USS Severn
The USS Severn was built in 1943 at the Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard in Sparrows Point, Maryland. She was built at the request of the The United States Maritime Commission, and became the fourth ship in the US Navy to be named Severn. Her launch date was May 31, 1944, and she was commissioned on July 19, 1944 and put under the command of Lieutenant Commander Owen Rees.
The Severn was used to transport water and fuel to ships who were in the front lines of battle. Her first mission took her to Pearl Harbor to deliver fresh drinking water to Service Squadron 8. Not long after this she began to work with the 7th Fleet, bringing them water, fuel and other necessary supplies.
The ship often faced attacks from the sky. She seemed to have a large amount of luck and managed to avoid serious damage from these attacks, although a ship she was actively providing supplies to was hit by a bomb while in the Philippine Islands. She continued to provide supplies to ships in the Philippines that were landing in the Lingayen Gulf for the ground invasion.
Next, The Severn made a stop at a small land mass called Ulithi in the Pacific Ocean. She provided supplies to ships that were en route to Okinawa. When the USS Ataban also arrived at Ulithi, The Severn proceeded to travel in an ongoing route and continued to carry out her mission of delivering essential supplies. She earned 2 battle stars during World War II.
After the war The Severn went through a major overhaul before sailing back out to deliver supplies to ships participating in the series of atomic tests that were being conducted at Bikini Atoll. She spent the next several years on similar missions, until she was ordered to return to America in January of 1950 to be deactivated.
Not long after she was decommissioned, she was brought back to active status to help in the Korean War effort. On December 29, 1950 she was back in action and providing supplies for the Atlantic Service Force. She continued in active service until July 1, 1973 when she was decommissioned a second time and taken to the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A year later the ship was removed from the Navy Vessel Register, and on January 22, 1975 she was sold. Her current status is uncertain.
The Severn delivered many essential supplies to a variety of other ships. She may have also been responsible for inadvertently delivering a very dangerous material as well - asbestos. Until it was declared to be toxic, asbestos was used as a construction material in items commonly found on large ships. Asbestos is made up of tiny fibers, so the asbestos on board The Severn could have been inhaled by the members of her crew, or could have stuck to the items being delivered to other ships. Asbestos can easily cling to most surfaces and fabrics, and then be released into the air later. This led to the possibility that any person on a ship which received goods from The Severn might also have been exposed to this toxic material. Exposure to asbestos is very dangerous and can lead to potentially fatal diseases such as mesothelioma. Anyone who has been at risk of exposure should seek medical attention and be examined for contamination.
Last modified: June 27 2008.
