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Operations Manual Chapter 25 - Material Readiness

Operations Manual provided courtesy of CDR Art Burke (U.S.N. Ret).


CHAPTER 25
MATERIAL READINESS
  1. General
    1. The material readiness of the ship is equal in importance to any other element of readiness for war. This should be borne in mind by all heads of departments in planning their drill and work schedules and by all officers in their inspections of the ship. The attainment of the results contemplated by a thorough material readiness condition is based on four broad principles. They are:
      1. Complete knowledge of current material needs and deficiencies.
      2. Knowledge of the resources within the ship for maintenance of material.
      3. Vigorous prosecution and adequate inspection of the work to insure that it is proceeding as planned.
      4. Careful planning and foresight in order to insure the accomplishment of the required work by using the resources available.
    2. These principles require a continued effort during daily, weekly, and all other inspections to discover and list all deficiencies; a complete knowledge of the capabilities of the men and equipment within the ship in order that, with due consideration of the other demands for the employment of the ship's personnel and equipment, repair ships and navy yards will not be called upon to do work within the capacity of the ship's force; a careful attention to the ship's employment schedules and to the necessity of having muster and drills at such times as to interfere least with maintenance work during the upkeep and overhaul periods; and, a system of inspection and check-off to insure the proper completion of the work.
  2. Material Upkeep, Repairs, and Alterations
    1. The accomplishment of repairs and material upkeep, in so far as mechanical and clerical work is required, is outlined in brief in this section; classification and explanation of the principals and details involved are contained in the following sections.
    2. Ship's force repairs must be accomplished with the minimum paper work and delay by artificers and office personnel consistent with a complete record of each repair. Shops and service groups should turn out work rather than spend time in complicated book keeping. An entry in a rough station ledger showing (a) service required and location, (b) time request was received, (c) time service is completed, is sufficient record. This applies to such jobs as stoppage of water and steam leaks, renewal of light bulbs, minor adjustments to electrical and mechanical equipment and minor repairs to doors and furniture.
    3. A List of Service Stations and Ships follow:-
      1. Air Department
        1. Metal Shop:
          Location: Hangar deck aft. Stbd. side.
          Telephone: 586. Frame 174.
          Service:  Equipped for aircraft metal work, arc and Oxy, acetylene welding. Metal heat treatment. This shop for repair and upkeep of metal structure and parts of aircraft.
        2. Wing & Dope Shop:
          Location: Hangar deck aft. port side.
          Telephone: 887. Frame 174.
          Service:  This shop for repairs and upkeep of fabric and wood work of aircraft.
        3. Engine Overhaul:
          Location: O1 deck port side.
          Telephone: 457. Frame 128 to 141.
          Service:  Equipped for overhauling and upkeep of aircraft engines only. Overhauling, upkeep and repairs to aircraft engines, outboard motor for recreation kept here, obtained on request.
        4. Instrument Shop:
          Location: O2 deck, stbd. side.
          Telephone: None. Frame 106.
          Service:  Equipped for overhaul and repair to aircraft and other instruments.
      2. C&R Department
        1. Shipfitter's Shop:
          Location: Stbd. side hangar deck frame 130 to 142.
          Telephone: 293.
          Service:  Equipped for sheet metal work, plumbing, repairs to structure of ship, air testing, electric and acetylene welding and cutting. Portable arc welding outfit. Repairs to: Fresh water; salt water; compressed air above the third deck. Sheet metal work, welding. Repairs to ship's structure.
        2. Carpenter Shop:
          Location: 2nd deck aft. Frame 165 to 174.
          Telephone: 878.
          Service:  Equipped for all types of wood work and repairs, pattern making, sanding, etc.
      3. Engineering Department
        1. Machine Shop:
          Location: Port side, second deck, frame 112 to 126.
          Telephone: 359.
          Service:  Equipped: Machinery and equipment for all general machine shop work. Repairs and manufacturing of articles for all departments on request. Duty man at all times for urgent repair work.
        2. Pipe & Copper Shop:
          Location: Stbd. side hangar deck, frame 112.
