Chapter XXI
Type Regulations for the Government of Troops Aboard Vessels of the Amphibious Forces United States Pacific Fleet

Index

Section 1. Regulations.
Section 2. Ship's Guard.
Section 3. Troop Mess.
Section 4. Troop Officers' Mess.
Section 5. Combat Loading and Unloading -- Troop Billeting.
Section 6. Embarkation -- Debarkation.
Section 7. Ship's Platoon, Working Parties and Special Details.
Section 8. Health and Sanitation.
Section 9. Cleaning and Preservation.
Section 10. Water.
Section 11. Security.
Section 12. Communication Regulations Concerning Embarked Troops.
Section 13. Life Belts.
Section 14. Battle Stations.
Section 15. General drills.
Section 16. Abandon Ship.
Section 17. Uniform.
Section 18. Saluting the Colors.
Section 19. Recreational Facilities.

Section 1. Regulations

  1. Transport Type vessels and Landing Craft of the Amphibious Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, will promulgate a set of REGULATIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF EMBARKED TROOPS based on these TYPE Regulations. Such ship's Regulations will be issued to TROOPS on or prior to their embarkation.

  2. In the preparation of the Regulations on each ship, the subject matter given under each SECTION of this Chapter will be included in corresponding Chapters of the Ship's Regulations.

  3. Attention is invited to the following references:

    1. NAVY REGULATIONS; Articles 627, 628, 629, 1458, 1459, and 1460.

    2. JOINT ACTION OF THE ARMY AND NAVY. (FTP 155). Chapter I, Paragraph 4(b) and (c); Chapter III, Paragraph 18(b) and (c); Chapter VI, Paragraph 74(a).

    3. Naval District, Navy Yard, Port of Embarkation and other such activity Regulations must be obtained and complied with when ships are loading, unloading or operating with their jurisdiction.

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Section 2. Ship's Guard

  1. Upon embarkation a Ship's Guard shall be established by the Commanding Officer of Troops. See Section 2037(g) [sic].

  2. The Guard will be under the direct command and control of the Commanding Officer of the Ship during the tour of duty. Personnel of the guard may be changed at the discretion of the Commanding Officer of Troops who will fit guard duty into his schedule of training. In actual operations and during training period involving ship to shore exercises, the guard will be replaced as recommended by the Commanding Officer of Troops.

  3. The primary duty of the Ship's Guard will be:

      To assist the Commanding Officer to deal with any Military emergency that may arise.

    The secondary duty of the Ship's Guard shall be:

      To assist the Ship's Police force to enforce the provisions of the Ship's Organization and the Ship's Regulations.

  4. The Ship's Guard detailed by the Commanding Officer of the Troops will be sufficient to man the sentry posts designated by the Commanding Officer of the Ship.

  5. The Commanding Officer of the Ship will designate the number and location of sentry posts to be manned by the Ship's Guard, and will furnish the Commanding Officer of the Troops orders for each sentry post. The Sentry duty will be in accordance with the usual Army or Marine custom but the length of each watch should in general, conform to that of the "Ship's Watch".

  6. If the Commanding Officer of the Troops considers that additional sentries are required in order to safeguard military supplies and equipment he will so advise the Commanding Officer of the Ship and request permission to establish additional sentry posts.

  7. The Guard will carry out all orders and the regulations as set forth by the Commanding Officer of the Ship. The Guard will muster at 0800 each day for inspection instruction by the new Officer-of-the-Day, and at such other times as the Commanding Officer may direct.

  8. Arm bands with the initials "SG" will be provided for members of the Guard by the Transport in which embarked.

  9. The Brassard or Arm Band for the Ship's Guard and enlisted men of the Transport Quartermaster aboard transports will

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    be of cloth of any appropriate color, similar to the regular issue as worn by the Shore Patrol.

  1. The specifications are approximately as follows:

      Brassard, width 4 inches, length 11 inches, corners trimmed.
      Letters 3 inches high by 2 3/8 inches wide.
      Tape 1/2 wide, 24 inches long.
      Continuous tape sewed to back of brassard.

  2. About six brassards will be required on each ship for Transport Quartermaster personnel and about twenty-four for Ship's Guard.

  3. All Brassards for Naval Personnel and the Ship's Guard will be furnished by the ship. The Army will furnish its own brassards for Transport Quartermaster Personnel.

