	John C. Butler	10/7/1944	Sunk as Target, 1969
USS Alwyn	DE-1081	Knox	9/18/1971	To Taiwan, 1998
USS Amesbury	DE-66	Buckley	8/30/1943	Scrapped, 1962
USS Amick	DE-168	Cannon	7/26/1943	To Japan, 1955
USS Andres	DE-45	Evarts	3/15/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Arthur L. Bristol	DE-281	Crosley	6/25/1945	Scrapped, 1965
USS Atherton	DE-169	Cannon	8/29/1943	To Japan, 1955
USS Austin	DE-15		2/13/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Badger	DE-1071	Knox	12/1/1970	Sunk as Target, 1998
USS Bagley	DE-1069	Knox	5/6/1972	Recycled, 2000
USS Baker	DE-190	Cannon	12/23/1943	To France, 1952
USS Balduck	DE-716	Crosley	5/7/1945	Scrapped, 1976
USS Bangust	DE-739	Cannon	10/30/1943	To Peru, 1952
USS Barber	DE-161	Buckley	10/10/1943	To Mexico, 1969
USS Barbey	DE-1088	Knox	11/11/1972	To Taiwan, 1999
USS Baron	DE-166	Cannon	7/5/1943	To Uruguay, 1952
USS Barr	DE-576	Buckley	2/16/1944	Sunk as Target, 1963
USS Bassett	DE-672	Charles Lawrence	2/23/1945	To Colombia, 1969
USS Bates	DE-68	Buckley	9/13/1943	Sunk by Enemy, 1945
USS Bauer	DE-1025	Dealey	11/21/1957	Sold for Scrap
USS Bebas	DE-10		5/15/1943
USS Begor	DE-711	Crosley	3/14/1945	Scrapped, 1976
USS Belet	DE-599	Rudderow	6/15/1945	To Mexico, 1963
USS Beverly W. Reid	DE-722	Crosley	6/25/1945	Scrapped, 1975
USS Bivin	DE-536		10/31/1944	Sunk as Target, 1969
USS Blair	DE-147	Edsall	9/13/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Blakely	DE-1072	Knox	7/18/1970	Scrapped, 2000
USS Blessman	DE-69	Buckley	9/19/1943	To Taiwan, 1967
USS Booth	DE-170	Cannon	9/19/1943	To Philippines, 1967
USS Borum	DE-790		11/30/1943	Scrapped, 1966
USS Bostwick	DE-103	Cannon	12/1/1943	To China, 1948
USS Bowen	DE-1079	Knox	5/22/1971	To Turkey
USS Bowers	DE-637		1/27/1944	Scrapped, 1966
USS Brackett	DE-41		10/18/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Bradley	DE-1041	Garcia	5/15/1965	To Brazil
USS Bray	DE-709	Crosley	9/4/1944	Sunk as Target, 1963
USS Breeman	DE-104	Cannon	12/12/1943	To China, 1948
USS Brennan	DE-13	Evarts	1/20/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Brewton	DE-1086		7/8/1972	To Taiwan, 1999
USS Bridget	DE-1024	Dealey	10/24/1957	Sold for Scrap
USS Bright	DE-747	Cannon	6/30/1944	To France, 1950
USS Brister	DE-327		11/30/1943	Uncertain
USS Brock	DE-234	Crosley	2/9/1945	To Colombia, 1962
USS Bronstein	DE-1037	Bronstein	6/16/1963	To Mexico, 1993
USS Bronstein	DE-189	Cannon	12/13/1943	To Uruguay, 1952
USS Brooke	DEG-1	Brooke	3/12/1966	To Maritime Admin, 1994
USS Brough	DE-148	Edsall	9/18/1943	Scrapped, 1967
USS Brumby	DE-1044	Garcia	8/5/1965	To Maritime Admin, 1994
USS Buckley	DE-51	Buckley	4/30/1943	Scrapped, 1969
USS Bull	DE-52		5/19/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Bull	DE-693	Buckley	8/12/1943	To Taiwan, 1966
USS Bunch	DE-694	Buckley	8/21/1943	Scrapped, 1965
USS Burdo	DE-717	Crosley	6/2/1945	Scrapped, 1967
USS Burke	DE-215	Buckley	7/20/1943	To Colombia, 1968
USS Burrows	DE-105	Cannon	12/19/1943	To Netherlands, 1950
USS Cabana	DE-260		7/9/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Calcaterra	DE-390	Edsall	11/17/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Camp	DE-251	Edsall	9/16/1943	To South Vietnam, 1971
USS Canfield	DE-262	Evarts	7/22/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Cannon	DE-99	Cannon	9/26/1943	To Brazil
USS Capodanno	DE-1093		11/17/1973	To Turkey
USS Carlson	DE-9	Evarts	5/10/1943	Sold, 1946
USS Carpellotti	DE-720	Crosley	7/30/1945	Scrapped, 1966
USS Carroll	DE-171	Cannon	10/24/1943	Scrapped, 1966
USS Carter	DE-112	Cannon	5/3/1944	To China, 1948
USS Cates	DE-763	Cannon	12/15/1943	To France, 1950
USS Cavallaro	DE-712	Crosley	3/13/1945	To South Korea, 1959
USS Cecil J. Doyle	DE-368	John C. Butler	10/16/1944	Sunk as Target, 1967
USS Chaffee	DE-230	Rudderow	5/9/1944	Unknown
USS Chambers	DE-391	Edsall	11/22/1943	Scrapped, 1975
USS Charles E. Brannon	DE-446		11/1/1944	Scrapped, 1969
USS Charles J. Kimmel	DE-584	Rudderow	4/20/1944	Sunk as Target, 1969
USS Charles Lawrence	DE-53	Buckley	5/31/1943	Scrapped, 1965
USS Chase	DE-158	Buckley	7/18/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Chatelain	DE-149	Edsall	9/22/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Chester T. O’Brien	DE-421		7/3/1944	Scrapped, 1974
USS Christopher	DE-100	Cannon	10/23/1943	To Brazil, 1944
USS Clarence L. Evans	DE-113	Cannon	6/25/1944	To France, 1952
USS Claud Jones	DE-1033	Claud Jones	2/10/1959	To Indonesia, 1974
USS Cloues	DE-265		8/10/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Coates	DE-685	Rudderow	1/24/1944	Sunk as Target, 1971
USS Cockrill	DE-398	Edsall	12/24/1943	Sunk as Target, 1974
USS Cofer	DE-208	Buckley	1/19/1944	Scrapped, 1968
USS Coffman	DE-191	Cannon	12/27/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Conklin	DE-439		4/21/1944	Scrapped, 1972
