World War II : Selective Service System

Information for Selective Service System for World War II,
Recommend you contact the National Archives in College Park, MD.

Modern Military Branch
National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001
(301-837-3510)
http://www.archives.gov/contact/
inquire@nara.gov

At the Archives, we believe relevant records will be found in Record Group 147, Records of the Selective Service System, 1926-1971.

shark attack

shark attack off Ocracoke Island in World War II.

We have been unable to find any information about this incident.
Although our book, Shark Attack by David Baldridge, lists many attacks, an attack on 6 Aug 1945 is not recorded. We contacted the History Library at the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, but our colleague there also was unable to find any record of this attack.

We recommend the following as possible sources of information:
1) Local newspapers – a local library may have microfilm of old newspapers which may contain articles about the shark attack,
2) National Archives and Records Administration – relevant records may be held in Record Group 52, Records of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/052.html.
3) Regional Archives – the Archives facility for the Southeast Region http://www.archives.gov/southeast/ is located in Atlanta, GA. At the Regional Archives center, you may find relevant records in Record Group 181, Records of Naval Districts and Shore Establishments.
4) International Shark Attack File – maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History, http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/isaf/isafabout.htm.

World War II : Fleet logistics

For informations about US Navy fleet logistics in World War II.

Recommend the following two books on this topic:

Carter, RADM Worrall. Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil. (The Story of Fleet Logistics Afloat in the Pacific During World War II.) Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1953.

Carter, RADM Worrall, and Elmer Duvall, USN (Retired). Ships, Salvage, and Sinews of War. (The Story of Fleet Logistics Afloat in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Waters During World War II.) Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1954.

For more detailed information on this topic, you may wish to consult US Navy operational records from World War II, including those dealing with logistics matters, which are located at:

Modern Military Branch
National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001
(301-837-3510)
http://www.archives.gov/contact/

Regrettfully, US Navy logistical history has not received the attention of historians the way that operational history has. Consequently, there are relatively few books on the subject.

wireless station at Point Isabel, Texas

US Navy’s wireless station at Point Isabel, Texas.

We found only a very small amount of information about the station in The Year-Book of Wireless Telegraphy & Telephone, 1918. It’s possible that the station is referenced in various books and journals in our collection, but finding these references will require in-person, in-depth research. Commercial research services are available if you are not able to conduct the research yourself.

We suggest you contact your Regional Archives which may hold records concerning the Point Isabel wireless station.
The Archives facility for the Southwest Region http://www.archives.gov/southwest/
is located in Fort Worth, Texas.

At the Archives, you may find relevant records in Record Group 181, Records of Naval Districts and Shore Establishments and possibly, Record Group 71, Records of the Bureau of Yards and Docks.

Additionally, the National Archives in Washington, DC (contact information below), the Texas State Library http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ and the Texas State Historical Association http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/ may be able to assist you with this request.

Old Military and Civil Records Branch
National Archives and Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20408
(202-501-5385)
http://www.archives.gov/contact/

Troop ship : WWII

There were several troopships in the Moore-McCormack Line.

To find out which ship the person was on, but you may be able to determine that by obtaining the records for his unit ( for example: 789th AAA) from the National Archives in College Park, MD.
These records may indicate which troops were on which ships.

National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001.-----------
Modern Military Records (NWDT2)- telephone (301) 837-3510

List of troopships in Moore-McCormack Line:

Brazil, later Virginia
Cape Victory
Marine Angel
Marine Jumper
Marine Lynx
Marine Phoenix
Mormacdove
Mormachawk
Mormacmoon, later Exchester
Mormacport, later Sea Fox
Mormacsea
Mormacwren
Sea Flier
Sea Pike
Sea Quail
Uruguay, later California

Another approach to determining the troopship name may be possible if you know the date the person traveled on the ship.
If you do, then you may be able to determine the ship name from convoy records of the Tenth Fleet Files, which are also held at the National Archives in College Park.

Once you have a name, you should be able to find a history and picture of the troopship in the following publication:

Charles, Roland W. Troopships of World War II. Washington, DC: Army Transportation Association, 1947.

Naval District

From its beginning in 1903, the Naval District has had the primary function of local defense along a particular section of the coast.1

World War I broadened district responsibility to administration and logistics, a change which affected the geographical district limits.

Originally confined to a strip of coast, the District expanded until the system included the entire United States, our outlying possessions, and even foreign countries, in a general administrative jurisdiction over naval shore activities.

