USS Cabezon SS-334

The USS Cabezon (SS-334) was a U.S. Navy submarine, approximately 312 feet long and 27 feet wide, carrying a crew of 70 enlisted men and 10 officers. A sub of the Balao class, the Cabezon was named for a fish that inhabits the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans. “Cabezon” is a Spanish word for “big head.”

The Cabezon is credited with sinking one vessel in World War II; she received a single battle star for her service.

A Japanese Cargo Vessel
Built by the Electric Boat Company and launched in August 1944, the Cabezon’s first and only World War II patrol was in the Sea of Okhotsk in 1945. She sank a 2,600-ton Japanese cargo vessel and was then refitted at Midway. She later performed training and local operations based at Subic Bay, Philippines.

Training and Reconnaissance
The Cabezon’s home base was moved to San Diego in early 1946, and then to Pearl Harbor. Next were training cruises, local operations, and cruises to the:

 North Pacific
 South Pacific
 Arctic Circle
 Far East

The Cabezon’s missions included a reconnaissance operation near La Perouse Strait, between the USSR and Hokkaidō, Japan.

The USS Cabezon was put on reserve at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California in 1953. She was sold for scrap in late 1971.

Asbestos Used in the USS Cabezon
There’s little doubt that asbestos was used in the construction of the Cabezon, as was true for most (possibly all) U.S. Navy vessels built in the 1940s through the 1960s. In addition, the following activities present significant opportunities for exposure to dangerous levels of asbestos:

 ship/submarine repairs
 maintenance
 overhauls
 conversions
 stripping
 scrapping

Learn More about the Rights of Asbestos Victims
If you were involved in any of these activities in connection with a Navy vessel — or if it is a member of your family who did so — learn more about the dangers of asbestos exposure, including the risk of cancers and severe respiratory disorders. Contact an asbestos victims’ rights law firm near you to get answers to your medical and legal questions.