USS Connole	DE-1056	Knox	8/30/1969	To Greece, 1992
USS Connolly	DE-306		7/8/1944	Scrapped, 1946
USS Cook	DE-714	Crosley	4/25/1945	Scrapped, 1970
USS Cook	DE-1083	Knox	12/18/1971	To Taiwan, 1999
USS Coolbaugh	DE-217	Buckley	10/15/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Cooner	DE-172	Cannon	8/21/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Corbesier	DE-438		3/31/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Courtney	DE-1021	Dealey	9/24/1956	Scrapped, 1974
USS Cread	DE-227		7/29/1945	Scrapped, 1961
USS Cromwell	DE-1014	Dealey	11/24/1954	Scrapped, 1973
USS Cronin	DE-704	Buckley	5/5/1944	Sunk as Target, 1971
USS Crosley	DE-226		10/22/1944	To Ecuador
USS Cross	DE-448		1/8/1945	Scrapped, 1968
USS Crouter	DE-11		5/25/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Crowley	DE-303		3/25/1944	Scrapped, 1946
USS Currier	DE-700	Buckley	2/1/1944	Sunk as Target, 1967
USS Dale W. Peterson	DE-337	Edsall	2/17/1944	Scrapped, 1972
USS Damon M. Cummings	DE-643		6/29/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Daniel	DE-335	Edsall	1/24/1944	Scrapped, 1974
USS Daniel A. Joy	DE-585	Rudderow	4/28/1944	Scrapped, 1966
USS Daniel T. Griffin	DE-54	Buckley	6/9/1943	To Chile, 1966
USS Darby	DE-218	Buckley	11/15/1943	Sunk, 1970
USS Davidson	DE-1045	Garcia	12/1/1965	To Brazil
USS Day	DE-225	Rudderow	6/10/1944	Unknown
USS De Long	DE-684	Rudderow	12/31/1943	Sunk, 1970
USS De Long	DE-684	Rudderow	12/31/1943	Sunk, 1970
USS Dealey	DE-1006	Dealey	6/3/1954	To Uruguay
USS Decker	DE-47	Evarts	5/3/1943	To China, 1945
USS Deede	DE-263		7/29/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Dempsey	DE-26		7/24/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Dennis	DE-405	John C. Butler	3/20/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Diachenko	DE-690		12/8/1944	Scrapped, 1975
USS Dionne	DE-261		7/16/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Dobler	DE-48	Evarts	5/17/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Doherty	DE-14	Evarts	2/6/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Don O. Woods	DE-721	Rudderow	5/28/1945	To Mexico, 1963
USS Donald B. Beary	DE-1085		7/22/1972	To Turkey, 2002
USS Donald W. Wolf	DE-713	Crosley	4/14/1945	To China, 1965
USS Donaldson	DE-55		6/18/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Donaldson	DE-44		12/1/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Doneff	DE-49		6/10/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Donnell	DE-56	Buckley	6/26/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Douglas A. Munro	DE-422	John C. Butler	7/11/1944	Sunk as Target, 1966
USS Douglas L. Howard	DE-138	Edsall	7/29/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Downes	DE-1070	Knox	8/28/1971	Disposed, 2003
USS Doyle C. Barnes	DE-353	John C. Butler	7/13/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Drury	DE-46	Captain	4/12/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Duffy	DE-27	Evarts	8/5/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Dufilho	DE-423	John C. Butler	7/21/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Durant	DE-389	Edsall	11/16/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Durant	DE-389	Edsall	11/16/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Durik	DE-666		3/24/1944	Scrapped, 1967
USS Earhart	DE-603	Rudderow	7/26/1945	To Mexico, 1963
USS Earl K. Olsen	DE-765	Cannon	4/10/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Earl V. Johnson	DE-702		3/18/1944	Scrapped, 1968
USS Earle B. Hall	DE-597	Crosley	5/15/1945	Scrapped, 1966
USS Ebert	DE-74		10/13/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Ebert	DE-768	Cannon	7/12/1944	To Greece, 1951
USS Edgar G. Chase	DE-16	Evarts	3/20/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Edmonds	DE-406		4/3/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Edsall	DE-129	Edsall	4/10/1943	Scrapped, 1969
USS Edward C. Daly	DE-17	Evarts	4/3/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Edward H. Allen	DE-531		12/16/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Edward McDonnell	DE-1043	Garcia	2/15/1965	Scrapped, 2002
USS Edwin A. Howard	DE-346	John C. Butler	5/25/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Eichenberger	DE-202	Buckley	11/17/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Eisele	DE-34		10/18/1943	Scrapped, 1948
USS Eisele	DE-75		10/17/1943	Scuttled, 1944
USS Eisner	DE-192	Cannon	1/1/1944	To Netherlands, 1951
USS Elden	DE-264		8/4/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Eldridge	DE-173	Cannon	8/27/1943	To Greece, 1951
USS Elmer Montgomery	DE-1082	Knox	10/30/1971	To Turkey, 1993
