# Need info on WWII ship deck. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 5, 2016, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548 "2016-06-05T02:48:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![XaMcQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/f9ae1b/32.png) [@XaMcQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XaMcQ)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548/1 "2016-06-05T02:48:48Z")
I need some info for a short story. If a person were to suddenly end up unexpectedly on the deck of a WWII era warship, probably a Destroyer or similar type ship, what kind of items on the deck might be utilized as a weapon in a hand to hand fight? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548/2 "2016-06-05T02:58:31Z")
I’m not a WWII sailor but my guess is you wouldn’t find anything loose on the deck of a naval ship. Any item left loose on deck is too likely to be lost over the side. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548/3 "2016-06-05T03:02:19Z")
> [@XaMcQ](#): > > I need some info for a short story. If a person were to suddenly end up unexpectedly on the deck of a WWII era warship, probably a Destroyer or similar type ship, what kind of items on the deck might be utilized as a weapon in a hand to hand fight? There might be a hook for retrieving men overboard/debris and or a fire axe. Declan ---
**Author:** ![ziper1221](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a183cd/32.png) [@ziper1221](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ziper1221)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548/4 "2016-06-05T04:18:29Z")
Maybe a large shackle, or a chain? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548/5 "2016-06-05T04:28:12Z")
I tried to find an image but my thought would be more towards possibly some firefighting gear - hose or nozzle. Maybe an axe? But all would be at least behind glass. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548/6 "2016-06-05T04:56:36Z")
Fire Axe, low velocity fog nozzle (fire fighting), fire hose with a high velocity nozzle. Maybe a battle lantern. A life raft strapped down. If you have time life boat with supplies in it. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548/7 "2016-06-05T05:16:19Z")
This thread really needs to be titled “WWII ship deck Thunderdome.” ---
**Author:** ![XaMcQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/f9ae1b/32.png) [@XaMcQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XaMcQ)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548/8 "2016-06-05T18:17:39Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m not a WWII sailor but my guess is you wouldn’t find anything loose on the deck of a naval ship. Any item left loose on deck is too likely to be lost over the side. I figured this, but also I’m guessing there must be things that need to be kept handy, maybe lashed down or fastened down, but not too difficult to get at in an emergency. ---
**Author:** ![Rama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@Rama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rama)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548/9 "2016-06-05T18:31:31Z")
Will you post the story here once you get your answer? ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548/10 "2016-06-06T01:55:49Z")
How about potatoes? During the sea battles off Guadacanal (1942) an American destroyer approached a Japanese submarine with the intention of ramming it. The CO changed his mind and found his ship pretty much alongside the Japanese boat. Caught the Japanese totally surprised. In fact the sub’s sailors were lounging on the deck. They ships were so close our destroyer couldn’t lower her 5" guns enough to hit the sub. To buy some time to create some distance the destroyer’s sailors started heaving potatoes at the sub. Thinking they were hand grenades, the Japanese sailors scattered in all directions, to include away from its deck gun. This bought some time/distance/range for our ship to sink the sub. Need be, I’ll get the name of the ship. ---
**Author:** ![XaMcQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/f9ae1b/32.png) [@XaMcQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XaMcQ)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548/11 "2016-06-06T02:03:49Z")
> [@SanDiegoTim](#): > > How about potatoes? During the sea battles off Guadacanal (1942) an American destroyer approached a Japanese submarine with the intention of ramming it. The CO changed his mind and found his ship pretty much alongside the Japanese boat. Caught the Japanese totally surprised. In fact the sub’s sailors were lounging on the deck. They ships were so close our destroyer couldn’t lower her 5" guns enough to hit the sub. To buy some time to create some distance the destroyer’s sailors started heaving potatoes at the sub. Thinking they were hand grenades, the Japanese sailors scattered in all directions, to include away from its deck gun. This bought some time/distance/range for our ship to sink the sub. Need be, I’ll get the name of the ship. Not sure if I can use that, but it’s a fantastic story and I’ll remember it! Thanks for the colorful story! ---
**Author:** ![XaMcQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/f9ae1b/32.png) [@XaMcQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XaMcQ)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548/12 "2016-06-06T02:09:40Z")
> [@Rama](#): > > Will you post the story here once you get your answer? I hadn’t planned to. It’s Marvel fan fic over on AO3. I enjoy my little writing hobby, but it’s not great literature. :o ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-info-on-wwii-ship-deck/756548/13 "2016-06-06T03:18:59Z")
The incident to which I refer is detailed in “The Conquering Tide” by Ian Toll.