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Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Pampanito (SS-383) was a Balao-class submarine that completed six war patrols in the Pacific Theater from March 1944 to August 1945, sinking six Japanese merchant ships and damaging four others totaling over 27,000 tons, and earning six battle stars. She is particularly noted for her rescue of 73 British and Australian prisoners of war on 15 September 1944 after the sinking of the transport Rakuyō Maru. Decommissioned in December 1945, she served as a Naval Reserve training ship from 1960 to 1971 and has been preserved as a National Historic Landmark museum ship at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf since 1975.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine
Laid down
1943-03-15
Launched
1943-07-12
Commissioned
1943-11-06
Decommissioned
1945-12-15
Notable Tours / Service Eras
WWII Pacific Theater 1944-1945
Naval Reserve Training 1960-1971
Combat Actions
First War Patrol· 1944-03 to 1944-05 Attacked Japanese destroyer; lifeguard duty
Second War Patrol· 1944-06 to 1944-07 Damaged Japanese gunboat; evaded enemy submarine
Third War Patrol — Rakuyō Maru Sinking· 1944-09 Sank transport carrying POWs; rescue operation
Fourth War Patrol· 1944-10 to 1944-12 Sank cargo ship; damaged second vessel
Fifth War Patrol· 1945-01 to 1945-02 Sank two cargo/passenger ships in Gulf of Siam
Sixth War Patrol· 1945 Limited patrol in Gulf of Siam
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii — forward base 1944-1945
Midway Island — refitting station 1944
San Francisco, California — home port 1960-1971
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard· 1944 refit and hull damage repair
Midway Island· 1944 refit
Fremantle Naval Dockyard· 1944-12 refit
Subic Bay Naval Shipyard· 1945 refit
San Francisco Naval Shipyard· 1945 overhaul
Mare Island Naval Shipyard· 1960 refit
Bay Ship and Yacht, Alameda, California· 2016 maintenance dry docking
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
12 September 1944 — sank SS Rakuyō Maru transporting 1,350 British and Australian POWs; 1,159 POWs died; rescued 73 survivors on 15 September
23 June 1944 — evaded two torpedoes fired by submerged Japanese submarine
23 May 2020 — threatened by four-alarm fire at Fisherman's Wharf; saved by local firefighters
Final Disposition
Preserved as museum ship at Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco
USS Pampanito (SS-383) is a documented U.S. Navy submarine. The equipment reference below was extracted from the publicly-available Wikipedia article on this vessel, which cites the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) — the U.S. Navy’s official ship-history publication maintained by the Naval History and Heritage Command.
Equipment Reference
Equipment Manifest — USS Pampanito (SS-383). 2 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
Standard Balao-class submerged propulsion, implied by Fleet-boat-propulsion template
Source: this equipment reference was extracted from public Wikipedia/DANFS records for USS Pampanito (SS-383). These are secondary-source records — not primary BUSHIPS design documents. For litigation purposes, this data is a starting point; a ship-specific BUSHIPS Material Inspection Report or commissioning book would provide gold-standard verification.
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.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Pampanito
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the public asbestos litigation record document that the following Navy ratings worked routinely in spaces where ACM was installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced:
Fireman (FN) — engineering-plant tending across boiler and engine rooms
VA Presumptive Benefits — No Filing Deadline
The U.S. 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 under 38 CFR § 3.309(d). No statute of limitations applies to VA disability compensation claims.
Available benefits may include monthly disability compensation, Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses, priority VA healthcare enrollment, and Special Monthly Compensation for severe cases. Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products do not reduce VA compensation.
How to file a VA disability claim: VA claims are filed directly with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — not with a law firm. Start at VA.gov › Hazardous Materials Exposure, call 1‑800‑827‑1000, or get free help filing from a Veterans Service Organization: DAV, VFW, or American Legion.
Source notes: equipment-manifest entries (where shown) are sourced from public-record BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation, NARA archives, and the public asbestos litigation record. Manufacturer attributions link to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Nothing on this page constitutes medical or legal advice.
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.
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.
Pampanito SS-383 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Pampanito SS-383 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Pampanito SS-383 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 Pampanito SS-383 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Pampanito SS-383'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 Pampanito SS-383?
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 Pampanito SS-383?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Pampanito SS-383 include: Fairbanks-Morse, General Electric. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Pampanito SS-383 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Yes. Mesothelioma is recognized by the VA as service-connected for veterans with documented Navy service and qualifying asbestos exposure. Pampanito SS-383 veterans (or surviving family) typically file at VA.gov, by phone at 1-800-827-1000, or with assistance from a Veterans Service Officer through DAV, VFW, or American Legion. Civil claims against asbestos product manufacturers are separate from VA benefits — many veterans pursue both paths.
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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