USS Emery	DE-28	Evarts	8/14/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS England	DE-635	Buckley	12/10/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Engstrom	DE-50	Evarts	6/21/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Enright	DE-216	Buckley	9/21/1943	To Ecuador, 1967
USS Eugene E. Elmore	DE-686	Rudderow	2/4/1944
USS Evans	DE-1023	Dealey	6/14/1957	Scrapped, 1974
USS Evarts	DE-5	Evarts	4/15/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Eversole	DE-404	John C. Butler	3/21/1944	Sunk, 1944
USS Fair	DE-35	Evarts	10/23/1943	Scrapped,1949
USS Falgout	DE-324	Edsall	11/15/1943	Sunk as Target, 1977
USS Fanning	DE-1076	Knox	7/23/1971	To Turkey, 1993
USS Farquhar	DE-139	Edsall	8/5/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Fechteler	DE-157	Buckley	7/1/1943	Sunk by Enemy, 1944
USS Fessenden	DE-142	Edsall	8/25/1943	Sunk as Target, 1967
USS Fieberling	DE-640	Buckley	4/11/1944	Scrapped, 1972
USS Finch	DE-328	Edsall	12/13/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Finnegan	DE-307		8/19/1944	Scrapped, 1946
USS Fiske	DE-143	Edsall	8/25/1943	Sunk by Enemy, 1944
USS Flaherty	DE-135	Edsall	6/26/1943	Scrapped, 1966
USS Fleming	DE-32	Evarts	9/18/1943	Scrapped, 1948
USS Fogg	DE-57	Buckley	7/7/1943	Scrapped, 1966
USS Foreman	DE-633	Buckley	10/22/1943	Scrapped, 1966
USS Formoe	DE-509		10/5/1944	Loaned to Portugal, 1957
USS Formore	DE-58		7/15/1943	Scrapped, 1948
USS Forster	DE-334	Edsall	1/25/1944	Loaned to South Vietnam, 1971
USS Foss	DE-59	Buckley	7/23/1943	Sold for Scrap
USS Fowler	DE-222	Buckley	3/15/1944	Scrapped, 1966
USS Frament	DE-677		8/15/1943
USS Francis Hammond	DE-1067	Knox	7/25/1970	Scrapped, 2003
USS Francis M. Robinson	DE-220	Buckley	1/15/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Frederick C. Davis	DE-136	Edsall	7/14/1943	Sunk, 1945
USS French	DE-367	John C. Butler	10/9/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Frost	DE-144	Edsall	8/30/1943	Scrapped, 1966
USS Frybarger	DE-705	Buckley	5/18/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Gandy	DE-764	Cannon	2/7/1944	To Italy, 1951
USS Gantner	DE-60	Buckley	7/23/1943	To China, 1966
USS Garcia	DE-1040	Garcia	12/21/1964	Scrapped, 1994
USS Garfield Thomas	DE-193	Cannon	1/24/1944	To Greece, 1951
USS Gary	DE-326	Edsall	11/27/1943	To Tunisia, 1973
USS Gendreau	DE-639	Buckley	3/17/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Gentry	DE-349	John C. Butler	6/14/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS George	DE-697	Buckley	11/20/1943	Scrapped, 1970
USS George A. Johnson	DE-583	Rudderow	4/15/1944	Sold for Scrap
USS George E. Davis	DE-357	John C. Butler	8/11/1944	Scrapped, 1974
USS George W. Ingram	DE-62	Buckley	8/11/1943	To China, 1967
USS Gillette	DE-681		10/27/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Gilligan	DE-508		5/12/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Gilmore	DE-18		4/17/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Goss	DE-444		8/26/1944	Scrapped, 1972
USS Gosselin	DE-710	Rudderow	12/31/1944	Scrapped, 1965
USS Grady	DE-445		9/11/1944	Scrapped, 1969
USS Gray	DE-1054	Knox	4/4/1970	Scrapped, 2001
USS Greenwood	DE-679		9/25/1943	Scrapped, 1967
USS Greiner	DE-37	Evarts	8/18/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Griswold	DE-7	Evarts	4/28/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Gunason	DE-795	Buckley	2/1/1944	Sunk as Target, 1973
USS Gustafson	DE-182	Cannon	11/1/1943	To Netherlands, 1950
USS Haas	DE-424		8/2/1944	Scrapped, 1967
USS Haertley	DE-1029	Dealey	6/26/1957	To Colombia
USS Haines	DE-792	Buckley	12/27/1943	Scrapped, 1961
USS Halloran	DE-305		5/27/1944	Scrapped, 1947
USS Hammann	DE-131	Edsall	5/17/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Hammerberg	DE-1015	Dealey	3/2/1955	Scrapped, 1974
USS Hanna	DE-449		1/27/1945	Scrapped, 1973
USS Harmon	DE-72		9/30/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Harmon	DE-678	Buckley	8/31/1943	Scrapped, 1967
USS Harold C. Thomas	DE-21		5/31/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Harold E. Holt	DE-1074	Knox	3/26/1971	Disposed, 2002
USS Hartley	DE-1029	Dealey	6/26/1957	To Colombia
USS Harveson	DE-316	Edsall	10/12/1943	Sunk as Target, 1967
USS Haverfield	DE-393	Edsall	11/29/1943	Scrapped, 1971
USS Hayter	DE-212	Buckley	3/16/1944	Loaned to South Korea, 1967
USS Hemminger	DE-746	Cannon	5/30/1944	Loaned to Thailand, 1959
USS Henry R. Kenyon	DE-683		11/30/1943	Scrapped, 1970
USS Hepburn	DE-1055	Knox	7/3/1969	Sunk, 2002
USS Herbert C. Jones	DE-137	Edsall	7/21/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Herzog	DE-178	Cannon	10/6/1943	Leased to Brazil, 1944
USS Heyliger	DE-510		3/24/1945	Sunk as Target, 1969
USS Hilbert	DE-742	Cannon	2/4/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Hill	DE-141	Edsall	8/16/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Hissem	DE-400	Edsall	1/13/1944	Sunk as Target, 1982