          Telephone: 393.
          Service:  Equipped: Coppersmith work, arc and acetylene welding and cutting. Repairs to Engineering piping. Coppersmith and pipe work on request. Steam heating, constant and drain stream lines throughout the ship. Duty man on call at all times for repairs. Siren and whistle repairs.
        3. Blacksmith Shop
          Location: Stbd. side hangar deck, frame 102.
          Telephone: 287 or 393.
          Service:  Equipped for all types of blacksmith work. Small brass castings can be made upon request, patterns to be furnished with request.
        4. Boat Shop:
          Location: Stbd. side hangar deck, frame 102.
          Telephone: 287.
          Service:  Equipped for overhaul and repairs to motor boats and diesel emergency generators. Duty repairman for all boats and emergency generator on duty in this shop at all times.
        5. Electrical Work Shop:
          Location: 2nd deck, port side, frame 126 to 130.
          Telephone: 259.
          Service:  Equipped for all types of electrical work for ship. Duty electrician for repairs to lower lighting and power. Other electrical work on request.
        6. Topside Lighting Shop:
          Location: O2 deck, frame 102 to 106 stbd. side.
          Telephone: 669.
          Service:  Duty electrician for repairs to upper lighting and power.
        7. Interior Communication Room:
          Location: 6th platform deck, frame 72 to 82.
          Telephone: 236 and 237.
          Service:  Duty electrician on call for all repairs to telephones and other I.C. equipment.
        8. Radio Repair Shop:
          Location: Port side flight deck catwalk, frame 112 to 124.
          Telephone: 247.
          Service:  Repairs and upkeep for radio material.
      4. Gunnery Department
        1. Optical Work Shop:
          Location: O5 deck, frame 106, aft of superstructure.
          Telephone: 414.
          Service:  Equipped for upkeep and repairs to all types of optical equipment.
  3. Clerical Work Required
    1. By activity making request:
      1. Fill out shipping tag work request or department form work request as applicable.
      2. If work cannot be undertaken and completed by ship's force, prepare one copy of Repair Card form "C" or Alteration Changes in Allowance Cards and initiate necessary correspondence to get authority for an alteration.
    2. By activity responsible for accomplishment of the work:
      1. Classify and assign a priority for all work not accomplished as services described in 2502-2 or accepted in the shop on a memorandum shipping tag request.
      2. Fill out, in smooth form, all Repair Cards, form "C" in duplicate, and Alteration Changes in Allowance Cards in quadruplicate. The original of all cards comprise the Current Ship's Maintenance Project (CSMP) kept by the First Lieutenant.
      3. Shops and stations will send the rough form "B" cards to the department office. That office will make up in duplicate a smooth copy. The original is filed in the Current Ship's Maintenance Project and the copy is retained for the department files.
      4. The department or activity requesting work will receive one copy of the "Departmental Work Request", or Repair Card, form "C" or Alteration Changes in Allowance Cards. The department responsible for accomplishment of work will retain a copy of each of these forms. The original of Departmental Work Requests will go to the shop or shops involved and will be used to keep a record of the progress of the work and the work will be receipted for on this form.
      5. Alterations, both requested and authorized, are entered on form "D" and handled as explained in the following sections.
    3. By shop or activity performing work:
      1. Keep a record of man hours and cost of material expended on each job and enter on the Report of Repairs, form "B".
      2. Report all minor items weekly on one card. Use a separate card for all items of work requiring more than 20 man hours or costing more than $20.00.
      3. Get a signed receipt, on the face of the work request for all work completed or delivered.
      4. Turn in all Report of Repair cards to the department office.
    4. Copies of shipping tag work requests, departmental work requests, and of forms "B" "C" and "D" are shown on the following pages.
    5. When work is required, the following procedure is necessary:
      1. If a service or repair covered by Par. 2 Art. 2502 is required, inform the responsible shop or station by telephone or messenger. A record will be made in the station ledger and corrective measures initiated as soon as practicable (immediately if the correction of the fault is urgent).
