USS Utah BB 31
The USS Utah BB 31 was a Florida-class dreadnaught battleship that was originally launched on December 23rd, 1909 from the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey. The ship was commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on August 31st, 1911 under the command of Captain William S. Benson. She joined the Atlantic Fleet and conducted exercises in gunnery and torpedo defense. Until it was learned that the German ship the SS Ypiranga was bound for Vera Cruz with a shipment of arms and munitions earmarked for the dictator Victoriana Huerta.
Utah received orders to search for the ship and put out to sea heading to Vera Cruz. When it appeared that the shipment might have already landed, the Navy took quick steps to seize the customs house at Vera Cruz and stop the delivery at all costs. The U. S. fleet reached Mexican land on April 21st, 1914 and began sending her battalion of 17 officers and 367 sailors into Vera Cruz to secure the ports there.
The Utah visited the Isle of Portland in the United Kingdom and later served as a part of the honorary escort to the George Washington which transported President Woodrow Wilson to Brest, France for the Paris Peace Conference. Afterwards she returned to the Caribbean to participate in operational exercises with the Atlantic Fleet where she was officially given the Navy hull classification BB 31 on July 17th, 1920.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor lasted a couple of hours, but for the USS Utah BB 31, it was over in a few minutes. Immediately after the ship and her sailors sounded the general quarters alert, she suffered a direct hit from a torpedo and her mooring lines snapped when she began to roll over. 30 officers and 431 enlisted men survived the tragic destruction and sinking of the ship while tragically, 6 officers and 52 enlisted men lost their lives. The Utah was decommissioned on September 5th, 1944. The USS Utah BB 31 received one battle star for her World War II service and was added to the National Record of Historic Places and declared a National Historical Landmark in 1989.
The USS Utah BB 31 and her crew undoubtedly suffered dangers on a daily basis during her service. Although, the perils of treacherous weather and risk of enemy attacks were apparent, they weren’t the only threats with them. Asbestos-laden materials were commonly used in the construction of ships and submarines during this time period, and their crews were constantly in serious danger of inhaling these deadly airborne asbestos fibers. Asbestos was most widely used within the insulation of the ship, most specifically within the insulation built along with piping. Any crewmembers that have served aboard the USS Utah BB 31 and are at all concerned with themselves possibly being exposed to this deadly asbestos must carefully monitor their respiratory health. The development of mesothelioma, also referred to as asbestos cancer, has been directly linked to prior exposure to asbestos.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
