USS Blueback SS-326

The USS Blueback (SS-326), named for a type of salmon found in the Pacific, was a Balao-class submarine. Like many of the submarines built for World War II, the Blueback was constructed in Groton, Connecticut by the Electric Boat Company.  She was launched in the spring of 1944 with a complement of 70 enlisted men and 10 officers.

Sank a Submarine Chaser and Other Enemy Vessels

The USS Blueback received two battle stars for her service in WWII and is credited with sinking a 300-ton submarine chaser and eight smaller vessels over the course of three war patrols in a seven-month period in the Java Sea and South China Sea.

Ports Around the World

In the fall of 1945, Guam became the base for the Blueback as she traveled to ports such as:

 Caroline Islands
 Admiralty Islands
 Pearl Harbor
 Truk
 Subic Bay
 Tsingtao
 Shanghai
 the Mediterranean

Transferred to Turkey in the Late 40’s
In 1948, the USS Blueback was decommissioned by the U.S. Navy and transferred to Turkey.

Asbestos in U.S. Navy Vessels

When WWII began, the U.S. Navy rushed to build up its fleet. In a five-year period, the fleet was greatly expanded due to the shipbuilding efforts of several million shipyard employees. Thousands of tons of asbestos were used in the manufacture of ship components.

Asbestos Is Toxic

Asbestos materials were used to wrap electrical wires and pipes, line boilers and insulate boiler rooms, and insulate engines and turbines in Navy vessels. The shipyard workers and submarine crews who came into contact with these asbestos materials were at risk of inhaling airborne asbestos fibers — a toxic danger.

A Dangerous Carcinogen

Asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma are just a few of the potential outcomes of asbestos inhalation. Thousands of Navy veterans and shipyard workers have been diagnosed with these diseases, often directly traceable to their years of service in the 1940s or later.

If you or your family member worked on or served aboard the USS Blueback, see an asbestos attorney in your area to discuss your concerns about asbestos exposure.