Glossary

Bedspring: the radar antenna.

BuPers: Bureau of Naval Personnel, which issues orders to assign all U.S. Navy personnel.

Code names: “George”--the destroyer Keeling, under Krause’s command.
“Eagle”--the Polish destroyer Viktor.
“Harry”--the corvette H.M.S. James.
“Dicky”--the Canadian corvette Dodge.

Comconvoy: Commander of the convoy.

Comescort: Commander of ships protecting the convoy.

Condition Two: Readiness condition short of general quarters (see below) with ships’ guns partly manned.

Doppler: Doppler’s Effect, in physics, is the change in frequency of sound-waves emitted by an approaching and, subsequently, a receding object. The phenomenon may be observed in the continuously higher note of the whistle of an approaching express train and the lower note heard after the train has passed the observer. In the application of this principle to submarine detection the term “Up Doppler” can imply the approach of a submerged U-boat to the searching destroyer.

Fitted and retained: An officer so evaluated by a promotion board is retained on active duty in his present grade but is not promoted.

General quarters: Everyone at action stations.

Head, the: Lavatory aboard ship.

Huff-Duff: High-frequency direction-finding apparatus.

O.D., O.O.D.: Officer of the deck.

PBY: U.S. designation of Catalina aircraft.

Pelorus: A device for taking bearings.

Pillenwerfer: U-boat’s defensive device producing large bubbles which, floating to the surface, might deceive sonar (see below). (The Royal Navy called them S.B.T.s--Submarine Bubble Targets.)

Pitometer or “pit”: Ship’s “speedometer.”

Secure from general quarters: Stand down from action stations.

Sonar: Electronic means of underwater detection.

Take the conn: Take over responsibility for ship’s course, speed, etc.

T.B.S.: The radio-telephone “talk between ships.”