The Navy Department Library
- Expand navigation for A A
- Abbreviations Used for Navy Enlisted Ratings
- "The Ablest Men"
- Abolishing the Spirit Rations in the Navy
- Account of the Battle of Iwo Jima
- Account of the Operations of the American Navy in France During the War With Germany
- Act providing a Naval Armament
- Action Report, Battle of Okinawa at RP Station #1, 12 April 1945
- Action Report USS LCS(L) (3) 57, Battle of Okinawa at RP Station #1, Apriil 12, 1945
- Advanced Intelligence Centers in the US Navy
- Admiral Caperton in Haiti
- Afghan Wars 1839-42 and 1878-80
- Afghanistan: A Short Account by P.F. Walker
- Afghanistan - Silver Star Presented Francis L. Toner IV
- African Squadron
- Agreement Between the United States and the Republic of Haiti
- Alcohol in the Navy
- The Aleutians Campaign
- Allied Ships present in Tokyo Bay
- Amelia Earhart
- American Naval Mission in the Adriatic, 1918-1921
- American Naval Participation in the Great War (With Special Reference to the European Theater of Operations)
- American Naval Planning Section London
- American Ship Casualties of the World War
- Amphibious Landings in Lingayen Gulf
- Amphibious Operations: Capture of Iwo Jima
- Amphibious Operations - The Planning Phase
- Analysis of the Advantage of Speed and Changes of Course in Avoiding Attack by Submarine
- Anchor of Resolve
- Expand navigation for Annual Reports of the Secretary of the Navy Annual Reports of the Secretary of the Navy
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1821
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1822
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1823
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1824
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1825
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1826
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1827
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1828
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1829
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1830
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1831
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1832
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1833
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1834
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1835
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1836
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1837
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1838
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1839
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1840
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1841
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1842
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1843
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1941
- Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy - 1845
- Anomaly of the Enlisted Officer
- Answering a Call in a Crisis
- Antiaircraft Action Summary
- Antiaircraft Action Summary COMINCH P-009
- Antisubmarine Information, ONI No. 14, 1918
- Antisubmarine Tactics, ONI No. 42, 1918
- Antisubmarine Warfare, ONI No. 9, 1917
- Anti-Suicide Action Summary
- Are the Southern Privateersmen Pirates?
- Arleigh Burke: The Last CNO
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals
- Army-Navy E Award
- Articles for the Government of the United States Navy, 1930
- Assault Landings on Leyte Island
- The Assault on Kwajalein and Majuro (Part One)
- Atlantis: The Legendary Island
- Attack on Halifax and Adjacent Territory
- Aviation Personnel Fatalities in World War II
- Awards Manual 1994
- Expand navigation for B B
- Battle of the Atlantic Volume 4 Technical Intelligence From Allied Communications Intelligence
- Battenberg Cup Award
- Battle Experience - Radar Pickets
- Battle Instructions for the German Navy
- Battle for Iwo Jima
- Battle of Derna, 27 April 1805: Selected Naval Documents
- Battle of Guadalcanal
- Battle of Jutland War Game
- Battle of Lake Erie: Building the Fleet in the Wilderness
- Battle of Manila Bay, 1 May 1898
- Battle of Midway: Aerology and Naval Warfare
- Battle of Midway: Army Air Forces
- Battle of Midway: 3-6 June 1942 Combat Narrative
- Battle of Midway: 4-7 June 1942
- Battle of Midway, 4-7 June 1942: Combat Intelligence
- Battle of Midway: 4-7 June 1942 SRH-230
- Battle of Midway - Interrogation of Japanese Officials
- Battle of Midway: Japanese Plans Chapter 5 of The Campaigns of the Pacific War
- Battle of Midway: Preliminaries
- Battle of Midway: U.S. Marine Corps
- Battle of Mobile Bay
- Battle of Mobile Bay: Selected Documents
- Battle of Savo Island August 9th, 1942 Strategic and Tactical Analysis
- Battle of the Atlantic Volume 3 German Naval Communication Intelligence
- Battle of the Atlantic Volume 4 Technical Intelligence From Allied Communications Intelligence
- Battle of the Coral Sea
- Battle of the Coral Sea- Combat Narrative
- Battle of the Nile
- Battle of Tripoli Harbor, 3 August 1804: Selected Naval Documents
- Battlecruisers in the United States and the United Kingdom, 1902-1922.
- The Battles of Cape Esperance 11 October 1942 and Santa Cruz Islands 26 October 1942
- Battles of Savo Island and Eastern Solomons
- Bayly's Navy
- Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil
- Bells on Ships
- Bismarck, Sinking of
- Boat Pool 15-1 Manila, P.I. Thanksgiving '22 Nov. 45
- Blockade-running Between Europe and the Far East by Submarines, 1942-44
- Bombing As a Policy Tool in Vietnam
- Expand navigation for Boxer Rebellion and the US Navy, 1900-1901 Boxer Rebellion and the US Navy, 1900-1901
- Brass Monkey
- Brief History of Civilian Personnel in the US Navy Department
- A Brief History of Naval Cryptanalysis
- Brief History of Punishment by Flogging in the US Navy
- Brief History of the Seagoing Marines
- Brief Summary of the Perry Expedition to Japan, 1853
- Bronze Guns (cannons) Glossary
- Budget of the US Navy: 1794 to 2014
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- Bull Ensign
- Bunker Busters: Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator Issues
- Expand navigation for By Sea, Air, and Land By Sea, Air, and Land
- Foreword
- Chapter 1: The Early Years, 1950-1959
- Chapter 2: The Era of Growing Conflict, 1959-1965
- Chapter 3: The Years of Combat, 1965-1968
- Chapter 4: Winding Down the War, 1968 - 1973
- Chapter 5: The Final Curtain, 1973 - 1975
- Medal of Honor Recipients of the U.S. Navy in Vietnam
- Secretaries of the Navy and Key United States Naval Officers, 1950 - 1975
- Aircraft Tailcodes
- Enemy Aircraft Shot Down by Naval Aviators in Southeast Asia
- Bibliography
- Glossary
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- No. 1 Austrian 6-pounder Howitzer with cutout
- No. 1 Austrian 6-pounder Howitzer - Plaque
- No. 2 French 4-pounder Smoothbore
- No. 3 Austrian 6-pounder Howitzer
- No. 4 Austrian 6-pounder Howitzer
- No. 4 Austrian 6-pounder Howitzer - Sight Cutaway
- No. 5 Japanese Gun - Bore 6.875 inches
- No. 6 4-pounder
- No. 6 Austrian 4-pounder
- No. 7 U.S. Army 24-pounder Howitzer
- No. 8 Spanish 12-pounder
- No. 9 Spanish 6-pounder
- No. 9 Spanish 6-pounder - Arms
- No. 10 Spanish 27 -pounder
- No. 10 Spanish 27-pounder - Plaque
- No.11 French 12-pounder
- No. 11 French 12-pounder - Le Belliqueux
- No. 11 French 12-pounder - Plaque
- No. 11 French 12-pounder - Royal Arms
- No. 12 French 12-pounder
- No. 12 French 12-pounder - Le Vigoureux
- No. 12 French 12-pounder - Plaque
- No. 13 Spanish 27-pounder
- No. 13 Spanish 27-pounder - Plaque
- No.14 Spanish 12-pounder
- No. 14 Spanish 12-pounder - Plaque
- No. 15 Spanish 12-pounder
- No. 15 Spanish 12-pounder - Plaque
- No. 16 Spanish 12-pounder
- No. 16 Spanish 12-pounder - Plaque
- No. 17 Spanish 12-pounder
- No. 17 Spanish 12-pounder - Plaque
- No. 18 Spanish 12-pounder
- No. 18 Spanish 12-pounder - Plaque
- No. 19 Spanish 9-pounder
- No. 19 Spanish 9-pounder - Plaque
- No. 20 Spanish 9-pounder
- No. 20 Spanish 9-pounder - Cambernon
- No. 20 Spanish 9-pounder - Plaque
- No. 21 British Howitzer
- No. 22 British Howitzer
- No. 23 4.63-inch Howitzer
- No. 23 4.63-inch Howitzer
- No. 23 4.63-inch Howitzer - 249
- No. 24 6.5-inch Spanish Howitzer
- No. 25 Venetian 5.75-inch Howitzer
- No. 25 Venetian 5.75-inch Howitzers
- No. 26 Venetian 5.75-inch Howitzer
- Flagpole and Mortars
- Flagpole and Mortars - Base
- Flagpole and Mortars - Mortar
- The Navy Museum
- View Along Dahlgren Avenue
- Captain Raphael Semmes and the C.S.S. Alabama
- Captain Samuel Nicholson: A Monograph [pdf]
- Capture of CSS Florida by USS Wachusett - Report of Commander Napoleon Collins
- Capture of CSS Florida by USS Wachusett - Report of Lieutenant Morris
- Capture of the Frigate USS Philadelphia
- Caribbean Tempest: The Dominican Republic Intervention of 1965
- Carrier Deployments During the Vietnam Conflict
- Carrier Locations - Pearl Harbor Attack
- Carrier Strikes on the China Coast
- Case of the Somers' Mutiny 1843
- Casualties: US Navy & Marine Corps Personnel
- Casualties: US Navy and Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured in Selected Accidents and Other Incidents Not Directly the Result of Enemy Action
- Change of Command and Retirement Ceremony of the Commandant Naval District, Washington, DC
- Change of Command Ceremony
- Charles Morris A Man of Letters and Numbers
- Chart Your Future As A Woman Officer
- Chester Nimitz and the Development of Fueling at Sea
- Christmas 1932 U.S. Naval Air Station San Diego California
- CIC [Combat Information Center] Manual (RADSIX)
- CIC [Combat Information Center] Operation in an AGC
- CIC [Combat Information Center] Yesterday and Today
- CIC Operations On a Night Carrier
- CINCPAC Glossary of Commonly Used Abbreviations and Short Titles
- Expand navigation for CinCPac Report - Pearl Harbor CinCPac Report - Pearl Harbor
- Circular September 13, 1839
- Circular 17 July, 1869
- Colored Persons in the Navy of the U.S. (1842)
- Combined Operation Craft: Small Scale Drawings
- COMINT [Communications Intelligence] Contributions [to] Submarine Warfare in WW II
- Command and Control of Air Operations in the Vietnam War
- Commander Task Force Seventeen Operation Plan 1-45
- Commander's Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations
- Comparison of Military and Civilian Equivalent Grades
- Compilation of Enlisted Ratings and Apprentiships US Navy 1775-1969
- Composition of Japanese Forces
- Composition of US Forces
- Condition of the Navy and Its Expenses 1821
- Conduct of War at Sea
- Conflict and Cooperation: The U.S. and Soviet Navies in the Cold War
- Constitution Fighting Top
- The Constitution Gun Deck
- Constitution Sailors in the Battle of Lake Erie [pdf]
- Continental Congress and the Navy
- The Continental Navy: "I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight."
