⚓ Articles About Asbestos on Navy Auxiliary Ships

🚢 AOG Gasoline Tanker History and Ship Classes

NHHC wartime ship-classification references define AOG as a gasoline tanker. These auxiliaries carried fuel to bases, ships, and forward operating areas where larger fleet oilers were not always the best fit.

Patapsco (AOG-1) was laid down in May 1942, launched in August 1942, and commissioned February 4, 1943. NHHC lists her at 310 feet 9 inches long with a full-load displacement of 4,142 tons and complement of 149. After reaching the Pacific, Patapsco transported gasoline and other petroleum products among New Caledonia, the Solomons, New Hebrides, Ulithi, the Palaus, Saipan, and Guam.

AOG construction was not uniform. Aroostook (AOG-14), for example, had originally been built as the diesel-electric tank barge Esso Delivery No. 11 before Navy acquisition in 1943. Towaliga (AOG-42), a smaller Mettawee-class gasoline tanker, was built under a Maritime Commission contract and commissioned in December 1944.

These differences matter. Researchers should not assume that a Patapsco-class AOG, a Mettawee-class tanker, and a converted commercial vessel had identical propulsion plants, equipment, insulation, or piping arrangements.

See Naval Auxiliary Ships AOG Asbestos Exposure Lawsuits and Navy Ships Asbestos Exposure.

⛽ Fuel Transport, Transfer Systems, and Work Areas

AOG operations centered on petroleum logistics. Patapsco transported gasoline and other petroleum products, while NHHC records show other AOGs carrying aviation gasoline, diesel oil, motor gasoline, and related POL cargoes. Yahara (AOG-37), for example, loaded aviation gasoline and diesel oil at Aruba before deploying to the Pacific.

Potential AOG work areas included:

• Cargo tanks and associated access areas.
• Fuel-transfer pumps and pump spaces.
• Fuel piping, manifolds, valves, and flanges.
• Deck transfer stations and hose-handling areas.
• Engine and auxiliary-machinery spaces.
• Generator and electrical compartments.
• Ventilation and machinery-support spaces.
• Workshops and repair areas.
• Crew passageways and service compartments.

Petroleum transfer piping itself should not automatically be labeled asbestos-insulated. A credible exposure history identifies the actual component or nearby system, the product used, and the maintenance that disturbed it. In many cases, stronger historical asbestos questions involve machinery gaskets, pump or valve packing, thermal systems, electrical components, or adjacent insulated piping rather than the gasoline cargo itself.

⚙️ Machinery, Pumps, Valves, Piping, and Electrical Systems

AOG engineering plants varied by class. Regardless of propulsion type, gasoline tankers needed pumps, valves, piping, electrical power, ventilation, and auxiliary equipment to move cargo safely and operate at sea. Converted commercial ships could have machinery histories different from purpose-built Navy auxiliaries.

NAVSEA’s asbestos archive includes historical Qualified Products Lists for metallic-asbestos spiral-wound piping gaskets, high-pressure asbestos rod packing, compressed asbestos gasket material, thermal insulation products, and electric-cable stuffing-tube packing.

Potential maintenance activities to investigate include:

• Opening machinery and piping flanges.
• Removing and replacing gaskets.
• Repacking pumps and valves.
• Servicing cargo-transfer pumps.
• Removing insulation to reach machinery or utility piping.
• Repairing generators, motors, and electrical equipment.
• Maintaining ventilation equipment.
• Cleaning machinery spaces after repairs.

Not every gasket, packing material, insulation product, or electrical component contained asbestos. Manufacturer, model, Navy specification, installation date, and replacement history should be established whenever records permit.

See Navy Pump Equipment Asbestos Exposure, Navy Valve Equipment Asbestos Exposure, Navy Electrical Equipment Asbestos Exposure, and Navy Generator Equipment Asbestos Exposure.

🔩 Potential Asbestos-Containing Auxiliary Ship Materials

NAVSEA’s public asbestos reading room preserves historical Navy procurement records identifying asbestos-containing product categories. Examples include asbestos-fiber thermal insulation felt, metallic-asbestos piping gaskets, high-pressure asbestos packing, compressed asbestos gasket sheet, pipe-covering compounds, deck-covering materials, and packing used with electric-cable stuffing and terminal tubes.

Material categories worth investigating aboard older AOGs include:

• Thermal insulation and pipe covering where documented.
• Piping and machinery gaskets.
• Pump and valve packing.
• Compressed gasket sheet.
• Historical deck-covering systems and compounds.
• Electrical-cable packing.
• High-temperature insulation and repair compounds.
• Replacement products installed during overhaul.

Chronology is critical. Many publicly available NAVSEA asbestos QPL records date from the 1950s through the 1970s, while numerous AOGs were built or converted during World War II. A later QPL can establish a Navy product category, but it cannot by itself prove original installation aboard a ship in 1943 or 1944.

For wartime AOG research, stronger evidence may include builder plans, Bureau of Ships correspondence, Ship Information Books, machinery manuals, manufacturer catalogs, wartime specifications, repair files, and shipyard work records.

See Navy Equipment Asbestos Exposure and Navy Equipment Manufacturers Asbestos Exposure.

👷 AOG Crew Occupations and Maintenance Duties

Gasoline tankers required deck, engineering, electrical, pump, damage-control, and maintenance personnel. Rating can help reconstruct likely duties, but actual work areas and tasks provide stronger evidence of a possible asbestos exposure pathway.

