Chapter XXII
Life Belts and Jackets

Section 1. References

  1. Bureau of Ships letter S33-6-(7) (850) over EN28/A2-11 of January 6, 1942.

  2. Vice Chief of Naval Operations letter Op-23-A-RIP 4/22/42 over QB (166)/P14-2(411004), Serial 118523, of April 23, 1942.

  3. Bureau of Ships letter S33-6-(7)(3631) over EN/28/A2-11 of May 26, 1942.

  4. Bureau of Ships letter S33-6-(7)(8631) over EN28/A2-11 of July 13, 1942.

  5. Bureau of Ships letter S33-6-(7)(3681) over EN28/A2-11 of September 7, 1942.

Section 2. General

  1. Paragraph 2201 gives instructions regarding how to wear a pneumatic life belt.

  2. Paragraph 2202 gives a report of a special board to investigate the subject of special equipment and sets forth a policy regarding the type of life belts and life jackets to be worn by embarked troops and the crew.

  3. Paragraphs 2203 and 2204 are instructions regarding life jacket lockers on Combat Loaded Transports.

  4. Paragraph 2205 gives a set of instructions regarding the use of the Oral inflated life belts.

  5. Life jackets will be worn by ship's company, officers and enlisted personnel; embarked troops, Navy Beach Parties and passengers will wear life belts at all times when at sea. Commanding Officers are authorized to modify the above instructions while vessels under their command are operating in protected inland waters where operating conditions so warrant.

  6. The instructions contained in paragraph 2210 above, may be further modified by Commanding Officers for personnel standing watch or on duty in machinery or other confined spaces below deck, where it would make them very uncomfortable. If modifications are made, however, such personnel not actually wearing life jackets or belts will have them ready and close at hand.

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  1. Landing Ship company, Landing Craft company and Landing Boat crews will wear life jackets at all times when engaged in landing exercises, and at such other times as may be required by Regulations and instructions.

  2. Whenever troops are embarking or embarked in ship's landing boats, LVTs or DUKWs they will wear a life belt and will keep the oral type inflated. Commanding Officers and troop Commanders will issue necessary instructions regarding this matter, including instructions covering obtaining of life belts to be worn during the debarkation and proper testing procedures. Troop Commanders will instruct troops to discard life belts on the beach or in the immediate vicinity.

  3. The Commanding Officers of all vessels of this Force landing beach parties will instruct the officers and men of these beach parties to collect all life belts and life jackets discarded by the troops on the landing beaches and return them to their respective ships. Troop Commanding Officers shall arrange for the return of life belts carried beyond the beach head area at a time when tactical and work priority considerations permit.

  4. The Commanding Officers of APAs, AKAs, LSVs, LSDs, LSMs, LSTs, LCIs and other vessels landing troops in amphibious landing operations will instruct their Landing Boat Division Officers, Coxswains of all boats, LVT and DUKW drivers to return all life belts and life jackets worn by troops to their respective ships. This is absolutely necessary in order that sufficient life belts and life jackets will be available for reembarkation of assault troops after objectives have been captured.

  5. In order to permit ready identification of life belts and life jackets and their return to their ship of origin all life belts and life jackets should be marked with the designation and number of the ship.

  6. Attention is called to the fact that the majority of the ship's company are to wear Kapok type life jackets and that the life belts are reserved for the embarked troops and Navy Beach Parties.

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