The USS Jallao (SS-368) was named after a fish found in the Gulf of Mexico. Built and launched by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company of Wisconsin, the Jallao was a Balao-class submarine carrying a crew of 80–81 men. She was awarded four battle stars for her service in World War II.
A Warship Sunk on the First Patrol
In 1944, like other subs made at Manitowoc Shipbuilding on the shore of Lake Michigan, the Jallao was loaded into a floating dry dock and towed down the Mississippi to New Orleans. Her first war patrol was conducted during the famed Battle of Leyte Gulf. The Jallao destroyed the Japanese warship Tama, and later returned to Majuro.
Lifeguard Duty
Repairs at Midway interrupted the Jallao’s second patrol; lifeguard duty at Marcus Island and off the coast of Japan followed. Advanced training in the Marianas was next, and during her fourth and last patrol in August 1945, the USS Jallao sank a 6,000-ton freighter, the Timoko Maru.
GUPPY IIA Conversion
With the cessation of hostilities, the Jallao proceeded to San Francisco, and she was decommissioned at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. She underwent a GUPPY IIA conversion in 1953 at New London, Connecticut. She joined Submarine Squadron 6, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Sold to the Spanish Navy
The USS Jallao served the U.S. Navy for many more years in a variety of capacities. She was decommissioned for the last time in 1974 and sold to Spain, where she was renamed the SPS Narciso Monturiol. In 1985, she was scuttled off the coast of Cartagena.
The USS Jallao’s Asbestos Components
All ships built before the 1970s had the potential to contain many asbestos components. The Jallao probably had insulation, gaskets, valves and more that were in part or entirely made of asbestos. Thus, the personnel who built the Jallao, those who repaired or maintained her, those who converted her to a GUPPY sub, and those who served aboard her were at risk of toxic asbestos exposure.
If you’re concerned about the outcome of asbestos exposure from the USS Jallao, contact an asbestos lawyer in your area today and learn more.