USS Hodges	DE-231	Rudderow	5/27/1944	Unknown
USS Holder	DE-401	Edsall	1/18/1944	Sunk By Enemy, 1944
USS Hollis	DE-794		1/24/1944	Scrapped, 1975
USS Holt	DE-706	Rudderow	6/9/1944	Loaned to South Korea, 1963
USS Holton	DE-703	Buckley	5/1/1944	Sold for Scrap
USS Hooper	DE-1026	Dealey	3/18/1958	Sold for Scrap
USS Hopping	DE-155	Buckley	5/21/1943	Scrapped, 1966
USS Horace A. Bass	DE-691	Crosley	12/21/1944	Scrapped, 1975
USS Howard D. Crow	DE-252	Edsall	9/27/1943	Scrapped, 1970
USS Howard F. Clark	DE-533	John C. Butler	5/25/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Hubbard	DE-211	Buckley	3/6/1944	Scrapped, 1966
USS Hunter Marshall	DE-602	Crosley	7/17/1945	To Ecuador, 1961
USS Hurst	DE-250	Edsall	8/30/1943	To Mexico, 1973
USS Huse	DE-145	Edsall	8/30/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Inch	DE-146	Edsall	9/8/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS J. Douglas Blackwood	DE-219	Buckley	12/15/1943	Sunk as Target, 1970
USS J. R. Y. Blakely	DE-140	Edsall	8/16/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS J. Richard Ward	DE-243	Edsall	7/5/1943	Scrapped, 1972
USS Jaccard	DE-355	John C. Butler	7/26/1944	25115
USS Jack C. Robinson	DE-671	Charles Lawrence	2/2/1945	To Chile
USS Jack Miller	DE-410	John C. Butler	4/13/1944	Scrapped, 1969
USS Jack W. Wilke	DE-800		3/7/1944	Scrapped, 1974
USS Jacob Jones	DE-130	Edsall	4/29/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS James E. Craig	DE-201	Buckley	11/11/1943	Sunk as Target, 1969
USS Janssen	DE-396	Edsall	12/18/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Jenks	DE-665		1/19/1944	Scrapped, 1968
USS Jesse L. Brown	DE-1089	Knox	2/17/1973	To Egypt, 1994
USS Jesse Rutherford	DE-347	John C. Butler	5/31/1944	Sunk as Target, 1968
USS Jobb	DE-707	Rudderow	7/4/1944	Scrapped, 1970
USS John C. Butler	DE-339	John C. Butler	3/31/1944	Sunk, 1971
USS John J. Powers	DE-528		2/29/1944	Scrapped, 1946
USS John L. Williamson	DE-370	John C. Butler	10/31/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS John M. Bermingham	DE-530	Evarts	4/4/1944	Scrapped, 1946
USS John P. Gray	DE-673	Charles Lawrence	3/15/1945	Scrapped, 1968
USS John Q. Roberts	DE-235	Crosley	3/8/1945	Scrapped, 1960
USS John R. Perry	DE-1034	Claud Jones	5/5/1959	To Indonesia, 1973
USS John Willis	DE-1027	Dealey	2/21/1957	Sold for Scrap
USS Johnnie Hutchins	DE-360	John C. Butler	8/28/1944	Scrapped, 1974
USS Jordan	DE-204	Buckley	12/17/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Joseph E. Campbell	DE-70	Buckley	9/23/1943	To Chile, 1966
USS Joseph E. Connolly	DE-450		2/28/1945	Sunk as Target, 1972
USS Joseph Hewes	DE-1078	Knox	4/24/1971	To Taiwan
USS Joseph M. Auman	DE-674	Rudderow	4/25/1945	To Mexico 1963
USS Joyce	DE-317	Edsall	9/30/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Julius A. Furer	DEG-6	Brooke	11/11/1967	To Maritime Admin, 1994
USS Julius A. Raven	DE-600	Crosley	6/28/1945	To South Korea, 1966
USS Keith	DE-241	Edsall	7/19/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Kendall C. Campbell	DE-443		7/31/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Kenneth M. Willett	DE-354	John C. Butler	7/19/1944	Sunk as Target, 1974
USS Kephart	DE-207	Buckley	1/7/1944	To South Korea, 1967
USS Key	DE-348	John C. Butler	6/5/1944	Scrapped, 1972
USS Kinzer	DE-232	Crosley	11/1/1944	To China, 1965
USS Kirk	DE-1087	Knox	9/9/1972	To Taiwan
USS Kirkpatrick	DE-318	Edsall	10/23/1943	Scrapped, 1975
USS Kirwin	DE-229	Crosley	11/4/1945	Scrapped, 1975
USS Kleinsmith	DE-718	Crosley	6/12/1945	To China, 1960
USS Kline	DE-687	Crosley	10/18/1944	To China, 1966
USS Knox	DE-1052	Knox	4/12/1969	Sunk as Target, 2007
USS Koelsch	DE-1049	Garcia	10/19/1968	Scrapped in Hong Kong
USS Koiner	DE-331	Edsall	12/27/1943	Scrapped, 1969
USS Kretchmer	DE-329	Edsall	12/13/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Kyne	DE-744	Cannon	4/4/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS La Prade	DE-409	John C. Butler	4/20/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Lake	DE-301		2/5/1944	Scrapped, 1946
USS Lamons	DE-743	Cannon	2/29/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Lang	DE-1060	Knox	3/28/1970	Scrapped, 2001
USS Laning	DE-159	Buckley	8/1/1943	Scrapped, 1975
USS Lansing	DE-388	Edsall	11/10/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Lawrence C. Taylor	DE-415		5/13/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Le Ray Wilson	DE-414	John C. Butler	5/10/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Lee Fox	DE-65	Buckley	8/30/1943	Scrapped, 1966
USS Leland E. Thomas	DE-420		6/19/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Leopold	DE-319	Edsall	10/18/1943	Sunk by Enemy, 1944
