TERMINOLOGY AND NOMENCLATURE

[Annotated: "US Navy 1942" eds.]

Abaft — in direction of stern.

Athwartship — at right angle to fore and aft line.

Aye, Aye Sir — reply to officers order — meaning "I understand and will carry out the order."

Bear a hand — to hurry.

Bearing — the direction of an object from the observer.

Belay — to make fast.

Below — below decks.

Bilge — the bottom part of a ship or boat next to the keel.

Binnacle list — sick list.

Bitts — vertical pieces of metal secured to the deck of a vessel. Used to secure hawsers under heavy strain.

Bitter end — the end of a rope.

Bos'n's chair — the piece of a board on which a man working aloft is swung.

Bow — Forward end of a ship.

Brackish — moderately salty water.

Bright work — brass work, polished.

Bulwarks plating around the vessel above the upper deck.

Capstan — a barrel of wood or steel fitted to revolve on a vertical axis. Used to hoist anchor or heavy weights.

Case guns — guns which use projectile and powder combined into a cartridge.

Chainsthe place or platform forward from which the lead line is heaved.

Coaming — the raised boundary of hatchways or doors to keep water from going below. Conning — directing the helmsman in steering a vessel.

Davits — curved metal spars projecting over the ship's side, used for hoisting boats and heavy weights. (Cutting davits?)

Deadlights — pieces of heavy glass fitted into ship's deck or sides to admit light. Deadweight — (capacity) — the difference between a vessel's light and loaded displacement.

Dog Watch — one of the two hour watches from 1600 to 2000

1600-1800 — 1st dog watch 4 section watch allows rotating of watch.
1800-2000 — 2nd dog watch
2400-0400 — Mid Watch
0400—0800 — Morning watch
4 section watch allows rotating of watch.
("dog" — engine room watch; dog — i.e., cut down.)

Dungarees — working clothes (blue overall type material).

Eyes of the ship — the extreme forward portion of the ship.

Field Day — day for cleaning up all parts of a ship.

Flotsam floating wreckage.

Forecastle — the upper deck forward on the foremast.

Freeboard — that portion of a vessel out of water. Ranger has a lot.

Galley — the cooking compartments aboard ship.

Gross Tonnage — the measure of the cubical contents of a vessel below decks.

Hatchway — the opening in a deck forming a passageway from one deck to another.

Water-tight door. ( Scuttle — hole through hatch.)

Hawse Pipes — pipes in the bow for the anchor cable.

Head — toilet.

Irish pennants — rope yarns or loose ends hanging (very unseamanlike ).

Jacob's Ladder — a ladder of rope with wooden steps for use over the side.

Keel — lowest center line longitudinal member, the backbone of the ship.

Landfall — sighting land. Hitting spot you expect to hit.

Latitude — a distance north or south of the equator expressed in °s 's "s

Leave — authorized absence from duty for more than 48 hours.

Liberty — authorized absence from duty for 48 hours or less. Also rates, movies etc.

Lee shore — a shore onto which the wind is blowing.

Lee side — side away from the wind. Spit to leeward.

Longitude — distance east or west of the meridian running through Greenwich England. Look alive — admonition to be alert.

Lucky bag — a safe place where articles of clothing and other articles found adrift are placed for safekeeping. Those claiming articles in "Lucky Bag" are subject to demerits.

Make water — to leak. To seep (pumpship is expression in connection with head)

Midships middle section of a ship;

Outboard — toward the side.

Pipe down — "keep quiet"

Port — left side of a ship looking forward

Starboard right green (longest words

Port left red (shortest words

Ports — openings in the ship's side for various purposes — light, air, guns etc.

Scuppers — holes in the side of the ship through which water is discharged from the waterways. (Rat out of scupper — lay over and go around fast.)

Smoking lamp — when smoking lamp is lighted, smoking is permitted, when smoking lamp is out, smoking is not permitted.

Speed Cone — a canvas cone painted yellow. Purpose — to indicate to others vessels in formation the actual speed that a ship's engines are making.

Stanchions — vertical pillars supporting a beam or some other portion of a ship.

Stand by — a preparatory order.

Starboard — right side of a ship looking forward.

Stem — the vertical extension of the keel forward.

Stern — after part of vessel.

S.R.B.P. — Short Range Battle Practice.

Subcaliber gun — a small gun mounted on the side or in the bore of a larger gun for use in drill.

Taffrail — rail around the vessel's stern.

Topside — above decks.

Truck — a cap or metal fitting at the summit of a flag staff or masthead.

Turn to — to begin work.

Two block — to hoist signal play and so forth until all the way up. Conjunction with clothing.