Fifty Years of Naval District Development1903-1953
http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/navy_dist.htm#I

Naval District Manual

http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/nav_dist_manual.htm




Eleventh Naval District commandants

Headquartered in San Diego, this office was disestablished 30 September, 1980.
1. 1948-1949 RADM Bernhard H. Bieri 12/5/48
2. 1949-1952 RADM Wilder D. Baker 14/2/49
3. 1952-1953 RADM John W. Roper 31/7/52
4. 1953-1953 RADM George R. Henderson 30/4/53
5. 1953-1955 RADM George C. Dyer 25/9/53
6. 1955-1960 RADM Charles C. Hartman 31/1/55
7. 1960-1962 RADM Murr E. Arnold 9/7/60
8. 1962-1964 RADM Almon E. Loomis 31/12/62
9. 1964-1965 RADM Walter H. Price 9/9/64
10. 1965-1967 RADM Frank A. Brandley 12/65
11. 1967-1970 RADM Marshall E. Dornin 8/67
12. 1970-1973 RADM Joseph W. Williams, Jr. 1/70
13. 1973-1975 RADM Fillmore B. Gilkeson 9/73
14. 1975-1976 RADM Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. 8/75
15. 1976-1978 RADM William H. Rogers 8/76
16. 1978-1980 RADM Justin E. Langille III 8/78

Seabee Museum in Port Hueneme, CA

Many of the cruise books at Port Hueneme are available in CD-ROM form and can be purchased through the Museum’s gift shop.

NAVFAC Historical Program
1000 23rd Ave, Bldg 99, Code HO
Port Hueneme, CA 93043
805-982-5167
fax 805-982-5595

Freedom of Information Act Office (FOIA)

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), United States Code 552, allows you to obtain information from various agencies of the federal government, including the Department of the Navy.

FOIA is implemented by the Navy, in Secretary of the Navy Instruction 5720.42F, Department of the Navy Freedom of Information Act Program (SECNAVINST 5720.42F).

The command’s Customer Service Center
http://www.npc.navy.mil/channels

Freedom of Information Act Office
http://www.npc.navy.mil/ReferenceLibrary/FOIA.htm

US Naval Technical Mission - Japan & Germany

US Naval Technical Mission to Japan documents. The photographs included in NDL online presentation of the documents are actually scanned pages from the "Summary Report" of the Naval Technical Mission.
You can order microfilm copies of this "Summary Report" (and other mission reports) at http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/dupform.htm.
However, the photos posted online will reproduce much better than the microfilm copies.

We believe the archival location for other photos included in the various reports of this mission is at the National Archives and Records Administration http://www.archives.gov/welcome/index.html in College Park, Maryland, USA http://www.archives.gov/facilities/md/archives_2.html. You should contact the National Archives http://www.archives.gov/global_pages/inquire_form.html about obtaining copies of such photos. The photos, if available, are most likely held in the Still Picture Branch of the National Archives:

STILL PICTURE BRANCH (NNSP)
NATIONAL ARCHIVES & RECORDS ADMIN.
8601 ADELPHI ROAD
COLLEGE PARK, MD 20740-6001
TELEPHONE: (301) 837-3530

Concerning a similar project which may have investigated the Germany naval forces, there is the Naval Technical Mission to Europe.

This project produced a huge number of reports which are maintained at the National Archives in College Park, MD
http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/college-park/index.html

The reports are maintained in Record Group 38.4.15, Records of Other ONI Units

http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/038.html#38.4.15

under the main Record Group 38, Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 1875-1993
http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/038.html. Records of the US Naval Technicial Mission to Japan are also in Record Group 38.4.15.

Plans for USS ships

Source of ship's plan (NHC's faq)

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq26-1.htm

Floating Drydock sell plans:
http://www.floatingdrydock.com/TFW2.htm#TFW

P-coat

the origin of the term “P-coat.”
Originally, each coat was tailored from pilot cloth, sometimes called “P-cloth”, and this is how the coats came to be known as a p-coats or pea coats.

The name of these hip-length, double-breasted, wool military coats has been relaxed and now they are usually called pea coats or pea jackets.
The jacket dates back to the 18th century and is typically a cheap-to-produce, tough, warm coat which keeps it a popular choice for the military, particularly the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard.
But don't jump to conclusions. The "p" originally associated with these heavy-duty coats didn't refer to the soupy weather from which the coat offered protection. Rather, it referred to a very heavy, coarse, strong-twilled fabric sometimes called pilot cloth (or p-cloth), of which the jackets were originally made.

Naval mines

Source books:

Cowie, J.S. Mines, Minelayers and Minelaying. New York: Oxford University Press, 1949.

Duncan, R.C. America’s Use of Sea Mines. Silver Spring, MD: US Naval Ordnance Laboratory, White Oak, 1962.

