Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961
The use of asbestos in U.S. Navy materiel from 1941-1961 is a frequently requested topic that requires complex research. Veterans, especially sailors and shipyard workers, who may have had contact with asbestos are potentially eligible to submit a Veterans Affairs claim. We recommend researchers begin by reviewing the Veterans Affairs website for information on claims concerning Exposure to Hazardous Materials: Asbestos. Additionally, researchers are encouraged to learn about the laws, policies, regulations, and actions that have been implemented in relation to asbestos. The Environmental Protection Agency: Asbestos website is an invaluable resource for general information concerning asbestos.
Beginning Research
The information presented here serves as a research guide for getting started in documenting if a particular US naval ship has or does not have asbestos material aboard. This guide is not comprehensive and only demonstrates how to get started with researching this topic. Your research may take you in different directions than other people who have done this kind of research previously. We encourage researchers to take ample notes as research into this topic may quickly become layered and complex. The National Archives is staffed to provide basic referencing services and cannot perform the research required for this topic. New or inexperienced researchers may consider using a service that offers experienced researchers to conduct research on their behalf. This may include a firm or business that offers litigation research services or a researcher for hire.
The first step in starting ship related asbestos research is reviewing the history of the ship that is the subject of your research. The Naval History and Heritage Command has a publication called the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, which provides a brief history of the ship from when the keel is laid to the ship’s final disposition. Knowing the history of the ship is important because it helps determine which series of records in the National Archives to access based on when the ship was first constructed, periods of overhauling, or any modifications made to the ship during this period.
Bureau of Ships General, Confidential, and Secret Correspondence
After getting the ship’s history, the next step is to review the holdings in Record Group 19: Records of the Bureau of Ships, hereafter referred to as “RG 19”. The Bureau of Ships was the agency within the U.S. Navy responsible for the purchase, construction, maintenance, and disposition of US naval vessels. Within RG 19, there are several series of correspondence between 1940 and 1961 that are arranged by the Navy Filing Manual (4th edition, 1941 and 5th edition, 1950) and some file arrangements using the Standard Subject Identification Code (SSIC) introduced in 1960.
During this period, types of ships, ship classes, and individual ships are filed by ship’s designation and hull designation. For example, the USS Kidd (DD 661) is a Fletcher-class Destroyer. The hull designation and filing code designation for the Kidd would be “DD661.” If you need to research machinery that was included aboard the Kidd, but was not well covered in the correspondence files specific to the Kidd, then you can move on to the class correspondence of the Fletcher-class destroyers. The machinery for the class should be standard to each member of the class. To locate ship class correspondence search for the hull number of the ship that bears the classes’ namesake. In our example the USS Kidd is a Fletcher-class destroyer and the classes’ namesake is from the USS Fletcher (DD 445). The filing code for the ship class will be listed as “DD445 Class”. If you continue to not locate the relevant machinery information, then your next option is to review the type correspondence for destroyers under filing code “DD”. This last option is more an option of last resort because the wider you make the field the less specific the correspondence will be to your topic. Researching destroyers “DD” will include all destroyers in the Navy and may yield little or no information relevant to your research. .
In addition to researching the specific ship, you can also research the shipyard where the ship was constructed, overhauled or received modifications. There are two kinds of shipyards, private companies and public government. In the Navy Filing Manual, public government shipyards are designated with “NY.” For example, the Naval Shipyard at Portsmouth, New Hampshire is designated NY1. A private shipyard would be given the filing designation of “QM” to indicate a private contractor or manufacturer. The company name would follow the “QM.” For example, Bath Iron Works would be filed under QM/Bath Iron Works. These files should include the correspondence between the Bureau of Ships and the particular yard.
When exploring the collections below, please note that some of the collections have been generically identified as “Classified” or “Declassified.” This is intended to assist researchers in determining the general state of the records. However, exceptions may occur with some declassified series being only declassified in part, and some classified series having undergone some limited declassification. More details are available for each Entry on our online Catalog. Click on the link for each Entry below to review the Record Series on our Catalog.