USS Leslie L.B. Knox	DE-580	Rudderow	3/22/1944	Unknown
USS Lester	DE-1022	Dealey	6/15/1957	Scrapped, 1974
USS Levy	DE-162	Cannon	5/13/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Lewis	DE-535	John C. Butler	9/5/1944	Sunk as Target, 1966
USS Liddle	DE-76		10/23/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Liddle	DE-206	Buckley	12/6/1943	Scrapped, 1967
USS Lloyd	DE-209	Buckley	2/11/1944	Scrapped, 1968
USS Lloyd E. Acree	DE-356	John C. Butler	8/1/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Lockwood	DE-1064	Knox	12/5/1970	Recycled, 2000
USS Loeser	DE-680		10/10/1943	Sunk as Target, 1969
USS Lough	DE-586	Rudderow	5/2/1944	Unknown
USS Lovelace	DE-198	Buckley	11/7/1943	Sunk as Target, 1968
USS Lovering	DE-39		9/17/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Lowe	DE-325	Edsall	11/22/1943	Scrapped, 1969
USS Loy	DE-160	Buckley	9/12/1943	Scrapped, 1966
USS Lyman	DE-302		2/19/1944	Scrapped, 1946
USS Mack	DE-358	John C. Butler	8/16/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Major	DE-796		2/12/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Maloy	DE-791	Buckley	12/13/1943	Scrapped, 1966
USS Manlove	DE-36		11/8/1943	Scrapped, 1948
USS Manning	DE-199	Buckley	10/1/1943	Scrapped, 1969
USS Marchand	DE-249	Edsall	9/8/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Marsh	DE-699	Buckley	1/12/1944	Scrapped, 1974
USS Martin	DE-30		9/4/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Martin H. Ray	DE-338	Edsall	2/28/1944	Scrapped, 1967
USS Marts	DE-174	Cannon	9/3/1943	To Brazil, 1945
USS Marvin Shields	DE-1066	Knox	4/10/1971	To Mexico
USS Mason	DE-529		3/20/1944	Scrapped, 1947
USS Maurice J. Manuel	DE-351	John C. Butler	6/30/1944	Sunk as Target, 1966
USS McAnn	DE-179	Cannon	10/11/1943	Leased to Brazil, 1944
USS McAnn	DE-73		10/17/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS McCandless	DE-1084		3/18/1972	To Turkey, 2002
USS McClelland	DE-750	Cannon	9/19/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS McCloy	DE-1038	Bronstein	10/21/1963	To Mexico, 1993
USS McConnell	DE-163	Cannon	5/28/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS McCoy Reynolds	DE-440		5/2/1944	Loaned to Portugal, 1957
USS McGinty	DE-365	John C. Butler	9/25/1944	Scrapped, 1969
USS McNulty	DE-581	Rudderow	3/31/1944	Sunk as Target, 1972
USS Melvin R. Nawman	DE-416		5/16/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Menges	DE-320	Edsall	10/26/1943	Sold for Scrap
USS Merrill	DE-392	Edsall	11/27/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Metivier	DE-582	Rudderow	4/7/1944	Sold for Scrap
USS Meyerkord	DE-1058	Knox	11/28/1969	Scrapped, 2001
USS Micka	DE-176	Cannon	9/23/1943	Scrapped, 1967
USS Miller	DE-1091	Knox	6/30/1973	To Turkey, 1999
USS Mills	DE-383	Edsall	10/12/1943	Scrapped, 1975
USS Mitchell	DE-43		11/17/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Moinester	DE-1097	Knox	11/2/1974	To Egypt, 1994
USS Moore	DE-240	Edsall	7/1/1943	Sunk as Target, 1975
USS Mosley	DE-321	Edsall	10/30/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Muir	DE-770	Cannon	8/30/1944	Loaned to South Korea, 1956
USS Myers	DE-595	Crosley	3/26/1945	To Colombia
USS Naifeh	DE-352	John C. Butler	7/4/1944	Sunk as Target, 1966
USS Neuendorf	DE-200	Buckley	10/18/1943	Unknown
USS Neunzer	DE-150	Edsall	9/27/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Newell	DE-322	Edsall	10/30/1943	Scrapped, 1971
USS Newman	DE-205	Buckley	11/26/1943	Scrapped, 1966
USS Oberrender	DE-344	John C. Butler	5/11/1944	Sunk as Target, 1945
USS O’Callahan	DE-1051	Garcia	7/13/1968	Scrapped in Hong Kong
USS Odum	DE-670	Charles Lawrence	1/12/1945	To Chile
USS O’Flaherty	DE-340	John C. Butler	4/8/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Oliver Mitchell	DE-417		6/14/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS O’Neill	DE-188	Cannon	12/6/1943	To Netherlands, 1950
USS O’Reilly	DE-330	Edsall	12/28/1943	Scrapped, 1972
USS Osberg	DE-538		12/10/1945	Scrapped, 1974
USS Osmus	DE-701	Buckley	2/23/1944	Scrapped
USS Osterhaus	DE-164	Cannon	6/12/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Oswald	DE-767	Cannon	6/12/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Oswald	DE-71		9/29/1943	To Portugal, 1954
USS O’Toole	DE-527		1/22/1944	Scrapped, 1946
USS Otter	DE-210	Buckley	2/21/1944	Sunk as Target, 1970
USS Otterstetter	DE-244	Edsall	8/6/1943	Sunk as Target, 1976
USS Ouellett	DE-1077	Knox	12/12/1970	To Thailand
USS Parks	DE-165	Cannon	6/23/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Parle	DE-708	Rudderow	7/29/1944	Sunk as Target, 1970
USS Patterson	DE-1061	Knox	3/14/1970	Scrapped, 1999
USS Paul G. Baker	DE-642		5/25/1944	Scrapped, 1970
USS Pavlic	DE-669	Charles Lawrence	12/29/1944	Scrapped, 1968