      2. If a repair is required that is of a routine minor nature (requiring less than 20 man hours and costs less than $20.00 in material) the work, sketch, or description of the requirements is taken to the designated shop where it is tagged with a shipping tag request form and work started immediately. If the work load in the ship is too great to permit starting the work in a reasonably short time (48 hours) or the work is not routine, as defined by the head of the department having cognizance of the shop, the shop personnel will advise the person making the request to submit a department form request as described in (c) below. Once each week each shop will submit a combined report, required by form "B" of all jobs accomplished by that shop that were of a minor nature (less than 20 man hours and costing less than $20.00 in material) to be filed in the Current Ship's Maintenance Project (CSMP).
      3. All requests for work that are not classified for accomplishment by the preceding paragraphs must be initiated on the appropriate department "Request for Repairs" form. This form is sent to the head of department for classification and assignment of priority. If the work is beyond the capacity of the ship's force or if it is an unauthorized alteration, the request will be returned in order that rough Repair Card, form "C" or Alteration Changes in Allowance Cards may be prepared. Otherwise the head of department will order the shop to prosecute work in accordance with the assigned classification and priority.
      4. All work sent to shops must be accompanied by reliable, adequate and accurate information of requirements of shop work. This can only be accomplished by careful planning.
      5. The activity or person requesting work will furnish the material and necessary labor for bringing the material to the shop and removing the finished work. This is necessary in order that trained artificers will not spend their time away from the shops or the scene of their work where their services are of the most value.
      6. All completed work except the services described in Par. 2 Art. 2502 must be reported on form "B", "Report of Repairs". All minor items are entered weekly by each shop on one form as "Miscellaneous" work. A separate card is used for all items of shop work requiring more than 20 man hours and costing more than $20.00 in material.
      7. Work done will be subject to inspection by a representative of the activity making the request.
  4. Current Ship's Maintenance Project - General
    1. By Current Ship's Maintenance Project is meant the procedure followed and the records maintained whereby projected alterations, and repairs, both immediate and projected, are listed and their accomplishment attained in a systematic manner. Its purpose it to insure that no item of work necessary to maintain the proper material readiness of this vessel is overlooked, and to facilitate the scheduling of work to be done during the various overhaul periods allotted.
  5. The forms used in connection with the Current Ship's Maintenance Project are:
    1. Request for Repairs. A departmental form (C&R, ENG, and AIR) to be filled out by the division officer originating the request for a repair item of work. By proper endorsement it may also serve as the job order form.
    2. Report of Repairs. A form to be filled out upon completion of the work.
    3. Repair Card. A card to be filled out for those items of repair work which must be deferred for later accomplishment by the ship's force, tender or Navy Yard.
    4. Alteration Change in Allowance Card. A card to be filled out for all alterations or changes in allowance.
    5. Repair and Alteration Letter Form. A type letter form for use in requesting repairs or alterations. This is always necessary for alterations and must include weight estimates.
  6. The First Lieutenant shall maintain a Central Record File, embracing all departments, for the Current Ship's Maintenance Project consisting of:
    1. Repair cards for uncompleted work which has been deferred for later accomplishment by the Ship's Force, Tender or Navy Yard.
    2. Repair Cards for completed work. These cards shall be retained for two years after work is completed.
    3. Alteration Cards for uncompleted alterations.
    4. Alteration Cards for completed alterations.
  7. In addition to the Central Record File, the Air Officer, the Engineer Officer, and the First Lieutenant shall maintain their own Department Record Files of the Current Ship's Maintenance Project for all items accomplished in their departments. All heads of departments shall maintain Department Record Files of the Current Ship's Maintenance Project for all items for which they have shipboard cognizance. These files shall consist of:
    1. Request for Repairs for all uncompleted work.
    2. Reports of Repairs of all completed work. These records shall be retained for two years after the work is completed.
    3. Repair Cards for uncompleted work which has been deferred for later accomplishment by ship's force, tender or Navy Yard.