NOTE: Ships of the same class are referred to as “sisters” and they can be useful in getting missing information on machinery or specific spaces within a ship that is not included in the correspondence about the ship specifically being researched. The one caveat is that you want a sister ship built at the same shipyard. Where there is a class of ships, there is also a sub-class of ships, and the sub-class is comprised of sister ships that are all built within the same shipyard. Typically, during World War II, to produce more ships of a single class, orders would be spread out to different shipyards. So viable sisters for the USS Kidd would be the USS Dashiell (DD 659) and USS Bullard (DD 660) which were all built at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Kearny, NJ. Although ships of the same class are technically copies of one another, there are sometimes subtle differences between two ships of the same class built in two different yards. These differences could be a result of available materials or available subcontractors of equipment. For the closest reproductions of one sister ship to the next, a sister ship built at the same shipyard will have the most details in common.
Expanding Research
While researching the RG 19 correspondence series is complex those records only represent a starting point for asbestos research. The National Archives holds numerous additional records series that may require research to conduct a thorough review of the records most responsive to asbestos research. Below we explore those records series that have been identified as being most responsive to asbestos research.
General Information Books
General Information Books (GIBs) are also included in RG 19 and may be referred to as Ship Information Books (SIBs) or Ship General Information Books. The information provided in these books can range from a layout of a specific ship system, such as electrical or piping, or a complete layout in combination. A manual like guide, the GIB goes deck by deck to show the arrangement of the ship’s spaces and connections. Modern Ship Information Books normally contain the following eight volumes, however, the older the records the more susceptible the records are to have variation from this format.
Volumes
- Hull and Mechanical
- Propulsion Plant
- Auxiliary Machinery, Piping, Ventilation, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Systems
- Power and Lighting Systems
- Electronic Systems
- Interior Communications
- Weapons Control Systems
- Ballasting Systems
Historical Notes
In the 1950s and early 1960s the Navy instituted the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization Programs known as FRAM I and FRAM II. These programs resulted in significant alterations to various ships, primarily destroyers and carriers. When conducting research in this timeframe researchers should generally be aware of these programs and how they may have impacted the ship they are researching.
Researchers should also have general awareness of the Ship Characteristics Board (SCB) that was established in 1945 and was renamed the Ship Acquisition and Improvement Board in the 1970s. The Ship Characteristics Board was responsible for coordinating between the operators from the Navy’s operational forces and ship designers from the Navy’s Bureau of Ships. Records relating to the Ship Characteristics Board may also provide additional information relating to ship characteristics.
There are several subseries of GIBs, which are divided into types of vessels such as destroyers, cruisers, aircraft carriers and submarines. Because the GIBs are not complete, in that there is not a GIB for each ship, here again knowing the sister ships in the subclass may help you fill in the gaps.
Board of Inspection and Survey Reports
In Record Group 38: Records of the Chief of Naval Operations, there are Board of Inspection and Survey Reports. The Board of Inspection and Survey is responsible for inspecting and assessing the material condition of U.S. Navy ships. Inspection reports are written before a ship goes to sea trials (which occurs prior to a ship’s commissioning), after a major conversion has been completed, or after demilitarization has been completed prior to the ship’s decommissioning. The inspector reports on the status of all the ship’s machinery and systems identifying if they are in place and functioning to standards. Reports typically include if parts are missing or malfunctioning, if construction is incomplete, and similar issues. Recommendations are then written up to complete work or replace parts as necessary.
