The first requisite of a fighting ship is that she remain afloat, and appreciation of this axiom has led to a better understanding of the necessity for the organization and equipment with which all phases of damage may be met and neutralized.
The forces afloat have gone into the subject of watertight integrity in great detail. The latest and most important addition to this subject is the Manual of Interior Control. Being official, this manual has given damage control definite recognition and status in the shipboard organization.
Until recently only fire control and ship control were recognized subjects of control. Now the navigator handles the maneuvering end of ship control and the damage control officer is responsible for that part of the ship control pertaining to control of damage.
Damage control may be divided into stability control, gas defense, fire fighting, repairs, and care of the wounded.
In every ship some officer is charged with the responsibility of coordinating damage control matters, in large vessels the first lieutenant, in destroyers the executive officer.
In ships having a central station, coordination is done from that point; the officers in charge of the various repair stations act as assistants to the damage control officer. They use the 2JZ (casualty repair) battle telephone circuit for communications with central station. The damage control officer reports directly to the commanding officer and cooperates with the battery control officers, engineer officer, etc., in damage matters as necessary.
Stability Control. The damage control officer coordinates the activities of the stability control organization. There is prepared for each ship a table showing the change in list, trim, and draft, caused by flooding the various compartments of the ship. This table, together with the ship’s plans, is located in the central station and the whole is known as the casualty board.
The damage control officer exercises supervision over the control of stability from the control station using the 2JZ battle telephone circuit which connects him with all repair stations and with the flooding stations usually manned in battle. The officers in charge of these stations exercise control in their own areas but are under the orders of the damage control officer and must keep him informed of the situation, as he must coordinate their activities to keep the ship on an even keel.
Those compartments under the cognizance of the engineer officer, such as the fuel oil tanks, should be flooded and pumped under the direction of the engineer, but with the advice of the damage control officer when stability is affected; conversely, when the damage control officer has occasion to change trim by pumping or flooding compartments under the cognizance of the engineering officer, he should inform the engineer of the necessity and request the necessary action be taken.
The subject of watertight integrity is closely related to stability control and the damage control officer must be familiar with all appliances and methods of maintaining the watertight integrity.
Gas Defense. Gas defense needs much to be perfected; however, five degrees of protection may be considered.
- Complete protection, involving gas-tight sealing and the cooling, purifying, and recirculating of air.
- Protection by use of gas-tight sealing and use of soda lime and oxygen from special containers.
- Temporary protection afforded by sealing of compartments during the period of the attack.
- Prevention of entry of gas into a space by maintaining a pressure in that space.
- Protection afforded by masks and special clothing.
The personnel of each station should be afforded the maximum gas protection compatible with the type of service expected of the ship, the importance of the station in the ship’s battle organization, the structural characteristics of the station, and the weight, space, and expense involved.
Following that formula, the degree of gas protection has been determined for all classes of vessels. However, a large percentage of all personnel will be protected only by gas masks and special clothing.
Since gas masks reduce efficiency, only the captain may sound the gas alarm putting the entire ship in a state of gas defense although local stations may be directed to do so individually by their officers in charge.
The first lieutenant, as damage control officer, is also the gas defense officer. The casualty board contains all pertinent information regarding the gas-tightness of the ship. In case of gas attack he should demand and receive reports concerning the condition of personnel and material after gas stations have been manned.
After receiving reports from all parts of the ship, the damage control officer will take such corrective steps as are possible and will keep the captain, chief fire control officer and engineer officer fully informed of all developments in overcoming the gas menace.
Fire Fighting. Fire fighting and prevention are drummed into every man at every station in every ship so that local measures may be taken until the full resources of the ship can be brought to bear. Here again, the damage control officer and his assistants control the major activities and no further description is necessary in view of the detailed manner in which the subject is covered in safety precautions and elsewhere.
On the aircraft carriers, special precautions are taken in the hangar and on the flight deck, and a fire integrity watch is maintained owing to the hazard on these ships.
Repairs. On capital ships, four repair parties are under the jurisdiction of the damage control officer: forward, midships, engineers, aft and upper deck. The damage control officer exercises supervision through his assistants, who keep him informed and carry out his orders. He cooperates with the engineer in supplying assistance to the midships repair party for hull damage owing to the fact that this party is primarily concerned with repairs under the cognizance of the engineering department.
In small ships, the repair organization is modified to meet the conditions of size and personnel.
Care of the Wounded. The battle dressing stations are manned by the medical department but are part of the damage control organization, since moving the injured may involve opening watertight subdivisions of the ship and also because the employment of crews in reserve may be affected by casualties in large numbers. The damage control officer exercises control over such of the battle dressing station activities as concern him by means of the 2JZ circuit.
It is hoped that the foregoing will assist in interpreting the intent and provisions of the Interior Control Manual.
Comment
In World War I, the U. S. Navy was impressed by the ability of the Germans to sustain severe battle damage. Photographs of returning High Seas Fleet units after Jutland showed them sunk to their main deck levels in some instances; yet these ships had remained afloat and were able to return to friendly ports for overhaul. The contrast between the Kaiser’s battle-cruisers and those of the Royal Navy in this action is startling as an illustration of what proper damage control design and training can do in battle. Where Beatty’s ships blew up and sank after a few minutes exposure to enemy fire, Hipper’s battle-cruisers took many hits but still continued in action. Parenthetically, the Germans disposed of HMS Hood on 24 May 1941 with one salvo from their battleship, the Bismarck. Apparently our British cousins had not taken to heart the need for limiting the effect of enemy shells that was so clearly illustrated in World War I.
Fortunately for the United States, such officers as Carney were devoting considerable effort to improving the capabilities of our fighting ships to withstand the enemy’s blows. This thinking paid off for us in World War II. For example, off Guadalcanal on the night of 12–13 November 1942, the heavy cruisers San Francisco and Portland traded punches with Japanese battle-wagons and, although severely damaged, survived, were repaired, and returned to action in a relatively short time. The gallant covering of Rear Admiral Sprague’s escort carrier force off Samar on 25 October 1944 by his destroyers and destroyer escorts is another example of good damage control playing an important part in a naval battle. Our small ships dashed in to extremely close range with their opponents and exchanged salvos with some of the largest battleships and heavy cruisers the Imperial Japanese Navy possessed. Although some were eventually sunk in this affair, the American ships were able to stay afloat long enough to prevent the enemy from achieving his objective of destroying all or a portion of the U. S. carriers.
