USS Longshaw DD-559

The USS Longshaw (DD-559) was a ship named for Dr. William Longshaw, Jr., who was a U.S. seaman killed in the Civil War. She was a destroyer in the Fletcher class, laid down on 16 June 1942 in Seattle by the Seattle Tacoma Shipbuilding Company and launched on 4 June 1943.

History of the Longshaw

The Longshaw was commissioned on 4 December 1943 and undertook her shakedown cruise off the U.S. west coast. She departed San Francisco on 18 February 1944 and sailed west to Pearl Harbor, and then on to Kwajalein.

She was assigned to the 5th Fleet and began patrol duties of Wotje and Maloelap Islands until 15 March. She participated in the strikes on Palau, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai as a screen for resupply lines for the Fast Carrier Attack Force 38/58. The Longshaw returned to Pearl Harbor for minor repairs and training exercises on 9 May.

The Longshaw left again for the Marianas on 30 May as an escort for the northern attack force. She arrived off the coast of Saipan on 15 June and remained there for the next two months.

On 9 September, the Longshaw engaged a convoy of Japanese ships off Mindanao and was successful in destroying three. She continued in her support role during the Philippine campaign and left for Ulithi on 2 October. On 6 October she offered support to carriers that were intensifying their air strikes in support of the impending invasion of the Philippines. During these operations, the Longshaw shot down a Japanese torpedo bomber on 12 October.

At that time, the Longshaw was based at Ulithi and operated with TG 38.3 through the end of the year. She participated in extensive aerial attacks on Okinawa, Formosa, and Luzon, acting as a carrier screen. She sailed into the South China Sea with Task Force 38 and launched attacks against Japanese in French Indochina (later Vietnam), Formosa, and the coast of China. She returned to Ulithi on 26 January 1945.

On 10 February, the Longshaw left Ulithi and acted as a fighter-director for night raids against Tokyo on the 17th and 18th. For the remainder of February, she escorted TG 58.5 in actions around Iwo Jima. The Longshaw bombarded enemy targets on shore and provided this fire support to U.S. combat troops through April and May.

The Sinking of the Longshaw

On 18 May 1945, the Longshaw ran aground on a coral reef south of Naha airfield in Okinawa. Attempts were made to save the vessel, though all were unsuccessful. The tug Arikara arrived just before noon and attempted to take the ship in tow. Japanese batteries began salvos against the Longshaw and tug, and the destroyer attempted to fire back, but an incoming shell impacted the forward magazine and completely destroyed the bow.

When it seemed clear that the Longshaw was lost, the captain gave the order to abandon ship. Eighty-six of the ship's crew, including the captain, died in the explosion and ensuing fires. Later in the day, when a decision was made to not attempt a salvage, the Longshaw was destroyed by gunfire and torpedoes from U.S. ships.

Asbestos Risks

In the first seven decades of the 20th century, every American navy destroyer widely utilized the mineral asbestos for insulating compartments and as fireproofing. The vessel's boilers and engineering sections were generally the spaces where a seaman or maintenance workers were likely to come into contact with air contaminated with asbestos; however, essentially all areas of the Longshaw presented at least some asbestos exposure. When the ship took damage in battle, by severe weather, or through misfortune, it often uncovered asbestos-contaminated materials to the air or subjected them to flames or flooding. This resulted in increased danger of having high levels of asbestos contact.

When dealing with asbestos, the greatest danger of harmful exposure is experienced when products made from the mineral become damaged and friable; when the asbestos filaments are released into the surrounding air, the material can then be breathed in by workers near the exposure. Numerous studies have shown that life-threatening medical issues such as asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma are caused by even low levels of asbestos contact.

Navy personnel exposed to asbestos should notify their physicians, since many asbestos-caused diseases can be hard to distinguish from 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.

One of the unfortunate realities of World War II was that in addition to the normal hazards associated with combat, servicemen who served aboard the Longshaw were all too often imperiled by asbestos inhalation, particularly because the Longshaw saw heavy battle damage. On top of the serious damage, sailors who lived and worked on board the USS Longshaw, like people on her sister craft, were often endangered by asbestos fibers in the everyday conduct of their loyal service. With her short time in service, the Longshaw did not log much dry dock time; however, the risk of asbestos contact did exist for repair personnel such as pipe fitters and carpenters who worked on the ship whenever she was in port for repairs.

In light of our increased understanding of the outcome of asbestos exposure, servicemen who lived and labored on board this naval vessel at any time in their career, and those assigned to other vessels like her, must learn more about the dangers posed by their former exposure to asbestos fibers, especially considering the Longshaw's history.

Sources:

Destroyers Index