Specification Files
Another avenue for asbestos research is to research specific components of a ship and how the component is cared for. In RG 19, you can use the General Correspondence series to research a component of a ship, such as a ship’s main propulsion. In this example the main propulsion filing code is S41-1 in both the 1941 and 1950 Navy Filing Manuals. The problem with this method of research is that, unlike approaching this topic through a specific ship, you will be reviewing the Bureau of Ships’ correspondence on main propulsion for all types of ships from yardcraft to aircraft carriers and everything in between. This is a possible method, but not recommended unless other avenues have not yielded any results. Sometimes a specific ship and specific component will be identified jointly. For example DD661/S41-1 would discuss the USS Kid, specifically the main propulsion, and conversely S41-1/DD661 would discuss main propulsion, specifically for the USS Kid. When this occurs this research approach becomes more feasible but may still yield limited success.
When attempting to research a specific component reviewing the Specification Files may provide better results. You can research the specifications of a component as required by the U.S. Navy in Specification Files and Qualified Products Lists (QPLs). QPLs are lists of approved manufacturers by the US Navy to manufacture and provide the Navy a particular item. There are some key definitions that researchers should be familiar with when conducting this research.
Military Specification (MIL-SPEC): A document prepared to support acquisition that describes the essential technical requirements for purchased materiel and the criteria for determining whether those requirements are met.
Military Standard (MIL-STD): A document that establishes uniform engineering or technical criteria, methods, processes, and practices.
Qualified Product (QP): A product that has been examined, tested, and approved for inclusion in the applicable Qualified Product List (QPL).
Typically, this type of research will require looking at the Navy specifications for parts and components used aboard ships or sometimes used in shore establishments. To identify an item’s or component’s specification number, researchers will need to review the RG 19 Bureau of Ships correspondence records of the manufacturer for the item or component. As previously discussed, companies can be located under the Navy Filing Code QM followed by the company's name, such as QM/Bath Iron Works. Within the QM files are contract correspondence between the company and the Bureau of Ships. Specification numbers for specific items or components are most often found in this contract correspondence. Identifying the specification number prior to attempting to research within record collections relating to specifications will greatly improve the chances of locating records relating to the item or component.
There are numerous record series relating to specifications and standards. We recommend researchers start with the Specification and Standard Development Case Files, Entries P 45 through P 45-W, as these collections tend to be more easily accessible for beginning research. Record series relating to specifications and standards are frequently arranged by specification number or QPL number.
Outside of Navy specification numbers that may be located by reviewing the QM files of the Bureau of Ships correspondence, there are indices for specifications in Record Group 143: Records of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts (RG 143). These indices are located in RG 143, Entry A1 90, Supply Management Publications And Documents, 1939-1964 in boxes 11-16. Within RG 143 there are a few additional record series relating to specifications that may assist researchers with locating information concerning Navy specifications.
Continuing Research
In addition to those records held in the Textual Record Collections there are records that are frequently used for asbestos research in the Special Media Collections. The National Archives’ Special Media Collections include record formats such as blueprints, engineering drawings, and still pictures/photographs. These collections are explored below.
Cartographic Branch (Includes Blueprints & Engineering Drawings)
The record series most sought after for asbestos research in the Cartographic Branch are records of Navy ship engineering drawings. Ship engineering drawings relating to asbestos research are located in two main records series in RG 19. The paper series of ship engineering drawings is commonly referred to as the “Hull Series” and is arranged by ship hull number and thereunder by Ship Material Group. The Material Groups can be found in the 1941 and 1950 U.S. Navy Filing Manuals under the “S” Filing Codes and range from Filing Code S1 through S97. S Codes were added after the publication of the Filing Manuals and additional S Codes exist that exceed the numbering found in the manuals. Some of the most frequently reviewed S Codes include S103-Booklets of General Plans, S39-Insulation and Lagging, and sometimes S48-Piping. S39 and S48 drawings are relatively rare among the paper Ship Engineering Drawings. When these codes are not located in this series, researchers are directed to the microfilm series which contains far more detailed drawings than the paper series. More information on these record series can be found on our Catalog by following the links below.
