USS Salt Lake City (CA-25) — Equipment Reference & Asbestos Exposure Record
Equipment reference and asbestos exposure record for USS Salt Lake City (CA-25). 2 machinery and manufacturer entries from the public Wikipedia article...
By Rights Watch Media Group LLC•June 6, 2026•1 min read
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Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Salt Lake City (CA-25) was a Pensacola-class heavy cruiser commissioned in 1929 and served with the Pacific Fleet during the interwar period before seeing extensive combat in World War II. During the Pacific War, she participated in eleven major engagements from 1941 to 1945, earning 11 battle stars for her service in the Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, and Solomon Islands campaigns. The ship earned the nicknames "Swayback Maru" and "Old Swayback" during her combat service.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
New York Shipbuilding Corporation (Camden, New Jersey)
Laid down
1927-06-09
Launched
1929-01-23
Commissioned
1929-12-11
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Inter-war Pacific Fleet operations 1930-1941
WWII Pacific Theater 1941-1945
Combat Actions
Battle of the Coral Sea· 1942-05 rear guard protection
Battle of Midway· 1942-06 rear guard protection for Midway Atoll
Guadalcanal campaign· 1942-08 escort and support operations
Battle of Cape Esperance· 1942-10 cruiser gunfire in night engagement
Battle of the Komandorski Islands· 1943-03 heavy cruiser engagement
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Pearl Harbor — frequent operations 1933-1941, 1942-1945
San Pedro, California — West Coast operations 1932-1941
Adak Island — Aleutian operations 1943
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard· 1933-1934 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
11-12 October 1942 Battle of Cape Esperance — three major hits sustained; participated in sinking Furutaka and Fubuki
USS Salt Lake City (CA-25) is a documented U.S. Navy heavy cruiser. 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 Salt Lake City (CA-25). 2 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
White-Forster boilers
White-Forster
12
per Wikipedia infobox, as built
Parsons reduction steam turbines
Parsons
4
per Wikipedia infobox, as built
Source: this equipment reference was extracted from public Wikipedia/DANFS records for USS Salt Lake City (CA-25). 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 Salt Lake City
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.
Salt Lake City CA-25 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Salt Lake City CA-25 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Salt Lake City CA-25 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 Salt Lake City CA-25 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Salt Lake City CA-25'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 Salt Lake City CA-25?
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 Salt Lake City CA-25?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Salt Lake City CA-25 include: Parsons, White-Forster. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Salt Lake City CA-25 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. Salt Lake City CA-25 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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