Berthing On the Battleship

[@DKWalser]

When I was a kid, maybe 8 years old, my father took his three sons to visit the battleship Missouri. It was in Seattle at the time. The Navy was disposing of some of the obsolete items from the ship, so Dad bought each of us a small steel box that each sailor had been given for storing his personal things. It was only about 1' square and about 8" deep. It could be locked with a pad lock. I still have mine, packed full of childhood memories.

[@Clell65619]

in the early 90s we had a dependants cruise on the Georgia (SSBN 729 G) My loving wife informed me that there was no way in hell she would go, so I took my eldest, then all of 11. We left the Delta pier, headed over to Dabob bay to dive the ship, did like three dives and surfaces, I took him throughout the boat in all the spaces he could enter, the Torpedo room, where the TMs let him help load a tube, to MCC so he could see the pretty lights flash on the control consoles, he was at the planes for 5 minutes, and a bunch of other stuff. His take away? What did he tell all his friends about? The soft-serve ice cream machine in the crew's mess A billion dollars worth of Submarine and he was impressed with the soft-serve machine. Kids.

[@georgehopper7310]

Do you have a picture of it? It sounds like your Dad bought a couple of sound powered phone storage boxes.

[@spidersinspace1099]

I think those boxes were referred to as a diddy box.

[@raulduke6105]

I saw her in Bremerton as well in the early 70’s

[@pressstart-NOW]

I slept in one of the berthing areas on the ship.

[@kurtdanielson993]

The first stateroom he is in looks just like my stateroom on the USS Coral Sea. Was very lucky to get it assigned to me as a new ensign.

[@americanmilitiaman88]

My great uncle was a AO on the coral sea during Vietnam

[@ryanfauci8733]

Looks like my stateroom from 2013 even the safe in the desk is identical besides the sink if it ain’t broke don’t fix it I guess

[@frankaxiak1959]

Very similar to my stateroom as an Ensign on DDG-53 USS JPJ.

[@barking.dog.productions1777]

Pretty standard officer stateroom - semi-private, and decent living space - yours could be worse with 4 to a space instead of 2... it's livable and much better than the enlisted are given. I never hated the enlisted space that I had because all that you do there is read a book or sleep. Other off duty time is spent in the galley or outside.

[@wak69]

@@frankaxiak1959 I'm shocked you weren't in the jo jungle. I didn't get a SR until I became warfare qualified and pinned. But that also looks like my old SR from my last ship.

[@jpoplin1]

Stayed onboard the Yorktown in the scouts me & some numbnuts friends decided together we would get up in the middle of the night & go “exploring” by flashlight we went to all of the non tour spots I’ll never forget looking over her lightless flight deck at 2am.

[@coolminecraft1457]

I should have done that when my old troop stayed the weekend

[@TheGamer-ev7lc]

I did that on the Intrepid and funnily enough, the New Jersey as well.

[@jackjackson2812]

If you were one of my NJROTC cadets from Dreher H.S., I want your NAME, Mister!

[@mayman10]

slept on the New Jersey in the scouts myself! cool to see that other troops did it too

[@terryboyer1342]

My name is Jack Jackson.

[@MrSchnebs]

I was on a frigate in the early 1990s, and I remember the junior officer cabins. Our ship also had a 9-man “overflow” berthing for junior officers and guests that I ended up in for a couple of weeks, which really made you appreciate the cabins!

[@catman351]

That "overflow" berthing is likely the space for aviators just above the hanger deck if you were on a Knox class ship.

[@Paladin327]

"in the time of sailing ships, the captain usually provided his own furnishings" i'm imagining a captain getting frustrated while trying to put his ikea furniture together before putting to sea

[@awittyusernamepleaselaugh7481]

Or better yet, trying to assemble said furniture while the ship is at sea in an North Atlantic storm.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

@@awittyusernamepleaselaugh7481 "Set course for Sweden, this Hurnstrombuggen doesn't have enough dowels or barrel fasteners!"

[@kilianortmann9979]

AFAIK in the age of sail, the captains most prized possessions would be offloaded onto the ship's boats and towed behind, in case of engagement. That would prevent the captains good china being shattered by enemy cannon fire.

[@SSN515]

I rigged out a huge brass bed for the Admiral as part of a "volunteer" work party and set it up in his inport stateroom while we were in port in Pusan, South Korea. He (actually, his Chief of Staff) also had purchased one for his wife, too, and we had to stow it onboard.

[@russheimerich9512]

@@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t And when we get to Stockholm, prepare to open fire on the Ikea factory!

[@deryckhampshire1608]

I was in the Royal Navy , on my first ship in 1969 we still had hammocks. If you think it was tight in that bunk space you should try moving in a hammock. Hammocks are very good at sea, but you try coming back from a good run ashore and try to sling one. The leading hand of the mess had a habit in the mornings of giving you a shake and handing you a bit of rope, if you let go of said rope you would find one end of the hammock and you dropping at a fast rate. Also meals we had to go to the galley get a tray put your food on it, then take it back down the mess to eat it. Many a time in the mornings you would be sitting eating your breakfast when a foot would suddenly appear and land a the mess deck table right next to your food.it has been known to to have landed in the food. I have photos of that mess deck and I look at them and think how did we do it, but we bitched about it but just got on with it.

[@ZGryphon]

Was there still a booze ration in the Royal Navy in 1969? Because it sounds like you needed it.

