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.
Chains— the 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.