    4. Repair Cards for completed work. These cards shall be retained for two years after work is completed.
    5. Alteration Cards for uncompleted alterations.
    6. Alteration Cards for completed alterations.
  8. Current Ship's Maintenance Project work shall be divided into three categories, namely:
    1. Those items which are accomplished shortly after being discovered; this is, work which is not deferred for later accomplishment by ship's force, tender or Navy Yard.
    2. Those items which must be deferred for later accomplishment by ship's force, tender or Navy Yard.
    3. Those items which are alterations.
  9. All work, except alterations and minor maintenance of a routine nature, shall be requested by division officers on Request for Repairs as soon as the necessity for the work arises. Division officers of the Air and Engineer Departments shall submit all their requests to their respective heads of departments. Other division officers shall submit their requests via their own heads of departments to the head of department having shipboard cognizance.
  10. Work which can be accomplished by ship's force shortly after the necessity for it is discovered may be done in two ways, namely:
    1. By the department having cognizance.
    2. By another department, in case the work is beyond the capacity of the department having cognizance.
  11. If after careful consideration and investigation, the work is considered to be beyond the capacity of the department having cognizance, the head of the department concerned shall forward the original and two (2) copies of the request for repairs to the department equipped to accomplish the repair as required by Chapter XVI "Department Material Responsibility". This department shall issue the necessary authority for the accomplishment of the work provided it is within the capacity of that department and may require an expenditure of over $20.00 for material or over 20 man hours. Repair items requiring less expenditure than noted above may be undertaken immediately and accomplished directly from a Shipping Tag Request for Repair or departmental form Request for Repairs provided it shows over the signature of the head of a department or his duly authorized representative that material will be furnished by the originating department. In the latter case, the Request for Repairs with a statement of work accomplished, and man hours expended will be used to make up for the smooth Report of Repairs. The original Request for Repairs will be retained for use in prosecuting work in the department performing the work, the first copy will go the First Lieutenant's Office for filing in the Central File and the second copy will be returned to the originating department to show action taken if work is deferred for any reason.
  12. Work accomplished on board ship shall be subject to check inspection by the officer making the request. The Report of Repairs on board ship will be made by the department performing the work. In the case of work performed by the tender or Navy Yard the Report of Repairs shall be made by the officer charged with making the check inspection of the work.
  13. In the case of numerous items which are accomplished almost as soon as discovered, the Shipping Tag Request for Repairs, properly filled in, and with charges for material, if any, borne by the department requesting repairs, and the Report of Repairs form complete the record. If, however, the work must be deferred to a scheduled overhaul or upkeep period, the Request for Repairs will be transferred to a Repair Card (Form "C"). If special care is taken in wording the Repair Card and filling in the various spaces provided, the preparation of material inspection reports, tender and Navy Yard work lists becomes merely clerical work. Colored indicators may be used on Repair Cards to show order of priority. The decimal system shall be used in establishing priority.
  14. When the work is request on a Request for Repairs beyond the capacity of the ship's force or to be accomplished by a tender or Navy Yard, or for later accomplishment by the ship's force, the head of department concerned shall immediately have a Repair Card made out in duplicate, i.e., the original and one copy. The copy of the card shall be filed in the Departmental Record File of uncompleted Repair Cards of the department to accomplish the work and the original card shall be forwards for filing in the Central Record File. After this action has been taken, an entry shall be made on the Request for Repairs to the effect that a Repair Card has been made out and the Request for Repairs filed by the originator.
  15. The department having in its Department Record File a Repair Card for any item of work which is to be accomplished by the tender or Navy Yard, shall be responsible for preparing the necessary repair letter. This letter shall be prepared in accordance with the instructions set forth in Navy Department General Orders.
  16. Alterations - General
    1. Alterations include all changes of design that may be deemed advisable in making repairs, or removal of parts which are not replaced by similar ones. Alterations include any change in material of which the ship or any part is made. An approved alteration must have the specific authority of the Bureau concerned.