[@dmacarthur5356]

@@ZGryphon We rendezvoused with the HMS Penelope in the Med and two things we found very odd on Royal Navy ships, they allowed a beer ration and they didn't have locks on their lockers. Being we US sailors were allowed 2 cans of who knows how old beer when at sea for 45 consecutive days and wouldn't even think about not securing our personal property.

[@StrokerStevens]

I loved my Coffin locker, and in heavy seas, I got rocked to sleep. I'll admit that I loved it, however, a lot of my Shipmates hated it, especially in the heavy seas! But it was home to me. I'd go back and do it all over again!

[@SSN515]

I started out on the pipe racks. On Destroyers. The canvas bottoms and thin mattresses sort of "molded" to you and the chain supports swayed a bit with the pitching and rolling. The coffin racks later in my career were kind of hard, with thin mattresses, and were like sleeping on the shelf in your closet. When I made Chief, the racks had a lot thicker mattresses and they were more cozy.

[@jonakers704]

I always found my best sleep in my pit... errr, coffin rack... was when I wedged myself into the far corner. Never fell out even during high seas.

[@tmoigor8798]

I hear ya there, I agree with you 100%, haze grey and underway!

[@robbyddurham1624]

I just threw up a little in my mouth.

[@glengamble526]

I worked as a musician on cruise ships, and slept in a bunk bed, and I too loved the rocking motion and found it comfortable. As the Captain explained, we had two types of motion: the ‘cradle’ which moved the ship side-to side and the ‘rocking chair’ which moved it front to back. I liked both, but the ‘cradle’ definitely helped me sleep better.

[@EjNappe]

I'm a Fire Controlman on a modern carrier and we still have communal berthing and heads. I live in a "small" compartment with 150 men and a head with 10 stalls and 8 showers. We have the same racks and lockers. Only CPOs and officers have smaller arrangements with maybe 12 and 4 reacts relatively.

[@jumpingjeffflash9946]

The Admirals and Captains suite accommodations is almost what normal life for me as a junior enlisted in the dorms was like in the USAF.

[@Existntlangst]

Dang ... These are nice. I served in the Army from '97 to '17. In the field or deployed, I usually slept on the ground or jammed into a tent with a ton of other guys. Hell, in 2004, my Soldiers lived in old World War 2 barracks on Fort Lewis, Washington. Gotta take care of the Air Force and Navy. Keep the Army and Marines pissed off and disgruntled so they focus the hate on the enemy.

[@AN_PVS-2]

It always was a bit of a hoot to me that the Airforce calls them Dorms vs barracks like everyone else

[@megumin1054]

@@AN_PVS-2 It's funny. The choice was made along with a few others to try to distinguish the AF from the Army with a unique culture (Like referring to all units as Squadrons, not just flyers) but ended up becoming a point of ridicule.

[@InterstellarTaco]

@@Existntlangst at JBLM currently they just knocked down all but 2 of the original WW2 Barracks I believe. ROTC uses the ones still standing for summer training.

[@Existntlangst]

@@InterstellarTaco well... Good, but I'm kinda sad about that. Surviving those shit barracks was like a badge of honor.

[@NavyCWO]

As a Chief Warrant Officer on the USS Sphinx (ARL-24), in 1986/87, I shared a stateroom just like the one at the beginning of the video. Sure was a change from Chief's berthing in the after part of the ship! We did have a usable porthole in the exterior bulkhead in our stateroom too!

[@Dinookdie]

I was a Second Class Shipfitter stationed on the New Jersey when we took her to Berrington, Washington to decimation her. Great video brings back memories. Thanks,

[@navyav8r653]

The Newest ship I ever sailed on was CVN65 or maybe CV67 and the Berthings looked just like this. My son is Currently ships company on the Navy's newest Destroyer and they still look the same as this. With the exception of the EEBD at your feet, its now built into the rack and the coffins are a lot deeper. The light is also now LED and he has a USB charging port and 110v plug and a upgraded Issued wool Blanket,

[@Grimpy970]

Love the thumbnail. The editing is getting better and better, and you're clearly more comfortable on camera than you were when you started. When I visit the east coast next, you bet that I'm hitting up the New Jersey!

[@TakeDeadAim]

Usually E1 through E6 lived in the general berthing areas. Even among the racks, seniority mattered. The middle rack was the most coveted and someone senior COULD "bump" you out of your rack if they wanted. Middle/lower/upper in that order was the preference. Although I loved my top rack as I had more head room and no one was using my rack as a step. When you made chief, you then went to the "goat locker" (chiefs mess) where we had four man "staterooms" and a few two man as well. The CMC got his own. Warrants could choose either to live in the mess or go into "officers country". Most chose the officer route although we did have one W3 who stayed in the mess because he liked the atmosphere and was more one of "us" than "them"!lol! This was all back in the 80's and early 90's so I'm sure things have changed drastically....

[@Narrowgaugefilms]

In different years, my son's Scout troop overnighted on Battleships Massachusetts and New Jersey. Massachusetts' bunks were suspended pipe racks. New Jersey had coffin racks. In the pipe racks every time somebody shifted in their sleep they creaked. The coffin racks were just a bunk bed and as long as there wasn't a snorer close by, you were good to go! The bonus was is was maybe March up in Fall River and it was cold! Only the berthing compartment was really heated and the rest of the ship was pretty brisk. There was some immense electrical contactor close by our racks and maybe every every 15 minutes all night long there was "......CLUNK!!!". -comparatively speaking, sleeping aboard New Jersey was a lot closer to being in a hotel!

