The USS Carbonero (SS-337), named for a West Indies saltwater fish, was built by the General Dynamics company Electric Boat. Launched as a Balao-class submarine in late 1944, the Carbonero sailed from New London, Connecticut to serve in Key West with the Fleet Sonar School, then to the Panama Canal and on to Pearl Harbor.
Two WWII Patrols
Soon after the Carbonero’s first World War II patrol doing lifeguard duty off Formosa in 1945, she sank:
two sampans
four schooners
two junks
Then the war’s cease-fire was ordered and the Carbonero proceeded to Subic Bay. She received one battle star for her WWII service.
Post-War Years
The Submarine Guided Missile Program was the Carbonero’s next assignment, operating out of Port Hueneme and San Diego, California. In 1951 she was fitted as a Fleet Snorkel sub. Her home port was moved to Pearl Harbor in the late 50’s, and she started deployments to the Western and Southern Pacific and the Far East.
The Carbonero assisted in the evaluation of Regulus missile guidance equipment and later helped in the training of troops from Japan and the Republic of Korea. In 1962, she was redesignated as an attack submarine and participated in “Operation Dominic,” the nuclear tests in the Central Pacific — she was about 30 miles from the nuclear detonation.
Decommissioned in 1970, Used as a Torpedo Target
One of the USS Carbonero’s final activities was lifeguard duty in the Far East during the Vietnam War. She was decommissioned in late 1970 and later used as a torpedo target off Hawaii.
Asbestos Aboard the USS Carbonero
The Carbonero — like all U.S. Navy submarines — had asbestos components. The Electric Boat Company employees who built the Carbonero and the many men who served aboard her were all at risk of accidentally inhaling the tiny fibers of which asbestos is composed.
If you or your loved one may have been exposed to asbestos years ago on the USS Carbonero, contact an asbestos lawyer in your area to discuss your concerns. You may be eligible for compensation for damages such as medical bills and job loss.