- Copy of talk given by Captain B.E. Manseau, USN, before the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of Naval Architets and Marine Engineers
- Cordon of Steel
- The Corps' Salty Seadogs Have All But Come Ashore: Seagoing Traditions Founder as New Millennium Approaches
- Costs of Major US Wars
- Cruising Fleets
- Cruising in the Old Navy
- Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
- Expand navigation for Cuban Missile Crisis Cuban Missile Crisis
- Current Doctrine Submarines
- Cursor scales for the VG [Plan Position Indicator (radar)
- Customs and Traditions, Navy
- Expand navigation for Cannons of the Washington Navy Yard Cannons of the Washington Navy Yard
- Expand navigation for D D
- D-Day, the Normandy Invasion: Combat Demolition Units
- Dartmoor Prison
- Decatur House and Its Distinguished Occupants
- Declarations of War and Authorizations for the Use of Military Force
- The Defense and Burning of Washington in 1814: Naval Documents of the War of 1812
- De Klerk Diary
- Demolition Units of the Atlantic Theatre of Operations
- Department of Defense Acronyms
- Destroyers at Normandy
- Destroyers for Bases Agreement, 1941
- Destroyers transferred to Britain under Destroyers for Bases agreement
- Destruction of CSS Albemarle - Report of A. F. WARLEY
- Destruction of CSS Albemarle - Report of Lieutenant William Barker Cushing
- The Development of Japanese Sea Power: "Know Your Enemy"! [CinCPOA Bulletin 93-45, 1945]
- Expand navigation for The Diary of Michael Shiner Relating to the History of the Washington Navy Yard 1813-1869 The Diary of Michael Shiner Relating to the History of the Washington Navy Yard 1813-1869
- Digest Catalogue of Laws and Joint Resolutions: The Navy and the World War
- Disaster at Savo Island, 1942
- Disaster in the Pacific
- Discipline in the U.S. Navy
- Expand navigation for Diving in the U.S. Navy: A Brief History Diving in the U.S. Navy: A Brief History
- Documents, Official and Unofficial, Relating to the Capture and Destruction of the Frigate Philadelphia at Tripoli - 1850
- Documents Related to the Resignation of the German Commander in Chief, Navy, Grand Admiral Raeder and to the Decommissioning of the German High Seas Fleet
- DoD Rules for Military Commissions - 2006
- Expand navigation for Dominican Republic Intervention Dominican Republic Intervention
- Doolittle Raid
- The DRVN Strategic Intelligence Service
- Expand navigation for E E
- Early Raids in the Pacific Ocean
- Elementary Map and Aerial Photograph Reading
- Emancipation Proclamation, Navy general Order No. 4, 1863
- Employment of Naval Forces
- Enlisted Uniforms
- Enlistment, Training, and Organization of Crews for Our New Ships
- Essay on Naval Battles of the Korean War
- Establishment of the Department of the Navy
- Establishment of the Navy
- Exercise Tiger
- Exorcizing the Devil's Triangle
- Expeditions, Diplomatic and Scientific Activity, and Operations Against Native Americans and Pirates
- Exploring the Antarctic 1840 - The Wilkes Expedition
- Eye-Witness Account of the Battle Between the U.S.S. Monitor and the C.S.S. Virginia Mar 9 1862
- Evolution of Naval Weapons
- Expand navigation for F F
- Far Eastern Sighting Guide [ONI-F-31 FE]
- Fifty Years of Naval District Development 1903-1953
- Filipinos in the United States Navy
- Final Contact: USS Indianapolis (CA-35) passes USS LST-779 29 July 1945
- The First Raid on Japan
- Fixing Wages and Salaries of Navy Civilian Employees
- Flag Sizes
- Fleet Air Wing Four Strikes
- Fleet Post Office, New York, New York
- Fleet Post Office, San Francisco, California
- "Forward ... From the Start": The U.S. Navy & Homeland Defense: 1775-2003
- Fourth of July Dinner the Spirit of '45
- French Indo-China PSIS 400-35
- Frocking
- From Dam Neck to Okinawa: A Memoir of Antiaircraft Training in World War II
- From the Sea to the Stars
- Expand navigation for G G
- GAF (German Air Force, Luftwaffe] and the Invasion of Normandy
- Gearing Up for Victory American Military and Industrial Mobilization in World War II
- Gedunk
- General Information for Employees - Washington Navy Yard - 1941
- General Instructions for Commanding Officers of Naval Armed Guards on Merchant Ships - 1944
- General Instructions for Sloops and Torpedo Craft
- General Mess Manual and Cook Book
- Expand navigation for General Orders General Orders
- General Order (21 January 1834) Presents
- General Order (28 November 1838) Animals
- General Order (18 February 1846) Port and Starboard
- General Order (17 December 1850) Furnishing Vessels
- General Order (27 September 1851) Contracts of Enlistment Ending
- General Order (17 May 1858) Naval Academy Graduates Denied Letter
- General Order (22 April 1862) Officers Forbidden to Give Publicity to Any Hydrographical Knowledge
- General Order (12 December 1862) Rules for Naval Communication
- General Order (23 December 1862) Rules Corresponding with SecNav and Bureaus
- General Order No. 1 (1863) Rules to Disseminate General Orders
- General Order No. 4 (1863) Emancipation Proclamation
- General Order No. 9 (1863) Observance of Paroles
- General Order No. 51 (1865) Announcing Death President Abraham Lincoln
- General Order No. 73 (1866) Resolution of Thanks from Congress to Admiral Farragut for Mobile Bay Action
- General Order No. 81 (1866) Requirements of Guardians for Boy to Enlist
- General Order No. 83 (1867) Proclamation Issued by President Johnson
- General Order No. 90 (1869) Uniform Changes
- General Order No. 99 (1869) Authority Given to Fleet Officers
- General Order No. 105 (1869) North & South Pacific Squadrons Combined into Pacific Station
- General Order No. 110 (1869) Forbidding Applications for Duty Through Persons of Influence
- General Order No. 112 (1869) Sea Service of Officers to be Three Years
- General Order No. 123 (1869) Uniform Change for Masters, Ensigns & Midshipmen
- General Order No. 127 (1869) List of Types of Officers to Mess in Second Ward Room
- General Order No. 128 (1869) Exercises for Ships with Sails
- General Order No. 131 (1869) Economizing the Use of Coal
- General Order No. 175 (1872) Division of the Pacific Station into Two Stations
- General Order No. 226 (1877) Importance of Complete Reports and Logs
- General Order No. 230 (1877) Special Shore Service and Duty
- General Order No. 232 (1877) Working Hours at Navy Yards and Stations
- General Order No. 248 (1880) Correct and General Understanding of Signals
- General Order No. 250 (1880) Establishment of the Office of Judge Advocate General of the Navy
- General Order No. 252 (1880) Painting Schematic for Boats
- General Order No. 292 (1882) Establishment of the Office of Intelligence
- General Order No. 370 (1889) Copies of Books to the Navy Department Library
- General Order No. 372 (1889) Order for Official Communications
- General Order No. 544 (1900) Establishment of the General Board
- General Order No. 55 (1901) Decorations for Philippine Islands and Boxer Rebellion
- General Order No. 56 (1901) Puget Sound, Naval Station to Navy Yard
- General Order No. 128 (1903) Establishment of Naval Districts
- General Order No. 129 (1903) Surplus Provisions
- General Order No. 74 (1908) Establishing Ship Post Offices
- General Order No. 135 (1911) Definitions of Well-known Naval Terms
- General Order No. 30 (1913) Movement of the Rudder
- General Order No. 98 (1914) Movement of the Rudder
- General Order No. 99 (1914) Prohibition in the Navy
- General Order No. 132 (1915) Khaki Dye for White Undress Uniform
- General Order No. 258 (1917) SecNav Announces Death of Admiral Dewey
- General Order No. 259 (1917) Executive Order and Message on Death of Admiral Dewey
- General Order No. 294 (1917) Identification Tags ("Dog Tags")
- General Order No. 456 (1919) Observance of the Sabbath Day
- General Order No. 541 (1920) Standard Nomemclature for Naval Vessels
- General Order No. 244 [1934] Alcoholic Liquors
- General Order No. 47 (1935) Precedence of Forces in Parades
- General Orders 1921-1935
- General Orders for the Regulation of the Navy Yard Washington, D.C. - 1833-1850
- General Orders USS Independence 1815
- German Commanders Wilhelm Keitel and Alfred Jodl on the Invasion of Normandy in 1944
- German Defense of Berlin
- Expand navigation for German Espionage and Sabotage German Espionage and Sabotage
- German Report on the Allied Invasion of Normandy
- German Submarine Activities on the Atlantic Coast
- German Submarine Attacks
- German Submarines in Question and Answer
- Expand navigation for Glossary of U.S. Naval Code Words (NAVEXOS P-474) Glossary of U.S. Naval Code Words (NAVEXOS P-474)
- Going back to civilian life facts you should know about
- going back to civilian life - a pamphlet
- Going South: U.S. Navy Officer Resignations & Dismissals On the Eve of the Civil War
- Grand Strategy Contending Contemporary Analyst Views & Implications for the US Navy
- The Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Naval Training Station Hampton Roads and the Norfolk Naval Hospital
- Greely Relief Expedition
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- Guadalcanal Campaign
- Guide to Command of Negro Naval Personnel NAVPERS-15092
- Guidelines: Naval Social Customs
- Guide to US Military Casualty Statistics
- The Guidebook for NAVAL RESERVE CHAPLAINS
- General Description of the Whitehead Torpedo
- Expand navigation for H H
- Haitian Campaign of 1915
- Haiti - US Navy Medal of Honor - 1915
- Halsey-Doolittle Raid
- Handbook of First Aid Treatment for Survivors of Disasters at Sea
- Head - Ship's Toilet
- Historical Approach to Warrant Officer Classifications
- The Historical Importance to Navigation of Nathaniel Bowditch's New American Practical Navigator
- History and Descriptive Guide of the US Navy Yard Washington, DC
- History of Convoy and Routing [1945]
- History of Flag Career of Rear Admiral W.B. Caperton
- History of Paul Jones, the Pirate
- History of the Bureau of Engineering During WWI
- History of the Chief Petty Officer
- History of the Dudley Knox Center for Naval History
- History of the Navy Department Library
- Expand navigation for History of the Seabees History of the Seabees
- Expand navigation for History of the US Navy History of the US Navy
- Expand navigation for History of United States Naval Operations: Korea History of United States Naval Operations: Korea
- Foreword - History of US Naval Operations: Korea
- Preface - History of US Naval Operations: Korea
- List of Maps - History of US Naval Operations: Korea
- List of Tables - History of US Naval Operations: Korea
- Chapter 1: To Korea By Sea
- Chapter 2: Policy and Its Instruments
- Chapter 3: War Begins
- Chapter 4: Help on the Way
- Chapter 5: Into the Perimeter
- Chapter 6: Holding the Line
- Chapter 7: Back to the Parallel
- Chapter 8: On to the Border
- Chapter 9: Retreat to the South
- Chapter 10: The Second Six Months
- Chapter 11: Problems of a Policeman
- Chapter 12: Two More Years
- A Note on Source Materials
- Glossary of Naval Abbreviations
- History of US Navy Uniforms 1776 - 1981
- Expand navigation for Honda (Pedernales) Point, California, Disaster, 8 September 1923 Honda (Pedernales) Point, California, Disaster, 8 September 1923
- Honda (Pedernales) Point, California, Disaster, 8 September 1923
- How the Navy Talks
- How to Fold Your Navy Uniform
- How to Mark Your Navy Uniform
- How to serve your country in the WAVES
- The Hungnam and Chinnampo Evacuations
- Hurricanes and the War of 1812
- History and aims of the Office of Naval Intelligence
- Expand navigation for I I
- I Was a Yeoman (F)
- Identification Tags - Dog Tags
- In Honor of Master Chief Britt K Slabinski: United States Navy, Retired: MEDAL OF HONOR - HALL OF HEROES INDUCTION CEREMONY- THE PENTAGON AUDITORIUM- 25 MAY 2018
- In Memory of CTIC(IW/EXW) Shannon M. Kent
- Incredible Alaska Overland Rescue
- Indians in the War 1945
- Expand navigation for Influenza Influenza
- 1918 Influenza by Vice Admiral Albert Gleaves, Commander of Convoy Operations in the Atlantic, 1917-1919.
