USS Mitscher (DDG-35) — Equipment Manifest & Asbestos Exposure Record

Documented equipment manifest and asbestos exposure record for USS Mitscher (DDG-35), a Mitscher-class destroyer-leader / guided-missile destroyer in...

By Rights Watch Media Group LLC •June 5, 2026 • 6 min read

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Hull

DDG-35

Class

Mitscher-class destroyer-leader / guided-missile destroyer

Commissioned

1953

Decommissioned

1978

Documented Service History

Shipyard, deployment, and service events for this vessel documented in the public record — court filings, the ship’s deck logs, or the crew’s own cruise book (each entry cites its source). Dry-dockings, overhauls, and yard periods were when asbestos insulation was torn out and replaced, the peak-exposure work for the crew and yard workers aboard.

1968
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1968
Yard period / shipyard — In the shipyard, per the ship's deck log.
1968
Yard period / shipyard · Philadelphia Naval Shipyard — In the shipyard at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, per the ship's deck log.
1969
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1969
Yard period / shipyard — In the shipyard, per the ship's deck log.

Derived from publicly filed asbestos-litigation records, ship’s deck logs, and the crew’s own cruise books. Historical service events; this does not constitute legal or medical advice.

⚙ View Equipment Manifest Documented BUSHIPS machinery & manufacturers aboard Mitscher DDG-35 ↓ All Ship Manifests ›

MusterLog™ 0

Service History

From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›

USS Mitscher (DDG-35) was the lead ship of her class, commissioned in 1953 and initially serving as operational flagship for destroyer flotillas on the U.S. Atlantic coast. After extensive NATO exercises and Mediterranean deployments with the 6th Fleet from 1961–1965, she was converted to a guided missile destroyer between 1966–1968 and continued operations through the early 1970s until decommissioning in 1978.

Construction & Service Dates

Builder: Bath Iron Works Corporation, Bath, Maine
Laid down: 1949-10-03
Launched: 1952-01-26
Commissioned: 1953-05-15
Decommissioned: 1978-06-01

Notable Tours / Service Eras

Cold War Atlantic Fleet operations 1953-1966
Mediterranean 6th Fleet deployments 1961-1965
Cold War Mediterranean operations 1970-1971

Home Ports & Forward Bases

Newport, Rhode Island — home port 1953-1960, 1962-1966
Charleston, South Carolina — home port 1960-1962
Norfolk, Virginia — home port 1970-1978

Drydock & Overhaul Periods High Asbestos-Exposure Window

Philadelphia Naval Shipyard · 1966-1968
conversion to guided missile destroyer
Norfolk Naval Shipyard · 1972
overhaul

Asbestos rip-out, insulation replacement, and gasket-packing work occurred during these yard periods. Sailors aboard during overhauls had peak exposure to airborne asbestos fiber.

Notable Incidents

August 1964 — stood off Cyprus to aid evacuation of American nationals

Final Disposition

Sold for scrap, July 1980

Read the video transcript

Did you serve aboard the USS Mitscher? This destroyer carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Mitscher, hull number DDG-35, was a destroyer, built by Bath Iron Works Corporation and commissioned in 1953. She served through Cold War Atlantic Fleet operations, Mediterranean 6th Fleet deployments, and Cold War Mediterranean operations. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Mitscher, DDG-35 — insulated and sealed with asbestos. Each shipyard overhaul and major repair meant asbestos insulation was torn out and replaced — peak-exposure work for the yard workers and the crew aboard. Exposure was worst in the engineering spaces, where the snipes worked — but asbestos lined the whole ship, so all hands were exposed. The companies that made the asbestos equipment aboard — not the Navy — are who asbestos claims are brought against. According to asbestos litigation records, the equipment aboard the USS Mitscher from makers such as Combustion Engineering, DeLaval, Foster Wheeler, and Walworth allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Mitscher and were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim against the companies that made the asbestos products used aboard your ship. This is educational information from an independent publisher — not a law firm — and is not legal advice.

