USS Earle DD-635

The Gleaves-class destroyer was the last and most numerous of the six classes of vessels that were built during the 1930s as part of a U.S. Naval modernization program. Built in 1941 at the Boston Navy Yard, the USS Earle (DD-635) was launched just three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor and was commissioned on 1 September 1942 under command of Lieutenant Commander H. W. Howe.

War Service

After a three-month shakedown period, Earle made three crossings of the Atlantic between early December 1942 and the end of April 1943, escorting convoys to North Africa. In June, she was ordered back to the port of Oran, Algeria for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. Her participation lasted throughout the campaign, after which she remained as an escort vessel until sailing for home on 11 August.

Between 6 December 1943 and 1 May 1944, she made four convoy runs between the U.S. and Great Britain, then was transferred to the Mediterranean at the end of May for general duty until June 1945.

Conversion

Earle was ordered back to Norfolk on 11 July 1945 for conversion and refits that turned her into a minesweeper. By 23 June she was reclassified as DMS-42 and on her way to the Pacific for mopping-up and occupation duty on 27 August. Minesweeping duties off the coast of Korea and in waters formerly occupied by Japanese Naval forces kept Earle occupied until 1947, when she returned to San Francisco to stand down. She was mothballed on 17 May 1947. Although she reverted to destroyer status in 1955, she was never again called to active duty, and was ultimately scrapped in October 1970.

Asbestos Risks

The mineral asbestos was widely installed for pipe insulation and fire control in every American Navy destroyer utilized throughout World War I and World War II. While nearly every section of destroyers like the USS Earle contained some level of asbestos, the ship's engines and mechanical spaces were usually the areas where someone aboard a vessel were in the most danger of inhaling asbestos fibers. Additional danger of undergoing extensive asbestos contact occurred when a vessel was damage, whether in combat or through daily operations, since such events often uncovered asbestos-contaminated compartments, allowing asbestos fibers to enter the air where anyone nearby could inhale or ingest them into the body.

Those who lived and worked aboard the USS Earle were not the only ones placed at risk of asbestos exposure. Repair personnel, such as pipe fitters and electricians, who maintained destroyers when they were in port for service and those who worked on the construction of ships and vessels were also frequently exposed to asbestos.

Asbestos exposure can lead to the development of mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Mesothelioma develops when asbestos fibers enter the body and become lodged in organs and cavities, causing inflammation or infection. If you served aboard the USS Earle or have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and wish to learn more about your treatment and legal options, please click here and Asbestos.com will send you a complimentary comprehensive packet about the cancer.

Sources:

Destroyers Index