USS TUCSON CL-98

Asbestos was a double-edged sword on Pacific wartime battleships like the USS Tucson CL-98

Besides the obvious risks of war, the USS Tucson CL-98 had one major hazard – she was built bow to stern with asbestos materials in preparation for combat with the Japanese, and as a precaution against fires at sea, a very real danger during the war in the Pacific.

USS Tucson CL-98

May 18, 2010 – The USS Tucson CL-98 was originally an Atlanta-class cruiser that was later modified to be an Oakland-class cruiser. Construction began on December 23, 1942, and she was launched on September 3, 1944, as part of the war effort against Japan.

Heading to the Far East, the USS Tucson CL-98 joined a Naval task force and participated in numerous attacks against the Japanese home islands, right up to the end of the war.

After the war, the USS Tucson CL-98 remained in the Far East as part of the occupation force, and was finally sent back to the United States where, in 1949, the ship was decommissioned.

Asbestos and the USS Tucson CL-98

Asbestos was used by the ton on U.S. Navy battleships as bulkhead insulation and to limit the spread of fire. Asbestos was employed everywhere, from the boiler and engine rooms to the steam and hot water pipes that ran through the entire length of the ship.

Some sailors who later came down with fatal asbestos-related cancers have testified that when the big guns on board fired, they rattled the ship causing asbestos dust to fall like dandruff on their beds and in their living quarters.

Protect your family’s financial future

If you served aboard the Tucson and have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we urge you to contact an asbestos lawyer at the law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg via the form at left.

Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of asbestos-injured military veterans for 25 years – longer than most law firms in the nation. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for these clients.