- Admiral William B. Caperton of the 1918 Influenza on Armored Cruiser No. 4, USS Pittsburgh
- A Forgotten Enemy: PHS's [Public Health Service] Fight Against the 1918 Influenza Pandemic
- Great Flu Crisis at Mare Island Navy Yard.
- Influenza at the United States Naval Hospital, Washington, D.C.
- The Influenza Epidemic of 1918 by Carla R. Morrisey, RN, BSN
- Influenza of 1918 (Spanish Flu) and the US Navy
- Influenza on a Naval Transport
- Influenza-Related Medical Terms
- The Pandemic of Influenza in 1918-1919
- Philadelphia, Nurses, and the Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918
- A Winding Sheet and a Wooden Box
- Information in Relation to the Naval Protection Afforded to The Commerce of the United States in the West India Islands, &c. &c.
- Injury and Destruction of Navy Vessels by Earthquakes, Dec. 1868
- Inquiry Into Occupation and Administration of Haiti and the Dominican Republic
- Instances of Use of US Armed Forces Abroad, 1798 - 2004
- Instructional Material for the Fight Against Enemy Propaganda
- Instructions for the examination and entry into United States Ports in time of war
- Instructions on Reception, Care and Training of Homing Pigeons
- Inter-Allied Naval Relations and the Birth of NATO
- Interrogation of General Alfred Jodl
- Interrogations of Japanese Officials - Vol. I & II
- Invasion of Sicily
- The Invasion of Southern France: Aerology and Amphibious Warfare
- Iran, Gulf Security, and U.S. Policy
- Iran Hostage - Rescue Mission Report
- Irregular Enemies and the Essence of Strategy
- Irregular Warfare Special Study
- Instructions for Painting and Cementing Vessels of the United States Navy
- Expand navigation for J J
- Japan's Struggle to End the War - 1946
- Japanese Interrogation Of Prisoners Of War
- Japanese Naval and Merchant Shipping Losses - WWII
- Japanese Naval Ground Forces
- Japanese Naval Shipbuilding
- Japanese Operational Aircraft CinCPOA 105-45
- Japanese Operational Aircraft CinCPOA 105-45 Revised
- Japanese Radio Communications and Radio Intelligence CinCPOA 5-45
- Japanese - Smithsonian War Background Study
- Expand navigation for Japanese Story of the Battle of Midway Japanese Story of the Battle of Midway
- Java Sea Campaign
- John Paul Jones
- John Paul Jones
- Journal of the Disasters in Afghanistan, 1841-2
- Expand navigation for K K
- Kite Balloons in Escorts
- Kosovo Naval Lessons Learned During Operation Allied Force
- Expand navigation for Korean War Chronology Korean War Chronology
- Korean War Interim Evaluation No 1
- Expand navigation for L L
- Lost of Flight 19 Official Accident Reports
- Landing Operations Doctrine, USN, FTP-167
- Expand navigation for Law of Naval Warfare: NWIP 10-2, 1955 Law of Naval Warfare: NWIP 10-2, 1955
- Law of Naval Warfare: Chapters 1 - 6
- Appendix A: Convention For the Adaption to Maritime War of the Principles of the Geneva Convention - X Hague, 1907
- Appendix B: Convention Concerning the Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers in Maritime War - XIII Hague, 1907
- Appendix C: Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick
- Appendix D: Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded, Sick, and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea of August 12, 1949
- Appendix E: Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of August 12, 1949
- Appendix F: Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of August 12, 1949
- Appendix G-I
- Lend Lease Act, 11 March 1941
- Letter from President Harry S. Truman to Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal regarding the Five-Star Rank
- Lengthy Deployment: The Jeannette Expedition In Arctic Waters
- Letter to Mr. Ride
- Library Regulations - USS Pittsburgh
- Limited Duty Officer
- List of Authorized Abbreviations for Use in Bureau of Naval Personnel Messages (1958)
- List of Expeditions 1901-1929
- List of Patrol Squadron Deployments to Korea During the War
- Living Conditions in the 19th Century US Navy
- Log of the trip of the president to the Casablanca Conference 9-31 January, 1943
- The Logistics of Advance Bases
- Look at YOU in the United States NAVY
- Lookout Manual 1943
- Loss of Flight 19 Official Accident Reports
- Lost Patrol
- LSU Squadron Two Thanksgiving Dinner November 22 1951
- The Landings in North Africa
- Expand navigation for M M
- Magic Background of Pearl Harbor
- Magic Background of Pearl Harbor Vol. 2
- Magic Background of Pearl Harbor Vol. 2 Appendix
- Magic Background of Pearl Harbor Vol. 4
- Main Navy Building: Its Construction and Original Occupants
- Manual for Buglers, US Navy
- Manual of Commands and Orders, 1945
- Manual of Information Concerning Employments for the Panama Canal Service
- Marine Amphibious Landing in Korea, 1871
- Market Time (U) CRC 280
- Master File Drawings of German Naval Vessels
- Matthew Fontaine Maury: Benefactor of Mankind
- Menu Thanksgiving Day November 27, 1913
- Merchant Marines
- Merchant Ship Shapes
- Mers-el-Kebir Port Instructions for Merchant Vessels [1942]
- Mess Night Manual
- Midway in Retrospect: The Still Under Appreciated Victory
- Midway’s Operational Lesson: The Need For More Carriers
- Midway: Sheer Luck or Better Doctrine?
- Midway's Strategic Lessons
- Midway Plan of the Day Notes
- Military Sealift Command
- Military Service Records and Unit Histories
- Mine Sweeping Manual 1917
- Mine Warfare
- Mine Warfare in South Vietnam
- Expand navigation for Miracle Harbor Miracle Harbor
- Miscellaneous Actions in the South Pacific
- More Bang for the Buck: U.S. Nuclear Strategy and Missile Development 1945-1965
- My days aboard U.S.S. Santa Fe
- Expand navigation for N N
- Naming of Streets, Facilities and Areas On Naval Installations
- Narrative of Captain W.S. Cunningham, US Navy Relative to events on Wake Island in December 1941, and subsequent related events
- Narrative of Joshua Davis an American Citizen 1811
- Narrative of the Capture, Sufferings and Escape of Capt. Barnabas Lincoln
- Narrative of the March and Operations of the Army of the Indus
- Narrative of the United States' Expedition to the River Jordan and the Dead Sea
- Navajo Code Talker Dictionary
- Navajo Code Talkers: World War II Fact Sheet
- Naval Anecdotes Relating to HMS Leopard Versus USS Chesapeake, 24 June 1807.
