Aboard Ship Photos

Coxswain

A coxswain or cockswain was at first the swain (boy servant) in charge of the small cock or cockboat that was kept aboard for the ship's captain and which was used to row him to and from the ship. The term has been in use in England dating back to at least 1463. With the passing of time the coxswain became the helmsman of any boat, regardless of size.

USS Wiseman in Sasebo, Japan. Flooding Drydock. Picture is from Fantail of USS Wiseman

Damage to the hull was from running aground at Cheju Do Island in Korea
Nov. 1952 on a night mission.The damage to the hull occurred on the night of November 3, 1952,
while detached to the "Whitebread Patrol" or CTE (Combined Task Element) 95.12. It
struck a submerged rock, damage was called minor but it did require dry dock
facilities and was sent to a Japanese port.

Korean War: Chronology of U.S. Pacific Fleet Operations, September–December 1952

The USS Wiseman was on night patrol navigating in a mine swept channel off
the West coast of Korea and the Radarman on watch warned the bridge "4" times
that land was dead ahead and that we should turn to port now! The bridge acknowledged,
but did not turn. The Captain was on the bridge when the ship hit damaging the sonar
dome and part of the hull and then had to back off the "rock" at an angle
that took the ship into un-swept waters.

The crew was charting the ships movements and recommending courses to get back into the
channel. As best that could be recalled it took about 30 long minutes to get back into the
"swept channel." The Wiseman then steamed back to "Yokosuka" for repairs. (There are
several pictures on the site of the ship in dry dock). After repairs were done
and on the very first day of sea trials in Tokyo Bay to check the repairs out and
while the Captain was in command on the bridge, the Wiseman ran into the sub nets
in Tokyo Bay! The Wiseman then had to go back for additional repairs. The Captain was
relieved of command two days after the incident.

( I was in my bunk at the time we hit and slid all the way to the bottom of my
bunk from the force of the impact. It scared the hell out of me and of course
the collision alarm blaring away and everyone running to their stations didn't
ease my fright. It all worked out and for months afterwards, the Radar crew had
some good laughs about the "grounding.")

From 19, November to 29 November 1952 the Wiseman was part of CTE 95.11, West
Coast Blockade and Patrol Group, which was based around the carrier USS
Badoeng Strait CVE-116 and consisted of the Wiseman DE-667, Hickox DD--673,
HMS Comus D-20, and HMCS Haida DDE-215. The screening ships varied from two
to four ships as screen ships were assigned to 95.12 for night patrols.

This is from the Action Report of the USS Badoeng Strait CVE-116.

Forecastle

The appropriate pronunciation for this word is fo'ksul. The forecastle is the forward part of the main deck. It derives its name from the days of Viking galleys when wooden castles were built on the forward and after parts the main deck from which archers and other fighting men could shoot arrows and throw spears, rocks, etc.

Galley

The galley is the kitchen of the ship. The best explanation as to its origin is that it is a corruption of "gallery". Ancient sailors cooked their meals on a brick or stone gallery laid amidships.

Head

The "head" aboard a Navy ship is the bathroom. The term comes from the days of sailing ships when the place for the crew to relieve themselves was all the way forward on either side of the bowsprit, the integral part of the hull to which the figurehead was fastened.

Pea Coat

Sailors who have to endure pea-soup weather often don their pea coats but the coat's name isn't derived from the weather.

The heavy topcoat worn in cold, miserable weather by seafaring men was once tailored from pilot cloth a heavy, course, stout kind of twilled blue cloth with the nap on one side. The cloth was sometimes called P-cloth for the initial letter of "pilot" and the garment made from it was called a p-jacket — later, a pea coat. The term has been used since 1723 to denote coats made from that cloth.

S.O.S.

Contrary to popular notion, the letters S.O.S. do not stand for "Save Our Ship" or "Save Our Souls". They were selected to indicate a distress because, in Morse code, these letters and their combination create an unmistakable sound pattern

Scuttlebutt

The origin of the word "scuttlebutt," which is nautical parlance for a rumor, comes from a combination of "scuttle" to make a hole in the ship's hull and thereby causing her to sink —- and "butt" a cask or hogshead used in the days of wooden ships to hold drinking water. The cask from which the ship's crew took their drinking water like a water fountain — was the "scuttlebutt". Even in today's Navy a drinking fountain is referred to as such. But, since the crew used to congregate around the "scuttlebutt", that is where the rumors about the ship or voyage would begin. Thus, then and now, rumors are talk from the "scuttlebutt" or just "scuttlebutt".

Took the wind out of his sails

Often we use "took the wind out of his sails" to describe getting the best of an opponent in an argument. Originally it described a battle maneuver of sailing ships. One ship would pass close to its adversary and on its windward side. The ship and sails would block the wind from the second vessel, causing it to lose headway. Losing motion meant losing maneuverability and the ability to carry on a fight

Watches

Traditionally, a 24-hour day is divided into seven watches. These are: midnight to 4 a.m. [0000-0400], the mid-watch; 4 to 8 a.m. [0400-0800], morning watch; 8 a.m. to noon [0800-1200], forenoon watch; noon to 4 p.m. [1200-1600], afternoon watch; 4 to 6 p.m. [1600-1800] first dog watch; 6 to 8 p.m. [1800-2000], second dog watch; and, 8 p.m. to midnight [2000-2400], evening watch. The half hours of the watch are marked by the striking the bell an appropriate number of times.

Josephus Daniels (18 May 1862-15 January 1948) was appointed Secretary of the Navy by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913. Among his reforms of the Navy were inaugurating the practice of making 100 Sailors from the Fleet eligible for entrance into the Naval Academy, the introduction of women into the service, and the abolishment of the officers' wine mess. From that time on, the strongest drink aboard Navy ships could only be coffee and over the years, a cup of coffee became known as "a cup of Joe.

USS Wiseman DE 667 - Aboard Ship Photo's 2