Section 3. Troops Mess

  1. The following Troop Mess detail will generally be required to supplement the Ship's Personnel:

    TROOPS ON BOARD 100 300 500 700 900 1100 1300
    Chief Cook   1 1 1 1 1 1
    Field Cooks 1   1 1 2 2 3
    Assistant Cooks   1 2 3 3 4 4
    Bakers (As Available)   1 2 2 3 3 4
    Messman 5 8 11 14 17 20 22
    Storeroom Keepers 1 1 2 2 2 2 2
    Stores detail (same NCO in charge each day) 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
    Butchers       1 1 2 2

  2. The troop mess detail should report on board twenty-four hours prior to embarkation of troops.

  3. The cooks, bakers, butchers and messmen will be examined by a troop medical officer prior to assignment and there after will be examined with the ship's mess force.

  4. No mess gear will be taken from the messing compartment.

  5. Hats will not be worn in the messing compartment. Men will not enter the messing compartment wearing dirty clothing or dirty shoes except when specially authorized by the Commanding Officer of troops.

  6. Hours for mess will be in accordance with ship's regulations.

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  1. Formation for mess will be directed in accordance with Ship's Orders or Regulations and will be under the supervision of the Officer-of-the-Day of the "Ship's Guard."

  2. Keep one mess table down for each hundred men on board for men to read and study and play games. Sufficient lighting for the "down tables" should be provided. Hours will be designated by the Commanding Officer of the Ship.

  3. NCOs of the first two pay grades of troops embarked may eat in the NCO mess, to the extent permitted by its capacity.

  4. Troops will be served three (3) meals a day. (Note:--that the Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet has stated that the serving of only two (2) meals a day to embarked troops meets with his strong disapproval.)

  5. The troops and ship's company menus should be identical in every way while troops are aboard provided the facilities of the ship will permit it.

  6. The commanding Officer of Troops will appoint a mess officer for the troops. He should report to the Executive Officer of the ship any irregularities which may arise, such as:

    1. Quantity of food insufficient.

    2. Quality of food not good.

    3. Serving of food improperly.

    4. Preparation of food incorrectly.

    5. General cleanliness poor.

    6. Waste of food by troops.

Section 4. Troop Officers Mess

  1. Troop Officers will mess with Ship's Officers in the Wardroom. Although some vessels have two or more Messrooms, they will still be under the Wardroom Mess. The services of wardroom mess boys will be made available to troop officers on the same basis as ship's officers except for stateroom service. Dependent upon the number of officers, one or two settings may be required. A seating arrangement list or chart will be posted.

  2. Meal hours are normally as follows:

      FIRST SETTING SECOND SETTING
    Breakfast 0700 to 0800 0800 to 0845
    Luncheon 1200 to 1245 1300 to 1345

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      FIRST SETTING SECOND SETTING
    Dinner (in port) 1830 to 1930 1930 to 2015
                 (at sea) 1800 to 1900 1900 to 1945
                 (if darken ship) 1730 to 1830 1830 to 1915

  1. Meals will be served to officers in their rooms only when they are under Doctor's care.

  2. Expenses of Troop Officers (Army or Marine) in accordance with SecNav despatch 231530 of August 1943.

  3. An officer designated by the Troop Commander will make the collection of the mess bill, in cash, from the troop officers and will turn the funds collected over to the Wardroom mess treasurer. Should the Troop Officers advise that under their orders they are entitled to subsistence at Government expense, typed lists should be submitted to the Ship's Supply Officer, signed by the Commanding Officer of the Troops. The Supply Officer then transfers necessary funds to the Wardroom Mess Treasurer. The lists must be supported by either a copy of their orders or reference thereto, showing name, rank and organization and dates and number of rations furnished by the Wardroom Mess.

Section 5. Combat Loading and Unloading -- Troop Billeting

  1. Commanding Officers Transport Types are responsible for:--

    1. Proper Combat Loading and Unloading of the Ship in accordance with Tactical plan of Troop Commander.

    2. Preparation of loading and unloading plans in close cooperation with Troop Commander.

  2. Ship Transport Quartermasters will:--

    1. Advise Commanding Officer regarding loading and unloading plans.

    2. Prepare detailed plans under direction of Commanding Officer for:--

      1. Loading
      2. Unloading
      3. Billeting
      4. Messing of Troops

    3. Perform liaison with Troop Commander.

    4. Command Ship's Marine Detachment.

    5. Supervise the execution of loading and unloading plans.

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  1. Amphibiously trained units have a Transport Quartermaster whose duties in port are similar to those of the Transport Quartermaster assigned to the ship. To avoid confusion when both are aboard, the former will be known as the "Troop TQM" and the latter as the "Ship TQM".