- Expand navigation for Naval Armed Guard Service in World War II Naval Armed Guard Service in World War II
- Expand navigation for The Naval Bombing Experiments The Naval Bombing Experiments
- Naval District Manual 1927
- Naval Districts
- Naval Gun Factory (Washington Navy Yard) Facilities Data: World War II
- Naval Guns at Normandy
- Naval Memorial Service, Casting Flowers on the Sea in Honor of the Naval Dead
- Expand navigation for The Naval Quarantine of Cuba The Naval Quarantine of Cuba
- Naval Yarns by Captain Bartlett [manuscript]
- The Navy by Michael A. Palmer
- Navy and Defense Reform: A Short History and Reference Chronology
- Expand navigation for Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual [Rev. 1953] Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual [Rev. 1953]
- Pt. 1 - Personal Decorations
- Pt. 2 - Unit Awards
- Pt. 3 - Special and Commemorative Medals
- Pt. 4 - Campaign and Service Medals
- Pt. 5 - Decorations Awarded By Foreign Governments
- Pt. 6 - Other Federal Decorations (non-military)
- Index
- Memo - Changes
- Ships & Other Units Eligible for the Korean Service Medal
- Navy at a Tipping Point - 2010
- Navy Civil War Chronology
- The Navy Department A brief history until 1945
- Navy Department Communiques 1-300 and Pertinent Press Releases
- Navy Department Communiques 301 to 600
- Navy Filing Manual 1941
- Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans - 2016
- The Navy in the Cold War Era, 1945-1991
- Navy Interdiction Korea Vol. II
- Navy Nurse Corps General Uniform Instructions 1917
- The Navy of the Republic of Vietnam
- Navy Records and [Navy Department] Library (E Branch)
- Navy Regulations, 1814
- Navy Ship Procurement: Alternative Funding Approaches
- Navy Ship Propulsion Technologies - 2006
- Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense
- Navy-Yard, Washington, History by Hibben
- The Navy's World War II-era Fleet Admirals
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- Forward Presence in the Modern Navy: From the Cold War to a Future Tailored Force
- Historiography of Programming and Acquisition Management since 1950 - Hone
- Historiography of Technology Since 1950
- Naval Personnel since 1945: Areas for Historical Research
- Navy, Science, and Professional History
- The Social History of the U.S. Navy, 1945–Present
- U.S. Navy’s Role in National Strategy
- Writing U.S. Naval Operational History 1980–2010
- Negro in the Navy - 1947
- Negro in the Navy by Miller
- Neutrality Instructions US Navy 1940
- New Equation: Chinese Intervention into the Korean War
- A New Look at the Cuban Missile Crisis
- Nixon's Trident: Naval Power in Southeast Asia, 1968-1972 by John D. Sherwood
- Nomenclature of Decks
- Nomenclature of Naval Vessels
- Non-Discrimination in V-12 Program
- Northern Barrage and Other Mining Activities
- Northern Barrage: Taking Up Mines
- Northern Formosa, Pescadores
- Notes on Anti-submarine Defenses ONI Publication No. 8
- Notes on Writing Naval (not Navy) English
- Expand navigation for O O
- Occupation of Kiska
- Occupation of the Gilbert Islands
- The Offensive Navy Since World War II: How Big and Why, A Brief Summary
- Office of Naval Records and Library 1882-1946
- Officers and Key Personnel Attached to the Office of Naval Records and Library 1882-1946
- Officers of the Continental Navy and Marine Corps
- Officers of Navy Yards, Shore Stations, and Vessels, 1 January 1865
- Expand navigation for Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps 1775-1900 Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps 1775-1900
- Marine Corps Officers: 1798-1900
- Continental Navy Officers: 1775-1785
- Continental Marine Corps Officers: 1775-1785
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (A)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (B)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (C)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (D)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (E)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (F)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (G)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (H)
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- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (L)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (M)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (N)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (O)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (P)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (Q)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (R)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (S)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (T)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (U)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (V)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (W)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (Y)
- Navy Officers: 1798-1900 (Z)
- "Official" USS Missouri Survival Guide
- Expand navigation for Operation Crossroads Operation Crossroads
- Expand navigation for Operation NEPTUNE - The Invasion of Normandy Operation NEPTUNE - The Invasion of Normandy
- Table of Contents - Operation NEPTUNE
- Editor's Note - Operation Neptune
- Chapter 1: THE STRATEGIC BACKGROUND OF OVERLORD
- Chapter 2: PLANNING AND PREPARATION FOR CROSS-CHANNEL (OVERLORD) OPERATIONS
- Chapter 3: THE STRATEGIC BACKGROUND OF OVERLORD
- Chapter 4: NEPTUNE OPERATIONS PLANS
- Chapter 5: Naval Preparations for Cross-Channel Operations
- Chapter 6: The Operation Begins
- Chapter 7: Defensive Measures - NEPTUNE Operation
- Chapter 8: Bombardment and Other Defensive Operations Against Enemy Land Forces
- Chapter 9: The NEPTUNE Assaults
- Chapter 10: The Build-up for the Battle of France
- Operation NEPTUNE - Index
- Operation NEPTUNE Administrative History's Table of Contents
- Expand navigation for Operation Neptune Operation Neptune
- Operations of the Navy and Marine Corps in the Philippine Archipelago
- Operations of the Seventh Amphibious Force
- Operations of USS Don Juan de Austria
- OPNAV [Office of the Chief of Naval Operations] Acronyms
- Origin of Navy Terminology
- Our Vanishing History and Traditions - Knox
- Operation of the Admiral Scheer
- Our Navy at War
- Expand navigation for P P
- Expand navigation for Pacific Typhoon, 18 December 1944 Pacific Typhoon, 18 December 1944
- Admiral Nimitz's Pacific Fleet Confidential Letter on Lessons of Damage in Typhoon
- List of Commands and Ships Involved
- Personnel Casualties Suffered by Third Fleet, 17-18 December 1944, Compiled from Official Sources
- Aircraft Losses Suffered by Third Fleet, 17-18 December 1944, Compiled From Official Sources
- Extracts Relating to the Typhoon from Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet Report
- Oral History
- Expand navigation for Pacific Typhoon, June 1945 - Reports Pacific Typhoon, June 1945 - Reports
- Pacific Typhoon October 1945 - Okinawa
- Peacekeeping and Related Stability Operations: Issues of U.S. Military Involvement
- The Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941 - Overview
- Pearl Harbor Navy Medical Activities
- Expand navigation for "Pearl Harbor Revisited: USN Communications Intelligence" "Pearl Harbor Revisited: USN Communications Intelligence"
- Pearl Harbor Salvage Report 1944
- Pearl Harbor Submarine Base 1918-1945
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- USS Arizona - Reports by Survivors of Pearl Harbor Attack
- USS California- Reports by Survivors of Pearl Harbor Attack
- USS Maryland - Reports by Survivors of Pearl Harbor Attack
- USS Oklahoma - Reports by Survivors of Pearl Harbor Attack
- USS Tennessee - Report by Survivor of Pearl Harbor Attack
- USS West Virginia - Reports by Survivors of Pearl Harbor Attack
- Pearl Harbor: Why, How, Fleet Salvage and Final Appraisal
- Pentagon 9/11
- Expand navigation for Personal Identification Tags or "Dog Tags" Personal Identification Tags or "Dog Tags"
- Perspectives on Enhanced Interrogation Techniques
- Expand navigation for Philadelphia Experiment Philadelphia Experiment
- Phonetic Alphabet and Signal Flags
- The Pioneers - A Monograph on the First Two Black Chaplains in the Chaplains Corps of the United States Navy
- The Pivot Upon Which Everything Turned
- Plea in Favor of Maintaining Flogging in the Navy
- Pocket Guide to Japan
- Pocket Guide to Netherlands East Indies
- Pocket Guide to New Guinea and the Solomons
- Expand navigation for Port Chicago, CA, Explosion Port Chicago, CA, Explosion
- Posse Comitatus Act and Related Matters: A Sketch
- Post Mortem CIC [Combat Information Center] Notes
- Post Mortems on Enemy Ships
- Potato Famine of 1847
- Precisely Appropriate for the Purpose
- Preserving an Honored Past
- Priceless Advantage by FD Parker
- Propaganda Foreign Military Studies 1952
- Public Law 333, 79th Congress
- Expand navigation for Pacific Typhoon, 18 December 1944 Pacific Typhoon, 18 December 1944
- Expand navigation for Q Q
- Expand navigation for R R
- Radio Intelligence Appreciations Concerning German U-Boat Activity in the Far East
- Radio Proximty (VT) Fuzes
- Ready Seapower: A History of the US Seventh Fleet by Edward J. Marolda [pdf]
- Recollections of Capture by the Germans, Imprisonment, and Escape of Lieutenant Edouard Victor Isaacs, U.S.N.
