USS Tarawa CV-40

The USS Tarawa, commissioned in 1945, was 888 feet long, could reach 31 knots per hour, and carried almost 3500 sailors. She ran on 8 boilers (at 850 degrees each) and 4 steam turbines. Her armament consisted of four twin five-inch 38-caliber guns, four single five-inch 38-caliber guns, eight quadruple 40mm guns, and 46 20mm cannons.

A Lengthy Maiden Voyage

Her first assignment took her through Pearl Harbor shortly after World War II ended, and the Tarawa eventually reached Japan, stopping at Saipan, Yokosuka, and Sasebo. This Far East tour of duty then found her near Tsingtao, where Tarawa performed normal exercises, drills and maneuvers while serving in the Marianas. The following year, she returned to Pearl Harbor to conduct additional exercises, she embarked on almost a year and a half out of San Francisco and San Diego, practicing air operations.

In 1948, the Tarawa left for an around-the-world cruise, arriving in China nine months later. She remained off the shores of China for several weeks, maintaining a vigilent watch over aggressive events occurring in northern China. The USS Tarawa's voyage continued as she then the Republic of Ceylon, the Persian Gulf Greece, Turkey, and Crete. Such a schedule within her first three years was justification for an overhaul and rest, so she was placed out of commission for the next year and a half.

Re-Called to Service

By 1950, USS Tarawa was re-commissioned to serve in the Korean War. The Navy needed as many warships and aircraft carriers as possible, and she has already proven that she could handle several missions. However, she never had the chance to fully participate in combat action during this battle. Her job was to respond, in a position of a replacement carrier, for both the 6th and 2nd Fleets. Two years later, the Tarawa was redesignated CVA-40, and thus was now considered an attack aircraft carrier. Within another two years, the Tarawa needed modernizations and additions, and so underwent renovations at the Boston Naval Shipyard. She was thus converted to an antisubmarine warfare vessel and redesignated as CVS-40. By 1958, the Tarawa's normal duties were temporarily put aside after she was named a component of the Navy Task Force 88. Her participation was largely geared towards nuclear testing in very high atmosphere; the project was termed "Operation Argus".

Her Final Years

The USS Tarawa, as an important element of the Navy's Atlantic Fleet, continued to serve from the eastern bases of Norfolk and Quonset Point. She was often called to the Caribbean, when it was determined that she could obtain back-up for her primary duty, which was providing barrier patrols in response to the increasing number of Soviet submarine and surface fleets. Tarawa was also responsible for the Atlantic Fleet pilot training. She carried out all tasks successfully and without any noted tragedies. However, by 1960, the Navy decided to retire Tarawa. She was decommissioned and considered "in reserve", and berthed for seven years in Philadelphia. In 1967, her name was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register; the following year, the USS Tarawa was sold to the Boston Metals Corporation for scrapping.

It's not often that a US Navy vessel can get through 25 years of service unscathed. The 3500 men aboard the USS Tarawa were obviously well trained, conscientious, responsive-and lucky. Even the most alert naval crews fell victim to unfortunate events involving being struck, running aground, malfunctions, or sabotage. With the added possibility of accidents during aircraft take offs and landings, many things could go wrong, and did. Often, incidents resulted in fires, so vessels did everything possible to decrease that possibility.

At sea, resources were limited and escape was non-existant, so crews literally faced death. Therefore, it was common practice to include asbestos with insulation, since it fitted into small and awkward spaces. (With Tarawa's many 850-degree boilers and steam turbines, it needed as much protection from heat and flames as it could get.) However, asbestos can cause dangerous, if not fatal, diseases. The chemical composition of asbestos, which provides protective abilities, does not allow it to decompose easily. Asbstos tends to remain where it happens to land unless removed by force. In many sad cases, those places happen to be people's lungs or stomachs, from their inadvertant inhalation of fibers invisible to the naked eye. If any such fibers escaped their sealant on the USS Tarawa, they could have entered the ship's air circulation system and been carried anywhere on board. Spending a great deal of time in enclosed, below-deck quarters may have been high risk for some sailors, who may only now be noticing unusual physical symptoms. Any former crew member in this situation should contact a physican as soon as possible, and contact us for additional information.

If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Tarawa, or have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, Asbestos.com offers a free packet with more information. Enter your contact information in the form in the right column and we'll send a copy immediately. We also offer assistance to veterans who wish to file a claim as a result of any disability. Our veterans benefit counselors are available to help guide you through this process at no charge. For guidance and more information, please click here to request additional information or have a veterans benefit counselor contact you.

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