USS Birmingham CL-62

The USS Birmingham was a Cleveland-class light cruiser named for the city in Alabama. Construction on the cruiser began February 17, 1941, and she launched March 20, 1942 under the sponsorship of the wife of the president of the Birmingham City Commission, Mrs. C. Green. The USS Birmingham was then commissioned on January 29, 1943.

History of the USS Birmingham CL-62

After shakedown, the USS Birmingham was sent to join the Atlantic Fleet. On June 2, 1943, she headed towards the Mediterranean to support the invasion of Sicily. The mission took her until August to complete, after which she was assigned to the Pacific Fleet. The USS Birmingham arrived in Pearl Harbor on September 6, 1943.

In the Pacific, the USS Birmingham acted as a fast carrier task force screen and participated in numerous raids, which were the first major action for her class of cruisers. She was hit by Japanese fire and sent back to Mare Island Navy Yard for repairs. When the repairs were completed in February of the following year, she headed back out to the Pacific.

In the Pacific, the USS Birmingham joined Task Force 57 and participated in various raids until September. In October, she was transferred to Task Force 38 and participated in more raids. During the Battle of the Leyte Gulf in late October, she was damaged significantly while trying to aid a stricken aircraft carrier. She was again sent to Mare Island Navy Yard for repairs, which took until January 1945 to complete.

When repairs were completed, the USS Birmingham rejoined the Pacific Fleet, offering assistance in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. During the second battle, she was damaged again, this time by a Japanese kamikaze plane. She was sent to Pearl Harbor for repairs, which took until August 1, 1945 to complete.

When the repairs were complete, the USS Birmingham headed back to Okinawa and then to Australia. She finally returned home to San Francisco on March 22, 1946, and the following January was removed from commission and put on reserve. She was removed from the Naval Vessel Register on March 1, 1959 and was sent to be scrapped.

Asbestos Hazards

While the USS Birmingham saw many battles and was damaged numerous times, enemy attack was not the only risk crew members faced. Another risk that crewmen were exposed to was asbestos exposure. Asbestos was used extensively as insulation on ships because of its ability to resist heat and fire. Damage to asbestos-contaminated materials can cause the release of asbestos particles into the air where they can be inhaled or ingested and lodged in the lungs or other body cavities. The irritation caused by these particles can cause the development of asbestosis and mesothelioma, a rare cancer.

Besides the members of her crew, anyone who worked on the USS Birmingham would have also been at risk for asbestos exposure. This includes those who worked on her construction at the Newport News Shipyard. The Newport News Shipyard is the one of the biggest privately-owned shipyards and has been in business since 1886. It was originally built to service boats that worked transporting coal, but within a few years of opening, it expanded to shipbuilding as well. The shipyard has built numerous ships of all types.

The shipyard used asbestos in its construction of these ships, which was common at the time. Employees were not informed of the dangers of working with asbestos, nor were they provided with protective gear. Decades later, these same workers began developing asbestos-related diseases. One such disease is mesothelioma, an aggressive and deadly cancer.

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition such as mesothelioma and served on the USS Birmingham or worked in the Newport News Shipyard and wish to receive additional information about your illness, treatment and legal options, please fill out the packet request form at the top, right of this page.

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