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Asbestos on Escort Carriers

Expert Fact Checked

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Jennifer Lucarelli Lawyer and Legal Advisor

Escort carriers were used by the United States Navy during World War II to support ships that were out of range for air support. Between 1941 and 1945, more than 75 escort carriers were built and operational within the U.S. Navy. Throughout World War II, the U.S. built more than 120 escort carriers, all of which likely contained asbestos materials.


01. List of Escort Carriers

Complete List of Escort Carriers

Name Hull Class Commissioned Fate
USS Admiralty Islands CVE-99 Casablanca 6/13/1944 Scrapped, 1947
USS Altamaha CVE-6 Attacker 11/15/1942 Scrapped
USS Altamaha CVE-18 9/15/1942 Sold for Scrap
USS Attu CVE-102 Casablanca 6/30/1944 Scrapped, 1947
USS Badoeng Strait CVE-116 Commencement Bay 11/14/1945 Scrapped, 1972
USS Baffins CVE-35 Bogue 7/20/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Bairoko CVE-115 Commencement Bay 7/16/1945
USS Barnes CVE-20 2/20/1943 Sold for Scrap
USS Barnes CVE-7 Attacker 9/30/1942 Sold, 1947
USS Bastian CVE-37 Bogue 8/4/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Bismarck Sea CVE-95 Casablanca 5/20/1944 Sunk, 1945
USS Block Island CVE-8 Attacker 1/9/1943 Scrapped, 1965
USS Block Island CVE-21 Bogue 3/8/1943 Scuttled, 1944
USS Block Island CVE-106 Commencement Bay 12/30/1944 Unknown
USS Bogue CVE-9 9/26/1942 Scrapped, 1960
USS Bolinas CVE-36 Bogue 7/22/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Bougainville CVE-100 Casablanca 6/18/1944 Scrapped, 1960
USS Breton CVE-23 4/12/1943 Scrapped, 1972
USS Breton CVE-10 Bogue 4/9/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Cape Esperance CVE-88 Casablanca 4/9/1944 Sold,1959
USS Cape Gloucester CVE-109 Commencement Bay 3/5/1945 Scrapped
USS Card CVE-11 Bogue 11/8/1942 Scrapped, 1971
USS Carnegie CVE-38 Bogue 8/12/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Casablanca CVE-55 Casablanca 7/8/1943 Sold for Scrap
USS Charger CVE-30 Charger 3/3/1942 Scrapped, 1969
USS Chatham CVE-32 Bogue 8/11/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Chenango CVE-28 Sangamon 6/20/1941 Purchased by US Navy
USS Commencement Bay CVE-105 Commencement Bay 11/27/1944 Scrapped, 1971
USS Copahee CVE-12 Bogue 6/15/1942 Scrapped,1961
USS Coral Sea/Anzio CVE-57 Casablanca 8/27/1943 Sold for Scrap
USS Cordova CVE-39 Bogue 8/25/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Core CVE-13 12/10/1942 Scrapped, 1971
USS Corregidor CVE-58 Casablanca 8/31/1943 Scrapped, 1959
USS Croatan CVE-14 Attacker 2/27/1943 Scrapped, 1975
USS Croatan CVE-25 4/28/1943 Scrapped, 1971
USS Delgada CVE-40 Bogue 11/20/1943 Scrapped, 1972
USS Didrickson Bay/Tripoli CVE-64 Casablanca 10/31/1943 Sold for Scrap
USS Edisto CVE-41 Bogue 9/7/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Estero CVE-42 Bogue 11/3/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Fanshaw Bay CVE-70 Casablanca 12/9/1943 Scrapped, 1959
USS Gambier Bay CVE-73 Casablanca 12/28/1943 Sunk, 1944
USS Gilbert Islands CVE-107 Commencement Bay 2/5/1945 Scrapped, 1979
USS Glacier CVE-33 Bogue 8/1/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Guadalcanal CVE-60 Casablanca 9/25/1943 Scrapped, 1959
USS Hamlin CVE-15 Attacker 12/21/1942 Transferred to Royal Navy, 1942
USS Hoggatt Bay CVE-75 Casablanca 1/11/1944 Scrapped, 1960
USS Hollandia CVE-97 Casablanca 6/1/1944 Scrapped, 1960
USS Jamaica CVE-43 Ruler 9/27/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy, 1943
USS Kadashan Bay CVE-76 Casablanca 1/18/1944 Scrapped, 1959
USS Kalinin Bay CVE-68 Casablanca 11/27/1943 Scrapped, 1946
USS Kasaan Bay CVE-69 Casablanca 12/4/1943 Scrapped, 1960
USS Keweenaw CVE-44 Ruler 10/25/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy, 1943
USS Kitkun Bay CVE-71 Casablanca 12/15/1943 Scrapped, 1946
USS Kula Gulf CVE-108 Commencement Bay 5/12/1945 Scrapped, 1971
USS Kwajalein CVE-98 Casablanca 6/7/1944 Scrapped, 1961
USS Liscome Bay CVE-56 Casablanca 8/7/1943 Sunk, 1943
USS Long Island CVE-1 6/2/1941 Scrapped, 1977
USS Lunga Point CVE-94 Casablanca 5/14/1944 Scrapped, 1960