[@TheR00ndar]

I'm glad to hear NJ also has Scouts come and sleep on board. Some of my best memories as a Cub Scout were from sleeping on USS Massachusetts. We all slept on pipe racks in what used to be the infirmary, if I remember correctly. There were 4 all hanging off of each other and I had to climb up to the top one at night. There was dust everywhere but it was great.

[@twentypdrparrott694]

My father was sent to Australia on a troop ship during WW2. His sleeping situation was 7 pipe racks suspended from the overhead. His rack was 4th or 5th up.

[@chrismath149]

Did they have ladders installedor did they climb up on the racks themselves?

[@johnslaughter5475]

Aboard the Ranger, in 1968-'70, there were 2 different kinds of the coffin racks. One type was similar to what Ryan is showing. The compartment I saw with this style was used by OC Division, Air Traffic Controllers, and were made of chrome steel and stacked 4 high. There were no lockers then. The other style, which I had in both 1st & S-7 Divisions, did not have the locker underneath the mattress. There were 2 lockers alongside the rack which were about 9" deep by 30" wide. There was a shelf in it. The lower part went down to the bottom of the rack. This gave us lots of storage. While in our racks, we could prop the doors open giving us access while in there reading or sleeping. A few geedunks and a drink were nice while reading. Between the 2 lockers was a ventilation conduit. Each rack had it's own ventilator. We couldn't shut these off, but could rotate them a full 360 degrees. I never saw any of these units stacked more than 3 high. We did not have the lockers when I was aboard. They were installed later on as I've seen pictures of the ship from later times. Note: Only E-6 and above were allowed to have civvies on board at that time. Personally, I was proud of my uniform. I enjoyed wearing it when on liberty, especially my blues. The new Navy dress whites, with the blue piping, look really cool. I wish we'd had them when I was in. Fortunately, we rarely wore the jumpers. We had a short sleeve white shirt with double breast pockets that we wore on liberty in P.I. and Hawaii.

[@OpieDogie]

Saw Reagon give the recommissioning speech in LongBeach, CA in the 1980’s. I also got a tour and ride around Santa Catalina Island on it. Awesome ship

[@stuartford5556]

Thanks for the video! I'm a Reagan era sailor and miss my time!

[@subicstationditosailor4053]

Same here. Sadly he was only my Commander in Chief for 2 years.

[@jerkypat8296]

Don’t know why I’m watching this. I lived it for 4+ years. Crew quarters 3 high racks. Pretty much a Star Trek red shirt. Didn’t meet the untimely demise but came close to being crushed by a harpoon missile that came off the rail, flew past me and rolled up the deck.

[@jerkypat8296]

@ that was back in the late 80’s. No iPhones then. Quick story... we come out of the yards after a refit and sailed to LA to load ammo back on the ship. Was on a FFG and we had the MK13 launcher (shoots SM1 missiles and harpoons). The missile would be craned on the ship in a carriage that the missile was slung under. The carriage had a ball hitch receiver and the ass end of the launcher had the ball. We would set the carriage on the deck, line up the launcher with the carriage and elevate the launcher so the 2 rails matched. At the top of the launcher, we mounted a pneumatic chain hoist that would grab the missile and hoist it up the rail. Once the missile was loaded on the rail, we would set the aft motion latch to secure the missile to the rail. My job in this evolution was the brake man on the carriage. Brake was at the ass end of the carriage. So.. we set the aft motion latch (I heard it snap into place) and released the chain hoist.... the harpoon slid down the rail, sheared off the end of the carriage and rolled up the deck. By the time the thought formed in my head that the missile was moving, it had already busted out of the end of the carriage. My hand was on the brake the whole time. Glad it went straight 😅 Funniest bit to me was my chief yelled “get out of the way”.... it was already over by then. Yelled back to the chief “if it goes off we’re red spray” The moment stuck in my head though 35 years later and I have very good recall of the few seconds. I kept one of the mangled fins of the missile but lost it at some point would love to have that on my office wall now After action report was too much grease on the latch so a visual verification of it being set was impossible. It didn’t actually latch in place. 🙄

[@twocentproductions5326]

Ya got to watch out for those harpie misses, they will fuk u up!!!

[@T.H.E.O.2024]

wasn't it bunks made head to toe though,..in the vid they'rekj both facing the same way.

[@mikecimerian6913]

Perfect camo for the Red Shirt on a mission. Blue and gold striped tiger pattern. Now let's see how the writers handle this. :D

[@faysitler1211]

82. I slept in the top rack as well unfortunately underneath the air conditioning vent you would think nice since it was off the coast of Beirut but that is one cold air conditioner

[@wrrichard4615]

I had a coffin rack in the 1980's. Very comfy for its size and once you got used to the motion of the ship, you slept very well. USS South Carolina CGN-37!

[@charleswells9682]

In about 1995 I worked on the Women at Sea mod for USS Eisenhower CVN-69. As a piping engineer I was involved mainly with the water systems although general plumbing was an increasing part of it (I designed and installed new enclosed WC for the engineering spaces for example.) It really chopped that ship up badly as far as space access and utilization. For example, the original layout of enlisted berthing was just major compartments full hull width with port and starboard passageways. As part of the mod, sheet bulkheads were installed that divided the original, large compartment up into about 6-8 smaller compartments with access doors from the fore-aft passages. Ship checks became much harder since we could enter female berthing areas between certain times and had to be accompanied by at least one female crew member. Not all refits/upgrades result in greater utility.