Katalog otechestvennogo i inostrannogo minnogo oruzhiyi a. Leningrad: Sentral, 1983. (This Russian book has several photos of mines.)

Ledebur, Gerhard Frhr von. Die Seemine. Munich: J.F. Lehmann’s Verlag, 1977. (This book is written in German, but has some photos and many drawings of mines.)

Low, A.M. Mine and Countermine. New York: Sheridan House, 1940.

submarine battle flags

Information about these flags is available on our website.
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq62-1.htm

Other website:
http://donmac.org/Flags.htm


As well as contact information for the library at the US Navy Submarine Force Museum in Groton, CT.

International signal flags

Contact the North American Vexillological Association, www.nava.org,
Maybe the Association can recommend a flag historian with expertise in signal flags.

Vietnam War : combat action

Vietnam War incidences:
If detailed reports of these combat actions exist, they are presumably located in the records of US Navy Task Force 116 (Operation Market Time, River Patrol) held by the Operational Archives Branch at the Naval Historical Center.

These records are organized by Navy unit.
To assist the Operational Archives small staff to locate the appropriate records within their large collection you should first try to identify which Navy units were involved.

To do this you should probably review the appropriate Commander Naval Forces Vietnam Monthly Summaries posted on the Operational Archives web pages http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org10-8.htm
to see if you can identify the units involved.

You will then need to contact the Operational Archives directly for further assistance with this request.

Yakima Indian War.

Yakima Indian War.
Information can be found from our ship files, a page from the 1856 Report of the Secretary of the Navy.

General information about the War:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakima_War

Japanese ships: color

The most relevant informational materials we found concerning Japanese ship colors were a pamphlet and a chart of paint chips showing colors of the four Japanese shipyards.

Film footage

film footage from World War II :
Naval film footage from World War II is maintained at the Motion Picture Branch of the National Archives and Records Administration.

contact that branch at:
Motion Picture Branch National Archives and Records Administration8601 Adelphi Road College Park, Maryland (301) 837-0526http://www.archives.gov/contact/

Ships' Deck Logs

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq73-1.htm

Only deck logs from commissioned Navy ships are permanently retained by the Naval Historical Center and the National Archives.


Deck logs of commissioned U.S. Navy ships from the earliest times through 1940 :
The National Archives and Records Administration maintains ships’ deck logs and crew lists, and official service records for naval personnel from the 19th century.
Contact the Old Military and Civil Records Branch of the Archives to obtain these records. The address and phone number for the National Archives are as follows: Old Military and Civil Records BranchNational Archives and Records Administration700 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, DC 20408 ph:(202)501-5385

Logs from 1941 through those that are 30 years old or older are in the Modern Military Branch, National Archives, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park MD 20740-6001 [telephone (301) 837-3510]. These logs are open for research.

Official Service And Medical Records

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq19-1.htm

The Civil and Old Military Records Branch, National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408 (phone 202-357-5444) has custody of records relating to naval officers from 1798 to 1902 and enlisted men from 1798 to 1885.

The National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100 has custody of the official individual personnel records of Navy commissioned officers separated after 1902 and Navy enlisted personnel separated after 1885.
Veterans or next of kin of deceased veterans can order copies of their military records directly on line from the The National Personnel Records Center. Veterans are entitled to one set of their medals and awards. To request his medals, a veteran should send in a separate completed Standard Form (SF) 180 to the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Naval Liaison Office, Room 5409, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100. Please write "Do not open in mailroom" on the outer envelope

For recently retired personnel for the first fifteen months after discharge, transfer to the fleet reserve, or retirement, any personnel questions should be sent to Commander, Naval Military Personnel Command, Washington, DC 20370, while medical questions should be directed to Commanding Officer, Naval Reserve Personnel Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70149.

Other helpful source;
" Official Records Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion"

Concrete ships

Concrete tankers, Concrete ships were first built during World War I as a steel conservation measure.
During World War II, these ships proved particularly valuable as supply ships in the Pacific.

Ranks and ratings in US Navy

The development of ranks and ratings in the US Navy is an evolutionary one.
In many cases, there is no exact equivalent between the ranks and ratings used at different times in naval history.

Helpful title:
Stacey, John A. U.S. Navy Rating Badges, Specialty Marks and Distinguishing Marks, 1885 – 1982.
(Ft. Washington, MD: John a. Stacey, 1982.)

Basic history of these ratings at http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq78-4.htm

US Navy in World War II: 1944 issue of the Bluejackets’ Manual.