RG 19, Local Identifier: 19-Hull, Series: Ship Engineering Drawings, 1874-1976
RG 19, Local Identifier: 19-Micro, Series: Microfilm of Ship Engineering Drawings, 1945-1955
Sill Pictures/Photographs
With media formats such as still pictures/photographs researchers must consider the material format in regards to handling the records and reproduction options. Before conducting still picture/photographic research, researchers are encouraged to review the Guidance for On-Site Researchers in the Still Pictures Research Room. The Photographic Records contain photographic prints of subjects such as Navy ship interiors which can be used in support of asbestos research. RG 19, Local Identifier 19-LCM contains photographic prints that have corresponding negatives in RG 19, Local Identifier 19-NN, but not all of the negatives have corresponding prints. Researchers should be generally aware that the negatives may contain additional images that are responsive to their research. 19-NN is arranged in three parts, the first two are by Bureau of Ships negative numbers and researchers must use the card index in the Still Pictures/Photographs research room. The third section, which for the most part does not have corresponding prints, is arranged by hull number. Some portion of 19-NN is on microfilm, however, the microfilmed portion is less frequently requested for research. Researchers are encouraged to review the Finding Aids for the series identified below. Researchers may need to plan an onsite research visit to gain access to the Finding Aids.
RG 19, Local Identifier: 19-LCM, Series: Photographs of the Construction and Launching of Ships, ca. 1930-ca. 1955
RG 19, Local Identifier: 19-NN, Series: Photographs of U.S. and Foreign Naval Vessels, 1883-1972
In addition to the collections identified above there are extensive collections of Navy images in Record Group 80: General Records of the Department of the Navy 1798-1947 (RG 80) and Record Group 428: General Records of the Department of the Navy 1947-Present (RG 428). These two Record Groups contain a broad range of Navy topics, however, consulting the Finding Aids for the series identified below can assist researchers in locating images that are potentially responsive to asbestos research. Accessing the Finding Aids for these collections may require an onsite research visit.
RG 80, Local Identifier: 80-G, Series: General Photographic Files, 1943-1968
RG 428, Local Identifier: 428-GX, Series: Vis-Aid Index to the General Photographic Files of the Department of the Navy, 1958-1981
To a much lesser degree the following collections are sometimes used for asbestos research. Record Group 71: Records of the Bureau of Yards and Docks (RG 71) and Record Group 357: Records of the Maritime Administration may hold images that are responsive to asbestos research. Researchers are encouraged to consult the Findings for the series listed below. Accessing the Finding Aids may require an onsite research visit.
RG 71, Local Identifier: 71-CA, Series: Photographs of Construction Progress and Completion of U.S. Naval Shore Installations and Shipyards, ca. 1890-ca. 1943
RG 357, Local Identifier: 357-G, Series: Photographic File of the Maritime Administration, 1939-1955
RG 357, Local Identifier: 357-MAP, Series: Subject Files of Photographs Relating to Maritime Activities, ca. 1970-ca. 1990
Other Records and their usefulness:
Two commonly requested Record Series in relation to asbestos research are Navy Ship Deck Logs and Muster Rolls for Navy personnel. These collections are located in Record Group 24: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel. These Record Series do not provide any information on the use of or presence of asbestos in Navy ships or ship components and therefore provide no direct evidence of asbestos. Because the Muster Rolls are primarily personnel related records, they can be useful in showing if a particular sailor or officer was assigned to the ship at a time when overhauls, reconfiguring, cleaning, repainting, or abatement was being conducted. These records do not state who was performing the work or identify materials being used. The Deck Logs can be useful when attempting to identify the dates when major work was being performed on a commissioned Navy ship. Finding dates in the Deck Logs that indicate the ship is undergoing significant work, may assist in narrowing the quantity of records that must be reviewed. For example, identifying an approximate date, or even the year, when work on a ship was performed will greatly reduce the number RG 19 Bureau of Ships correspondence files that need to be reviewed.