USS Peiffer	DE-588	Rudderow	6/15/1944	Sunk as Target, 1967
USS Pennewill	DE-175	Cannon	9/15/1943	Leased to Brazil, 1944
USS Peterson	DE-152	Edsall	9/28/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Pettit	DE-253	Edsall	9/23/1943	Sunk as Target, 1974
USS Pharris	DE-1094		1/26/1974	To Mexico
USS Pillsbury	DE-133	Edsall	6/7/1943	Scrapped, 1966
USS Poole	DE-151	Edsall	9/29/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Pope	DE-134	Edsall	6/25/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Pratt	DE-363	John C. Butler	9/18/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Presley	DE-371	John C. Butler	11/7/1944	Scrapped, 1970
USS Price	DE-332	Edsall	1/12/1944	Scrapped, 1975
USS Pride	DE-323	Edsall	11/13/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Raby	DE-698	Buckley	12/7/1943	Sold for Scrap
USS Rall	DE-304		4/8/1944	Scrapped, 1947
USS Ramsden	DE-382	Edsall	10/19/1943	Sunk as Target
USS Ramsey	DEG-2	Brooke	6/3/1967	Sunk as Target, 2000
USS Rathburne	DE-1057	Knox	5/16/1970	Sunk as Target, 2002
USS Ray K. Edwards	DE-237	Crosley	6/11/1945	Scrapped, 1961
USS Raymond	DE-341	John C. Butler	4/15/1944	Sunk as Target, 1974
USS Reasoner	DE-1063		7/31/1971	To Turkey
USS Rednour	DE-592	Rudderow	12/30/1944	To Mexico, 1969
USS Reeves	DE-156	Buckley	6/9/1943	To Ecuador, 1961
USS Register	DE-233	Crosley	1/11/1945	To China, 1966
USS Reuben James	DE-153	Buckley	4/1/1943	Sunk, 1971
USS Reybold	DE-177	Cannon	9/29/1943	Leased to Brazil, 1944
USS Reynolds	DE-42		11/8/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Rhodes	DE-384	Edsall	10/25/1943	Scrapped, 1975
USS Rich	DE-695	Buckley	10/1/1943	Struck by Mines, 1944
USS Richard L. Page	DEG-5	Brooke	8/5/1967	To Maritime Admin, 1994
USS Richard M. Rowell	DE-403	John C. Butler	3/9/1944	Scrapped, 1969
USS Richard S. Bull	DE-402	John C. Butler	2/26/1944	Sunk as Target, 1969
USS Richard W. Suesens	DE-342	John C. Butler	4/26/1944	Sold for Scrap
USS Richey	DE-385	Edsall	10/30/1943	Sunk as Target, 1969
USS Ricketts	DE-254	Edsall	10/5/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Riddle	DE-185	Cannon	11/17/1943	To France, 1950
USS Riley	DE-579	Rudderow	3/13/1944	To China
USS Rinehart	DE-196	Cannon	2/12/1944	To Netherlands, 1950
USS Ringness	DE-590	Crosley	10/25/1944	Scrapped, 1975
USS Rizzi	DE-537		6/26/1945	Scrapped, 1974
USS Roark	DE-1053	Knox	11/22/1969	Scrapped, 2004
USS Robert Brazier	DE-345	John C. Butler	5/18/1944	Sunk as Target, 1969
USS Robert E. Peary	DE-132	Edsall	5/31/1943	Scrapped, 1966
USS Robert E. Peary	DE-1073	Knox	9/23/1972	To Taiwan
USS Robert F. Keller	DE-419		6/17/1944	Scrapped, 1974
USS Robert I. Paine	DE-578	Buckley	2/26/1944	Scrapped, 1969
USS Roberts	DE-749	Cannon	9/2/1944	Sunk as Target, 1971
USS Roche	DE-197	Cannon	2/21/1944	Struck by Mine, 1945
USS Rolf	DE-362	John C. Butler	9/7/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Rombach	DE-364	John C. Butler	9/20/1944	Scrapped, 1972
USS Roy O. Hale	DE-336	Edsall	2/3/1944	Scrapped, 1975
USS Ruchamkin	DE-228	Crosley	9/16/1945	To Colombia, 1969
USS Rudderow	DE-224	Rudderow	5/14/1944	Scrapped, 1970
USS Runels	DE-793		1/3/1944	Scrapped, 1961
USS Sample	DE-1048	Garcia	3/23/1968	Leased to Brazil, 1989
USS Samuel B. Roberts	DE-413	John C. Butler	4/28/1944	Sunk by Enemy, 1944
USS Samuel S. Miles	DE-183	Cannon	11/4/1943	To France, 1950
USS Sanders	DE-40	Evarts	10/1/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Savage	DE-386	Edsall	10/29/1943	Sunk as Target, 1982
USS Schmitt	DE-676	Buckley	7/24/1943	To Taiwan, 1958
USS Schofield	DEG-3	Brooke	5/11/1968	Sunk as Target, 1999
USS Scott	DE-214	Buckley	7/20/1943	Scrapped, 1967
USS Scribner	DE-689	Crosley	11/20/1944	Scrapped, 1967
USS Scroggins	DE-799		3/30/1944	Scrapped, 1967
USS Sederstrom	DE-31		9/11/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Seid	DE-256		6/11/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Sellstrom	DE-255	Edsall	10/12/1943	Scrapped, 1967
USS Shelton	DE-407	John C. Butler	4/4/1944	Sunk, 1944
USS Silverstein	DE-534	John C. Butler	7/14/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Sims	DE-154	Buckley	4/24/1943	Scrapped, 1961
USS Slater	DE-766	Cannon	12/19/1943	To Greece, 1951
USS Sloat	DE-245	Edsall	8/16/1943	Scrapped, 1972
USS Smartt	DE-257		6/18/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Snowden	DE-246	Edsall	8/23/1943	Sunk as Target, 1969
USS Snyder	DE-745	Cannon	5/5/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Solar	DE-221	Buckley	2/15/1944	Scuttled, 1946
USS Spangenberg	DE-223	Buckley	3/15/1944	Scrapped, 1966
USS Spangler	DE-696	Buckley	10/31/1943	Scrapped, 1972
USS Stadtfeld	DE-29		8/26/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Stafford	DE-411	John C. Butler	4/19/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Stanton	DE-247	Edsall	8/7/1943	Sunk as Target