Section 6. Embarkation and Debarkation

  1. FTP 167, paragraphs 921, 925, 926 (Navy), and FM31-5, paragraph 240, 242, 243 (Army) (Marine) -- (Confidential), will govern the assignment of troops and material to individual ships.

  2. Vehicles will be embarked loaded when so directed, with fuel tanks filled to 75% capacity. Containers with gasoline and other explosive material will not be loaded on the outside of the vehicle so as to be smashed between the ship and the vehicle. Serious fires have been caused in this manner.

  3. Debarkation covered by Chapter III, FTP 211.

Section 7. Ship Platoons, Working Parties and Special Details

  1. During embarkation the Commanding Officer of Troops will furnish ships platoons or working parties for each hold that is to be worked and necessary dock working parties. When stevedores are assigned to load or unload the ship, these details will not be necessary.

  2. Debarkation is an "All Hands" job. The Commanding Officer of Troops will provide ship platoons for each hold.

  3. Troops not included in working details will stay clear of the hatches when cargo is being loaded or unloaded.

  4. Ship's company will operate ships cargo handling equipment and gear.

Section 8. Health and Sanitation

  1. The health, hygiene, and sanitation of all embarked personnel is the responsibility of the ship's Senior Medical Officer.

  2. The Senior Medical Officer of the Troops will confer with the ship's Medical Officer in regard to conducting sick call and sanitary inspection.

  3. The Senior Troop Medical Officer will maintain constant liaison with, and bring to the attention of the ship's Senior Medical Officer any discrepancies noted by him in the sanitation of troop galleys, mess spaces, compartments, heads, and personal hygiene of Troops.

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  1. Especial attention must be given to the adequacy of ventilation in troop compartments at all times; this will necessitate frequent inspections and constant supervision. When possible hatches and ports will be opened for ventilation. Additional guards may be detailed around hatches for purposes of safety.

  2. Medical supplies and equipment needed while troops are embarked will be furnished by transports.

  3. Medical Officers attached to troops will hold sick call.

  4. Communicable diseases will be reported at once to the Commanding officer.

  5. Troop mess force (Section 3) contracting any disease will be relieved at once.

  6. Bedding will be aired frequently.

  7. Swabs will be aired and sunned on the weather decks daily.

  8. Suitable clothes lines shall be rigged topside and wet clothing should not be kept in berthing spaces.

  9. During the day, weather permitting, unoccupied troops should be kept in the open air as far as practicable and giver regular, daily physical exercise.

  10. The entire troop deck should be frequently policed and maintained in a sanitary and healthful condition.

  11. Head and washroom facilities will be allotted to troops on same basis as to members of the crew.

Section 9. Cleaning and Preservation

  1. The Commanding Officer of troops will be responsible for the cleanliness and preservation of all living compartments, washrooms, heads, holds, hatches, and deck spaces allotted to troops and ladders leading up therefrom. The First Lieutenant of the ship will issue chits for obtaining cleaning gear from the storekeeper; brooms, swabs, brushes, buckets, etc., will be collected and returned to the First Lieutenant prior to debarkation of troops.

  2. All fittings in washrooms and heads will be inventoried at the time of arrival of troops and upon their departure to insure that all are in place.

  3. Sufficient cleaning details will remain on board during final debarkation, except for debarkation for combat or simulated combat, to give final cleaning to all areas, heads, washrooms, etc., for which troops were responsible

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    after they have been cleared by the troops. A final inspection by the Commanding Officer of Troops and the Captain of the Ship or their designated representatives will be made before these cleaning details are secured.

  1. The Commanding Officer of Troops and the Executive Officer of the ship or their designated representatives will inspect troop quarters daily. Organization Commanders or their officer representatives will be in the compartments assigned their units during this inspection.

  2. Prior to embarkation of Troops, the Commanding Officer of the Transport and the Commanding Officer of the Troops, or their respective representatives will make a joint inspection of the quarters to be occupied by troops.

Section 10. Water

  1. Stringent restrictions may be imposed upon the use of fresh water whenever it is necessary to do so.

  2. The Commanding Officer of Troops will exercise strict supervision over the use of fresh water by troops in order to prevent its waste.

  3. Fresh water will be made available for troops on an equal basis with ship's crew. When unusual economy is necessary the burden will be shared equally.

  4. No alternations will be made of plumbing fixtures in troop officer and troop compartments.

Section 11. Security

  1. Ship's movements, landing operations or any other military matters pertaining to the transports will not be discussed with civilians or strangers ashore, nor will interviews be given, or articles submitted for publication except as authorized by Navy Regulations.