- Recollections of Ensign Leonard W. Tate
- Recollections of Lieutenant Commander William Leide
- Recollections of Lieutenant Wilton Wenker and Lieutenant Elby Concerning the Crossing of the Rhine River in 1945
- Recollections of USS Pampanito's rescue of prison ship survivors by Lieutenant Commander Landon Davis
- Recollections of Vice Admiral Alan G. Kirk Concerning the Crossing of the Rhine River in 1945
- Reestablishment of the Marine Corps
- Expand navigation for Registers of the Navy Registers of the Navy
- Register of the Navy, 1812
- Register of the Navy, 1814
- Register of the Navy, 1815
- Register of the Navy, 1816
- Register of the Navy, 1818
- Register of the Navy, 1819
- Register of the Navy, 1820
- Register of the Navy, 1821
- Register of the Navy, 1822
- Register of the Navy, 1823
- Register of the Navy, 1824
- Register of the Navy, 1825
- Register of the Navy, 1826
- Register of the Navy, 1827
- Register of the Navy, 1829
- Register of the Navy, 1830
- Register of the Navy, 1831
- Register of the Navy, 1832
- Register of the Navy, 1833
- Register of the Navy, 1834
- Register of the Navy, 1836
- Register of Patients at Naval Hospital Washington DC 1814
- Register of USN & USMC Officer Personnel 1801-1807 [pdf]
- Regulation, December 7, 1841
- Regulations for the Information of Officers On Neutrality Duty in Connection With the Visits of Belligerent Vessels of War [1916]
- Regulations For Powder Magazines and Shell Houses 1874
- Regulations Governing the Uniform of Commissioned Officers 1897
- Reincarnation of John Paul Jones The Navy Discovers Its Professional Roots
- Religions of Vietnam
- Remarks on Protection of a Convoy by Extended Patrols
- Remarks on Submarine Tactics Against Convoys
- Reminiscences of Seattle Washington Territory and the U. S. Sloop-of-War Decatur
- Reminiscences of Seattle Washington Territory and the US Sloop-of-War Decatur During the Indian War of 1855-56
- Report by the Special Subcommittee on Disciplinary Problems in the US Navy
- Reports of Arica, Peru Earthquake from USS Powhatan and USS Wateree
- Republic of Korea Navy
- Resolution of the Continental Congress, 11 December 1775
- Resolution of the Continental Congress, 25 November 1775
- Hyman G. Rickover's Promotion to Admiral [H.A.S.C. 93-16]
- Ringle Report on Japanese Internment
- Riverine Warfare Manual [1971]
- Riverine Warfare: The US Navy's Operations on Inland Waters
- Rocks and Shoals: Articles for the Government of the U.S. Navy
- The Recruitment of African Americans in the US Navy 1839
- The Role of COMINT in the Battle of Midway
- The Role of the United States Navy in the Formation and Development of the Federal German Navy, 1945-1970
- Rommel and the Atlantic Wall
- Royal Works USS Lexington [Crossing the Line 1936]
- Rules for the Regulation of the Navy - 1775
- The Russian Navy Visits the United States
- Expand navigation for S S
- SACO
- Expand navigation for Sailors as Infantry in the US Navy Sailors as Infantry in the US Navy
- The Sailors Creed
- Samoan Hurricane
- A Sampling of U.S. Naval Humanitarian Operations
- Expand navigation for Seabee History Seabee History
- Secretary of the Navy's Report for 1900 on the China Relief Expedition
- Expand navigation for Selected Documents of the Spanish American War Selected Documents of the Spanish American War
- Battle of Manila Bay
- Battle of Manila Bay: Miscellaneous Documents
- Olympia in Battle of Manila Bay
- Raleigh in Battle of Manila Bay
- Concord in Battle of Manila Bay
- Baltimore in Battle of Manila Bay
- Petrel in Battle of Manila Bay
- Boston in Battle of Manila Bay
- McCulloch in Battle of Manila Bay
- U.S. Consul at Manila
- Official Spanish Report on Battle of Manila Bay
- Expand navigation for Selected Groups in the Republic of Vietnam Selected Groups in the Republic of Vietnam
- Seventh Amphibious Force - Command History 1945
- Shelling of the Alaskan Native American Village of Angoon, October 1882
- Ship to Shore Movement
- Ship Shapes Anatomy and types of Naval Vessels
- Shipboard Ettiquette [Naval R. O. T. C. Pamphlet No. 16]
- Shiploading - A Picture Dictionary
- Expand navigation for Ships named for Individual Sailors Ships named for Individual Sailors
- Ships Present at Pearl Harbor
- Ships Sunk and Damaged in Action during the Korean Conflict
- A Short Account of the Several General Duties of Officers, of Ships of War: From an Admiral, Down to the Most Inferior Officer
- Short Guide to Iraq
- The Sicilian Campaign, Operation 'Husky'
- Signals for the Use of the Navy of the Confederate States
- Sinking of C.S.S. Alabama by U.S.S. Kearsarge - 19 Jun 1864
- Expand navigation for Sinking of the Bismarck Sinking of the Bismarck
- Sinking of the USS Guitarro
- The Sinking of the USS Housatonic by the Submarine CSS H.L. Hunley
- Expand navigation for Sinking of USS Indianapolis - Press Releases & Related Sources Sinking of USS Indianapolis - Press Releases & Related Sources
- Expand navigation for Skill in the Surf: A Landing Boat Manual Skill in the Surf: A Landing Boat Manual
- Chapter I. Landing Boats Are Important!
- Chapter II. Landing Craft From Troy to Tokio
- Chapter III. Know Your Boat!
- Chapter IV. Know Your Job!
- Chapter V. Keep It Running!
- Chapter VI. The Coxswain Takes Over
- Chapter VII. Learning the Ropes
- Chapter VIII. The Salvage Boat
- Chapter IX. Where Sea Meets Land
- Chapter X. Hit That Beach!
- Chapter XI. Information, Please!
- Appendix A
- Appendix B
- Appendix C
- Appendix D
- Appendix E
- Appendix F
- Appendix G
- Appendix H
- Appendix I
- Appendix J
- Skunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds, and the Flying Fish
- Slapton Sands: The Cover-up That Never Was
- Small Wars Their Principles and Practice
- Smith, Melancton Rear Admiral USN A Memoir
- Smoker Sat., July 27, 1918 U.S.S. Arizona
- So You are Going to the South Pacific?
- Soldier's Guide Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Solomon Islands Campaign: I The Landing in the Solomons
- Solomon Islands Campaign: II Savo Island & III Eastern Solomons
- Solomon Islands Campaign: IV Battle of Cape Esperance
- Solomon Islands Campaign VII Battle Tassafaronga
- Solomon Islands Campaign IX Bombardments of Munda and Vila-Stanmore
- Solomon Islands Campaign: X Operations in the New Georgia Area 21 June-5 August 1943
- Solomon Islands Campaign: XI Kolombangara and Vella Lavella 6 August - 7 October 1943
- Solomon Islands Campaign XII The Bougainville Landing and the Battle od Empress Augusta Bay, 27 October - 2 November 1943
- Some Experiences Reported by the Crew of the USS Pueblo and American Prisoners of War from Vietnam
- Some Memorandums Construction of Ships Frederick Tudor
- Somers, essay on legal aspects of Somers Affair
- Sources on US Naval History by State
- Expand navigation for Spanish American War Spanish American War
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 1
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 2
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 3
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 4
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 5
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 6
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 7
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 8
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 9
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 10
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 11
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 12
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 13
- Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1898 Part 14
- Spanish-American War; War Plans and Impact on U.S. Navy
- Special Order 1865 April 17 Assemblage of Officers to Attend
- Special Order 1865 April 17 Navy Department Closure
- Special Order 1865 April 17 Officers to Attend Funeral
- Special Order 1865 April 20 List of Officers to Accompany Remains
- Special Order No. 73 - 1905 April 18 Travel Pay
- Expand navigation for Specifications for Ship and Motor Boat Bells Specifications for Ship and Motor Boat Bells
- Sports in the Navy: 1775 to 1963
- Stalin's Cold War Military Machine: A New Evaluation
- Statement Regarding Winds Message
- The Story Of The Confederate States' Ship Virginia
- Strait Comparison: Lessons Learned from the 1915 Dardanelles Campaign
- Strategic Concepts of the U.S. Navy (NWP 1 A)
- Striking the Flag
- Structural Repairs in Forward Areas During WWII
- Study of the General Board of the U.S. Navy, 1929-1933
- Submarine Activities Connected with Guerrilla Organizations
- Expand navigation for Submarine Sighting Guide ONI 31-2A Submarine Sighting Guide ONI 31-2A
- Submarine Sighting Guide ONI 31SS-Rev. 1
- Submarine Silhouette Book No. 1
- Submarine Turtle Naval Documents
- Surprised at Tet: U.S. Naval Forces in Vietnam, 1968
- Survey of the Amazon- Selfridge
- Survival of the Collection of the Navy Department Library
- Syria's Chemical Weapons: Issues for Congress
- Expand navigation for T T
- Tactical Lessons of Midway
- Target Information From CIC [Combat Information Center]
- Expand navigation for Terminology and Nomenclature Terminology and Nomenclature
- Terrorism in Southeast Asia
- Terrorism: Some Legal Restrictions on Military Assistance
- Tet: The Turning Point in Vietnam
- This is Ann - Malaria
- Time of Change: National Strategy in the Early Postwar Era
- Titanic Disaster: Report of Navy Hydrographic Office
- Tokyo a Study in Jap Flak Defense
- Tokyo Bay: The Formal Surrender of the Empire of Japan
- Expand navigation for Tonkin Gulf Crisis Tonkin Gulf Crisis
- Tonkin Gulf Crisis, August 1964 - Summary
- Formerly Classified Documents from 2 August - 4 August 1964
- Formerly Classified Documents Subsequent to 4 August 1964
- Publicly Released Information
- Gulf of Tonkin the 1964 Incidents
- Gulf of Tonkin the 1964 Incidents [Part II]
- Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Code Words
- Tonkin Gulf Crisis Select Bibliography
- Torpedo War - Rodgers - Fulton
- Training Ships
- The Trial of Admiral Doenitz
- Tsunami (Tidal Wave) Disasters
- 20th Century Warriors: Native American Participation in the United States Military
- Typhoons and Hurricanes: The Effects of Cyclonic Winds on US Naval Operations
- Typhoons and Hurricanes: The Storm at Apia, Samoa, 15-16 March 1889
- Expand navigation for U U
- U-2s, UFOs, and Operation Blue Book
- U-94 Sunk By USN PBY Plane and HMCS Oakville 8-27-42
- U-162 Sunk By HM Ships Pathfinder, Vimy, and Quentin 9-3-42
- U-210 Sunk By HMCS Assiniboine 7-6-42
- U-352 Sunk By U.S.C.G. Icarus 5-9-42
- U-505 Sinking
- U-571, World War II German Submarine
- U-595 Scuttled and Sunk Off Cape Khamis, Algeria 11-14-42
- U-701 Sunk By US Army Attack Bomber No. 9-29-322, Unit 296 B.S. 7-7-42
- U-Boat War in the Caribbean: Opportunities Lost
- Ultra and the Campaign Against U-boats in World War II
- Underwater earthquake disasters and the U.S. Navy
- Uniform Regulations, 1797
- Uniform Regulations, 1802
- Uniform Regulations, 1814
- Uniform Regulations, 1833
- Uniform Regulations, 1841
- Uniform Regulations, 1852
- Expand navigation for Uniform Regulations, 1864 Uniform Regulations, 1864
- General Regulations: Full Dress, Undress, Service Dress
- Coats, Overcoats, Jackets
- Cuff and Sleeve Ornaments
- Pantaloons, Vests
- Part 1: Rear Admiral to Ensign
- Part 2: Engineer Corps
- Part 3: Professors, Secretaries
- Part 4: Medical Corps
- Part 5: Chaplains, Paymasters
- Part 6: Naval Constructors
- Part 7: Regulations for Wearing Shoulder Straps
- Cap and Cap Ornaments
- Straw Hats, Sword and Scabbard, Sword-Belt, Sword-Knot, Buttons, Cravat
- Dress for Petty Officers and Crew
- Uniform Regulations, 1866
- Uniform Regulations, 1869
- Uniform Regulations, Women's Reserve, USNR, 1943
- Expand navigation for Uniforms of the US Navy Uniforms of the US Navy
- Aiguillettes
- Uniform-Buttons
- Chief Petty Officers' Uniforms U.S. Navy
- Cold-Weather/Foul-Weather Wear
- Gas Masks and Breathing Apparatus U.S. Navy Uniform
- Hats/Caps
- Uniform and Dress of the Navy of the Confederate States
- Insignias U.S. Navy Uniform
- Maintenance/Care of Uniforms
- Men's Uniforms
- Pants/Bell-Bottoms
- Personal Appearance
- Seabags
- Navy Seabags
- Shirts/Jumpers
- Shoes
- Swords
- Naval Uniforms, misc.
