USS Hatfield DD-231

USS Hatfield (DD-231/AG-84) was a Clemson-class destroyer of a type obsolete by World War II. Nonetheless, the basic design was versatile enough to allow the vessel to be used, with some modifications, in a wide range of support operations.

Hatfield was built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation and launched on 17 March 1919; her commission came on 16 April 1920, with Lt. N. Vytlacil serving as her first captain.

Early Service History

Hatfield sailed for Key West, Florida, in September 1920, continuing with crew training exercises along the Atlantic coast for the remainder of the year. From 4 January 1921 to 24 April she operated in the Caribbean, followed by fleet maneuvers until 7 November. She was then was assigned to the 14th squadron of the Atlantic Fleet.

During early 1922, Hatfield's home port was Charleston, South Carolina. In October, she sailed for the Mediterranean to join the U.S. fleet stationed off the coast of Turkey, where she remained on patrol duty until the end of July 1923.

Upon return to New York in August, she was assigned to the U.S. Scouting Fleet. For the next seven years, Hatfield participated in numerous battle exercises and maneuvers. In November 1930 she sailed for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she was decommissioned two months later.

The Pacific and the Mediterranean

On 1 April 1932, she was placed in rotating reserve commission and stationed out of San Diego. In April 1936, she departed for an 18-month tour of the western Mediterranean, arriving in Charleston, South Carolina, in mid-December of 1937. Hatfield was again decommissioned in April 1938.

World War II

She was reactivated with the outbreak of war in Europe in September 1939 and was assigned to the Neutrality Patrol in the Atlantic for the next 11 months. Hatfield was then assigned to the west coast. Four days after the Pearl Harbor attacks, she sailed to Alaska for patrol duty. During the early months of the Pacific war, Hatfield convoyed merchant ships to Alaskan ports, assisting in the establishment of bases in the North. This mission continued until 13 March 1944, when she returned to Seattle, Washington.

Hatfield engaged anti-submarine in Puget Sound until August, then entered Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton for conversion to a target-towing vessel. Re-designated AG-84 on 1 October 1944, she took up her new duties based out of Seattle. For the remainder of her commissioned service, Hatfield operated out of Port Angeles, Washington, on the Strait of Juan da Fuca, towing targets for aircraft bombing practice. Hatfield was decommissioned for the last time on 13 December 1946 and was sold for scrap to the National Metal and Steel Corporation in Los Angeles, California.

Asbestos Risks

The mineral asbestos was widely employed for insulating pipes and for fireproofing on board each American navy ship through both world wars. Ships' engine room and mechanical sections were generally the sections where a seaman or a civilian worker was most likely to inhale air contaminated with asbestos, but nearly all parts of a ship like the Hatfield presented a measurable level of asbestos risk. Even greater danger of extensive asbestos exposure resulted if a ship took damage, whether in battle or accidentally, as that often uncovered asbestos-laden components to the open air or subjected them to flames or flooding.

When dealing with asbestos, the greatest hazard to human health occurs in situations where strands become damaged and friable, because if minute asbestos filaments can enter the air, the particles can then be breathed in by workers close to the asbestos. Research has shown that grave health disorders such as asbestosis, cancer of the lungs and mesothelioma are associated with a history of asbestos exposure.

All those with a history of contact with asbestos fibers should inform their primary physicians, because most asbestos-caused disorders are tricky to diagnose as the symptoms can be mistaken for those of other illnesses. To learn more about the diagnostic process, available treatment options and financial assistance to help pay for medical costs, please fill out this form to receive a comprehensive packet in the mail.

It is one of the tragic realities of the Second World War that on top of the normal dangers associated with battle, sailors who lived and worked aboard the Hatfield were frequently endangered by asbestos fiber exposure. This was true even though the Hatfield suffered only minor damage in combat and went through fairly routine refits and patch jobs. Regardless of the absence of large-scale combat damage and repair activity, our troops who worked on the Hatfield, as with sailors on the other vessels of this class, were nevertheless in danger of inhaling asbestos fibers in the daily execution of their duties. This was especially the case for maintenance workers such as pipefitters and mechanics who repaired or overhauled the ship when the Hatfield spent time dry-docked.

For the men who served and labored on board this naval vessel at any time in their career, and those assigned to other Navy ships, it is vital that they become well-informed about the hazards raised by wartime exposure to asbestos, especially in light of what we now know about the outcome of asbestos inhalation.

Sources:

Destroyers Index