[@breckfoster767]

Having a solid 40% more population to choose from in enlisted is worth you having to have a female accompny you in their areas. That's why the Russians won WW2 lol

[@robertf3479]

The double stateroom you start with is more or less typical of those found in most USN ships of the 1970s through 90s when I served though in my first ship, destroyer Caron we had a 'bunkroom' with 8 double stack racks like these. That one was referred to as the J.O. (Junior Officer) Bunkroom and primarily was used when we had transient officers and also newly assigned Junior Officers (Ensigns primarily) for whom there was no space available in a regular officer's stateroom. Of course, more senior officers (Department Heads and the Executive Officer) had private staterooms and the XO had his own Head. All of the other Wardroom Officers had to share a common Head (toilets and showers.) The Captain had his own Stateroom and Head separate from the Wardroom, no where near as large as that in New Jersey. Wardroom and Captain's Inport Cabin were on the 0-1 deck with the Wardroom aft of the Quarterdeck area and the Captain's Inport Cabin forward. The Captain ALSO had his 'Sea Cabin' on the 0-3 level just aft of the Bridge and one deck above the Combat Information Center. While the ship was underway he would sleep there of course. He had his bunk, desk, private Head with shower and toilet plus "Squawk Box" and ships service phone for instant communications plus a compass repeater and 'Pit-log' (speedometer) repeater so he could instantly know the ship's heading and speed. He would either eat his meals with the other officers in the Wardroom or a Messman would bring his meals to the Sea Cabin or occasionally his Inport Cabin. When Caron served as the destroyer squadron Flagship, the Commodore (Navy Captain by rank) would use the COs Inport Cabin and his staff officers would (most of them) end up in the J.O. Bunkroom. Our Captain (Commander by rank usually) would berth full time in the Sea Cabin during those periods, usually while the ship was deployed. In cases of need he could be on the Bridge or in Combat within seconds if called in the middle of the night. Enlisted berthing *SERIOUS FLASHBACKS*. In Caron our racks were stacked 3 high, I started out with a top rack which I shared with the Fire Main piping. I think I've got a permanent knot on my head from that thing. Operations Berthing was on the 2nd platform deck, below the waterline, ran the full width of the ship and slept 80 men. The EEBD holders, when they were introduced were bolted right INTO the sleeping space of each bunk at the foot. Yeah, that was a pain in more ways than one. Not exactly the Hilton or Trump Tower, but it beats the hell out of sleeping bags and sleeping out in the mud in the field like the Marines and Army. We had 5 large berthing compartments and a small 'overflow' (20 bunk) space. When Caron received female crew one of the 5 large compartments was converted for them.

[@davidschick6951]

10:39 those fold-up racks were the reason the command to wake up was "Reveille Reveille! All hands heave out and trice up!" Trice up meant to fold the rack up against the bulkhead so that the cleaners could sweep and/or swab the deck. I would love to have seen footage of PO1 and CPO berthing, as well as the CPO lounge.

[@bearclaw3852]

Thank you for the video. It is so wonderful to see all of these spaces on the New Jersey. Please keep bringing great content like this!

[@psycocavr]

I worked for the board of inspection and survey back in 1992 and 93. My first at Sea was on a Knox class frigate . it had the coffin racks but someone had to teach me to roll up a blanket and wedge myself into the rack so I wouldn't fall out at sea. The best birthing spaces I found were officers quarters on the 47 class cruisers in the 51 class destroyers.

[@Rammstein0963.]

I gotta thank you guys, I always wondered what life was like on a WWII USN warship. It's much appreciated.

[@pepleatherlab3872]

I remember mixing it up with ex-Jersey crew while we de-commissioned BB-63 (Missouri.) Certainly an end of an era. Afterward I was assigned to a Frigate. Basically the opposite experience of a Battleship. Especially during storms. The trick to sleeping in a coffin locker on a Frigate was getting your hands on an extra blanket and loop it around your body like a sling. It prevents you from rolling off the top and getting a concussion from striking the steel deck during storms. It was an old frigate without retention safety bars. An advantage of youth is the ability to sleep anywhere.

[@dmacarthur5356]

Some genius decided to install the EEBD boxes at the foot of our coffin lockers. Bottom and mid has it attached to the mattress pan of the rack above. Got alot of nasty cuts on feet and ankles from those sharp corners.

[@dmacarthur5356]

With sharp sheet metal corners!

[@Custerd1]

I have my grandfather ‘s old WWII Life magazine collection. One of the first articles shows how ships transition from peacetime to a wartime footing. They show the crew sealing off portholes, and tossing all manner of flammable materials overboard, including paint cans, furniture, and even a piano. Had to guard against splinters!

[@studinthemaking]

USS Houston did that before battle.

[@bartfoster1311]

Thanks for doing these videos, interesting to get to see some of the smaller details. Congrats to whoever won the piece of decking on Ebay. Way out of my price range!

