What Uses Did Asbestos Have During World War II?

World War II ushered in a production boom for the United States at a time when the country was struggling economically to survive the Great Depression. The war created millions of new jobs to build ships, planes, tanks, and other equipment.

Extensive uses during World War II

Military uses for asbestos were numerous, including:

• Ships
  • Submarines
  • Cruisers
  • Destroyers
  • Aircraft carriers
  • Troop ships
  • Cargo vessels
• Motor vehicles
  • Cars
  • Trucks
  • Tanks
  • Jeeps
  • Troop transport vehicles
  • Supply trucks
• Buildings
  • Base dormitories
  • Family and overseas housing
  • Camp barracks
  • Mess halls
  • Office buildings
  • Dispensaries
• Weapons and equipment
  • Rifles
  • Machine guns
  • Tank turrets
  • Gas masks

Shipyard mesothelioma death rates

Asbestos in World War II ships was prevalent. Asbestos was used throughout ships in adhesives, gaskets, valves, pumps, turbines, cables, and other equipment.

Sailors had very significant exposure to asbestos. Burke, Early, and Chapman’s Shipbuilding’s Deadly Legacy (2001), recounts how during World War II a new Liberty ship hit the water in Baltimore every 37 hours. The U.S. shipbuilding process combined 25 tons of asbestos with 4.5 million workers. The authors found that more workers died of asbestos disease due to building ships during World War II than died on the battlefield. Approximately 30 percent of people diagnosed with mesothelioma worked in shipyards or on ships.