Asbestos on Merchant Marine Ships

01. List of Merchant Marine Ships

List of Merchant Marine Ships

Listed below are some of the ships that comprised the U.S. Merchant Marine fleet during World War II, when asbestos use in the United States was growing.

• S.S. Alcoa Cavalier
• S.S. Bay State
• S.S. Berkeley Victory
• S.S. Blue Grass State
• S.S. Borinquen
• S.S. Buckeye State
• S.S. Burco Trader
• S.S. C.H.M. Jones
• S.S. Cilco Logger
• S.S. Copper State
• S.S. Coxcomb Hill
• S.S. Defiance
• S.S. Del Mar
• S.S. E.J. Block
• S.S. Elizabeth W. Moran
• S.S. Empire State
• S.S. Evergreen State
• S.S. Excalibur
• S.S. Gopher State
• S.S. Keystone State
• S.S. Little Butte
• S.S. Lurline (Matson Line)
• S.S. Mobilube, Bethlehem Steel, Sparrows Point Yard, MD
• S.S. Mormacdove
• S.S. Mormacsea
• S.S. Morris Hillquit
• S.S. Oakey L. Alexander, formerly the S.S. Laconia Victory
• S.S. Pacific Victory
• S.S. Pan Massachusetts
• S.S. Pine Tree State
• S.S. President Cleveland, Bethlehem Steel West Coast Shipyard, CA
• S.S. Robin Gray, ex-USS Fayette (APA-43), Ingalls Shipbuilding Company, MS
• S.S. Samuel Chase
• S.S. Sheldon Clark, Bethlehem Shipbuilding at Fore River Shipyard, MA
• S.S. Simon Benson
• S.S. Socony 10
• S.S. Spencer Kellogg
• S.S. Steel Traveler, Federal Shipbuilding, NJ
• S.S. Stonewall Jackson
• S.S. Thomas H. Barry, ex S.S. Oriente, Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., VA
• S.S. Thomas Lynch
• S.S. Thomas Nelson
• S.S. Tydol Bayonne
• S.S. Uruguay, ex-California (representing American Republic Line’s “Good Neighbor” ships)
• S.S. William Hooper
• S.S. William J. Bryan
• S.S. William Mulholland
• S.S. Wilson B. Keene

Did You Know?

Asbestos exposure is still responsible for thousands of deaths each year. Victims of asbestos exposure who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma may be eligible for financial compensation.

Learn More About Financial Assistance Available

02. Asbestos Use on Merchant Marine Ships

Asbestos Use on Merchant Marine Ships

Asbestos could be found almost anywhere on Merchant Marine ships. Because of the heavy use of asbestos, the Merchant Mariners and other individuals working on these merchant ships or in shipyards may be at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma and asbestos cancer.

In 1951, the fleet included more than 1,000 vessels. The fleet has been steadily shrinking and included just 81 ships in 2018. Despite a smaller fleet, some of the vessels still actively being used may contain asbestos materials and continue to put people at risk of exposure.