- Women's Uniforms
- Petty Officer Rating Badge Locations and Eagle Designs
- Uniform Changes
- Historical Surveys of the Evolution of US Navy Uniforms
- Uniform Regulations
- History of US Navy Uniforms, 1776-1981
- Identification Tags ("Dog Tags")
- United States Atlantic Fleet Organization 1942
- United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945
- United States Naval Hospital Ships
- United States Naval Railway Batteries in France
- United States Navy and the Persian Gulf
- United States Navy and World War I: 1914–1922
- United States Navy's World of Work
- Expand navigation for United States Submarine Losses World War II United States Submarine Losses World War II
- Notes to US Submarine Losses in World War II
- Introduction
- Albacore (SS 218)
- Amberjack (SS 219)
- Argonaut (SS 166)
- Barbel (SS 316)
- Bonefish (SS 223)
- Bullhead (SS 332)
- Capelin (SS 289)
- Cisco (SS 290)
- Corvina (SS 226)
- Darter (SS 227)
- Dorado (SS 248)
- Escolar (SS 294)
- Flier (SS 250)
- Golet (SS 361)
- Grampus (SS 207)
- Grayback (SS 208)
- Grayling (SS 209)
- Grenadier (SS 210)
- Growler (SS 215)
- Grunion (SS 216)
- Gudgeon (SS 211)
- Harder (SS 257)
- Herring (SS 233)
- Kete (SS 369)
- Lagarto (SS 371)
- Perch (SS 176)
- Pickerel (SS 177)
- Pompano (SS 181)
- R-12 (SS 89)
- Robalo (SS 273)
- Runner (SS 275)
- S-26 (SS 131)
- S-27 (SS 132)
- S-28 (SS 133)
- S-36 (SS 141)
- S-39 (SS 144)
- S-44 (SS 155)
- Scamp (SS 277)
- Scorpion (SS 278)
- Sculpin (SS 191)
- Sealion (SS 195)
- Seawolf (SS 197)
- Shark I* (SS 174)
- Shark 2* (SS 314)
- Snook (SS 279)
- Swordfish (SS 193)
- Tang (SS 306)
- Trigger (SS 237)
- Triton (SS 201)
- Trout (SS 202)
- Tullibee (SS 284)
- Wahoo (SS 238)
- German U-Boat Casualties in World War Two
- Italian Submarine Casualties in World War Two
- Japanese Submarine Casualties in World War Two (I and RO Boats)
- Unmanned Vehicles for U.S. Naval Forces: Background and Issues for Congress
- US Democracy Promotion Policy in the Middle East
- US-Greek Naval Relations Begin
- US Marines at Pearl Harbor
- US Mining and Mine Clearance in North Vietnam
- US Naval Detachment in Turkish Waters, 1919-1924
- US Naval Forces in Northern Russia 1918-1919
- US Naval Plans for War with the United Kingdom in the 1890s
- US Naval Port Officers in the Bordeaux Region, 1917-1919
- Expand navigation for US Navy Abbreviations of World War II US Navy Abbreviations of World War II
- Expand navigation for US Navy and Hawaii-A Historical Summary US Navy and Hawaii-A Historical Summary
- US Navy at War Second Official Report
- US Navy at War Final Official Report
- US Navy Capstone Strategies and Concepts (1970-1980)
- US Navy Capstone Strategies and Concepts (1974-2005)
- US Navy Capstone Strategies and Concepts (1981-1990)
- US Navy Capstone Strategies and Concepts (1991-2000)
- US Navy Capstone Strategies and Concepts (2001-2010)
- US Navy Capstone Strategy, Policy, Vision and Concept Documents
- US Navy Code Words of World War II
- US Navy Congo River Expedition of 1885
- US Navy Forward Deployment 1801-2001
- Expand navigation for US Navy in Desert Shield/Desert Storm US Navy in Desert Shield/Desert Storm
- Executive Summary
- Overview: Desert Storm - The Role of the Navy
- The Gathering Storm
- A Common Goal - Joint Ops
- Bullets, Bandages and Beans - Logistic Ops
- Thunder and Lightning - The war with Iraq
- Epilogue
- Lessons Learned
- Appendix B: Participating Naval Units
- Appendix A: Chronology - August 1990
- Appendix A: Chronology - September 1990
- Appendix A: Chronology - October 1990
- Appendix A: Chronology - November 1990
- Appendix A: Chronology - December 1990
- Appendix A: Chronology - January 1991
- Appendix A: Chronology - January 1991 cont.
- Appendix A: Chronology - February 1991
- Appendix A: Chronology - March 1991
- Appendix A: Chronology - April 1991
- Appendix C: Allied Participation and Contributions
- Appendix D: Aircraft Sortie Count
- Appendix E: Aircraft Readiness Rates
- Appendix F: Aircraft and Personnel Losses
- Appendix G: Naval Gunfire Support
- Appendix H: Surface Warfare
- Appendix I: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
- Appendix K: Sealift
- Appendix L: Airlift
- US Navy in the World (2001-2010)
- Expand navigation for US Navy instruction for the destruction of signal books, 1863 US Navy instruction for the destruction of signal books, 1863
- US Navy Interviewer's Classification Guide
- US Navy Libraries
- US Navy Libraries: Historic Documents
- US Navy Motor Torpedo Boat Operational Losses
- US Navy Nurse Corps General Uniform Instructions, 1917
- US Navy in Operation Enduring Freedom, 2001-2002
- US Navy Personnel in World War II: Service and Casualty Statistics
- US Navy Personnel Strength, 1775 to Present
- US Navy Sailors Operating Ashore as Artillerymen Roth
- US Navy Ships Lost in Selected Storm/Weather Related Incidents
- US Navy Special Operations in the Korean War
- US Navy Submarines Losses, Selected Accidents, and Selected Incidents of Damage Resulting from Enemy Action, Chronological
- US Occupation Assistance: Iraq, Germany and Japan Compared
- US Occupation of Haiti, 1915-1934
- US Prisoners of War and Civilian American Citizens Captured
- US Radar: Operational Characteristics of Radar Classified by Tactical Application
- Use of Naval Forces in the Post-War Era
- U.S.S. Colorado BB-45 Diary
- U.S.S. Searaven S.S. 196 4 July 1945
- Expand navigation for USS Constitution's Battle Record USS Constitution's Battle Record
- USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) Memorial Ceremony
- USS Kearsarge Rescues Soviet Soldiers, 1960
- USS Monitor Versus CSS Virginia and the Battle for Hampton Roads
- USS Pirate; Selected documents on the Salvage of USS Pirate and USS Pledge
- USS Vega, Report of Pearl Harbor Attack
- USS West Virgina, Report of Salvage, Pearl Harbor
- The U.S. Navy Enlistment, Instruction, Pay and Advancement
- Expand navigation for V V
- Expand navigation for W W
- Expand navigation for War Damage Reports War Damage Reports
- Destroyer Report - Gunfire, Bomb and Kamikaze Damage
- Destroyer Report - Torpedo and Mine Damage and Loss in Action
- Submarine Report - Vol. 1, War Damage Report No. 58
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Discipline in the U.S. Navy
Condensation Of A Study By
RADM Arleigh Burke, USN
Discipline In the U.S. Navy
Condensation Of A Study By
RADM Arleigh Burke, USN
December 1950
Bureau of Naval Personnel
NAVPERS 91195
Foreword
Rear Admiral Arleigh Burke's study in its original form was reproduced and distributed to all Commanders in Chief, Fleet Commanders, and Type Commanders. The study appeared in its condensed form in the October 1950 issue of the Naval Training Bulletin. The timely importance of the subject was immediately proved by the numerous requests for additional copies. Aside from this, however, the decision to reprint the article in this booklet form is in keeping with the policy of the Bureau of Naval Personnel – the dissemination of training information to as many naval personnel as possible.
Rear Admiral Burke's study carries a message which is as important to the top level command as it is to the petty officer. If you are looking for the answers to the questions of what discipline is, what the factors are which contribute to the break-down of discipline, and what methods can be used to combat these breakdowns, then the following pages will be of interest to you.
J. W. Roper
Vice Admiral, USN
Chief of Naval Personnel
PART I--General Discipline in the Navy
Definition
A well disciplined organization is one whose members work with enthusiasm, willingness, and zest as individuals and as a group to fulfill the mission of the organization with expectation of success.
Effect of Lack of Descipline
Lack of discipline results in loss of smooth, determined operating action and combat efficiency. Examples of the results of lack of discipline may be seen in the Italians at Adowa, the Spanish fleet in the Spanish-American War, the Russian army in World War I, and, with less disastrous outcome, the peacetime disaffections of the British Navy at Invergordon after World War I, the recent unrest in the Royal Canadian Navy, and the strikes to go home in the U.S. Army after World War II. The underlying cause in each case was the deterioration of the whole organization to such a degree that the local authorities could not, or would not because of their own degeneration, correct the local situation early enough to prevent widespread loss of authority. The United States Navy has never had an instance of this kind at any time in its history.
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Measures of Discipline
Besides the large criterion of combat ability, there are many lesser criteria which in the aggregate become important measures of discipline: (1) A dignified pride and self-respect--pride in the Navy, in the unit, and in oneself; (2) A willingness to work for and to make personal sacrifices to the group good; (3) A smart appearance -- a sloppy ship or a slovenly man will be so in action; (4) A respect for fellow men exemplified in courtesy and consideration; (5) Optimistic cheerfulness, liveliness, and exhilaration.
