Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company

The Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, a subsidiary of U.S. Steel, was established in 1917 to construct steel vessels. Federal was one of the five major shipbuilding enterprises operating prior to WWI.

Emergency expansion construction was undertaken to help support the WWI effort with an infusion of $10 million from the U.S. Navy. The shipyard continued to be fully operational between WWI and WWII. It again expanded facilities to produce destroyer escorts for the Navy for WWII, with help from an additional investment from the Navy of $20 million to add an ancillary shipbuilding facility in Port Newark, New Jersey.

The Kearny Yard was located on the Hackensack River at Kearny Point, now home of the River Terminal Development Complex, where a few remnants of its shipbuilding history can still be found, including slipways, buildings, and a rusting crane. The company produced many destroyers, cruisers, and merchant ships, and it laid the keels for 64 destroyer escorts commissioned during WWII. The shipyard was closed at the conclusion of WWII.

Asbestos Exposure in Newark, NJ

The following is a list of ships constructed or repaired at this ship yard. This list includes Destroyers, Cutters, Cruisers, Battleships, Frigates, Gunboats, Torpedo Boats and Carriers.

A
USS Acree DE-167
USS Albert T. Harris DE-447
USS Amick DE-168
USS Atherton DE-169

B
USS Baker DE-190
USS Baron DE-166
USS Booth DE-170
USS Bronstein DE-189

C
USS Carroll DE-171
USS Charles E. Bannon DE-446
USS Coffman DE-191
USS Conklin DE-439
USS Cooner DE-172
USS Corbesier DE-438
USS Cross DE-448

E
USS Eisner DE-192
USS Eldridge DE-173
USS Eppers DD-719
USS Eugene A. Green DD-711

F
USS Formoe DE-509

G
USS Garfield Thomas DE-193
USS Gearing DD-710
USS Gilligan DE-508
USS Goss DE-444
USS Grady DE-445
USS Gustafson DE-182
USS Gyatt DD-712

H
USS Hamner DD-718
USS Hanna DE-449
USS Herzog DE-178
USS Heyliger DE-510

J
USS Joseph E. Connolly DE-450

K
USS Kendall C. Campbell DE-443
USS Kenneth D. Bailey DD-713

L
LCI(L) 161-196
USS Levy DE-162
LSM 253-295

M
USS Marts DE-174
USS McAnn DE-179
USS McConnell DE-163
USS McRoy Reynolds DE-440
USS Micka DE-176

O
USS O’Neill DE-188
USS Osterhaus DE-164

P
USS Parks DE-165
USS Pennewill DE-175

R
USS Reybold DE-177
USS Rinehart DE-196
USS Riddle DE-185
USS Roche DE-197

S
USS Samuel S. Miles DE-183
USS Stern DE-187
USS Straub DE-181
USS Swearer DE-186

T
USS Theodore E. Chandler DD-717
USS Thornhill DE-195
USS Trumpeter DE-180

U
USS Ulvert M. Moore DE-442

W
USS Wesson DE-184
USS Willam M. Wood DD-715
USS William R. Rush DD-714
USS William Seiverling DE-441
USS Wiltsie DD-716
USS Wingfield DE-194

Asbestos Exposure in Kearny, NJ

The Kearney Yard was the principal shipbuilding site for the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company. It was a fully operational shipbuilding enterprise prior to WWI and continued to produce steel vessels between the two world wars and during the WWII years. Even prior to the U.S. becoming formally involved in the war, the Kearney Yard was busy building ships to expand the Navy fleet. The Kearny Yard built more destroyers than any other shipyard other than Bath Iron Works, and it had many destroyers of various classes all under construction at one time.

In 1940, the Shipbuilders Union went on strike, impeding defense production in Kearny. At this point, then-President Roosevelt seized the shipyard, blaming management for the troubles and placing the yard under the control of the War Department so the operations in Navy shipbuilding could be continued. By mid-1942, the conflict was finally resolved, and the Navy returned the yards to the control of its officers.

After WWII came to an end, shipyard employment collapsed, and Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company’s Kearny Yard was shut down in 1948. It has now been developed for other industries.

The following is a list of Navy ships constructed or repaired at Federal Shipbuilding in Kearny, NJ. This list includes Destroyers, Cutters, Cruisers, Battleships, Frigates, Gunboats, Torpedo Boats and Carriers.