[@davidransom4476]

My first ship in the early 70's was the USS Hancock CVA-19, a WW II aircraft carrier. We had the pipe racks with the canvas, and it was held there by a 1/4 inch or so line wrapped around the frame, through eyelets around the edge of the canvas. You always made sure you had at least twice as much line as it took to keep the canvas taught, so that you could let it out when it was rough. and you'd sink down into the frame and not roll out. The modern type enlisted berthing, with the coffin racks, just have one strap that you hook up to keep you from rolling out.

[@sixplymaple1262]

I remember spending the night on the New Jersey as a kid in Boy Scouts. Such fond memories. I hope it’s still happening.

[@MrOddfello]

My first duty station was the USS Wisconsin (BB-64) 90-91. Brings back memories of that amazing ship.

[@primitivestudio1]

Thanks for sharing. I served on submarine so totally use to coffin racks. Many simularites. Though on my class of submarines, we slept between missle tubes. 9 people per berthing space and normally per division.

[@l.m.malcolm2685]

Was a museum crewmember in IOWA in LA for a short time. Enjoy your vids immensely!

[@jojoreztorc0396]

I slept on this ship once, it’s surprisingly comfortable and was probably the best sleep I’ve ever had. Shame that I hit my head when I woke up.

[@tombrown6628]

🤣🤣🤣

[@kennethng8346]

I've done an overnight with my two sons in cub scouts, its a fun experience. Be warned when you wake up the bunk above you is not that far away.

[@coolminecraft1457]

Learned on USS Yorktown that white pipe is like a mirror “things seen appear to be farther then they actually are.”

[@EmrysImmortal]

Love that "16 inchers" sticker! 🤣 That's the Navy I remember.

[@howitzer8946]

Ryan, again thank you for educating us uninitiated great info I would never have known of. Awesome video.

[@trickydicky2908]

I got used to the steady drone of the engines and water hitting the sides. That, and 14 hour days, helped me sleep like a log. 40 years later, I still have to use a fan or sound machine to sleep.

[@davidfusco6600]

I was onboard New Jersey with my Boy Scout troop. I’m an adult leader. Being one of the more nimble adults, I was unlucky enough to sleep in the top coffin rack. Someone told me that there is very little head room, and it’s not wise to try and sit up quickly. I should have listened, in the early hours of the morning, I had to use the head, in the darkness, I sat up quickly, slamming my head on the beam above my bunk. Ouch!

[@thorerik678]

It was unusual to see a coffin locker as the 3rd rack up. The problem was how was the sailor going to open the locker as it was at eye level with him. You would have to have a step to get up high enough to even look in the locker once you managed to get it open and propped up. The top rack across was a tray type, just had a mattress. The large square locker was for that sailor. The narrow stand up lockers were for dress uniforms since you had to hang them on a coat hanger. To be senior enough to get a middle rack was great. If you had a bottom coffin locker after you rolled out and got dressed you had to lift it up or "trice up" your locker so the compartment cleaners could clean under them. Chief's lived in the CPO Quarters having their own messing and berthing. My rack was pretty nice. It had a spring suspension and a thick mattress. When I transferred to a Submarine Tender they thought they must still be living on a sub. CPO racks were 4 high and no real storage space. In the days of sail before an engagement between ships it was the usual custom to place the captain's furniture and belongings into the "Jolly Boat" which would stand off away from the fighting. If they won the day they would place the stuff back on the ship. If they lost the day is was customary for the winner to take on the loser's Jolly Boat items and the fate of the losing captain would be negotiated sometimes.

[@JJAmes-mb4du]

I was a sailor back in the 90's and had racks just about like those shown. The bottom and middle racks had the coffin set up but the top one did not. The top guy got one of the big square lockers down below and everybody also got one of the thin lockers. Our bottom racks also had a hinge at the back and each day you lifted the front part and hooked it to the middle rack so the guys on berthing detail could sweep and swab under it. I saw other set ups where the bottom one just bolted right to the deck.

[@invader440]

On the Lockwood in the early 80's I had the trice up style of bottom rack like you described. Early 90's on the Marvin Shields my bottom rack was bolted to the deck .

[@thegavelissoundgavel9849]

I did a lot of work laying up the CV-64. We had to install security doors and cameras on the Flag and Captains cabins because someone(ex sailors I’m sure) that worked in the shipyard kept breaking into the spaces and performing a “void and run” type maneuver.

[@rogeroday9408]

My ship had mental racks originally. While I was a board we converted to the coffin rack. WOW!!! What a luxury that was.

[@toastnjam7384]

Each coffin rack we had on the USS Kitty Hawk (1970-73) had a adjustable AC vent.

[@leelawrence1557]

In the berthing, 1st classes had pick of a rack. If he wanted your rack and you were a junior guy, you moved. Chiefs had their own space. As I was a 1st class on here, I had a middle rack, which I got when someone transferred. The 1st classes even had a lounge. Back on the aft mess decks.

[@jonakers704]

When I was in (mid-90's) it kind of depended on the berthing. For instance, even as a 3rd class at the time, because I was senior in rate and qualified all of my watchstations, I had seniority over a newly arrived 1st class who wasn't qualified anything, and thus was able to secure a bottom rack when it became available despite him wanting it.

[@charlesgantz5865]

The bottom rack was the best one to be in. During the day, when the rack wasn't being used, it would be tilted up so the space under the rack could be cleaned. That meant that if you had the lower rack you didn't have to make your bed.

