Descriptionary

conn control of the ship's course. Also, in a subma­rine, the conning tower or control room.

convoy a number of ships escorted by other ships or aircraft in passage together.

cooky slang for a ship's cook.

creeping mine a buoyant mine held below the sur­face by a chain, which is free to creep along the sea­bed under the influence of current.

crossdeck pendant across the deck of an aircraft carrier, the cable that catches the hook of an aircraft to arrest landing.

customer ship the ship that receives replenishment supplies from another ship.

cutter a device fitted to a sweep wire to cut or part the moorings of mines.

dan to mark a position or a sea area with dan buoys.

dan buoy a temporary marker buoy used during minesweeping operations to indicate boundaries of swept paths.

dan runner a ship running a line of dan buoys.

datum the last known position of a submarine after contact has been lost.

debarkation the unloading of troops and cargo from a ship.

deck ape slang for a deck crew member who does manual labor. Also known as a knuckledragger.

decoy ship a ship camouflaged with its armament and fighting equipment hidden.

deep minefield an antisubmarine minefield set deep enough so that surface ships can cross it safely.

destroyer a high-speed warship armed with 3-inch and 5-inch dual-purpose guns and various antisubma­rine weapons.

ditty bag a drawstring bag used to hold toiletries and other small items.

dock landing ship a naval ship designed to trans­port and launch amphibious craft.

drifting mine a mine free to move under the influ­ence of waves, wind, or current.

dummy minefield a minefield containing no live mines.

endurance the amount of time a ship can continue to operate without refueling.

ensign the lowest-ranking naval officer.

flattop an aircraft carrier.

flemish to coil a rope neatly on deck.

flight deck the runway on an aircraft carrier.

floating mine a mine visible on the surface of the sea.

flooder a mine that floods after a preset time and sinks to the bottom.

flotilla an administrative or tactical organization consisting of two or more squadrons of destroyers or smaller types together with flagships and tenders.

foul deck on an aircraft carrier, a deck that is cur­rently unsafe to land on.

fresnel lens on an aircraft carrier, a system of lights used to provide glide slope visuals for approaching aircraft. Also known as the lens. A glowing yellow image projected by the lens, known as the ball, moves up and down and aligns with a row of green lights to illustrate a perfect glide slope. The ball turns red when an aircraft is too low and in danger of crashing. Also found at naval air stations.

frigate a warship designed to operate independently or with strike, antisubmarine warfare, or amphibious forces against submarine, air, and surface threats; its armament includes 3-inch and 5-inch guns and advanced antisubmarine weapons.

fubar short for fucked up beyond all recognition.

general quarters a condition of readiness when naval action is imminent; all battle stations are fully manned and alert and ammunition is ready for instant loading.

guided missile cruiser a warship designed to oper­ate with strike and amphibious forces and armed with 3-inch and 5-inch guns, advanced area-defense anti-air-warfare missile system, and antisubmarine weapons.

guided missile destroyer a destroyer equipped with Terrier/Tartar-guided missiles, naval gun battery, long- range sonar, and antisubmarine weapons.

guided missile frigate a frigate equipped with Tar­tar or SM-i missile launchers and 70mm gun battery.

guinea pig a ship used to determine if an area is free of influence mines.

gunny slang for a marine gunnery sergeant.

hashmarks stripes on the sleeve that mark years of service.

head on a ship or boat, a toilet.

heaving deck on an aircraft carrier, an unstable deck, caused by wind and waves.

heavy-lift ship a ship with a lift capacity of 100 tons.

homing mine a mine fitted with a propulsion sys­tem that homes on a target.

hot rack a bed that must be shared among crew members for lack of space.

hydrofoil patrol craft a fast surface patrol craft.

hydrographic chart a nautical chart showing depths of water, nature of bottom, contours of bottom, and related information.

jarhead slang for a marine.

knuckledragger see deck ape.

lap a section or strip of area assigned to a single minesweeper.

LCS littoral combat ship. A small warship that is designed to operate near shorelines.

leatherneck a marine.

lens, the see fresnel lens.