The USS Blower (SS-325) was built in Connecticut by the General Dynamics-Electric Boat Company and launched in April 1944. A Balao-class submarine, the Blower was named after a fish found in both the Atlantic and near the West Indies.
Three World War II Patrols
With a crew of 70 enlisted men and 10 officers, the Blower left from Pearl Harbor in December of 1944 and completed three patrols in World War II, in the South China and Java Seas. At the termination of the war, the Blower engaged in training exercises near the Caroline Islands and Marianas, and then returned to San Diego.
West Coast and Alaskan Waters
For several years, the USS Blower served the Pacific Fleet along the West Coast, with a few cruises to Japan and the Marianas. By 1948, the Blower was operating in Alaskan waters. After joining the Atlantic Fleet, she underwent extensive repairs at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
Given to the Turkish Navy
In late 1950, the USS Blower was used to train navy personnel from Turkey. She was decommissioned at the Naval Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut and then transferred to Turkey as part of the Mutual Defense Assistance Program.
In 1953, the Blower (renamed the TCG Dumlupinar) collided with a Swedish freighter in the Dardanelles and sunk; 81 men were lost.
The USS Blower: Asbestos Components
The submarines built for WWII had asbestos components such as insulation for wiring, plumbing, boilers, engines and turbines, and gaskets and brake lining. The use of such asbestos-containing products presented a risk of inhaling loose asbestos fibers.
It’s easy to inhale asbestos fibers without knowing that you’re doing so, because they’re too small to see with the naked eye and they’re so light-weight that they hang suspended in the air for hours. Submarine crews were particularly vulnerable to asbestos inhalation because of the lack of ventilation and the cramped spaces.
If you helped build the USS Blower, or if you helped repair or maintain her, or if you were a submariner on the USS Blower, see an asbestos attorney about your legal rights.
