I'm writing a book about a lieutenant commander in 1919 who had himself stripped of rank to 3rd Class Fireman for a month aboard the USS North Dakota, one of two Delaware class U.S. dreadnoughts. He was Thomas Mott Osborne, the prison reformer running the Portsmouth, NH, Naval Prison at the time.
Does anyone know where to go for information on what it would have been like for seamen in those days? Did 3rd class firemen sleep on hammocks? What was their mess facility like? Was there any recreation facility aboard in those days? What did the battleship sounds like when under way? Smell like? How crowded would it have been carrying a full contingent?
I'm no expert on this subject, but I am a naval enthusiast who also looks to find out what he can about the age of fighting navies. One thing I do know is that American ships were much more advanced in their crew quarters than ships of other countries - they replaced hammocks with racks early on, among other things.
I read a book about the Arizona years ago and recall it said the crew slept in hammocks. I found this...
My buddy and I were dropped off in an area devoid of anything that looked remotely habitable. We were standing looking at each other somewhat expectantly when the messenger returned. When we asked where our bunk was, he pointed to some hooks attached to the beams in the overhead and a railing installed on a near bulkhead. The hooks were for hanging our hammocks, and the railing was to support our seabags. The "bathroom" (we were still not completely indoctrinated on the nautical nomenclature) for the first three pay grades was the seaman's head forward on the main deck. "http://www.ussarizona.org/survivors/weller/index.html"
They did use hammocks, apparently -- I just went deeper into my resources and found the following. Recall that the man writing this, Osborne, is nearly 60 years old, rich, famous, Harvard educated, buddy of Franklin Roosevelt (who was then assistant naval secretary) and living the life of a third-class fireman:
July 3, 1919, just having arrived aboard the USS North Dakota. "We spend some hideously hot hours in arranging hammocks & getting ready for the night."
July 6: "By three in the afternoon we were aboard the North Dakota anchored in the Hudson, opposite 83d Street and Luke Cote was showing me how to fix up the hammock lashings and get things into shape."
July 7: "We work [shoveling coal] from 6-8 when we are anchored off Long Island & the fires banked for the night. After a wash-up & a look around, we go on deck. The scene is very beautiful. Coney Island to __[?] Long Island places being shown by twinkling lights. Clouds pink & brown. A most lovely sight. We decide to hit the deck -- as we have to get up for duty[.]
"... So we flop -- I in my hammock & the other two members of the flack gang somewhere on the deck. It is however after 10 before I finally get to my hammock & sleep."
July 9: "At 8 o[']clock tired & still dirty we come out & in view of our next duty being at 12 — I tumble at once into my hammock & sleep the sleep of the just — until Joe wakes me at 12. I get out of my hammock & am feeling around with sleep & fatigue when Bill comes to say that Joe's boiler is out & Wright has sent him to tell me not to come down. Reluctantly I climb back to my hammock -- & am sorry I didn't go down after all.
"To sleep until reveille — breakfast. The meals are nasty — varying only in degree. On the port side is land — unmistakably Cape Cod — but which side I can't tell as I have no time to determine where the sun is. The sea is a bit wobbly [?] but I smoke cigarettes & have no symptoms of nausea.
"Down to the Engine Room at 8. What we do I don't recall. I think we were in the fire room sending coal through to No 3 — ____ ____ but presumably useful[.]"
Filmed in 1924, released in 1925 about the revolt 20 years before. It shows a good deal of the shipboard life from that period (1905-1924) as many of the 'extras' were actual members of the Soviet Navy serving on the ship in the film.
Keep in mind that the cinementography was some of the most innovative work of its kind anywhere. So many films have adapted scenes from the movie it isn't even worth mentioning them as the list is in the hundreds. One of the more famous was the train station scene in "The Untouchables" with Kevin Costner and Sean Connery. The bit with the baby carriage is almost frame for frame with Eisenstein's work.
Sullivan013
This message has been edited. Last edited by: USNVet940,
That's wonderful stuff, the movie! Thank you! I wonder how close a Soviet battleship's interior was to a Delaware class ship. That shot in the movie's beginning, for instance, with the men dangling from hammocks in that crowded room. "Room"? That can't be what it was called ...
I really want to see the Japanese Tsushima movie. It's pre-dreadnought, but it is still one of the decisive naval battles of history and one of two full on fleet engagements.
Here comes the Navy, staring James Cagney was filmed aboard Arizona in 1934. I've never seen it but heard there are many great shots of the ship. Arizona was launched during WWI, making her an early Dreadnought type battleship. (all big gun) Arizona BB 39
if your interested the USS Texas is moored at the San Jacinto Battleground in Houston Texas. I believe she is the last of the dreadnought style of battleship. I know she has racks now but she was a hold over from WW1 so I am not sure if/when she would have hammocks. pretty intersting ship