A
USS Aaron Ward DD-483
USS Achernar AKA-53
USS Allen M. Sumner DD-692
USS Alshain AKA-55
USS Anderson DD-411
USS Andromeda AK-64, AKA-15
USS Anne Arundel AP-76 (SS Mormacyork C3-43)
USS Appalachian AGC-1
USS Aquarius AK-66, AKA-16
USS Atlanta CL-51
USS Ault DD-698

B
USS Benham DD-397
USS Black DD-666
USS Blue Ridge AGC-2
USS Borie DD-704
USS Breckinridge AP-176
USS Bristol DD-453
USS Buchanan DD-484
USS Bullard DD-660

C
USS Castor AKS-1 (SS Challenge C2-14)
USS Centaurus AKA-17
USS Cepheus AK-67, AKA-18
USS Chara AKA-58, AE-31
USS Charles S. Sperry DD-697
USS Chauncey DD-667
USS Clarence K. Bronson DD-668
USS Compton DD-705
USS Cooper DD-695
USS Cotten DD-669

D
USS Davidson DD-618, DMS-37
USS Dashiell DD-659
USS Diphda AKA-59
USS Dortch DD-670
USS Duncan DD-485

E
USS Edison DD-439
USS Edwards DD-619
USS Ellet DD-398
USS Ellyson DD-454, DMS-19
USS English DD-696
USS Ericsson DD-440
USS Euryale AS-22 (SS Hawaiian Merchant)

F
USS Fletcher DD-445, DDE-445
USS Flusser DD-368
USS Fresno CL-121

G
USS Gainard DD-706
USS Gatling DD-671
USS General A.E. Anderson AP-111
USS General C.H. Barth AP-119
USS General G.M. Randall AP-115
USS General H.W. Butner AP-113
USS General John Pope AP-110
USS General M.C. Meigs AP-116
USS General W.A. Mann AP-112
USS General W.H. Gordon AP-117
USS General W. Mitchell AP-114
USS General W.P. Richardson AP-118
USS Glennon DD-620
USS Guardoqui IX-218 (SS E.T. Bedford)

H
USS Hambleton DD-455, DMS-20
USS Hammann DD-412
USS Hamul AK-30, AD-20 (SS Flying Cloud C2-17)
USS Hank DD-702
USS Harlan R. Dickson DD-708
USS Haynsworth DD-700
USS Healy DD-672
USS Hickox DD-673
USS Hugh Purvis DD-709
USS Hunt DD-674

I
USS Ingraham DD-694

J
USS Jeffers DD-621
USS Jenkins DD-447, DDE-447
USS John Hannay AK-32 (SS Waukegan)
USS John W. Weeks DD-701
USS Juneau CL-52
USS Juneau CL-119
USS Jupiter AK-43 (SS Flying Cloud C2-17)

K
USS Kearny DD-432

L
USS Lang DD-399
USS Lansdowne DD-486
USS Lardner DD-487
USS La Vallette DD-448, DDE-448
USS Leedstown AP-73 (SS Santa Lucia)
USS Lewis Hancock DD-675
USS Leo AKA-60
USS Liberty AK-35 (SS Wichita)
USS Libra AK-53, AKA-12 (SS Jean Lykes C2-F-130)

M
USS Maddox DD-622
USS Marquette AKA-95
USS Marshall DD-676
USS Matthews AKA-96
USS McCalla DD-488
USS McDermut DD-677
USS McGowan DD-678
USS McNair DD-679
USS Melvin DD-680
USS Mercury AK-42, AKS-20 (SS Lightning C2-16)
USS Merrick AKA-97
USS Mervine DD-489
USS Moale DD-693
USS Montague AKA-98
USS Muliphen AKA-61

N
USS Nelson DD-623
USS Neosho AO-23 (SS Neosho T3-S2-A1)

O
USS Oberon AK-56, AKA-14 (SS Delalba C2-F-133)
USS Oglethorpe AKA-100
USS Otus AS-20 (SS Fred Morris C1-B-70)

P
USS Philip DD-498
USS Plunket DD-431
USS Pollux AKS-2
USS Pollux AKS-4 (SS Nancy Lykes C2-F-131)

Q
USS Quick DD-490

USS Radford DD-446, DDE-446
USS Reid DD-369
USS Renshaw DD-499
USS Ringold DD-500
USS Rocky Mount AGC-3 (SS Rocky Mount C2-S-B1-202)
USS Rodman DD-456, DMS-21
USS Rolette AKA-99

S
USS Sangamon AO-28, CVE-26 (SS Esso Trenton T3-S2-A1)
USS Saufley DD-465, DDE-465
USS Schroeder DD-501
USS Shekiak AKA-62
USS Sigsbee DD-502
USS Soley DD-707
USS Somers DD-381
USS Spokane CL-120
USS Stevenson DD-645
USS Stockton DD-646
USS Suwanee AO-33, AVG-27, CVE-27 (SS Markay T3-S2-A1)

T
USS Theenim AKA-63
USS Thorn DD-647
USS Thuban AK-68, AKA-19 (SS Thuban C2-S-B1-203)
USS Thurston AP-77 (SS Delsantos C2-F134)
USS Titania AK-55, AKA-13 (SS Harry Culbreath C2-F-132)
USS Turner DD-648

V
USS Vandalia IX-191 (SS Walter Jennings)
USS Virgo AK-69, AKA-20, AE-30 (SS Virgo C2-S-B1-204)

W
USS Waldron DD-699
USS Wallace L. Lind DD-703
USS Waller DD-466, DDE-466
USS Warrington DD-383
USS Winston AKA-94