USS Jenkins DD-447
The USS Jenkins (DD-447), named for Rear Admiral Thornton A. Jenkins, was a Fletcher class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam.
The Jenkins was laid down on November 27, 1941 at Kearny, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company and was launched on June 21, 1942. The Jenkins was commissioned on July 31, 1942. She was 376 feet 4 inches long with a beam of 39 feet 5 inches and a 13 foot draft.
On June 29, 1943, the Jenkins began her first Pacific landing duty, joining other units to invade New Georgia Island. During the invasion, the Jenkins brought down several Japanese planes.
On July 5, 1943, the Jenkins departed Tulagi in the Solomon Islands to intercept a Japanese destroyer and transport force carrying reinforcements to Kolombangara. In the early hours of July 6, 1943, the Jenkins took part in the Battle of Kula Gulf, where American forces managed to sink one destroyer and drive another to shore. During the battle, enemy torpedoes sank the light cruiser USS Helena (CL-50).
On April 30, 1945, during minesweeping operations off Tarakan Island, the Jenkins struck a mine. She was forced to sail into Subic Bay for emergency repairs. On July 8, 1945, she sailed to San Pedro, California, to finish the repairs. She was decommissioned at San Diego, California, on May 1, 1946.
However, because of the outbreak of the Korean conflict, additional naval strength was needed. The Jenkins was recommissioned as a destroyer escort (DDE-447) on November 2, 1951. On February 25, 1952, the Jenkins departed San Diego for a training period at Pearl Harbor where she remained homeported.
On September 11, 1966, the Jenkins entered Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for a major overhaul. As soon as the overhaul was completed in early 1967, the destroyer prepared for another deployment in the war zone.
After more than 26 years of brave and faithful service, the Jenkins was decommissioned again on July 2, 1969.
Asbestos Exposure on the USS Jenkins
Like other Fletcher class destroyers, the USS Jenkins had over 30 tons of asbestos insulation on the ship’s piping and machinery. When the ship was constructed at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, the shipyard workers who installed these massive quantities of insulation were exposed to heavy concentrations of asbestos dust.
Later, when the USS Jenkins was overhauled and repaired, shipyard workers at Subic Bay, San Pedro, Pearl Harbor, and other shipyards had to remove and replace this insulation in order to repair and maintain the turbines, pumps, valves, and other machinery. The men who served on the USS Jenkins were likewise exposed to asbestos at sea as they operated and maintained the ship.
Over the years, our firm has represented many clients who were exposed to asbestos on the USS Jenkins. Tragically, many of the men who served or worked on the Jenkins have been diagnosed with asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma from exposure to the toxic asbestos used on the ship’s machinery. Thousands of veterans and shipyard workers remain at risk for asbestos disease as a result of their exposure on the Jenkins.
