Here’s a pic showing some crew berths on the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
Is what we see pretty much standard in the US Navy today (aside from subs) for enlisted people? I guess there’s no escaping the claustrophobia and lack of privacy.
On the other hand (and providing much of the motivation for this OP), the ‘mattresses’ look interesting. I assume that the thin mattress is mostly to cushion any discomfort from a sort of shallow hammock below?
(btw, crew’s or crews’?)
Shallow hammock? Que?
The area just under the mattress is the storage locker for the occupant.
So what are the grey curvy looking things right below the thin mattress? They seem to be at the top of a, maybe, 4-inch base (right in front of the sailor’s left knee).
ETA: Maybe I should have said sling not hammock to describe what I thought I was seeing.
I think you’re seeing the edge of the mattress.
What you’re seeing in the Navy picture (I think) is the seam that runs all the way around the top and bottom of the mattress, like the similar seams you see in this picture DIY French Mattress Cushion Tutorial - She Holds Dearly - in the Navy picture you can’t see the bottom seam
There are a number of good YouTube videos showing living conditions aboard a Navy ship. I wanted to bring to everyone’s attention Tis 1952 film showing how bad conditions once were. What you are seeing nowadays is big improvement.
Those are steps. To climb to the top bunks.
In this picture of empty racks, you can get an idea of the thickness (thinness) of the mattress. They are sunken into a shallow bix, so they are a little thicker than they might appear.
Picture
In this picture of empty racks, you can get an idea of the thickness (thinness) of the mattress. They are sunken into a shallow bix, so they are a little thicker than they might appear.
Picture
I think if he was talking about the steps he would have mentioned the red part - and the steps aren’t by the sailor’s knee.
Ship’s quarters are one of the reasons I was glad I never had to set foot on one of those damn things.
Ship crews’ quarters have pretty much always sucked. It was first often done by slaves, people press-ganged into it or at the bottom of society (sailors were associated with tattoos and those were very much at the bottom of society).
With the need for stealth, I don’t know how often crews are allowed to exit the structure. Does that kind of thing matter or would a sailor’s signature just be too faint? If it’s not a big deal, then they have the immensity of the sea which must make for quite a contrast with life below deck.
There is also a step by the person’s knee in the picture. If not the steps, what is it you think the OP is referring to, then? Why don’t you point it out for us and identify it, please? What other curvy gray things do you see in the photo?
Depending on the vessel, the majority of crew do not often (or ever) get to go above deck to see the ocean.
Certinly if you’re on a surface ship, you can go to the main deck and look at the ocean pretty much whenever you want, as look as you aren’t on watch or working.
BREAK
It’s not an easy life even today. But there’s a lot of pride on working and succeeding in that environment with a bunch of men and women who, as the song goes were “best friend[s] . . . who you knew well and sometimes hated.” Glad I did it.
I find it somehow kind of sad that all the lockers have those huge-ass locks on them (hence the name). Even members of a tight military crew can’t trust that they aren’t robbing each other.
It looks like the TR has the same basic berthing setup that my much old Ranger did in the 80s. It was cramped, it was tight. Finding extra places to store stuff was a big deal for those of us that lived on the ship.
The metal racks are 3 high. Middle rack was the worst. Bottom got a nice coffin locker that made it easy to organize your meager possessions. Top rack meant you could sit up and often had some rafter space to store things. E-Div was 117 bunks if I remember correctly. We got a a large locker or coffin locker and a narrow locket suitable for hanging up our dress uniforms.
I’m no expert on detection systems, but I think if radar/sonar/thermal imaging can’t detect a 400 to 1100 ft long steel ship with multiple steam, jet turbine, or nuclear power plants, a few human beings walking on deck aren’t going to make it suddenly observable.
Nice. I thought it was usually off limits except for certain days or special events. I’ve only talked to a few people, but they made it seem like they were never able to get above deck. Maybe it just depends on what shift a person works? Like if your particular shift means that your free time is during the 12 hours of aircraft OPs, you won’t get up there much. Or maybe they just wanted to make it seem worse than it was? Thanks for the info.
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