USS Mitscher (DDG-35) was a Mitscher-class destroyer-leader / guided-missile destroyer that served the U.S. Navy from 1953 through 1978 — a 25-year service life that places her squarely within the heaviest period of asbestos use in U.S. Navy ship construction. Across her service, Mitscher’s crew worked daily in machinery spaces, engineering plant, and habitable compartments constructed with extensive asbestos-containing materials.

The equipment manifest below is drawn from BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) ship-specific documentation that identifies the machinery and equipment manufacturers installed aboard Mitscher. Each entry is a documented item of equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source evidence for asbestos-exposure case development by Navy veterans and their families.

Equipment Manifest

Equipment Manifest — USS Mitscher (DDG-35). 34 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.

Equipment	Manufacturer	Qty	Notes
Main Propulsion Turbines	General Electric	2	Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Main Reduction Gears	General Electric		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Main Turbine Thrust Bearings (HP & LP)	Kingsbury		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Main Boilers (forced-circulation, single-furnace)	Combustion Engineering	4	Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Boiler Burners	Todd		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Combined Main Feed & Booster Pumps	Byron-Jackson		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Combined Auxiliary Feed & Booster Pumps	DeLaval		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Main Condensate Pumps	Buffalo		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Auxiliary Condensate Pumps	Buffalo		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Boiler Circulating Pumps	Pacific		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Boiler Circulating Pump Turbine Driver	Terry		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Main Fuel Oil Service Pumps	DeLaval		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Port Fuel Oil Service Pumps	DeLaval		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Fuel Oil Transfer Pumps	Sier Bath Gear & Pump		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Bilge & Fuel Oil Tank Stripping Pumps	Warren		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Attached Main Lube Oil Pump	General Electric		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Main Lube Oil Pump	Byron-Jackson		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Main Circulating Pumps	Warren		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Main Circulating Pump Turbine Driver	Westinghouse		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Bilge Pumps	Warren		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Distiller Circulating Pumps	Goulds		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Distiller Condensate Pumps	Warren		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Evaporator Brine Overboard Pumps	Warren		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Auxiliary Circulating Pumps	Worthington		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Mechanical Cooling Condenser S.W. Circulating Pumps	Buffalo		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Fire & Flushing Pumps	Warren		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Refrigeration Condenser S.W. Circulating Pumps	Goulds		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Fire Pumps	Worthington		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Fire Pump Turbine Driver	DeLaval		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Fresh Water Pumps	Warren		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Chilled Water Circulating Pumps	Buffalo		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Low-Pressure Ship's Service Air Compressor	Worthington		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
High-Pressure Air Compressor	Worthington		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)
Pump & Compressor Drive Motors	General Electric		Hull-specific record: BuShips Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Mitscher (DL-2 / DDG-35, ex-DD-927)

Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Mitscher

The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy ships of this era are documented to have included:

Pipe lagging and thermal insulation on 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 turbines, reduction gears, and auxiliary machinery
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 spaces
Asbestos rope, wick, and tape in glands, joints, and seal applications

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, and overhauled.

VA Benefits for Mitscher Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions that may be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure. The documented Mitscher equipment manifest is direct evidence of the asbestos-containing materials her crew worked around.

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 Mitscher (DDG-35). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.

The asbestos-containing products documented on U.S. Navy vessels and at shipyards are catalogued by manufacturer on AsbestosIndex. These records cross-reference which companies supplied which materials and to which facilities.