There was no logic to how the Navy's Bureau of Personnel issued serial numbers to sailors in World War II.
Serial/Service numbers were issued in blocks of numbers in a random manner to various recruiting stations where the numbers were then assigned to individuals.

When a station used up its block of numbers it was then issued another block of numbers.
To determine where a number was issued requires a researcher to look through a set of thick binders until the appropriate block of numbers is spotted. We have the only known set of these binders in our library.

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq78-1.htm

From the Beginning: The Navy of the United Colonies of the 1775 era offered only a few different jobs above the ordinary seaman level. These included Boatswain's Mate, Quartermaster, Gunner's Mate, Master-at-Arms, Cook, Armorer, Sailmaker's Mate, Cooper, Cockswain, Carpenter's Yeoman, and Yeoman of the Gun Room. These were titles of the jobs that individuals were actually performing and thus became the basis for petty officers and ratings.
Also, there were Ordinary Seaman, Loblolly Boy, and Boy, but these are more related to our apprentices of today. During this period in the history of the new Navy, crews were taken directly from civilian life and enlisted only for the duration of one cruise.
Because of this enlistment practice, the job at hand, rather than career possibilities, was the primary consideration.
The Continental Congress back in April 1776, and its "Instruction to Commanders of Privateers" stated "One third, at least, of your whole company shall be landsmen" (that is, men on shipboard with no experience in seagoing). This could have been a colonial recruiting expedient, but at any rate, it had the effect of making more landlubbers sea-conscious and willing to serve in defense of the youthful United States.

World War II: From 1913 to 1948, no major changes in the structure of enlisted ratings were made, although new ratings were authorized as technological changes, expansion of naval aviation for example, demanded. Hand in hand with this system of classification of personnel went the practice of supplying men according to numbers and ratings requested, without any special attention to the individual qualifications of the men or particular demands of the billets.

By the beginning of World War II, the Navy's rating structure was becoming inadequate to the problem of distributing the best qualified personnel to billets in which they were most needed. In short, the structure had to be adjusted to meet the technological advances of the modern Navy.
Under pressure of necessity, during World War II, the Bureau of Naval Personnel and other commands charged with personnel administration found themselves dividing and subdividing existing ratings to reveal special skills.
The Radioman (RM) rating, for example, split into Radioman (RM) and Radio Technician (RT); later some Radio Technicians were transferred to the newly established Radarman (RD) rating, and others to the new Sonarman (SO) rating.

To the SO rating itself was later added SOH (Harbor Defense).To supplement this process of subdividing old ratings, the Specialist (X) ratings were established, and eventually became the catch-all for jobs that could not be fitted elsewhere into the existing rating structure.

Post War Rating : StructureBy V-J Day, the 30-odd prewar ratings had given way to nearly 200 wartime categories. In September 1945, the Navy launched studies directed toward finding a more orderly, scientific classification system which would serve both peacetime and wartime needs. The resulting rate and rating structure, implemented by the new Manual of Qualifications for Advancement in Rating, went into effect 2 April 1948.

It was the product of intensive research by the Bureau of Naval Personnel, of numerous conferences with representatives of various Navy bureaus and offices, and of recommendations submitted by fleet and training commands.
Although the current rating structure was developed during the 1945-47 period its framework was the wartime rating structure, the traditions of the Navy rating system, and many additional factors necessary to develop a structure adapted to the modern Navy. Not the least of these factors were lessons learned from the Navy's successes and failures in personnel management during World War II, and tested principles of personnel management developed in recent years by industry and government.

The result is a dynamic structure designed to meet the needs of the modern Navy today.

Civil War steamer Dragon

Civil War steamer Dragon.
NDL has a small file on this vessel.

Deck logs and other documents concerning Dragon’s actions may be available at the National Archives in Washington, DC:

Old Military and Civil Records Branch
National Archives and Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20408
202-501-5385)
http://www.archives.gov/contact/

Pictures of Dragon may be available through the Photographic Section here at the Naval Historical Center.

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, which is available online through Cornell University at http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/browse.monographs/ofre.html

Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941

NDL's web site about the Pearl Harbor Attack.

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-1.htm

USS Chicago -- armament

37 mm and 47 mm cannons on USS Chicago.
John Alden’s book -- The American Steel Navy-- confirms that Chicago had two 37 mm and four 47mm Hotchkiss revolving cannons.
Additional drawings of naval armament may be available from the National Archives in Washington, DC, in the Records of the Bureau of Ordnance.

Contact information for the National Archives is as follows :

Old Military and Civil Records Branch
National Archives and Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20408
1-866-272-6272 http://www.archives.gov/contact/