[@gregwarner3753]

Back in the Nam era I served on a couple WW2 ships. The "racks" were canvas laced to pipe frames. One night while I was unconscious about 3 racks from the bottom when a support chain broke. Hell of a wake up call. I also slept in a 'coffin' rack. That was miserable. A 2" slab of rubber on an metal box is torture. The canvas racks could be adjusted to fit, metal boxes could not. The most unusual rack was on a DE doing anti-submarine practice off Hallifax , Nova Scotia in February. Really rough and, because the breathing space heaters didn't work, very cold. Because I was the MR I had access to the midships main deck shop. I used that to "sleep" on the steel work bench. The welding rods were stored underneath the bench top in heated cabinets to keep them dry. That bench top was very hard but very warm steel. The guys in the motor room put mattresses on the main motors to stay warm. FWIW -- A small, 220 ft long, DE, Destroyer Escort, in a 15 ft swell from the port quarter can develop some interesting motions. Even the "salts" were getting seasick. I am amazed that the guys sailed these things day in and day out on endless convoy duty all year round in the North Atlantic. That was tough duty. When I was was on a PBR on some river in Nam I did not sleep. AT ALL!

[@colbeausabre8842]

The British got DE's via Lend-Lease and described them as having a "lurid roll". They were amazed that no one in the USN complained. The conclusion they reached was the the USN had so many officers and men who had never been to sea that they thought that behavior was normal for a ship!

[@leelawrence1557]

I can relate to that. My last ship was FFG47 USS Nicholas. Went to the North Atlantic in Oct 1996. Brutal ride, especially since the port stabilizer was tits up.

[@gregwarner3753]

@@leelawrence1557 Stablizer? What is a stabilizer? The only way to stabilize that boat was to take the swell just off the bow. In a 10 to 15 ft sea it would cut the roll to 25 to 30 dag each way and the pitching to white water to the #1 gun. You forgot where down was/is/will be. Great fun adjusting the boiler feed water when the level in the water glass is moving up and down 14 to16 inches every 20 seconds.

[@leelawrence1557]

@@gregwarner3753 The FFG 7 class had hydraulic stabilizers on the port and starboard side of the hull below the waterline. Works in theory, not so much in actual application in the North Atlantic

[@randycarter2001]

On a warship the needs of the weapons systems take priority over everything else. One of the berthing compartments I was working in had the brake for an anchor capstan 2 feet above the head of a bunk. The entire ceiling of the space was a 15' diameter wheel. Those men KNEW when the anchor was dropped, everything shook.

[@1mouseman]

Entertaining “foreign dignitaries “...

[@studinthemaking]

Another name for hookers.

[@irongoatrocky2343]

@@studinthemaking NOOOOOO!..........that doesn't happen!.......LMFAO!

[@Spookieham]

Maybe not in his bedroom...maybe...

[@LordEvan5]

And by the way battleship sailors do it with 16 inches

[@Elthenar]

Who is the captain of this thing? James T Kirk?

[@MrSchnebs]

One note about those coffin racks - the tops are very heavy, so you made absolutely sure that bar was in the right spot to hold it up - having the top of the rack fall down unexpectedly was not a fun experience!

[@ksmurphable]

Growing up I used to go every year to battleship cove and do their encampment. It’s definitely a lot of fun and worth it if you get the chance to go. We slept on the tube frames I think. I just know the ones I slept on didn’t look like that. I may have chose to be on a lmk overflow bunk like a temporary one. But if I remember correct I was able to sleep on different ships different years. Lots of fun.

[@morgs456]

Found the captain's part very interesting as it got me thinking about victory where they have it laid out as Nelson had it. Including his original bed

[@squangan]

When I was a kid my bed was a surplus army cot that looked a lot like those pipe racks,same type springs and everything and I had 4 blocks of firewood for bed legs. I had forgotten about it until seeing this video, as you can imagine we weren’t a very well off family but I had a bed.

[@petesheppard1709]

HUGE change and improvement over the ALABAMA's original WWII berthing, which was rather spartan. There are a couple of small enlisted berthing compartments left original, and they are, to say the least, claustrophobic. In some of the larger compartments, I saw hooks in the overhead and couldn't help but wonder if hammocks were also used. Still, by the standards of the day, the accommodations were actually rather comfortable.

[@rogerexwood6608]

Pete Sheppard As a point of comparison, HMS Belfast has exhibit messdecks both as built in 1939 and hence WW2 state, and as remodelled in the 1950s. The former was definitely all-hammock for junior rates.

[@petesheppard1709]

@@rogerexwood6608 I've been curious about the evolution of messing and berthing practices of the US and Royal Navies. It would be an excellent long-form video..

[@finscreenname]

Who gave you permission to sit on the Capitan's bed mister!!

[@davidbriggs264]

Given that he is the Curator, I would guess that he IS the Captain.

[@colvinator1611]

Another excellent video with so much interesting stuff.

[@nilo70]

Thank you , for another reason I watch KZbin

[@panioloprep8126]

I love this ship. FM division - Mqain Battery Gunfire Control - 1969 - Racks were 4 deep. 2 days out of Long Beach, in the pay line and we made a hard about cranked up to flank speed and headed to Korea.

[@charlesgantz5865]

As I remember, the coffin racks were about six feet long, maybe a tad longer. That was perfect for me at 5'6", but I could never figure out how the tall guys ever could get to sleep, not being able to stretch out.

[@michaelnovak260]

Wish you could have gone into the Chief's Mess and show their berting spaces.

