Lone Sentry Blog

Summary of naval terminology from FM 30-50: Recognition Pictorial Manual of Naval Vessels, U.S. Navy Department, September 1943:

TERMINOLOGY

ABAFT _ _ _ behind; toward stern from.
ABEAM _ _ _ at right angles to the keel.
AMIDSHIPS _ _ _ the middle portion of a vessel.
ARMOR _ _ _ steel plating designed to defeat shells, bombs, or underwater explosion.
ARMOR BELT _ _ _ band of armor extending along a ship’s sides above and below water-line.
ATHWART _ _ _ across; from side to side; traversly.
BEAM _ _ _ extreme width of ship.
BILGE _ _ _ curved part of ship’s hall where sides and flat bottom meet.
BLISTER _ _ _ a bulge built into a ship’s side as a protection against torpedoes.
BOOM _ _ _ a free-swinging spar used to secure boats or to handle cargo, boats or aircraft.
BREAK _ _ _ the point at which upper decks are discontinued.
BRIDGE _ _ _ raised forward platform from which ship is conned and navigated.
BULKHEAD _ _ _ transverse or longitudinal partitions subdividing the interior of a ship.
BULWARKS _ _ _ light plating or wooden extension of ship’s sides above upper deck.
CASEMATE _ _ _ armored gun mount built into the sides or superstructure of a ship.
CLASS _ _ _ vessels of the same type built to a common basic design.
COMBINED OPERATIONS _ _ _ joint operations conducted by nonhomogeneous forces or forces of different services and/or nationalities.
COMPANIONWAY _ _ _ hatchway providing access from one deck to another.
COMPARTMENTATION _ _ _ subdivision of a ship’s hull by means of transverse and/or longitudinal bulkheads.
CONNING TOWER _ _ _ armored ship control station. In submarines, the main deck structure.
COUNTER _ _ _ side of a vessel’s quarter.
COWL _ _ _ a smoke baffle located on top of a funnel; opening of a ventilator.
DAMAGE CONTROL _ _ _ comprehensive term for all means of mitigating or offsetting effects of damage aboard ship.
DEPTH CHARGE _ _ _ explosive device projected or dropped from air or surface craft; detonated at predetermined depths by a hydrostatic mechanism.
DISPLACEMENT _ _ _ the weight of water displaced by a ship.
FANTAIL _ _ _ after section of the main deck.
FORE _ _ _ that part of a ship lying between bow and midship section.
FORE AND AFT _ _ _ lengthwise of a ship.
FORECASTLE _ _ _ deck; a forward upper deck extending to bow.
FREEBOARD _ _ _ height of a ship’s sides from waterline to a weather deck.
FLYING BRIDGE _ _ _ a light self-supporting structure extruding from side of ship’s bridge.
GUN HOUSE _ _ _ a lightly protected, rotating mount for guns of lesser calibre.
GUN SHIELD _ _ _ any protection for gun crews which does not completely enclose mouut.
GUNWALE _ _ _ upper edge of a vessel’s or boat’s side.
HALYARDS _ _ _ light lines used in hoisting signals, flags, etc.
HATCH _ _ _ opening in a deck.
HAWSE PIPES _ _ _ tubes leading anchor chains from deck down and forward through bow plating.
HELM _ _ _ the mechanism for operating the ship’s rudder.
HULL _ _ _ main body of a vessel exclusive of elements of superstructure.
ISLAND _ _ _ a free-standing section of a ship’s superstructure. On aircraft carriers, the ship’s superstructure.
KEEL _ _ _ center line strength member running fore and aft along the bottom of a ship.
KNOT _ _ _ a unit of speed, equalling one nautical mile (6,080.20 feet) per hour.
LIST _ _ _ traverse inclination of a vessel.
MAIN BATTERY _ _ _ the heaviest calibre gun armament carried by a naval vessel.
MAIN DECK _ _ _ a ship’s highest continuous deck.
MINE _ _ _ a device containing high explosive charge, free-floating or anchored at fixed depth, or resting on bottom; detonated by contact, or by electrical or magnetic impulse.
MULTIPLE MAST _ _ _ an exposed mast having one or more supporting elements.
PEAK (fore and aft) _ _ _ compartment at the extreme bow or stern of vessel below decks—usually a tank.
PORT _ _ _ left hand side of a vessel when looking towards bow; an opening.
QUARTER _ _ _ that portion of a vessel’s side near the stern.
QUARTER DECK _ _ _ part of upper deck reserved for officers; also the deck near the stern.
RADIO DIRECTION FINDER _ _ _ device for determining direction of source of radio impulses.
RAKE _ _ _ fore and aft inclination from vertical.
RANGEFINDER _ _ _ optical instrument for determining distance to a target or other object.
RECIPROCATING ENGINE _ _ _ a steam actuated piston engine as distinguished from a turbine.
RIGGING _ _ _ collective term for ropes and chains employed to support masts, yards, and booms of vessel.
SECONDARY BATTERY _ _ _ the gun armament next in calibre to main battery.
SHEER _ _ _ longitudinal upward or downward curvature of deck or gunwale.
SHEER LINE _ _ _ line formed by intersection of deck and sides of a ship.
SPLINTER SCREEN _ _ _ light armor shields for protection of crew.
STACK _ _ _ exposed uptake from ship’s boilers; funnel.
STARBOARD _ _ _ the right hand side of a vessel when looking towards bow.
STEM _ _ _ extreme forward line of bow.
STERN POST _ _ _ the main vertical post in the stern frame upon which the rudder is hung.
SUPERSTRUCTURE _ _ _ any structure built above a ship’s hull.
TASK FORCE _ _ _ a naval force organized to carry out a specific mission.
TURRET _ _ _ a rotating mount enclosed by armor for guns of large calibre.
TWIN TURRET _ _ _ a turret housing two guns.
TYPE _ _ _ all vessels built or converted for the same purpose.
WEATHER DECK _ _ _ any deck exposed to weather.
WELL _ _ _ a lateral opening in a ship’s hull or superstructure.