  2. No articles which will float will be thrown overboard.

  3. During Darken Ship striking matches, smoking, use of flashlights, or the exposure of any naked lights is prohibited in any place from which the light can be seen from outside the transport.

  4. At sea, all cargo ports and air ports are habitually kept closed.

  5. Troop personnel mail shall be governed by existing censorship regulation which are to be incorporated in a Ship's Order. Troop officers designated as censors will be thoroughly instructed in Navy Censorship Regulations.

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Section 12. Communication Regulations Concerning Embarked Troops

  1. Insofar as practicable, communication and signal officers shall embark three days in advance of the troops to be embarked. These officers shall bring sufficient communication personnel to establish advance message centers. The respective military and naval representatives will establish smoothly functioning unit and joint communication agencies on board ship in advance of the arrival of the Landing Force. (Paragraph 811 FTP 211).

  2. A message center will be established by the Commanding Officer of troops prior to the embarkation of the main body if practicable. Ship and Staff communication officers will make arrangements for the reception of the foregoing officers and men; and, for the provision of adequate space for unit message centers, this space should be located as near the ship's communication officer as is practicable. (Paragraph 812 FTP 211.)

  3. Naval Communication officers will furnish landing force communication officers with adequate copies for distribution of the following:

    1. Suitable diagrams showing office and communication spaces.

    2. Roster of naval officers aboard, showing their official capacities. (Paragraph 813 FTP 211).

  4. Landing Force communication officers will furnish the Navy communication office with:

    1. List of troop officers aboard and their official capacities.

    2. Call signs of embarked units, cryptographic systems held, and other information pertinent to communications. (Extract -- Paragraph 813 -- FTP 211).

  5. Military communication personnel for ships carrying a headquarters comparable to a division will be designated by the Landing Force Commander from communication personnel which will not be required ashore until the occupation has been assured. This personnel will remain aboard the ship so long as communication is required between the ship and the Landing Force Commander ashore. They will be landed when released by the senior Naval Communication Officer on the ship, who will release them upon the request of the Landing Force Commander, or if no request is made, prior to final departure of the ship from the vicinity of the operation.

  6. Embarked units will detail messengers to the ship's communication office, the radio room, and the signal bridge as may be necessary for the expeditious handling of messages for the Landing Force.

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  1. All troop communications to or from the ship will go through the ship's communication office. Such communication must be released by the Commanding Officer of the ship or the senior naval officer aboard after first being released by the Commanding Officer of the Troops aboard or his duly authorized representative. The Ship will provide all exterior and intership communications enroute to the theater of operations. Naval cryptographic channels will normally be used. All traffic originated by the troops is subject to approval for release by the Naval communication officer. In many cases, it will be necessary to prohibit the release of this traffic in order to keep communication channels open for tactical traffic essential to convoy maneuvering. (Paragraph 829 FTP 211).

  2. The procedure for sending troop messages from the ship will be as follows:

    1. The troop officer originating dispatch will obtain its release by the Commander of troops or proper staff officer who is responsible for the form of the message and who is authorized to release dispatches.

    2. The originator sends the message to the troop's message center which in turn delivers it to the ship's communication office.

    3. The Navy communication officer obtains authority to transmit the dispatch.

  3. The procedure for incoming troop messages will be as follows:

    1. The troop messenger stationed in the ship's radio room will receipt for the message and deliver it to the troop message center.

    2. If the message is confidential or secret, the troop communication watch officer will deliver the dispatch to the addressee.

  4. Embarking signal and communication officers will arrange with the Transport Quartermasters and the Transport Communication officers to insure that communications equipment is loaded so as to be readily accessible; and in such manner as to provide for the correct unloading sequence. Equipment which is to be employed in the assault phase should be stowed in message centers, auxiliary radio rooms, radio spare parts stowage, or other spaces under the control of the ship's communication officer so that it can be serviced readily; and, be available for use. Spare parts and accessories for communication equipment to be landed shall be stowed with their associated equipment and landed intact. Paragraph 818 FTP 211).

  5. The loading plan for communication personnel and equipment not to be landed with assault units (including advance base and 90 day replenishment equipment) must be coordinated with the Transport Quartermasters to provide for distribution between the ships to avoid excessive loss in the case

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    of sinking. Furthermore, priority of unloading should be such that equipment to establish advance base communications will be unloaded as soon as the assault permits. (Paragraph 821 FTP 211).