USS Steele	DE-8		5/4/1943
USS Stein	DE-1065	Knox	1/8/1972	To Mexico
USS Stern	DE-187	Cannon	12/1/1943	To Netherlands, 1951
USS Stewart	DE-238	Edsall	5/31/1943	Museum Ship, 1974.
USS Stockdale	DE-399	Edsall	12/31/1943	Sunk as Target, 1974
USS Straub	DE-77		11/13/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Straub	DE-181	Cannon	10/25/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Straus	DE-408	John C. Butler	4/6/1944	Sunk as Target, 1973
USS Strickland	DE-333	Edsall	1/10/1944	Scrapped, 1974
USS Sturtevant	DE-239	Edsall	6/16/1943	Scrapped, 1973
USS Sutton	DE-771	Cannon	12/22/1944	Loaned to South Korea, 1956
USS Swasey	DE-248	Edsall	8/31/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Swearer	DE-186	Cannon	11/23/1943	To France, 1950
USS Swenning	DE-394	Edsall	12/1/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Tabberer	DE-418		5/23/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Talbot	DEG-4	Brooke	4/22/1967	Scrapped, 1994
USS Tatum	DE-789	Buckley	11/22/1943	Scrapped, 1961
USS Taussig	DE-1030	Dealey	9/10/1957	Scrapped, 1973
USS Thaddeus Parker	DE-369	John C. Butler	10/25/1944	Scrapped, 1968
USS Thomas	DE-102	Cannon	11/21/1943	To China, 1948
USS Thomas C. Hart	DE-1092	Knox	7/28/1973	To Turkey
USS Thomas F. Nickel	DE-587	Rudderow	6/9/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS Thomason	DE-203		12/10/1943	Scrapped, 1969
USS Thornhill	DE-195	Cannon	2/1/1944	To Italy, 1951
USS Tills	DE-748	Cannon	8/8/1944	Sunk as Target, 1969
USS Tinsman	DE-589	Rudderow	6/26/1944	Sold for Scrap
USS Tisdale	DE-33		10/11/1943	Scrapped, 1948
USS Tollberg	DE-593	Crosley	1/31/1945	To Colombia, 1965
USS Tomich	DE-242	Edsall	7/27/1943	Scrapped, 1974
USS Traw	DE-350	John C. Butler	6/20/1944	Sunk as Target, 1968
USS Trippe	DE-1075	Knox	9/19/1970	To Greece, 1992
USS Truett	DE-1095	Knox	6/1/1974	Leased to Thailand, 1994
USS Trumpeter	DE-279	Captain	8/20/1945	Scrapped, 1946
USS Trumpeter	DE-180	Cannon	10/16/1943	Unknown
USS Truxtun	DE-282	Crosley	7/9/1945	To China, 1965
USS Tweedy	DE-532		2/12/1944	Sunk as Target, 1970
USS Ulvert M. Moore	DE-442		7/18/1944	Sunk as Target, 1966
USS Underhill	DE-682	Buckley	11/15/1943	Sunk by Enemy, 1945
USS Upham	DE-283	Crosley	7/23/1945	To Colombia, 1962
USS Valdez	DE-1096	Knox	7/27/1974	To Taiwan
USS Vammen	DE-644	Buckley	7/27/1944	Sunk as Target, 1971
USS Vance	DE-387	Edsall	11/1/1943	Sunk as Target, 1985
USS Vandivier	DE-540	John C. Butler	10/11/1955	Sunk as Target, 1975
USS Varian	DE-798		2/29/1944	Scrapped, 1974
USS Voge	DE-1047	Garcia	11/25/1966	Scrapped, 2001
USS Vreeland	DE-1068	Knox	6/13/1970	To Greece, 1992
USS Wagner	DE-539		11/22/1955	Sunk as Target
USS Walsh	DE-601	Crosley	7/11/1945	Scrapped, 1968
USS Walter C. Wann	DE-412		5/2/1944	Scrapped, 1969
USS Walter S. Brown	DE-258		6/25/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Walter S. Gorka	DE-604	Crosley	8/7/1945	To Ecuador, 1961
USS Walter X. Young	DE-715	Crosley	5/1/1945	Sunk, 1967
USS Walton	DE-361	John C. Butler	9/4/1944	Sunk as Target, 1969
USS Wantuck	DE-692	Crosley	12/30/1944	Scrapped, 1958
USS Waterman	DE-740	Cannon	11/30/1943	To Peru, 1952
USS Weaver	DE-741	Cannon	12/31/1943	To Peru, 1952
USS Weber	DE-675		6/30/1943	Sunk as Target, 1962
USS Weeden	DE-797	Buckley	2/19/1944	Scrapped, 1969
USS Weiss	DE-719	Crosley	7/7/1945	Scrapped, 1976
USS Wesson	DE-184	Cannon	11/11/1943	To Italy, 1951
USS Whipple	DE-1062	Knox	8/22/1970	To Mexico, 2002
USS Whitehurst	DE-634	Buckley	11/19/1943	Sunk as Target, 1971
USS Whitman	DE-24		7/3/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Wileman	DE-22		6/11/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Wilhoite	DE-397	Edsall	12/16/1943	Scrapped, 1972
USS William C. Cole	DE-641	Buckley	5/12/1944	Scrapped, 1972
USS William C. Miller	DE-259		7/2/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS William M. Hobby	DE-236	Crosley	4/4/1945	To South Korea, 1967
USS William S. Sims	DE-1059	Knox	1/3/1970	To Turkey, 1999
USS William Seiverling	DE-441		6/1/1944	Scrapped, 1973
USS William T. Powell	DE-213	Buckley	3/28/1944	Scrapped, 1966
USS Williams	DE-372	John C. Butler	11/11/1944	Sunk as Target, 1968
USS Willis	DE-395	Edsall	12/10/1943	Scrapped, 1972
USS Willmarth	DE-638	Buckley	3/13/1944	Scrapped, 1968
USS Wingfield	DE-194	Cannon	1/28/1944	To France, 1950
USS Wintle	DE-25		7/10/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Wiseman	DE-667		4/4/1944	Scrapped, 1974
USS Witter	DE-636	Buckley	12/19/1943	Scrapped, 1946
USS Woodson	DE-359	John C. Butler	8/24/1944	Scrapped, 1966
USS Wyffels	DE-6	Evarts	4/15/1943	To China, 1945
USS Wyman	DE-38		9/1/1943	Scrapped, 1947
USS Yokes	DE-668	Charles Lawrence	12/18/1944	Scrapped, 1965

