USS Intrepid (CV-11) — “The Fighting I” — was an Essex-class aircraft carrier commissioned 16 August 1943 and serving through 15 March 1974. She survived four kamikaze strikes during WWII Pacific Theater operations (Leyte Gulf, Okinawa) and went on to serve as a Vietnam War combat carrier and three-time Apollo/Mercury space-capsule recovery ship. Today preserved as the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York.
The 37-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propelling Machinery | Babcock & Wilcox | ||
| Steering Gear | Northern Ordnance | ||
| Pumps | Warren | ||
| Pumps | Worthington | ||
| Pumps | Gardner Denver | ||
| Pumps | Wellific | ||
| Pumps | Marine Blackmer | ||
| Pumps | DeLaval | ||
| Pumps | Northern | ||
| Pumps | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| Firesuits | Harbison Walker | Asbestos | |
| Refractories | Amer Car Foundry | ||
| Fuel Oil Service Pumps | Quimby | Unsatisfactory performance | |
| Reducing Valves | Foster | Unsatisfactory performance | |
| Packing | Anchor Packing Co | ||
| Superheater Protection Devices | Yarnall Waring | ||
| Compressor Parts | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| Engines | Hercules | 2 | Operating difficulties, Walter Kidde Co Inc involved |
| Forced Draft Blower Lining | Sturtevant | ||
| Pumps | Northern Pump Co | Overhaul | |
| Economizers | Foster Wheeler | Gasket requirement | |
| Seals | Garlock | ||
| HP Air Compressor | Worthington | Spare parts | |
| Air Motor Driven Gasoline Pump | Shepard | Lewis | |
| Elevator Parts | Otis Elevator Co | ||
| Generator Parts | Allis-Chalmers | ||
| Booster Pump Parts | Quimby | Diversion | |
| Auxiliary Pumps | Waterbury Tool Division | ||
| Auxiliary Pumps | Vickers | ||
| Elevator Hydraulic Packing | Johns Manville | ||
| Boiler Valve | Crane | Faulty | |
| Catapult | Viking Pump Co | Launching and recovery equipment | |
| Catapult | Schutte and Koerting | Launching and recovery equipment | |
| Air Compressors | Worthington | Piston rod failure | |
| Pumps | Vickers | Work items for technical availability | |
| Engine Cylinders | Brothers Inc | Leaking cylinders | |
| Main Feed Pump | Babcock & Wilcox | Boiler main feed pump replacement |
Documented Asbestos Products — Litigation Record
The following manufacturers and products are documented in publicly filed asbestos litigation involving USS Intrepid (CV-11):
Insulation — specification basis:
- Piping system and machinery insulation described as “almost exclusively asbestos containing materials” (ship’s plans)
- Amosite asbestos — specified per ship’s plans for insulation products aboard naval/maritime ships
- Chrysotile asbestos — specified for naval wire, cable, and non-ferrous insulation materials
- Expert (Captain Burger) questioned about tonnage of asbestos-containing insulation aboard Intrepid during 1959–1970 service, citing “Mr. Mangold” analysis; specific figure not reproduced in excerpts
- National Archives data for USS Intrepid covering 1940–1945 and 1958–1961 period used as evidentiary basis
Insulation products — partial identification:
- Johns Manville asbestos tape (1-inch to 3-inch) — referenced for Essex-class carriers including Intrepid
- Johns Manville asbestos millboard — referenced for Essex-class
- Vermiculite (Commercial / Mil Standard) — referenced
Valves and fittings:
- Walworth — fire main valves
- Lebanon Steel Co. — equipment documented from ship’s construction records
- Turbine insulation noted as exterior only (insulation was on the turbines, not inside)
Essex-class sister-ship evidence: Captain Burger (deposition, April 2, 2010) confirmed Hornet and Wasp are Essex class, with fire room insulation throughout “contain[ing] asbestos” — the same insulation applies to Intrepid as a sister Essex-class vessel.
Documented crew — ratings and service periods:
- Machinist’s Mate — documented service on USS Intrepid (CVS-11) following USS Essex duty (1959–1967)
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Intrepid
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 Intrepid 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 Intrepid 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 Intrepid (CV-11). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.