    2. Very frequently the repeated failure of equipment, machinery or parts thereof demonstrate a faulty design either in material, capacity or details of structure. Alterations to correct such faults, if the cost is not more than repair costs, may be authorized by the Type Commander as "Equivalent to Repairs". In such cases the procedure is the same as for Repairs.
  17. Proposed alterations shall be divided into the following categories, namely:
    1. Those request by this vessel, but not acted upon by bureaus concerned.
    2. Those requested by this vessel and approved, but on which authorization has been deferred pending availability of funds, procurement of material, development of design, or other reasons.
    3. Those requested by this vessel and definitely authorized.
    4. Those requested by some other vessel which have also been made applicable to this vessel.
    5. Those projected by a bureau of the Navy Department.
  18. Regardless of category, all proposed alterations shall be classified as follows:
    1. CLASS A - Items of utmost importance and immediate urgency such as those affecting the safety of the ship or personnel, or of such urgent military necessity that their accomplishment must not be delayed.
    2. CLASS B - Items of less urgency than Class A, but sufficient importance by reason of anticipated improvements in military characteristics of the ship, health and comfort of personnel, or efficiency and economy of operation and upkeep as to warrant undertaking the item at once if funds are available.
    3. CLASS C - Desirable alterations less important than those under Class A or Class B which may be deferred until sufficient funds are available.
    4. CLASS D - Alterations which, in the opinion of higher authority, do not offer sufficient improvement to justify their cost and have been for this reason or for other reasons disapproved.
  19. Proposed alterations shall be made the subject of a special letter, in each case in accordance with Navy Department General Order No. 55, by the head of departments having cognizance. In addition to the four paragraphs required by paragraph 8 of General Order No. 55, there shall be added a fifth paragraph stating the Commanding Officer's recommended class designation and priority number, and a sixth paragraph estimating the increase or decrease in weight of the ship entailed by the alteration, and if it is an increase in weight, a recommendation as to what weight may be removed to compensate for the increase. No requests for alterations shall be submitted between the time of the material inspection next preceding a Navy Yard overhaul and the time of actual completion of such overhaul.
  20. Letters requesting alterations shall be prepared by the activity making the request. These letters, together with the original and 3 copies of the Alteration Card, form "D", will be routed via the department having cognizance of the performance of work to the First Lieutenant. The First Lieutenant's office will assign a ship's serial number obtained from the Captain's Office, complete the Alteration Card as far as possible, and forward to Commander Aircraft, Battle Force with the original and 3 copies of form "D" for action.
  21. Upon the receipt of authorization for: (1) An alteration which has been initiated by higher authority, or, (2) An alteration which has been requested by some other vessel and made applicable to this vessel, the following procedure shall be followed:
    1. The Ship's Secretary shall forward the correspondence to the head of department who would be the logical officer to originate the alteration had it been originated on board this vessel.
    2. This head of department shall prepare and forward to the First Lieutenant an original and 3 copies of an Alteration Card together with the correspondence concerned.
  22. Alteration Cards shall be colored. The color of the card shall signify the Navy Department bureau having cognizance.

    The colors are as follows:

    Color of CardBureau Having Cognizance
    BlueShips (Machinery)
    RedOrdnance
    OrangeAeronautics
    YellowShips (Hull)
  23. Heads of departments shall have Alteration Cards made out in accordance with the following instructions:
    1. Entry shall be made in pencil on the first line proposing the force (ship, tender, or navy yard) to accomplish the work.
    2. Entry shall be made in pencil on the second line in the space provided for the Commanding Officer's classification and priority, indicating the requested classification and priority.
    3. The remainder of the card shall be typewritten.
    4. If the alteration is being initiated by this vessel the ship's serial number of the alteration request letter shall be entered in the space marked "Alteration".
    5. The statement of the item shall be as terse as possible, having due regard to clarity in the classification of the work to be undertaken. The character of wording normally chosen for use as the subject of the alteration request letter should suffice. Other extraneous matter, such as lengthy specifications, ship's record numbers, ship's priority numbers, shall not be included in the space assigned for describing the item. The reverse side of the card may be used for describing in more detail the nature of the item. If the reverse side is used, a notation "Over" shall be typed on the bottom of the front of the card.