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

Chiefs is about the same as the rest of the enlisted guys, they have slightly bigger lockers.

[@T800-x6s]

The mess is where we eat, berthing is where we sleep

[@markw999]

I was part of the last deployment of the New Jersey as part of the battle group. Sucked unbelievably. You really end up missing that carrier flight deck. I forget how long we went without mail, but it was a looooonnng time.

[@richardclark8737]

Slept in both the pipe racks (DD-776 USS JAMES C. OWENS) in 1970 and in the coffin rack (AS-32 USS HOLLAND) in 1972. The advantage of the bottom pipe rack was I could twist the chain to cinch close the opening gap between that one and the one above (guys would fall out of their rack when the ship came about). I sort of rolled/twisted/fell into my rack to get in (I was also against the hull that curved).

[@Javelin434]

I want that "Battleship Sailors do it with 16 inchers" bumper stickers because that's just gold

[@tykit9230]

The coffin racks were surprisingly comfy, had curtains, a light and an electric plug along with a strap to keep you from rolling out of your rack while underway

[@harrykilman5634]

I had three types of rack on various ships. The spring pipe rack was the worst. Springs making noise and catching your shoulder when you tried to roll beneath one. The canvas racks at least provided a place to keep your uniforms "presses" (between the pad and the canvas). The coffin racks were an improvement, especially with the little fan and a light, although the thicker pad (I hesitate to call them real mattresses) were more of a pain to haul out to "air bedding". Also a bit harder to get a fart sack around them. Perhaps in some video or an update to this one you might show a ship on an air bedding day.

[@srsykes]

In the first scene you show the bunks in the junior officer staterooms. I served in USS Springfield, CLG-7, from 1971 to 1974 and as a junior officer I had a bunk exactly like the one you show. Not sure of dates, but I know she was fitted as a guided missile cruiser between 1957 and 1960. When she returned to service, she was flagship for Commander 6th Fleet. From May to December of 1963 she had a shipyard overhaul period. And she had another overhaul period in 1967. So exactly when the bunks were changed, I do not know.

[@gregblackburn4280]

I did Civil Air Patrol as a teen, would have been great to do a summer encampment on an IOWA class battleship.

[@jamieknight326]

I love the way you say ‘BURN’. Made me giggle :)

[@ryanfauci8733]

Modern ships do not have stateroom type rooms for enlisted they still live in berthings between 50 to 100

[@theplaguedoctor6456]

still have racks four high on the wasp

[@ivorybeast3508]

I was on the Coronado in 81 and we had 4 rack high but not a coffin type, just enough room to turn over at night. one or maybe 2 small lockers with 15 or so sailors in birthing, one small picnic like table and red lights on all the time due to radiomen watch schedule.

[@DJRonnieG]

I slept on what I vaguely remmeber to be canvas bunks (probably just wire and pipe) when visiting the USS Massachusetts as a Boy Scout in the late 1990s. A childhood friend was complaining that I was noisy and rolled around to much (I had the topmost berth). They were stacked at least three higher, maybe 4 or 5 but I doubt it.

[@casperd3943]

80's/90's sailor..Great video..On the USS Talbot, USS Curts and USS Blue Ridge..

[@nickjohnson410]

I really appreciate these videos

[@StormCentral1998]

was in the navy from 2017-2022 and the berthings were usually assigned by divisions and we had e1-e6 in a berthing. only chiefs and officers had seperate berthings.

[@skywise001]

You should totally do a video with Drachinifel - maybie on his visit to America (when it can happen) he could rack in a night.

[@nsconductor2007]

Looks pretty much the same as my ship the USS Porter DDG 78 that I served on from 2000-2004. The EEBDs on our racks like the Wisconsin were installed into the rack in its own compartment next to a lockable compartment underside of the bed itself. On ours we had a ventilation fan installed at the foot. It can get rather stuffy on lower racks with the curtains closed. Plus a light.

[@cat-lw6kq]

I didn't have bunk locker my first year or so just one very small locker for clothes. I thought I was in hog heaven when we found some bunk lockers and installed them.

[@dundonrl]

On all 3 of my ships, (USS Essex LHD-2, USS Momsen DDG-92 and USS Halsey DDG-97) the CO generally even underway slept and worked out of the in-port cabin. On the DDG's if we had the Commodore embarked they slept in the at-sea cabin.

[@PaulCyclist]

Great video. How many beds does the NJ have now? I understand many are not usable but I’m interested how many the Navy left after the last major. Thanks

[@whirledpeaz5758]

I slept in coffin racks on USS Eisenhower '86-'90. Directly beneath fantail/jet engine test shop. I do not need to experience that again.

[@tombakabones274]

I did a boy scout jamboree when I was twelve on the USS Massachusetts in 1992 and we slept on the original pipe racks that you were showing

[@grege2383]

When in your rack-You learn to roll over in place. LST 1192 we had pipe racks in the overflow berthing

[@davidkimmel4216]

Very interesting Thank You

[@jimjames8960]

Fantastic video Ryan.

[@demetreargiro8611]

This opening space is on the 02 level, which is the second deck above the main deck. That information is on the yellow stencil painted on the bulkhead. That means it is in the superstructure.

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

Yes it is, thats junior officers berthing. All of the officers are in the superstructure and the enlisted guys below.

