USS Abbot DD-629

Fletcher-class vessels were the most common type of destroyers in the U.S. Navy and 175 were built between 1942 and 1944. They were also some of the longest-serving vessels as some of these destroyers were still in service during the Vietnam conflict.

The USS Abbot (DD-629) was more than 376 feet long, nearly 40 feet in the beam and had a draft of nearly 18 feet, displacing more than 2,000 tons. She was constructed at the Bath Ironworks in Maine between late September of 1942 and mid-February 1943 and launched two months later under the command of Commander Chester E. Carroll.

World War II Service

Following her shakedown cruise and initial training, the USS Abbot served as an escort for larger ships on their shakedown runs for the first three months of her career. She sailed for Pearl Harbor on 10 September, arriving in Honolulu a month later. An unfortunate collision with the USS Cowpens, an aircraft carrier, placed the USS Abbot out of commission until mid-December.

After repairs were complete, Abbot sailed for the South Pacific where she joined Task Group 58 as part of the occupation force for the Marshall Islands between 29 January and 17 February of 1944. The following month she was assigned as a convoy escort between the Solomon Islands and Allied ports on New Guinea. She continued with escort and support services throughout the remainder of 1944 and participated in the reconquest of the Philippines.

Over the course of the remainder of the war, the USS Abbot accounted for the destruction of several enemy aircraft and the sinking of a number of enemy barges. The Abbot escaped major damage until breaking a propeller shaft at the end of the war. In September 1945, she was ordered to the Bremerton Naval Station for repairs, then decommissioned the following may and docked in San Diego.

Korea and the Cold War

After five years in mothballs, the USS Abbot was recommissioned with the outbreak of the Korean War. Rather than departing for Korea, the vessel was assigned to Newport, Rhode Island and training duties. Following upgrades at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in 1951, Abbot's voyages took her to Guantanamo Bay, the Mediterranean and ultimately around the world. During the height of the Cold War, Abbot participated in a number of exercises with the 7th Fleet involving anti-submarine warfare. After a three-month refit and overhaul at the Boston Naval Shipyard in January of 1958, Abbot was busy in the Eastern Mediterranean when President Camille Chamoun of Lebanon requested U.S. assistance in dealing with the crisis in that country. Afterwards, she returned to her home port, arriving that November.

Space Race and Retirement

Abbot's last six years of active duty were busy. After another refit at the Boston Naval Shipyard in 1959, she continued with anti-submarine training exercises. Notable episodes during this period included her role in the recovery of the first manned space capsule, service as a base defense ship during the Haitian crisis of 1962, and participation in the quarantine of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Afterward, Abbot was primarily a training ship. She was decommissioned in March 1965 and placed with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until she was struck from the Navy list in 1974 and sold for scrap to the Boston Metals Company of Baltimore, Maryland the following year.

Asbestos Risks

On board every American Navy ship through World War I and World War II, the substance known as asbestos was routinely utilized for insulation and as fireproofing for compartments. A vessel's boiler room and engine spaces usually were the most common workspaces where a seaman or civilian worker could be exposed to asbestos particles, but practically all sections of vessels like the USS Abbot contained the mineral.

If a ship or vessel was damaged, either in conflict or due to normal operations, toxic asbestos particles could break off into the air where they could be inhaled or ingested by anyone nearby. The greatest hazard in asbestos exposure comes from asbestos sections that become easily broken, as tiny asbestos microfibers can enter surrounding air, where asbestos is inhaled by sailors in the area. Significant asbestos inhalation is conclusively proven to cause mesothelioma, tumors, asbestosis and other serious health conditions. Seamen who have been exposed to asbestos fibers may wish to learn more about symptoms and treatment options associated with mesothelioma. Please click here to receive a complimentary comprehensive packet.

Sources:

Destroyers Index