USS Coral Sea (CV-43) was a Midway-class aircraft carrier commissioned 1 October 1947 — 43 years of continuous service across the Cold War, Vietnam War combat operations, the 1975 SS Mayaguez incident, 1986 Libya strikes, and Mediterranean Sixth Fleet deployments through her 1990 decommissioning. One of three Midway-class supercarriers.
The 49-entry equipment manifest below is sourced from ship-specific BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation identifying machinery and equipment installed aboard. Each entry is documented equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source material for asbestos-exposure case development by Navy veterans and surviving families.
Equipment Manifest
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Turbines | Westinghouse | 4 | Sets |
| Boilers | Babcock & Wilcox | 12 | |
| Main Feed Pumps | Worthington | 2 | |
| Booster Pumps | Worthington | 2 | |
| Auxiliary Pumps | Worthington | 4 | 4M |
| Circulating Pumps | Warren | 2 | |
| Emergency Feed Pumps | Worthington | 1 | 12 STrip |
| Bilge Pumps | Worthington | 5 | S STrip |
| Main Circulating Pumps | Worthington | 4 | HT |
| Condensate Pumps | Worthington | 2 | 8T |
| Auxiliary Condensate Pumps | Warren | 2 | 8M |
| Fire & Lifting Pumps | Warren | 2 | 6T |
| Booster Transfer Pumps | Delava | 2 | 3T |
| Diesel Oil Service Pumps | Kinney | 2 | |
| F.O. Drain Pumps | Kinney | 2 | |
| Fresh Water Pumps | Warren | 4 | |
| Heating System Drain Pumps | Warren | 4 | |
| Diesel S.W. Pumps | Warren | 2 | |
| F.O. Service Pumps | Delava | 2 | 24T |
| Priming Pumps | Nash | 4 | |
| L.C. Purifiers | Delava | 1 | 10M |
| Auxiliary Machinery Cooling Water Pumps | Warren | 1 | 6M |
| Distiller Pumps | Warren | 1 | 24A |
| Main Lube Oil Strainers | Delavel | 8M | |
| Forced Draft Blowers | Sturtevant | 2 | 4T |
| Air Compressor | Ingersoll Rand | 2 | M |
| Reefer S.W. Pumps | Warren | 6 | M |
| Diesel Purifiers | Delavel | 2 | M |
| Main Aux Air Ejectors | Wheeler | 1 | 4 |
| Main Aux Condensers | Newport News Design | 1 | 2 |
| Degassing Tanks | Elliot | 4 | |
| Fuel Oil Heaters | Harrison | 4 | |
| Fuel Oil Heaters | Griscom Russell | 36 | |
| Reefer Compressors | York | 6 | M |
| A/C | York | 6 | M |
| Distillers | Griscom Russell | 4 | |
| Turbine Generators | General Electric | 8 | T |
| Diesel Generators | Fairbanks Morse | 2 | |
| Steam Traps | Yarway | ||
| St. Control Valves | Leslie | ||
| Misc Valves | Chapman | ||
| Misc Valves | Crane | ||
| Misc Valves | Foster | ||
| Misc Valves | Joyling | ||
| Misc Valves | Manning Maxwell Moore | ||
| Misc Valves | Schutz Koebling | ||
| Misc Valves | Westinghouse | ||
| Geared turbine drive | Not specified | Ship propulsion system | |
| Cross-compound turbines | Westinghouse | 4 | Main propulsion engines, 212,000 BHP total |
Documented Asbestos Products — Litigation Record
The following manufacturers and products are specifically documented in publicly filed asbestos litigation involving USS Coral Sea (CV-43):
Insulation:
- Piping and machinery insulation described as “almost exclusively asbestos containing materials” per ship’s plans
- Amosite asbestos — specified per ship’s plans for use in insulation products aboard naval/maritime ships
- Chrysotile asbestos — specified for naval wire, cable, and non-ferrous insulation materials
- Cork insulation — referenced as previously used but discontinued following a carrier fire
Valves — Crane Co.:
- Crane Co. valves — asbestos-containing stem packing and asbestos-containing flange gaskets; documented by expert Arnold Moore
- Manning Maxwell & Moore / Foster Engineering — steam catapult valves
- Fulton Sylphon Division — temperature regulator valves
Pumps:
- IMO/Morgan Navy Pump (Triple Screw, shipped 1960) — used to pump aviation fuel; IMO argued it used mechanical seals eliminating need for packing/gaskets
- Fire and flushing submersible pumps — electric, without asbestos packing or gaskets per testimony
Scrapping exposure: Per Baltimore Sun investigation: laborers scrapping USS Coral Sea “ripped asbestos insulation from the aircraft carrier with their bare hands,” sometimes without respirators — confirming asbestos-containing insulation remained throughout the ship at decommissioning.
Shipyard rip-out exposure: Shop 56 worker testimony: transferred from USS Midway to USS Coral Sea when Coral Sea “was in rip-out and was getting ready for reinsulation” — asbestos insulation removal generating significant airborne fiber during overhaul.
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Coral Sea
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy aircraft carriers of this era are documented to have included:
- Pipe lagging and thermal insulation on main steam, feed-water, fuel-oil, condensate, and saltwater piping throughout machinery spaces
- Boiler block insulation, refractory brick, and gun-blocks around the main boilers
- Asbestos gaskets and braided packing in valves, flanges, pumps, condensers, heat exchangers, and turbine glands
- Insulation jackets and removable lagging on main propulsion turbines, reduction gears, ship-service turbine generators, and forced-draft blowers
- Sheet asbestos and Marinite panels as fire-stops, bulkhead insulation, and overhead insulation
- Vinyl asbestos floor tile (VAT) in passageways, berthing, mess decks, and habitable compartments
- Asbestos rope, wick, and tape in gland-seal applications throughout the engineering plant
Sailors in Boilerman, Machinist’s Mate, Engineman, Electrician’s Mate, Hull Maintenance Technician, Damage Controlman, and other engineering ratings worked routinely in spaces where these materials were installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced.
VA Benefits for Coral Sea Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions presumed to be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure. The Coral Sea equipment manifest is direct documentary evidence of the asbestos-containing materials her crew worked around throughout her service life.
Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products are also available, and do not reduce VA compensation.
Speak with an asbestos attorney with Navy veterans experience →
Equipment manifest derived from public-record BUSHIPS documentation specific to USS Coral Sea (CV-43). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.