    6. Entry shall be made for "Estimated Cost" on cards where work is to be performed by ship's force or tender. Where work is to be undertaken by a navy yard force, "Estimated Cost" shall be given only when the navy yard estimate is available through previous correspondence.
    7. If the item has been initiated by this vessel, the correspondence file number and date of the ship's alteration request letter shall be entered in the space marked "Ship's Request File No." If the item has not been initiated by this vessel an entry of "None" shall be entered in the space.
    8. If any one of the following authorizations is applicable it shall be entered in the space marked "Authorization Bu.":
      1. The bureau's file number and date if authorized by ordinary letter.
      2. The bureau's serial number and date, without letter file number, where such a number is assigned by a bureau, as in the case of an authorization on Bureau of Engineering Form 199.
      3. The despatch reference numbers, month, and year, if authorized by despatch and not confirmed by letter.
  24. Alteration Cards shall not be made out for incidental work. Incidental work is work which is required by another bureau other than the bureau having primary cognizance. When alteration cards are forwarded to the First Lieutenant by other heads of departments, he shall enter the classification and priority assigned by the Commanding Officer in the space provided.
    1. Upon receipt of Commander Aircraft, Battle Force endorsement bearing recommended classification and priority on the alteration, this additional data should be filled in on the cards, and two (2) of the cards forward to Commander Aircraft, Battle Force. One (1) of these cards should be the master, and should be retained in Commander Aircraft, Battle Force files, and the other shall be marked "shuttle" which is to be used as a means of communication between Commander Aircraft, Battle Force and the ship.
    2. Upon cancellation of an item previously authorized, or upon disapproval of a requested item, the First Lieutenant and the head of department concerned shall write "Cancelled" across the face of their respective copies of the Alteration Card. The First Lieutenant shall then forward the Central Record copy of the card to Commander Aircraft, Battle Force.
    3. Upon approval of an item, not previously approved by the bureaus concerned, the First Lieutenant and the head of department concerned shall enter the authorization in the space provided, as described in paragraph 2523-8. The First Lieutenant shall then forward the Central Record File copy of the Alteration Card to Commander Aircraft, Battle Force.
    4. Whenever any other change in an Alteration Card is made which was not originated by Commander Aircraft, Battle Force, in Central Record File copy of the Alteration Card shall be forwarded to him by the First Lieutenant.
  25. When the Central Record File copy of an Alteration Card is forwarded to Commander Aircraft, Battle Force as prescribed above, he will correct the master copy in his possession and return the ship's copy.
  26. Weight Control
    1. The First Lieutenant shall maintain a Weight Control Book in which a record of weights as listed below shall be kept:
      1. Estimated weights of special equipment to be taken on board for wartime service and of alterations intended for accomplishment upon mobilization.
      2. Authorized alterations involving additional weight.
      3. Weight removals approved as compensation for alterations involving additional weight.
      4. Authorized alterations involving loss of weight.
      5. Items on "Strip Ship Bill" involving loss of weight.
      6. Items on "Clear Ship for Action Bill" involving loss of weight.
  27. The above lists shall be maintained in a "running record" form, subject to continuous modification and correction. The lists shall contain three columns: the first for "actual weights", (for scale weights determined by or for the forces afloat); the second for "calculated weights", (for calculated weights based on calculations made by Navy Yards, or made afloat under circumstances offering confidence as to accuracy); and the last for "estimated weights", (for weights determined by estimate or by uncertain calculation). The weight of each item shall be listed in the appropriate column and the total weight determined by summing the totals of the three columns. "Estimated weights" and "calculated weights" shall be shifted to the next more accurate category as more definite information becomes available, the subtotal and totals being adjusted accordingly so that the "estimated weights" will constitute a progressively smaller proportion of the whole and the accuracy of the records will be constantly increasing.
  28. Heads of Departments are responsible that the First Lieutenant is given all data pertaining to their departments necessary for entry in the Weight Control Book.

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