USS Sable IX
The USS Sable IX was a freshwater aircraft carrier that was built and launched by the American Ship Building Company in Lorain, Ohio and was commissioned on may 8th, 1943 under the command of Captain William A. Schoech. The Sable IX had been originally named the Greater Buffalo but was given the name Sable on September 19th, 1942 and was then converted and altered at the Erie Plant of the American Shipbuilding Company in Buffalo, New York. The ship was vastly superior and was praised for such qualities such as having a low draft and easy handling to her that allowed her to carry passengers and supply cargo to areas that were otherwise inaccessible to all types of schooners and screw-driven vessels.
Technology that made her particular were the paddle wheel that gave her special abilities such as having less vibration than most screw driven ships and she also proved to be generally steadier in rough water making her specifically ideally suited for passenger services. The USS Sable IX had a special design that included the side wheel construction apparatus and she also proved to ultimately provide more room than a traditional screw-driven vessel. The Sable had a total of four decks along with a central saloon on the promenade that rose through two of the decks and she also boasted over 1500 berths.
The USS Sable IX was originally based in Chicago, Illinois due to the central location of the Great Lakes and having an immense body of water to train and base operational exercises within. Along with the addition of an extra carrier deck that was altered during her conversion at Lake Erie, she had alos been designated for military use as a training and exercise ship in order to help qualify naval pilots with carrier landings without tying up the combat carriers that were busy with operations out at sea already. The Sable IX was then assigned to the 9th Naval District on June 1st, 1943 where she conducted numerous pilot qualifications. The USS Sable IX was officially decommissioned on November 7th, 1945 and then struck from the Naval Vessel Register on November 28th. She was sold on July 7th, 1948 for scrap metal. Since then, no other ship has been named the Sable as of January of 2008.
The USS Sable IX and her crew served bravely and with great honor during their military careers yet sadly, the sailors faced a danger they were unaware of at the time. Their ship had been constructed with asbestos used as an insulator around many of its pipes and installations. We now know that workers exposed to asbestos are at risk for the development of lung and breathing problems including a type of cancer called mesothelioma. Any crewmembers who have reason to believe they may have come in contact with asbestos while aboard the USS Sable IX should visit with a physician immediately to assess their risk of one day developing mesothelioma. If diagnosed, veterans suffering from this type of cancer should be informed of all mesothelioma treatment options and begin treatment immediately.
Last modified: December 09 2009.