Pipe Covering & Block Insulation Thermal insulation applied to steam lines, valves, and equipment in engine rooms and fire rooms Marine Products Insulation, gaskets, and packing products specified for naval and commercial marine applications Boilers & Steam Equipment Boiler manufacturers and insulation products — central to the fire room exposure pathway Gaskets & Packing Sheet and ring gaskets used throughout piping flanges, valve bonnets, and pump housings Electrical Products Wire insulation, switchgear arc chutes, and panel liners used throughout electrical spaces Full Product Index Search all 200+ manufacturers and 1,500+ documented asbestos products on AsbestosIndex™

Documented Asbestos-Exposure Environments — U.S. Navy Service

Public-domain U.S. Navy photographs illustrating the engineering spaces, ratings, and yard environments where asbestos materials were routinely encountered during normal duty.

Boiler Room Sailor stands watch in the aft machinery room of USS Iwo Jima. (35298984822) Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Drydock Overhaul USS Newport News (CA-148) in drydock at the Norfolk Navy Yard 1965 Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Engine Room Flickr - Official U.S. Navy Imagery - USS Sterett Sailor takes equipment readings in ship's engine room. Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Engineering Watch USS Bataan Stands Full Female Engineering Watch Team (8442031) Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

US Navy 061108-N-6652A-037 U.S. Navy Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Roy Hernandez, left, and Aviation Machinist's Mate Airman Jerry … — Machinist Mate US Navy 061108-N-6652A-037 U.S. Navy Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Roy Hernandez, left, and Aviation Machinist's Mate Airman Jerry Rivera work on a rotor … Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Navy Fireroom Fireroom aboard USS Rochester (CA-124), in 1955 Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

US Navy 080208-N-6538W-019 Civilian yard workers from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard perform maintenance on the bow catapults of the … — Shipyard Worker US Navy 080208-N-6538W-019 Civilian yard workers from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard perform maintenance on the bow catapults of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier … Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

All images are public domain (U.S. Government works). Specific photographs depict generic Navy engineering and yard environments — not the named vessel above. Asbestos materials shown or implied include pipe lagging, boiler insulation, steam-line covering, and gasket / packing materials standard on U.S. Navy vessels through the early 1980s.

Mitscher DDG-35 — Frequently Asked Questions

Are Mitscher DDG-35 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?

Yes. Mitscher DDG-35 is documented in the public U.S. Navy asbestos litigation record. U.S. Navy vessels of her service era were built to BUSHIPS specifications that required asbestos insulation throughout engineering spaces, on steam lines, around boilers and turbines, and in gasket and packing materials.

Which shipboard components on Mitscher DDG-35 contained asbestos?

Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Mitscher DDG-35's era include: boiler insulation and lagging, steam-line pipe insulation, turbine and reduction-gear casings, valve packing, gaskets, brake and clutch friction materials, electrical wire insulation, overhead pipe coverings in berthing and mess spaces, and Navy-issue boiler cement and refractory in fireboxes.

What ratings were exposed to asbestos serving on Mitscher DDG-35?

Navy ratings with the highest documented asbestos exposure include Machinist's Mate (MM), Boiler Technician (BT), Hull Maintenance Technician (HT), Engineman (EN), Electrician's Mate (EM), Interior Communications Electrician (IC), Damage Controlman (DC), and Pipefitter / Shipfitter. Officers in engineering departments also encountered asbestos in normal duty. Shipyard workers performing overhaul, repair, or refit work had concentrated exposure during yard periods.

What equipment manufacturers are documented on Mitscher DDG-35?

Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Mitscher DDG-35 include: Buffalo, Byron-Jackson, Combustion Engineering, DeLaval, General Electric, Goulds, Kingsbury. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.

Do Mitscher DDG-35 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?

Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Mitscher DDG-35 veterans generally need medical records showing the current disease, service records supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a doctor's statement connecting the two. Veterans may file at VA.gov, call 1-800-827-1000, or seek free help from an accredited Veterans Service Organization such as DAV, VFW, or the American Legion.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this site. References to ships, shipyards, companies, products, and asbestos-containing materials are drawn from public VA records, NARA archives, EPA/OSHA databases, and public litigation records. All references reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed records. Consult a licensed physician for medical guidance and a qualified attorney for legal advice regarding your specific situation.

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