Descriptionary

blow the tanks to empty the ballast tanks by filling them with compressed air.

boomer a ballistic missile submarine.

bridge the conning tower, specifically where the periscope is located.

cavitation the noise produced by bubbles formed by propellor action, a crucial factor in detecting sub­merged submarines.

chicken of the sea slang for a ballistic missile sub­marine whose main objective is to stay hidden from the enemy.

clear datum to leave an area where a submarine has been detected or has given its position away.

conning tower the tower or superstructure, now called the sail, that contains the bridge and the periscope.

control room the room containing the control panels for diving, planning, steering, and other movements.

crush depth the deepest depth a submarine can go before being crushed by pressure.

datum the point where a submarine has been detected or has given its location away.

depth charge a bomb dropped from a ship to explode at a certain depth or on contact with the submarine.

draft the depth of water required for a submarine to float.

fairwater more common term for the conning tower.

fish slang for a torpedo.

fleet ballistic missile submarine a nuclear-powered submarine designed to deliver ballistic missile attacks from submerged or surface positions.

hangar a missile tube.

helm the control area where the submarine is steered.

helmsman one who steers the vessel.

hydrophone a submersible microphone used to detect sounds from ships or submarines.

hydroplanes horizontal rudders or fins located fore and aft that swivel to deflect water flow around the hull to lift or drop the nose, used to ascend or descend. Also known as planes.

lifeguard submarine a submarine used in rescue operations in enemy territory.

mess the crew meal room.

periscope the viewing apparatus that is raised sur­reptitiously above the surface of the ocean to observe enemy craft or terrain.

ping the sound made by an active sonar system.

ping jockey slang for a sonar operator, after the sound a sonar system makes.

planesman crew member who operates the hydro­planes.

powerplant a diesel-electric or nuclear-drive motor.

reactor a nuclear reactor in nuclear submarines.

rudder the adjustable plane used to steer the sub­marine.

sail a conning tower. Also known as a fin.

sail plane a fin located on either side of the conning tower.

screws the propellors.

scrubber a system that clears carbon dioxide out of the air.

snorkel air-intake and exhaust pipes in diesel-elec­tric submarines. Also known as a snort.

snorkeling moving just below the surface with the snorkel raised above the surface for taking in and expelling air.

sonar acronym for sound navigation ranging, a sys­tem that transmits and receives reflected sound waves to detect submarines and submerged objects.

sonobuoy a sonar device used to detect submerged submarines, which, when activated, relays informa­tion by radio.

SOSUS sound surveillance system; a system of lis­tening hydrophones on the seabed linked to stations on shore.

submarine havens specified sea areas for subma­rines in noncombat operations. Also known as sub­marine sanctuaries.

Subroc a submerged, submarine-launched, surface- to-surface rocket with nuclear depth charge or hom­ing torpedo, primarily intended for use against other submarines.

torpedo an underwater missile ejected from a tube in the submarine by compressed air; it is propelled to its target by two propellers powered by an electric motor.

torpedo defense net a net employed to close an inner harbor to torpedoes fired from seaward or to protect a ship at anchor or underway.

Trident a nuclear-powered submarine armed with long-range Trident ballistic missiles.

U-boat submarine, especially a German one.

wolfpack a group of submarines working together in a line to destroy enemy vessels.

world war ii slang

NOTE: Some terms in this section are pejorative

Army

ack-ack machine gun or antiaircraft gun.

archies antiaircraft guns.

armored cow canned milk.

army banjo shovel.

Aussies soldiers from Australia.

AWOL absent without leave. Also, a wolf on the loose, or after women or liquor.

baby food cereal.

barker a large artillery gun.

battery acid coffee.

beans nickname for a commissary officer.

bear grease general-issue soap.

big boot general.

blackout coffee.

blackstrap coffee.

blanket drill sleep.

blitz a bombing.

blow it out of your bag shut up.

B-19 a fat woman.