USS Indianapolis (CA-35) — Equipment Manifest & Asbestos Exposure Record
Documented equipment manifest and asbestos exposure record for USS Indianapolis (CA-35). 5 machinery and manufacturer entries derived from the public...
By Rights Watch Media Group LLC•June 6, 2026•1 min read
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USS Indianapolis (CA-35) underway at sea on 27 September 1939 (80-G-425615)Source: Wikimedia Commons — public domain (U.S. Navy photograph)
Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was a Portland-class heavy cruiser commissioned in 1932 and served as flagship of the Scouting Force throughout the 1930s before becoming Admiral Raymond Spruance's Fifth Fleet flagship from 1943 to 1945. She participated in major Pacific campaigns including New Guinea, the Aleutian Islands, and in July 1945 completed a secret mission delivering atomic bomb components to Tinian. On 30 July 1945, Indianapolis was torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-58 and sank in 12 minutes; of 1,195 crew aboard, only 316 survived exposure and shark attacks in the open ocean, making it the worst loss of life aboard any U.S. Navy warship.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
New York Shipbuilding Corporation
Laid down
1930-03-31
Launched
1931-11-07
Commissioned
1932-11-15
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Interwar period 1932-1941
WWII Pacific Theater 1941-1945
Combat Actions
New Guinea campaign· 1942-02-20 Task force escort; anti-aircraft defense
Lae and Salamaua attack· 1942-03-10 Task force escort; naval gunfire support
Battle of the Aleutian Islands — Kiska Island· 1942-08-07 Naval gunfire support
Amchitka landing and occupation· 1943-01 Fire support for amphibious landing
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Pearl Harbor — base of operations 1941-1945
Mare Island Naval Shipyard — refit operations
Philadelphia Navy Yard — overhaul operations
Long Beach, California — Scouting Force base 1934-1941
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard· 1933 overhaul
Mare Island Naval Shipyard· 1942 refit
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
30 July 1945 — torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-58; sank in 12 minutes with ~300 crew deaths
Final Disposition
sunk in action — 30 July 1945; wreckage located 19 August 2017 in Philippine Sea at 18,000 ft depth
Veterans' Firsthand Accounts
Were you aboard Indianapolis CA-35? Add your account.
No one knows this ship like the crew who ran her. If you served aboard, tell us what you remember — the spaces, the equipment, where the dust and lagging were, what the work was really like. Every firsthand account helps another Indianapolis CA-35 veteran or family understand where they may have been exposed, and where to find help.
About these accounts: they are personal recollections shared by veterans and their families — individual memory and experience, not archival records, and not independently verified. The ship's documented history, equipment manifest, and exposure record on this page are drawn from NARA, BUSHIPS, DANFS, and VA sources. These accounts sit alongside that documented record — they add to it, they don't change it.
Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Indianapolis? This cruiser carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Indianapolis, hull number CA-35, was a cruiser, built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation and commissioned in 1932. She served through Interwar period, and WWII Pacific Theater. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Indianapolis, CA-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 Indianapolis from makers such as Buffalo Pumps, and DeLaval Steam Engineering Company allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Indianapolis 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 Indianapolis (CA-35) is a documented U.S. Navy heavy cruiser 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 Indianapolis (CA-35). 5 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
Technical specifications for USS Indianapolis (CA-35) hovering station pump
Governor (Special Flange type, B-3 size)
Leslie Co.
8
CA-35 (USS Indianapolis), PNS 113-1 drawing
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.
AsbestosIndex™Product & Manufacturer Reference
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 Indianapolis
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 Disability Claims for Asbestos-Related Disease
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates asbestos claims individually. A veteran generally needs medical evidence of a current asbestos-related disease, service evidence supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a medical opinion connecting the two. Ship assignments, Navy ratings, and equipment records can help document the exposure history but do not create automatic service connection.
Approved claims may provide monthly disability compensation and related benefits. Survivors may separately qualify for Dependency & Indemnity Compensation when the applicable requirements are met. Civil lawsuits and asbestos-trust claims use different standards; claimants should obtain individualized advice about how the processes interact.
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.
Indianapolis CA-35 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Indianapolis CA-35 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Indianapolis CA-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 Indianapolis CA-35 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Indianapolis CA-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 Indianapolis CA-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 Indianapolis CA-35?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Indianapolis CA-35 include: Buffalo Pumps, DeLaval Steam Engineering Company, General Dynamics Corporation, Leslie Co.. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Indianapolis CA-35 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Indianapolis CA-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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