  1. Pyrotechnic supplies of the landing force will be stowed in the ship's pyrotechnic locker or lockers with similar specifications. (Paragraph 822 FTP 211).

Section 13. Life Belts

  1. Life jackets and belts will be worn or carried by embarked troops at all times when at sea.

  2. Whenever troops are embarking or embarked in Ship's landing craft, they will wear a life belt and keep the oral type inflated. When about to land during training exercises, they will, when landing is assured, remove life belts and leave them in the landing craft. When landing in the face of enemy opposition life belts will be worn until troops get ashore and then discard them on the beach. Commanding Officers and Troop Commanders will issue the necessary instructions regarding this matter during each particular exercise, including instructions covering the procurement of life belt for wearing during re-embarkation.

Section 14. Battle Stations

  1. Arrangement will be made between the Commanding Officer of the Ship and the Commanding Officer of troops for the detail of troops to augment the ship's regular gun crews of anti-aircraft batteries, fire control, anti-aircraft lookouts and anti-submarine lookouts.

  2. A survey of the ship will be made and troop anti-aircraft weapons that can be set up will be so emplaced. Troops under the supervision of Troop Officers will man these weapons. Orders concerning the fire control will be issued by the Commanding Office of the Ship to the troop-manned guns via the Gunnery Officer.

  3. With the exception of Troops so detailed, all troops shall remain below decks during general quarters, keeping passageways and ladders clear for personnel engaged in the evolution.

  4. See Type Battle Bill.

Section 15. General Drills

  1. During fire or collision drills or in case of actual fire or collision, troops will remain quietly in their assigned places except that they will clear passageways and affected areas of the ship.

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Section 16. Abandon Ship

  1. Commanding Officers shall cause the Embarked Troops to be thoroughly instructed and exercised in the procedure to be employed should it be necessary to abandon ship, as soon as practicable after they arrive on board.

  2. As a general rule, troops shall be cleared from the ship first, then the crew.

  3. The following measures are important and shall be considered in preparing the Troop Abandon Ship Bill:--

    1. Life rafts must be stowed where they can be launched with ease.

    2. Troops shall be made available to assist in launching life rafts, if necessary.

    3. Debarkation nets shall be rigged at suitable locations starboard and port to facilitate the debarkation.

    4. Assembly area for troop units and the routes to be used to reach boats and/or rafts, shall be prescribed.

  4. Should the condition arise where personnel would have to abandon ship by jumping over the side, the following points must be stressed:--

    1. Chin straps on steel helmets must not be secured under the chin when jumping from a height into the water. Serious injury with possibility of a broken neck will result. The helmet should be carried, not worn, and put on after the owner is in the water.

    2. Some of the old type life belts fitted with slab cork are still in use. Experience has shown that these life belts should not be worn when jumping into water from a height. When the wearer strikes the water, the life belt is forced up under the arms with considerable force resulting in injuries. This type of life belt should be carried and put on when in the water.

    3. The CO2 life belts must not be inflated before the wearer jumps into the water from a height. When this is done, the belt is forced up under the wearer's arms when he strikes the water and the catch, which is none too strong, is torn loose.

    4. All personnel concerned will be instructed immediately in the points covered in sub-paragraphs (1), (b) and (c).

Section 17. Uniform

  1. The Troop Commander will recommend to the Commanding Officer of the ship a suitable uniform of the day to be worn by the embarked Troop Officer and Troops.

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Section 18. Saluting the Colors

  1. Attention is invited to the following Articles of the U.S. Navy Regulations:

    1. Article 286(1) "HONORS TO THE NATIONAL ENSIGN AT 0800".

    2. Article 286(2) "HONORS TO THE NATIONAL ENSIGN AT SUNSET".

Section 19. Recreational Facilities

  1. Ship's Recreational Facilities shall be made available to embarked troops insofar as practicable. This shall particularly apply to the facilities of the ship's library. If the books available are inadequate for the number of troops embarked, additional books will be issued to transports in sufficient quantity to provide an extra supply for troop passengers. For the most part, paper-bound books is included in the commissioning library, and paper-bound Armed Services Editions are forwarded monthly to every vessel by mail from the Naval Supply Depot, Oakland. Additional books are also available for issue to vessels carrying troops upon request either to the bureau of Naval Personnel or to the District Librarians attached to the staffs of the Commandants of the ELEVENTH, TWELFTH, THIRTEENTH, FOURTEENTH, and FIFTEENTH Naval Districts. Books for chartered troop transports may also be obtained from these District Offices.

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