Discipline and Command
Discipline is a function of command. Juniors as well as seniors must be made responsible for and be cognizant of their responsibility. Commanders can not delegate or reassign their own responsibility. Morale problems cannot be turned over to the chaplain or the dispensing of justice to the legal expert. Specialists must be naval officers first and specialists second, and work for the commanding officer rather than function separately. Command must have the authority necessary for the exercise of its responsibility.
Factors Affecting Discipline or Morale
In every case of breakdown of discipline the following four major factors have been present: (1) Lack of information--subordinates were not kept informed
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of problems or of reasons why the organization was required to take the action it did take. (2) Lack of interest--seniors had little interest in or knowledge of the problems of their juniors or if they did the juniors were left unaware that they did; (3) Slackness in command; (4) Instability. Senseless transfers of personnel, changes in operating schedules or in daily routine. The organization as a whole and as individuals felt insecure and uncertain of the future.
There were other important factors such as operating conditions, food, living conditions; all of which had an effect on discipline, but each of the above four major factors were defective in all major disaffections. It is worth while to examine these and other factors in detail to determine their status in this Navy of ours.
Information to the Navy. There are two incentives which cause any young man to choose a certain profession as a lifetime career, and these same incentives are the cause of his satisfaction with his choice as his career develops. The first is his belief that the profession has honor and a future. The other incentive is that a man must feel that if he does his duty well and honorably, and demonstrates his ability, he can progress to a reasonable degree of success within the organization.
In the British Navy there was a general let-down, an anticlimax following the first world war. The British government needed to save money to stay solvent.
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The British Fleet was sent on dangerous, unpleasant duty around Russia. British seamen were paid too little in proportion to the civilian rates of pay. There were rumblings of dissatisfaction before, but when a pay cut was suddenly announced, the British Fleet at Invergordon mutinied.
The British Admiralty had never bothered to explain to the Navy the problems which confronted the government and the Navy. The bluejackets knew only what they read in the news, and the news was full of doubt as to the need of a Navy at all in the future. There was comment that the Navy would be practically disbanded. Uncertainty developed in the lower decks--and uncertainty is the most fruitful cause of unrest. Factual timely information issued by the Admiralty might have prevented the trouble from developing, but nobody put out the information, and even the senior officers did not know the facts.
There is great need in our own Navy now for factual information. Our officers and men get detailed and excellent information on how to make the next rate, but they get very little assurance (or didn't until recently) as to the future of the Navy. They read, absorb, and sometimes believe the stories that Navies are no longer needed, that the Navy is on the second team, etc. They have not had made available to them the basic facts which would disprove the specious arguments against their service, and as a result they have
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started to be less proud of their Navy. Information must be fed continuously to be effective; it must be given by every medium available.; and it must be given by each senior to his subordinates. All should know in general that there is an honorable place--a necessary place -- in the national security structure for a Navy, and that without an effective, hard fighting Navy, no war can be won. It is the job of all officers in top billets in the Navy to explain in general the plans and the future of the Navy to their service. Later, when the situation permits, it would be desirable if the senior officers were assisted in this duty by a very few qualified personnel, but there is danger in establishing an officer for this purpose too soon. For the dissemination of such information can be effective only if it is accomplished by many people. As an example, every issue of every Navy publication should have some article in it about the future of the Navy as a whole organization. Many do now. They should be encouraged.
There is a converse to this lack of information being passed down. Unless there is dope coming down, little goes up. Information must be exchanged.
If seniors do not inform their juniors of items of interest, juniors will not feel a strong compulsion to inform their seniors of items of possible interest. No commander can command even a division well unless he is informed of what is going on within his command.
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He must have the feel of the pulse of his crew--which he can get only if his people confide in him.
Interest of Seniors in Subordinates. The case history of the recent "incidents" in ships of the Royal Canadian Navy will serve as an example of apparent lack of interest of seniors in the work and the problems of their juniors. There was a noticeable lack of human understanding between officers and enlisted men. Men were reprimanded for work badly done but rarely commended for work well done. Captains withdrew from their officers, and flag officers had little knowledge of what was happening in the ships. There was little instruction of young officers in practical leadership. There was no recognized process for the airing of grievances. There was lack of cooperation, of frankness and of communications among leading hands, petty officers, officers and their superiors. An absence of confidence between officers and leading petty officers, between petty officers and nonrated men and between junior and senior officers existed. Officers did not exercise close supervision over the duties of their divisions. The seniors did not know what was going on in the lower decks and consequently took no remedial steps which would have prevented a serious situation from occurring.
In short, the officers did not know what was going on and apparently didn't care. The men lost faith and confidence and a series of "incidents" resulted.
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Our Navy has always been free of this type of disorder and one of the reasons is that all naval officers know that their most important duty is the handling of men. A successful Navy requires a unique and close relationship between officer and man. The officers have been thoroughly conversant in that relationship and were therefore well prepared to fulfill their responsibilities to their subordinates.
But officers are not paying quite the attention to this paramount duty they did before and during the war.
The results showed up in a survey made by BuPers of the opinions of separates about the Navy and were confirmed by the large number of people who wanted to get out as a result of A1Nav 117 (27 December 1949). A surprisingly large number, both petty officers and nonrated men, felt that the officers and, to a lesser extent, their senior petty officers, were not interested in their personal problems or welfare. They also felt that their jobs were not very important and that their seniors did not recognize their qualifications--or for that matter their minor shortcomings.
These men leaving the Navy have complained that their officers did not make adequate use of their skills and training. Officers were not aware of the men's capabilities and potentialities, what contributions they could make to the Navy or to their ship. They felt that the officers made no effort to identify their men with their ship or with the Navy.
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That is an indictment whether the men were right or not. That's the way they felt -- and that's wrong.
The cause for this difficulty starts at the top with the very senior officers. These officers are commencing to lose the personal touch with their juniors. There is a good reason for it. Few of them can be assigned to duty at sea these days. Those that are swamped with masses of paper work and conferences, so that there is little time left over for that important function of keeping acquainted with what their subordinates are doing and how they are doing it. The more responsible the position that an officer holds the more important it is that he direct and supervise the work of his subordinates, and seemingly the less time he has available to accomplish this priority task. If the situation is not corrected there will be a gradual lowering of effectiveness as juniors rise to more important positions under the tutelage of too busy seniors.
There is much comment that the younger officers and the petty officers are inexperienced and lack ability in their divisional duties. This is true. But they will get that experience only under the direction of their seniors, and we are back at the starting point again--that the seniors don't have the time to exercise proper supervision. Seniors could well devote more effort to delineating to juniors, especially the "J.O.'s," exactly what is required of them. Too often these enthusiastic young men are simply told to comply with the mass
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of directives from the multiple "higher authorities" without adequate guidance or counsel. The lads end up confused, frustrated, overworked, and disheartened. From that position it is a gentle down-hill slide to lack of pride and loss of ambition. The situation is gradually improving, but it will not improve at a high enough rate until more emphasis is placed on the handling of men and less on the volume of paper scanned.
Junior officers and petty officers have a tendency to be too soft, too lenient with minor infractions of discipline and thereby penalize the good man while favoring the poor ones. This eventually becomes apparent to the officers who then are apt to become uncertain of themselves and become too arbitrary. In either case they lose the confidence of their men.
Inexperienced officers also apparently have a tendency not to follow through on reports and orders. This allows the poor man "to get away with it" and is discouraging to the good men. There is not enough checking.
There are far too many inexperienced commanders of stations and ships (some of them rather senior) who use courts martial to correct defects which should have been corrected by direct personal action of the division officers or the captain himself. Direct personal action early in the game will save many a court and will greatly increase the effectiveness of any command;
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but it does require knowledge of incipient trouble before it occurs, and it does necessitate a lot of time spent with subordinates.
There is a small minority of youngsters who take undue advantage of their rank and this quite naturally causes resentment. No man takes advantage of his rank unless he is unsure of himself and uncertain as to the respect he would command without his artificial means.
Of course the leadership supervision and guidance the junior officers and petty officers give, day in and day out, are the most important factors in achieving a high esprit de corps. The division officer is the core of the Navy's spirit. This is the key to much of the disciplinary trouble of the present Navy. Much of the criticism of present morale, or lack of it, is leveled at the division officer, and rightly so, and most of it is based on this officer's lack of understanding of his men. He must know them as individuals and make them realize and appreciate that he knows them. All this has been said frequently and in many ways, but it is believed that one element of this problem is frequently overlooked. Has the division officer the means and time available to adequately supervise, guide, and counsel his men in the manner required to develop that feeling of mutual respect and understanding so important in the foundation of a high esprit de corps (and high standard of discipline)?
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Most of the present mass of directives, orders, instructions, etc., from the many offices and bureaus in the Navy Department, fleet, type, and unit commanders, and other sources, ultimately fall upon this one individual (the division officer) for execution. If he is conscientiously carrying out each and every such order and directive, standing his watches, supervising his maintenance and upkeep work, making the required inspections, and otherwise carrying out his prescribed duties and responsibilities, he finds that the 24-hour day is just not long enough. The result is that some of his duties have to be performed hurriedly or not at all if he is to cover the essentials. The average division officer, under these conditions, directs most of his attention and efforts to those tasks whose results are most immediately apparent to his seniors, or, in other words, to those tasks which, if omitted or neglected, would cause immediate repercussions. In this process the supervision, guidance, knowledge, and understanding of the men of his division are often neglected.
The solution to this problem lies in a more proper understanding of the relative importance of the division officer's various duties, both by his seniors in his own command and by himself. It requires proper appreciation on the part of the many officers responsible for issuance of orders, directives, instructions, etc., regarding how and by whom they ultimately will be carried out, with respect to their effect on the
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over-all workload of the individuals and units affected. This would confirm the necessity for a reduction in "paper work" and nonessential directives.
Correction of the tendency to neglect interest in subordinates is not something that can be accomplished overnight. It is being effected gradually by many people who are cognizant of the defect. A larger number of people working at the job would speed up the process.
It is important to emphasize that only by knowing subordinates is it possible to evaluate their talents and limitations. Only by knowing men can they be properly placed. There must be continuous concern about men, and not concern just when they get into trouble or are about to ship over or go out.