Asbestos Use on Destroyer Escorts

Asbestos materials were commonly used on destroyer escorts built during WWII and could be found throughout the ship. They wrapped steam pipes, covered boilers and lined engine rooms. These materials exposed sailors and shipyard workers to serious health risks, including mesothelioma.

Common asbestos-containing products found on destroyer escorts included:

Adhesives
Boilers
Building materials
Cement
Deck and floor tiles
Electrical panels
Fireproofing materials
Gaskets
Insulation
Lagging
Packing
Pump systems
Ropes
Turbines
Valves
Wiring

When these materials were cut, damaged or worn down, they could release tiny asbestos fibers into the air. Crew members might have breathed in these fibers without knowing the danger.

Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure on Destroyer Escorts?

Sailors on destroyer escorts and the workers at shipyards who built or fixed them faced asbestos risks. Ship systems used asbestos in many places, so people in almost any trade could come into contact with it. Those at highest risk included dockyard crews, engine and mechanical workers and electrical teams. Maintenance staff and people in structural trades were also often exposed.

People in these roles were especially at risk of occupational asbestos exposure, including:

Boilermakers
Boiler tenders
Caulkers
Chippers
Construction workers
Electricians
Hull maintenance technicians
Insulators
Laggers
Machinists
Maintenance and repair workers
Mechanics
Painters
Pipefitters
Plumbers
Radiomen
Riveters
Seabees
Sheet metal workers
Shipfitters
Shipyard workers
Steamfitters
Tile setters
Toolmakers
Veterans
Welders

In 2021, researchers looked at health records from about 5,000 Navy veterans. Sailors who spent more time aboard ships were found to have higher rates of asbestos-related diseases. Risk increased with time spent at sea. The engineering crew had the highest rates of lung problems and scarring.

Compensation for People Exposed on Destroyer Escorts

Navy veterans with mesothelioma or similar diseases may file lawsuits against companies that made asbestos products used on ships. These legal claims can result in compensation for medical costs and lost income.

If a company responsible for asbestos exposure has gone through bankruptcy, it may have established an asbestos trust fund. These trusts were created to compensate people harmed by the company’s products and may be an option for veterans who cannot file a traditional lawsuit.

Veterans who developed asbestos diseases after serving on destroyer escorts may also qualify for benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These benefits can help pay for healthcare, disability and family support.

Veterans and their families can learn more by speaking with experienced mesothelioma lawyers or VA advisors. Lawyers can help review legal options, assist with VA forms and manage lawsuits. VA advisors can explain benefits and help gather the records needed to file a claim.

Sources

American Legion. DESTROYER ESCORT SAILORS ASSOCIATION AND THE USS SLATER DE766.
Asbestos Ships. USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) Areas With Asbestos Exposure.
Asbestos Ships. USS Slater (DE-766) Areas With Asbestos Exposure.
Destroyer History Foundation. APD Conversions.
Destroyer History Foundation. Buckley Class.
Destroyer History Foundation. Destroyer Escorts.
Lemen RA, Landrigan PJ. Sailors and the risk of asbestos-related cancer. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 9;18(16):8417.
National Museum of the U.S. Navy. Rudderow-class destroyer escorts.
National Park Service. Destroyer Escorts.
Naval Historical Foundation. POST WORLD WAR II DESTROYER ESCORTS.
Naval History and Heritage Command. Samuel B. Roberts I (DE-413).
USS Kendall C. Campbell. Destroyer Escort History.
USS Slater. CLASSES OF DESTROYER ESCORTS.
USS Slater. DE’s IN THE PACIFIC.
USS Slater. HISTORY OF DESTROYER ESCORTS.
USS Slater. SLATER OVERVIEW.
USS Slater. SLATER’S WAR RECORD.
Warfare History Network. Holding the Line on the High Seas.

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Tara Strand, Senior Content Writer at Mesothelioma.com

Written by Tara Strand Senior Content Writer

Tara Strand specializes in writing content about mesothelioma and asbestos. She focuses on topics like mesothelioma awareness, research, treatment, asbestos trust funds and other advocacy efforts.

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Legally Reviewed by Jennifer Lucarelli Mesothelioma Lawyer and Legal Advisor

For more than two decades, Jennifer Lucarelli has served as Legal Advisor at Mesothelioma.com. She has advocated for more than 1,000 asbestos victims, securing millions in settlements and helping them access quality medical care.