[@charlesjohnson9879]

Snoring is not an issue on any U.S. warship. Snores are well below ambient noise. Constant background noise from motors, blowers, machinery, alarms, 1MC announcements, personnel in passageways, etc, etc., etc. The hardest part of return from deployments and adjusting to living ashore can be lack of noise and motion, making it hard to sleep.

[@jerrywilkerson9663]

I really like your videos they’re very informative!

[@sparkyadondavid]

Viet Nam era New Jersey crew. Slept in the pipe and wire mesh racks. At night or if you were a day sleeper the racks were hung from the overhead with hooks on the uppermost rack and the lower racks held by chains from the upper most rack. If you were still in the rack when you not supposed to be, the master at arms would unhook the upper rack from the overhead and dump all the racks to the deck.

[@KutWrite]

It'd be rare to have to worry about snoring. Officers would stand different watches & thus sleep at different times... maybe slightly overlapping during a dog-watch, but rare to sleep during that time. (two dog watches: 1600-1800 and 1800-2000. On my first ship, USS New (DD-818), a just-post-WWII destroyer, i had a top bunk like that one, another JO (junior officer) had the bottom. Two such rooms adjoined with only curtains, but a thin steel door w/o a lock connecting both spaces with a ladder up to the focsle. On my next ship, USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), i ended up as a department head and had a single stateroom with my own sink and shower. i still used a toilet in the officers' head nearby. I was right across the passageway from the Wardroom, which took a toll on my waistline due to the ease of obtaining midnight snacks.

[@cybertrucker666]

well dunno, i work in merchant navy and this video just makes me terrified. I can't sleep if someone snores, the fact that i have my own cabin and toilet/shower being a junior officer (even ratings have private cabins) makes me forever grateful. I would definitely not survive on a battleship....

[@joshuasill1141]

Much like our carriers, I was told that usually the ship's skipper was in line for Admiral and was promoted upon return from deployment and the ship's XO was either just promoted to captain or was in the wings for captain. However, on a carrier the Air Boss is the higher ranking officer over the skipper.

[@BOb94523]

Also known as the air boss, the air officer (along with his assistant, the miniboss) is responsible for all aspects of operations involving aircraft including the hangar deck, the flight deck, and airborne aircraft out to 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) from the carrier. From his perch in Primary Flight Control (PriFly, or the "tower"), he, along with his assistant, maintains visual control of all aircraft operating in the carrier control zone (surface to and including 2,500 feet (760 m), within a circular limit defined by 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) horizontal radius from the carrier), and aircraft desiring to operate within the control zone must obtain his approval prior to entry.[6] This officer is typically a Commander and is normally a former CVW squadron commander who was not selected for major command. The normal working jersey color of an air boss is yellow, but an air boss may wear any color jersey he pleases, as he represents everyone working on the flight deck, hangar bay, and aviation fuels personnel.

[@JCT442]

On the warships which I served in the '80s-'90s the officer furnishings were supplied by the "Federal Prison System." Most comfortable mattress I ever slept on too...

[@KennyCnotG]

Great video. If the ship were to recieve a sudden influx of many people, like maybe evacuating the crew of another ship to the NJ, did they have plans for accommodating those peoples? Or would it have been a case of put them anywhere out of the way?

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

For things like Operation Magic Carpet, people were put anywhere they could, including the mess decks. There were hooks for hammocks there. There's still a couple hooks left!

[@KennyCnotG]

@@BattleshipNewJersey thank you for the response!

[@marksayers3721]

As I stated before I was on the USS davidson Garcia class fast frigate commissioned in 1965. We have basically three Birdie spaces for listed E6 and below operations deck department and Hall department. Chief petty officer‘s and officers Had their own spaces

[@TheChoochooboy99]

My father served on the Davidson very briefly in the 1970’s. Can’t remember exactly when though. It had to be most likely between his time on the Saratoga and the Independence. He hated it. He was a radioman in the navy for ten years starting in 1972 and he always told me his worst memory was trying to sleep on the Davidson. Other than that he didn’t have any other issues. Was it as bad as he made it out to be? I’d love to know your experience.

[@nagasako7]

I work at Naval base and I noticed a. old storage box in parking lot. It wasn't rusted but it was the oldest. And all the modern storage boxes are rusted. Then I see this video and I see it was former crew box on ship that was removed and any departments probably took them.

[@muskaos]

Modern ships can have berthing spaces that hold as few as a dozen, to as many as 200. Carriers have 200 man berthing spaces, mostly on 2nd and 3rd deck, and on the O3 level just under the flight deck. I slept in a 230 man berthing on my last ship. Modern racks do not have that giant flap you see here, they have a smaller one that only acts to lock the rack down. The drawer has a push button lock on it instead of the flap that goes over the front.

[@joetterolison4093]

The old sleeping devices were a combination Hammock/Burial bag The canvas hammocks were used to wrap the dead in and lower them into the ocean as a burial at sea system The phrase " a Stitch 9 saves Time, was related to the 9th stitch that went through the nose of the dead to test it they were really dead The phrase is probably not totally accurate but the stitch the Nose is

[@fax10]

I thought the phrase was “A stitch in time saves 9.” I’ve never heard it used to refer to the maritime tradition of burying the dead at sea

[@glenmartin2437]

Those accommodations are huge compared to a WW2 submarine. My father got us aboard a diesel submarine in Tokyo Harbor after WW2. As a seven-year-old, I still remember the "compactness" of that submarine. Clostrophobic!!!