USS Wedderburn (DD-684) — Equipment Manifest & Asbestos Exposure Record

Documented equipment manifest and asbestos exposure record for USS Wedderburn (DD-684). 6 machinery and manufacturer entries derived from the public...

By Rights Watch Media Group LLC •June 6, 2026 • 1 min read

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Hull

DD-684

Class

DD hull series

⚙ View Equipment Manifest Documented BUSHIPS machinery & manufacturers aboard Wedderburn DD-684 ↓ All Ship Manifests ›

MusterLog™ 0

USS Wedderburn (DD-684) — Equipment Manifest & Asbestos Exposure Record — public-domain photograph — USS Wedderburn (DD-684) underway in San Francisco Bay, California (USA), circa in 1951 (NH 94310) Source: Wikimedia Commons — public domain (U.S. Navy photograph)

Service History

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

USS Wedderburn (DD-684) was a Fletcher-class destroyer commissioned in March 1944 that served throughout the Pacific War as an antisubmarine escort for fast carrier task groups. She participated in major operations including the Marianas Campaign, Philippine Sea strikes, the Battle for Leyte Gulf, and assaults on Iwo Jima and Japanese home islands through early 1945. The destroyer completed her wartime service protecting carrier aviation assets and providing fire support during the final phases of the Pacific offensive.

Construction & Service Dates

Builder: Bethlehem Steel Co., San Francisco
Laid down: 1943-01-10
Launched: 1943-08-01
Commissioned: 1944-03-09

Notable Tours / Service Eras

WWII Pacific Theater 1944-1945

Combat Actions

Battle of Guam (Marianas Campaign) · 1944-07
antisubmarine screen for invasion fleet
Philippine Sea operations (Mindanao, Leyte, Visayas strikes) · 1944-09
antisubmarine screen for fast carrier task group
Battle for Leyte Gulf (Ozawa phase) · 1944-10
antisubmarine screen and pilot rescue
Mindoro landings operation · 1944-12
task force escort
Luzon invasion support (Lingayen) · 1945-01
antisubmarine screen for carrier task group
Iwo Jima assault support · 1945-02
antisubmarine protection and shore bombardment
Tokyo air raid · 1945-02
task group escort

Home Ports & Forward Bases

Pearl Harbor — 1944
Eniwetok — 1944
Saipan — 1944
Ulithi — 1944-1945 (advanced fleet base)

Drydock & Overhaul Periods High Asbestos-Exposure Window

Bethlehem Steel Co., San Francisco · 1944
post-shakedown availability

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

December 1944 typhoon — sustained minor damage while participating in survivor search operations

USS Wedderburn (DD-684) is a documented U.S. Navy destroyer with asbestos-exposure evidence in the public litigation record. The equipment manifest below was assembled from depositions, expert reports, and manufacturer interrogatory responses filed in U.S. asbestos litigation that reference equipment installed aboard this vessel.

Equipment Manifest

Equipment Manifest — USS Wedderburn (DD-684). 6 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 Feed Pump	Terry	4	Pump No. 139433 installed aboard USS Wedderburn (DD-684)
Steam Turbine	Terry	1	Turbine No. 20024 driving main feed pump on USS Wedderburn (DD-684)
Thrust Bearing	Kingsbury Machine Works, Inc.		For Terry Stern Turbine Co., with boiler feed pump
Main Condensate Pump	General Electric Co.	1	Size 2, with magnetic controller across-line starter, 25 HP, 440 volts, 3 phase, 60 cycles
Steam Pump	Warren Steam Pump Company		USS Wedderburn (DD-684) listed in Warren Steam Pump Company documentation
Steam Turbine	Warren Steam Pump Company, Inc.		USS Wedderburn (DD-684) listed in Warren Steam Pump Company serial numbers document

Note: this manifest is derived from public asbestos litigation records (depositions, expert reports, manufacturer interrogatories) rather than primary BUSHIPS construction documents. Entries reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed legal records.

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™

Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Wedderburn

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:

Boilerman (BT) — boiler-room operations, refractory work, burner maintenance
Machinist’s Mate (MM) — main propulsion turbines, reduction gears, condensers, pumps
Engineman (EN) — auxiliary diesel and gasoline engines, gland packing
Electrician’s Mate (EM) — cable runs through asbestos-insulated chases, motor-generator sets
Hull Maintenance Technician (HT) / Pipefitter — piping system maintenance, gasket replacement, valve repacking
Damage Controlman (DC) — firefighting equipment, fire-stops, bulkhead penetrations
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.

VA Claims Guide on This Site › Compare: VA vs. Civil Lawsuit

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.

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.

Wedderburn DD-684 — Frequently Asked Questions

Are Wedderburn DD-684 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?

Yes. Wedderburn DD-684 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 Wedderburn DD-684 contained asbestos?

Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Wedderburn DD-684'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 Wedderburn DD-684?

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 Wedderburn DD-684?

Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Wedderburn DD-684 include: General Electric Co., Kingsbury Machine Works, Inc., Terry, Warren Steam Pump Company, Warren Steam Pump Company, Inc.. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.

Do Wedderburn DD-684 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. Wedderburn DD-684 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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