The USS Northampton (CL/CA-26) was a Northampton-class cruiser laid down on April 12, 1928, and launched on September 5, the following year. It was commissioned on May 17, 1930, under Capt. Walter N. Vernou’s command as CA-26 and served in the U.S. Navy for 12 years until it sank in the Battle of Tassafaronga on December 1, 1942. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 696 people on board and had its main missions in Oahu, Wake Island, Midway, Guadalcanal, Tassafaronga, San Cristobal, Pearl Harbor, and San Pedro. After sinking, the ship was struck from the Navy List on November 28, 1945. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Northampton received 6 battle stars. Almost all of the military ships in the U.S. that were commissioned between 1930 and 1980 contained asbestos from bow to stern. Personnel aboard any of these ships or civilians that provided shipyard maintenance, repair, or deconstruction may have been at risk of developing asbestos-related illnesses like asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. During dry dock periods for repairs and overhauls, workers in all labor trades inhaled the dust used by insulators, carpenters, machinists, welders, and painters.
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