SOURCES OF INFORMATION

There are several sources of information that you will find valuable when working with damage control. These sources of information include the Naval Ships' Technical Manuals, your ship's Damage Control Book, Repair Party Manual, and the Ship's Information Book. You should become familiar with each of these publications.

Naval Ships' Technical Manual (NSTM)

A complete set of Naval Ships' Technical Manuals should be available in the engineering log room. Several volumes of these manuals cover different aspects of damage control. These include fire fighting, flooding, ship's stability, and CBR countermeasures. These manuals will help you complete your damage control personnel qualification standards.

Damage Control Book

Damage control books are furnished to all naval ships over 220 feet long and to some select smaller ships. Ships under 220 feet long that are not issued a damage control book may develop their own. These books contain descriptive information, tables, and diagrams. Each book is pertinent to an individual ship. The information given covers the following areas and systems:

1. Damage control systems

2. Ship's compartmentation

3. Ship's piping systems

4. Ship's electrical systems

5. Ship's ventilation systems

6. General information

Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) maintains a record of all Damage Control Books distributed. The books may not be transferred without NAVSEA authorization. The engineer officer is normally the custodian of the Damage Control Books. Upon transfer, this officer must account for all copies before passing custody to the relieving officer.

You may requisition additional books with diagrams lithographed in color from the Naval Supply Depot, Philadelphia. Books with blackand-white diagrams should be requested from the planning yard of the ship. Copies of the Damage Control Book should be available in DC central, main engine control, and each repair party locker.

It is important to keep all copies of the ship's Damage Control Book up to date. One copy should be considered the "master copy" and be kept current at all times by the DCA. The master copy is then used to update the other copies. The NSTM chapter 079, volume 2 contains the guidelines for updating a Damage Control Book, These changes include alterations completed by the ship's force and those completed by other activities. When the ship is decommissioned and scheduled for disposal or scrapping, the Damage Control Books should be burned and their disposition reported to NAVSEA.

Repair Party Manual

The type commander is responsible for the preparation of a standard repair party manual for ships under his authority. The repair party manual provides detailed information on the standard methods and techniques used in damage control as outlined in the NWP 62-1. A standard repair party manual may include the following information:

1, A listing of the important features of each repair party area, including machinery, storage spaces, location of repair lockers, and magazines

2. Protective measures involving material and personnel with respect to imminent air attack, surface attack, underwater attack, fire, collision, and CBR attack

3. Methods of investigating damage; necessary precautions and means of reporting damage

4. Use of equipment for the following purposes:

a. Fire fighting

b. Flooding control

c. Repairing damage in action (shoring, pipe patching and so forth)

d. Controlling of CBR contamination (monitoring, reporting, and decontamination of material)

e. Personnel casualty control (first aid and decontamination)

f. Primary and alternate methods of providing emergency service to vital systems by means of casualty power, emergency communications, and jumpers to restore firemain or magazine sprinkling service

5. Damage control central (DCC) location, equipment installed, communications, and personnel

6. Chain of command diagram

7. Secondary DCC description

8. Repair parties-personnel billets, including duties, functions, and responsibilities; subunits (where applicable); and required publications, plates, plans, and diagrams

The repair party manual should include damage control procedures covering emergency damage control communications, casualty power, and counterflooding (where applicable). Door and hatch locations, air-conditioning and ventilation systems, and compressed air systems are also included.

Charts, diagrams, or detailed listings of fittings are not required in the type repair party manual. Such information is available in other publications. One of these is the NAVSEA Damage Control Book, which should be available at every repair party locker.

Commanding officers, with the assistance of their engineer officers and DCAs, are responsible for ensuring that the standard repair party manual for their ship has only correct, complete, and upto-date information.

Ship Information Book

When a ship is built for the Navy, the builder prepares a Ship Information Book (SIB). The ship's crew uses the SIB to familiarize themselves with the ship's characteristics. Normally the SIB will contain the following eight volumes:

1. Hull and Mechanical

2. Propulsion Plant

_3. Auxiliary Machinery, Piping, Ventilation, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Systems 

4. Power and Lighting Systems

5. Electronic Systems

6. Interior Communications

7. Weapons Control Systems

8. Ballasting Systems

A copy of the SIB is forwarded to NAVSEA. Then NAVSEA prints and distributes copies of the SIB to the appropriate locations. When changes are made to the ship, corrections to the SIB should be sent to NAVSEA. NAVSEA will incorporate the corrections, and reprint and distribute the SIB.