• Navy Machinist’s Mates Asbestos Exposure — propulsion and auxiliary machinery, pumps, valves, and piping.
• Navy Electricians Asbestos Exposure — generators, motors, switchboards, wiring, and electrical equipment.
• Navy Pipefitters Asbestos Exposure — piping, flanges, insulation, gaskets, valves, and packing.
• Navy Welders Asbestos Exposure — piping and structural repair near legacy materials.
• Navy Hull Maintenance Technicians Asbestos Exposure — piping, valves, decks, and structural maintenance.
• Navy Damage Controlmen Asbestos Exposure — emergency repairs, firefighting, damaged materials, and piping work.

Deck and fuel-transfer personnel could potentially work near pump, valve, piping, or machinery maintenance. A bystander exposure history should identify the material, task, compartment or deck location, proximity, frequency, and duration rather than relying solely on AOG assignment.

See Navy Occupations Asbestos Exposure.

🏗️ Repairs, Overhauls, and Shipyard Work

AOGs required repairs and overhaul like other Navy vessels. NHHC records that Agawam (AOG-6) entered a shipyard for overhaul after returning to San Pedro in 1946 and later underwent a pre-inactivation overhaul at San Diego. Namakagon (AOG-53) completed an overhaul at San Pedro in 1947. Nespelen (AOG-55) was drydocked at Boston in December 1945 for repairs to auxiliary engines and a propeller.

Potentially relevant repair activities include:

• Opening propulsion and auxiliary machinery.
• Servicing cargo-transfer pumps.
• Replacing pump and valve packing.
• Opening piping systems and replacing gaskets.
• Removing insulation to access equipment.
• Repairing generators and electrical systems.
• Modifying ventilation equipment.
• Renovating machinery or crew compartments.

A shipyard or drydock period does not prove asbestos exposure. Researchers should locate work packages, repair specifications, material lists, technical manuals, manufacturer files, asbestos surveys, or witness evidence identifying the actual work and materials.

See Navy Shipyards Asbestos Exposure and Navy HVAC Equipment Asbestos Exposure.

📂 Deck Logs, Technical Records, and Exposure Evidence

The National Archives states that Navy deck logs and muster rolls provide no direct evidence of asbestos use or presence aboard Navy ships or ship components. Muster rolls can help establish assignment. Deck logs can identify dates when major overhaul, reconfiguration, cleaning, repainting, repair, or abatement occurred.

For 1941–1959 ships, NARA notes that deck-log remarks can record operational events such as fuel or provisions being received and machinery status such as boilers being engaged or shut down. For AOG research, these chronological records can help establish where a ship was operating and when significant work occurred, but they normally do not identify the material used in a repair.

Useful evidence can include:

• DD-214 and Official Military Personnel Files.
• Muster rolls and personnel records.
• Deck logs.
• Official NHHC ship histories.
• Bureau of Ships correspondence.
• Ship Information Books and system layouts.
• Navy specifications and Qualified Products Lists.
• Ship plans and machinery arrangements.
• Fuel-transfer and pump manuals.
• Technical manuals and equipment instruction books.
• Shipyard overhaul and repair files.
• Builder and manufacturer records.
• Asbestos surveys or abatement records when available.
• Shipmate or coworker statements.
• Medical records documenting diagnosis.

See Navy Records & Documentation for Asbestos Exposure, How to Obtain Navy Bureau of Ships Technical Manuals, and Documents Needed for Navy Asbestos Claims.

⚕️ Health Risks, VA Benefits, and Legal Options

Asbestos exposure is associated with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease. These illnesses can develop decades after exposure, but diagnosis alone does not establish the auxiliary ship, product, manufacturer, or exposure event.

For an AOG veteran, useful details include the ship name and hull number, class, service dates, rating, fuel-transfer duties, machinery spaces, pumps, valves, piping, insulation, gasket or packing work, overhaul periods, shipyards, and witnesses. Other Navy assignments and civilian employment should also be included in a complete lifetime exposure history.

Veterans diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease may investigate VA disability benefits. Depending on the evidence and potentially responsible companies, civil lawsuits or asbestos trust fund claims may also be possible. Eligibility, deadlines, and outcomes depend on the individual facts and applicable law.

See Navy Asbestos Exposure Health Risks, Navy VA Benefits for Mesothelioma, and Navy Asbestos Legal Options.

No AOG assignment, historical asbestos record, diagnosis, or exposure history guarantees VA benefits or compensation.

❓ Navy Auxiliary Ship Asbestos FAQ

What does AOG mean in the U.S. Navy?

NHHC wartime classification references define AOG as gasoline tanker.

What did AOG gasoline tankers carry?

Depending on the ship and mission, NHHC histories document cargoes including gasoline, aviation gasoline, motor gasoline, diesel oil, and other petroleum products.

Were all Navy AOGs built the same way?

No. Some were purpose-built classes while others had commercial origins. Aroostook, for example, had been a Standard Oil diesel-electric tank barge before Navy acquisition.

Could older AOGs contain asbestos-containing materials?

Potentially. NAVSEA records document historical asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, packing, pipe-covering products, deck materials, and cable packing, but ship-specific installation should be established.

Does working around gasoline cargo prove asbestos exposure?

No. Petroleum cargo is not itself evidence of asbestos exposure. Research should identify a documented asbestos-containing component or material and the work that disturbed it.

Can a later NAVSEA QPL prove a World War II AOG installation?

No. A later QPL documents a historical Navy product category but does not prove what was installed aboard a particular tanker years earlier.

Can deck logs prove asbestos was aboard an AOG?

No. NARA states that deck logs provide no direct asbestos evidence. They can identify assignment, operations, and significant repair dates for deeper research.

What should an AOG veteran document first?

Start with the ship name and hull number, class, dates aboard, rating, fuel-transfer duties, work spaces, pumps, valves, piping, repair periods, shipyards, suspected materials, witnesses, and medical records.