USS Makassar Strait CVE-91 4/27/1944 Broken Up, 1961
USS Makin Island CVE-93 Casablanca 5/9/1944 Scrapped, 1947
USS Manila Bay CVE-61 Casablanca 10/5/1943 Scrapped, 1959
USS Marcus Island CVE-77 Casablanca 1/26/1944 Scrapped, 1960
USS Matanikau CVE-101 Casablanca 6/24/1944 Scrapped, 1960
USS Midway/St. Lo CVE-63 Casablanca 10/23/1943 Sunk, 1944
USS Mindoro CVE-120 Commencement Bay 12/4/1945 Sold,1960
USS Mission Bay CVE-59 Casablanca 9/30/1943 Scrapped, 1959
USS Munda CVE-104 Casablanca 7/8/1944 Scrapped, 1960
USS Nassau CVE-16 8/20/1942 Sold for Scrap
USS Natoma Bay CVE-62 Casablanca 10/14/1943 Scrapped, 1959
USS Nehenta Bay CVE-74 Casablanca 1/3/1944 Scrapped, 1960
USS Niantic CVE-46 Bogue 11/8/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy, 1943
USS Ommaney Bay CVE-79 Casablanca 2/11/1944 Sunk, 1945
USS Palau CVE-122 Commencement Bay 1/15/1946 Scrapped, 1960
USS Perdido CVE-47 Bogue 1/31/1944 Scrapped, 1973
USS Petrof Bay CVE-80 Casablanca 2/18/1944 Scrapped, 1959
USS Point Cruz CVE-119 Commencement Bay 10/16/1945 Scrapped, 1971
USS Prince CVE-45 Bogue 1/17/1944 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Prince William CVE-31 4/9/1943 Scrapped, 1961
USS Prince William CVE-19 Attacker 4/28/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Puget Sound CVE-113 Commencement Bay 6/18/1945 Sold,1960
USS Pybus CVE-34 Bogue 5/31/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Rabaul CVE-121 Commencement Bay Scrapped, 1972
USS Rendova CVE-114 Commencement Bay 10/22/1945
USS Roi CVE-103 Casablanca 7/6/1944 Scrapped, 1946
USS Rudyerd Bay CVE-81 Casablanca 2/25/1944 Scrapped, 1960
USS Saginaw Bay CVE-82 Casablanca 3/2/1944 Scrapped, 1959
USS Saidor CVE-117 Commencement Bay 9/4/1945 Scrapped, 1971
USS Salamaua CVE-96 Casablanca 5/26/1944 Scrapped, 1946
USS Salerno Bay CVE-110 Commencement Bay 5/19/1945 Scrapped, 1962
USS Sangamon CVE-26 Sangamon 10/23/1940 Purchased by US Navy
USS Santee CVE-29 Sangamon 10/30/1940 Purchased by US Navy
USS Sargent Bay CVE-83 Casablanca 3/9/1944 Scrapped, 1959
USS Savo Island CVE-78 Casablanca 2/3/1944 Scrapped, 1960
USS Shamrock Bay CVE-84 Casablanca 3/15/1944 Scrapped, 1958
USS Shipley Bay CVE-85 Casablanca 3/21/1944 Scrapped, 1959
USS Siboney CVE-112 5/14/1945 Scrapped, 1971
USS Sicily CVE-118 Commencement Bay 2/27/1946 Scrapped, 1960
USS Sitkoh Bay CVE-86 Casablanca 3/28/1944 Scrapped, 1960
USS Solomons CVE-67 Casablanca 11/21/1943 Scrapped, 1946
USS St. Andrews CVE-49 Bogue 12/7/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS St. George CVE-17 Attacker 6/14/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS St. Joseph CVE-50 Bogue 12/22/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS St. Simon CVE-51 Bogue 12/31/1943 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Steamer Bay CVE-87 Casablanca 4/4/1944 Scrapped, 1959
USS Sunset CVE-48 Bogue 11/19/1943 Sold for Scrap
USS Suwannee CVE-27 Sangamon 7/16/1941 Purchased by US Navy
USS Takanis Bay CVE-89 4/15/1944 Sold for Scrap
USS Thetis Bay CVE-90 Casablanca 4/12/1944 Scrapped, 1964
USS Tinian CVE-123 Commencement Bay Scrapped, 1971
USS Tulagi CVE-72 Casablanca 12/21/1943
USS Vella Gulf CVE-111 Commencement Bay 4/9/1945 Scrapped, 1971
USS Vermillion CVE-52 Bogue 1/20/1944 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Wake Island CVE-65 Casablanca 11/7/1943 Scrapped, 1946
USS White Plains CVE-66 Casablanca 11/15/1943 Scrapped, 1958
USS Willapa CVE-53 Ruler 2/5/1944 Transferred to Royal Navy
USS Windham Bay CVE-92 Casablanca 5/3/1944 Scrapped, 1960
USS Winjah CVE-54 Bogue 2/18/1944 Transferred to Royal Navy
02. Asbestos Use on Escort Carriers

Asbestos Use on Escort Carriers

Like all ships in the Navy fleet, escort carriers required strong heat and fire protection aboard the vessel, especially within the engine and boiler rooms. Asbestos was often used for heat and fireproofing purposes during the WWII era.

Many veterans who were stationed on these carriers, or who were involved in their repair and maintenance, were exposed to this harmful substance during their service. Veterans who worked on escort carriers may be at risk of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases, which can take decades to first show symptoms.