The atmosphere of a Navy or a ship is created by the attitude of the officers. Officers are obligated to insure that each of their subordinates knows that the senior officers, and the Navy, do care about men as individuals. Each person in the Navy must have assurance that his progress, his training, his career, and his performance of duty are of concern to the Navy.
Slackness in Command. All major catastrophies in the loss of discipline in all organizations have been preceded by a general slackness in the command. The old saying that a taut ship is a happy ship is still true. The reason is that on a taut ship the officers and the men know where they stand and what is expected of
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them. There can be complete dependence on one's associates, for lack of reliability will be brought up with a round turn. On such ships, all men do a day's work, not just the conscientious ones. There are no soft billets in a taut outfit. The officers and the men are on the job and require others to be on the job. Chiselers and transgressors are promptly punished while their offenses are still minor.
Sure and everybody knows that's true too, but the majority of the separates in the same survey by BuPers stated that the little things, the seemingly minor details that go to make a happy ship or an efficient one were apparently a haphazard matter. There was a lot of "made work." The men complained that ships were slack; they felt that the Navy was a lazy man's way of living and working. They felt that their work had little significance, and they got no satisfaction of accomplishment. Some of this is due to lack of information, to lack of explanation, but a great deal of it must be due to general slackness also.
There are a number of contributory causes for slackness in command--inexperience or lack of interest on the part of officers, the indifference of old-timers, both officer and enlisted, who are merely passing the time until retirement, laziness on the part of young men who want to ride and produce as little as possible in the process. All can be corrected by tautening up the units.
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Tautness requires absolute fairness above all else. Commanders must distinguish between good and bad men and take action accordingly. This means that men who fail must be punished promptly at mast and that each man's record must reflect his conduct and ability. It means that commanding officers must tackle the onerous problem of the relative fitness of officers, so that officer's fitness reports reflect faithfully the worth of the officer. There must be a clear differentiation between the excellent and the poor, or again the conscientious man is penalized and the poor man is favored.
Slackness in command always requires eventual drastic action.
Instability. Instability is always a contributing factor in serious cases of lack of discipline. The personnel instability in our fleets after the war was therefore a serious concern to the Navy. If command attention had not been exercised carefully the discipline of the Navy would have suffered much more than it did.
There are many times when transfers are most desirable or are unavoidable. The Navy, especially BuPers, has done well in reducing unnecessary transfers, but there are still too many men--and officers--being shifted. It takes time for a man to become acquainted with his job and time for a unit to shake down after receiving new men. Unless, through foresight and careful planning, the Navy can get some reasonable
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permanency of personnel on its ships and stations it will always be in a state of turmoil.
The man hours lost to the Navy by men in transit is appalling. Here again, BuPers is making valiant efforts to reduce time in receiving stations, time en route, and time waiting for ships. Until all commanders and all ships and stations do their best, there will be this great loss in manpower utilization.
There should be great improvements due to long enlistments. Short enlistments preclude permanency of personnel--and seem to discourage men from selecting the Navy as a career.
BuPers is trying to put through a plan for scheduled sea-shore rotation which will reduce the justified complaints of unfairness and favoritism. That Bureau is having difficulty in resisting the continual pressure, mostly from senior officers, to give special and unjust consideration to their own people, especially Stewards, Yeomen, and similar ratings. A definite schedule of ship-shore rotation would be advantageous to the Navy and permit its personnel to make some sort of personal plans.
The present high rate of reenlistments will do much to eliminate the instability and rapid turnover due to the necessary training and schooling of new recruits. A high percentage of the manpower in the Navy is being used to train new men. The reduction in the number of trainees as well as in the number
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of instructors and administrators necessary for elementary training will relieve some of the instability due to transfers.
One of the basic causes in both the British mutiny at Invergordon and the "incidents" in the Canadian Navy was instability in the operating schedules. Ships either had no schedule or the schedules that they did have were changed frequently and without time to permit the officers and men to adjust their personal plans without inconvenience.
Frequent sudden changes in the operating schedules of ships after the war in the United States Navy was also one of the major sources of discontent. Even though the necessity of such changes was explained, the operating personnel could not understand why adequate planning and foresight could not have made most of the changes unnecessary.
Naturally, the exigencies of the service preclude the maintenance of a rigid schedule. Changes will frequently be necessary and unavoidable. On the other hand there is still insufficient realization among the shore based planners of the great inconvenience caused to many people when schedules are abruptly changed. It speaks well for the discipline and loyalty of naval personnel that these changes are accepted without serious consequences. Nevertheless unnecessary changes are an additional strain to discipline and usually result in some men being AOL because they are not big
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enough to change their own plans to fit those of their units.
Stability of promotion and advancement has also been a cross under which the discipline of organizations has broken. The Bureau of Personnel is busily engaged in preparing career guidance plans for all Navy people. Heretofore written advancement examinations have been the most important factor in evaluating the relative worth of individuals, with some attention being given to the evaluation of the man's work on the job. Written tests, however, are only one measure of a man's effectiveness. They do not necessarily give a man's true aptitudes, qualifications, or achievements. BuPers is evaluating the performance of Chief Musicians and Musicians First Class with ten years' service in the spring, a work which will assist in the determination of the relative fitness of men for promotion. If this project is successful, evaluation centers will be established for all rates. These centers, it is hoped, will fulfill the need for obtaining accuracy and comprehensiveness in all of the qualifications. The record of capabilities of the men who are evaluated in these evaluation centers will also be of considerable assistance in the proper detailing of personnel and in the selection of personnel for commissions in the event of another emergency. This situational testing to determine actual qualifications will do much to insure that the best men available are promoted and thereby
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give to all personnel the necessary confidence that true worth will determine advancement.
BuPers has also recently instituted a system of fitness reports for chief petty officers and petty officers first class in order that a continuous and comprehensive record may be obtained on performance of duty of each of these key people. These, like any other system in which men mark other men, will be valuable in proportion to the conscientiousness with which the marking seniors act. Here again, it is necessary that rigid adherence to high standards be maintained to assure that the men who actually reach those high standards are not discriminated against by less qualified men receiving high marks which they do not justly deserve.
In a peacetime Navy it is important for each man in each rate to have some prospect of promotion even though that prospect may involve tough competition. BuPers has arranged for a steady flow of promotions for each rate. With so many reenlistments and with more and more people making the Navy their career it is essential that each man be confident that as his qualifications increase he will be advanced accordingly.
The officer promotion system was well established before the war. Since the war it has not been possible to reinstitute the entire system with the same degree of efficiency that previously existed, due to the much larger number of officers and the wide variation in
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their educational qualifications and experience. Nevertheless much progress has been made in the attempts to insure fair competition and adequate opportunity for advancement. In addition, the personnel acts prescribe the procedures required for promotion in considerable detail.
Officers must have confidence in the promotion system or discipline will be jeopardized. Unless the best officers are promoted, faith of other officers and enlisted men in the integrity of the system will be shaken. It is essential that officers be promoted who will be best qualified to lead in battle. They must have other qualifications, such as good administrative and technical ability and a wide array of knowledge also, but the rest of the Navy must have absolute confidence in those selected. Should the less qualified personnel be selected there will come a time in battle in which the Navy will fail because of its leadership. Like begets like, and inadequate personnel, once they have moved up sufficiently to be on a selection board, will themselves be apt to select other inadequate personnel.
Standards must be very high, they must be attainable, they must be equitable, they must be well known, and they must be maintained with integrity. Otherwise the officer corps will decay and decay rapidly, and there will be no effective combat Navy if this happens.
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Other Factors Important to Discipline
In addition to the four factors discussed above, there are others which, although they lack the critical nature of these four, are nevertheless important to discipline. Five factors of this sort are touched upon briefly below.
Increase in Navy Ashore. Instead of the 65 percent of naval personnel serving at sea, as was the situation before the war, 65 percent are actually billeted ashore now. Before the war there were very few small shore stations as compared to the multitude in existence now. These two changes have resulted in a relatively large number of less experienced commanding officers administering men. While there is nothing that can be done about the changes mentioned above, a great deal can and should be done in the way of stressing to officers ashore the fact that they have a most difficult job and a primary responsibility to insure that the discipline, spirit, and effectiveness of their commands meet the high standards which the Navy must maintain.
Shore Patrol. Untrained shore patrolmen cannot handle minor infractions satisfactorily. Personnel assigned to shore patrol duty should be specially trained.
Fleet Employment. It may be that we have too much concentration on grand exercises and not enough on training of individual ships and units; and too much
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emphasis on reporting exercises and too little on improving performance.
Marriage and Discipline. Early marriages in the case of naval personnel sometimes result in worry, frustration, and despondency. They cause a divided loyalty between family and the Navy which often leads to serious derelictions. Assistance with personal problems of this sort is the responsibility of the division officer, whose duty it is to inspire the trust and confidence that lead his men to consult him.
Creature Comfort. This is not a Bureau problem but a command responsibility. It is not as satisfactorily handled as is commonly believed. Much more can be done by many commands to provide good food, messing facilities, living quarters, and general environment.
PART II--Disciplinary Cases
Uniform Code of Military Justice
It has always been highly desirable to reduce the number of courts martial for a number of obvious reasons. Upon the placing in effect of the Uniform Code of Military Justice what was formerly desirable becomes a matter of absolute necessity. One of the effects of the new Code will be a formidable increase in the amount of time and paper work involved in connection with courts martial. Without a decrease in the number of cases, the workload will become prohibitive.
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Reason for Delinquency
The major reason for the increase in the number of courts martial over prewar days is the decrease in the amount of "command attention" being exercised as compared with those days. Commanding officers are using courts martial as a corrective device more frequently than in prewar days. They apparently fail to realize that a large number of courts being given is actually a reflection upon the officers' command ability.
What Can Be Done
(1) Discipline can be tautened. When this is correctly done, less punishment will be required. (2) Studies should be conducted on a continuing basis to determine the types of individuals who get into trouble. Results of such studies would be used by recruiting officers to screen out troublesome types before they get into the service. (3) The provisions of A1Nav 89 should be used far more than is now the case to rid the Navy of those undesirables and misfits who succeed in getting into the Navy in spite of the best efforts of the recruiting officers.
--22--
[END]
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