USS Catalpa (AN-10)

The USS Catalpa (AN-10) was the fifth of the Navy’s Aloe-class of net laying ships. These vessels performed an important role during World War II, deploying anti-submarine nets across strategic ports and naval bases. The USS Catalpa was built in 1941 by the Commercial Iron Works of Portland, Oregon and commissioned on May 22, 1942. After receiving her commission, the USS Catalpa sailed into the Pacific for a brief shakedown before reporting for duty with the Navy’s mighty Pacific Fleet.

On May 24, 1942, the USS Catalpa departed California for the Fiji Islands, which she reached in mid-June. The Catalpa and her crew immediately went to work deploying anti-submarine nets throughout the South Pacific. These nets provided a significant deterrent to enemy submarines and the Catalpa was responsible for safeguarding a number of strategic Navy bases during World War II.

Service during World War II

In 1944, after two years at sea with the Navy, the USS Catalpa was ordered to New Zealand for an overhaul. The Catalpa’s first overhaul was rather brief, during which time shipyard crews repaired and upgraded a number of her onboard systems. The overhaul was essential to keeping the Catalpa operating at peak condition, but the metalwork involved in the repairs may have led to the release of large quantities of asbestos from within the Catalpa’s hull.

Following her overhaul, the USS Catalpa was prepared to serve out the rest of World War II with the Pacific Fleet. Her first stop after departing New Zealand was the Solomon Islands, where she served as a general-purpose tug as well as net tender. When the Navy began to prepare for the amphibious assault on Peleliu, the Catalpa was ordered to join the invasion fleet to prepare a safe anchorage for the Navy’s capital ships in the region. With her tasks off Peleliu completed, the Catalpa served in the Marshall Islands. Over the course of the war, the USS Catalpa and earned two battle stars for serving in the conflict.

Service after World War II

Following the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific, the USS Catalpa returned to the west coast where she sailed into port in Astoria, Oregon for decommissioning. On October 21, 1946, the USS Catalpa was placed into the Navy’s Pacific Reserve Fleet. The Catalpa was recalled to active duty shortly thereafter when war broke out on the Korean Peninsula. In the summer of 1950, the U.S. Navy ordered the Catalpa recommissioned and she entered port for a reactivation overhaul a few days later.

The Catalpa’s crew returned to the ship on August 7, 1950. Although she was deployed in support of American operations in Korea, the USS Catalpa spent her entire tour in Japan, where she was responsible for safeguarding Tokyo Bay. When her tour in Korea was over, the USS Catalpa sailed for the east coast where she was decommissioned on October 7, 1955 in New London, Connecticut.

Asbestos Risks

Asbestos was often used on ships such as the USS Catalpa in order to insulate and fireproof materials onboard. Unfortunately, using asbestos has caused thousands of past shipyard workers and crew members to develop asbestos-related diseases from being exposed to asbestos. Boiler rooms and engine rooms were two of the most common areas for asbestos exposure. In addition to these locations, pipes, walls and ceilings insulated with asbestos often exposed crew members as well.

Exposure to asbestos has been linked to several serious illnesses, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. The latter is especially harmful due to the latency period for symptoms to arrive. In most cases, symptoms of mesothelioma can take as long as 20 to 50 years to develop, leaving patients completely unaware of their condition. By the time the majority of patients are diagnosed, the cancer has often reached the advanced stages of development.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, you may have legal options for compensation. Many have received financial assistance to help cover medical costs, lost income and any other expenses. For more information about compensation and treatment options, please click here to receive a complimentary informational packet.

Sources:

Auxiliary Vessels Index