USS Caperton DD-650

Named for Admiral William Caperton, who died only five days after the attack on Pearl Harbor at the age of 91, the USS Caperton (DD-650) was one of 175 Fletcher-class vessels ordered by the U.S. Navy during World War II. She was laid down on 11 January 1943 at the Bath Iron Works in Maine and completed in just more than five months. She was commissioned on 30 July of that year, and she was led by Commander W. J. Miller.

The Caperton was remembered as one of the hardest-fighting ships in the Pacific Fleet. Her journey began on 6 November 1943 when she reported to Pearl Harbor. Between then and 1949, neither she nor her crew had many breaks from action. Over the next several months, she was involved in virtually every major action and dozens of smaller assignments, accompanying the Fast Carrier Task Force as part of the screen (ships whose job it is to detect enemy submarines and incoming aircraft from as far off as possible), in a fleet that crossed the Pacific numerous times.

The crew of the Caperton was involved in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, protecting the carriers and the planes that ultimately destroyed the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Service. She then went on to Guam, where she sank an enemy cargo ship. She played a major role screening carriers and support battles throughout the series of campaigns that ultimately relieved the Philippines from Japanese control.

Amazingly, there is no record of Caperton having suffered any major damage, even after sailing through the disastrous typhoon of 18 December 1944 that sank three other ships and severely damaged several others. She did, however, finally return to a west coast port in early 1945 for long-overdue overhaul and maintenance work. She returned to Okinawa for radar picket duty, an exceptionally dangerous job in the face of Japanese suicide attacks during the closing weeks of the conflict. The fact that she came through without battle damage is a tribute to her crew's expertise with radar.

After participating in the final strikes on the Japanese homeland, Caperton served for several months with the post-war occupation force.

Except for two years in reserve at Charleston, South Carolina the post-war and Cold War years were hardly less eventful for the vessel. The USS Caperton came out of retirement on 6 April 1951, after only two years in mothballs, and went back into combat during the Korean conflict. This was followed by a circumnavigation of the globe and operations with NATO in 1954. In 1955 and 1956, she completed a tour of duty in the Mediterranean, patrolling during crises in Egypt and Jordan during that period and taking part in the NATO war game Operation Strikeback in the fall of 1957.

The USS Caperton saw more action in 17 years than most ships do in 30 years. She was retired on 27 April 1960 at the NOB in Norfolk, Virginia and sunk in a target training exercise in the 1980s.

Asbestos Risks

On every U.S. Navy vessel up until the 1960s, the fibrous mineral asbestos was commonly used for insulating pipes and for fire control. A ship's boilers and mechanical compartments usually were the sections where a seaman or a shipyard worker was most likely to inhale asbestos fibers, but essentially every section of a ship such as the USS Caperton presented a real danger of asbestos exposure. Even greater danger of experiencing harmful levels of asbestos exposure occurred whenever a craft was hit, in conflict or through daily operation, since such events often exposed asbestos-contaminated materials to the open air where anyone nearby could inhale or ingest the toxic particles.

Exposure to asbestos can cause the development of a serious asbestos-related illness such as mesothelioma, asbestosis or lung cancer. Mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, can develop when asbestos fibers become lodged in organs or body cavities, causing inflammation or infection. Navy veterans with a history of exposure to asbestos fibers should inform their medical professionals about this history to aid in the detection of an asbestos-related disease since diagnosis can be difficult.

Since symptoms often resemble more common illnesses such as influenza, many are unaware of the severity of their condition. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or served aboard the USS Caperton or worked on the construction or repairs of the vessel and wish to learn more about the cancer, treatment and legal options, please click here and Asbestos.com will send you a complimentary comprehensive packet in the mail.

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Destroyers Index