MANNING OF THE MARINE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT OF HM SHIPS

This paper sets out to explain the manning arrangements of HM ships and to make meaningful comparison between them and the manning requirements for merchant ships. The first need is for an appreciation of the Officer and Rating structure of the Royal Navy and explanation of the place of the Artificers and Mechanics as skilled craftsmen and machinery operators compared with the Petty Officer Marine Engineering Mechanic as a machinery operator and semi-skilled maintainer. The academic, technical and craft training arrangements at various levels, the watchkeeping and maintenance tasks of marine engineering branch personnel in HM ships and the Fleet Maintenance Units, and additional tasks such as landing and boarding parties, damage control and on-the-job training, are outlined and explored. The paper discusses the need for only minimum number of men on board, mentions the estimates made of the life costs of the ship and the cumulative effects of additional men on ship size and hotel services, and stresses the gains to be made by reduction in the number of watchkeepers. Other factors considered are the balance needed between the various states such as Action Stations, Defence Cruising, and Harbour Stations and the differences between ships which are self-maintaining between refits and those which depend on external assistance from Fleet Maintenance Units. Also described are the methods used to establish the first estimate of complement and the dialog between Ship and Manpower departments as the design progress and the allowances for adequate margins of training and advancement of men to higher rates. In conclusion the paper surveys achievement in reducing the complements of HM ships by changes in design of propulsion plant and control arrangements.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 45 Conference Papers presented at IMAS 73, London, 4-8 June 1973, organized by the Institute of Marine Engineers. This paper is available only in a set of 3 papers in Subject Group 5: "Training and Manning" at $7.50.
• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Marine Engineers

  Memorial Building, 76 Mark Lane
  London EC3R 7JN,   England 
• Authors:
  • Smith, AJR
• Publication Date: 1973

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Education; Engineering; Engineering personnel; Manning requirements; Training
• Uncontrolled Terms: Engineering education
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00048472
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Institute of Marine Engineers
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 14 1973 12:00AM