Naval Historical Center, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC
1. Ships History Branch (202)
433-3643
Maintains historical source files including periodic histories submitted by individual ships and other historical data. Overall histories are published in the Naval Historical Center's Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (8 volumes, 1958-1981. A new volume I Part A, containing ships with "A" names, was published in 1991). This series is held by many large reference and university libraries.
2. Deck Log Section, Ships History Branch (202) 433-0824
Holds the post-1 January 1962 deck logs for most naval ships. The logs through 1978, as well as most logs after 1989, are stored at the Washington National Records Center. Arrangements to view them must be made in advance by contacting the Deck Log Section. Microfiche copies of some post-1978 logs are held at the Deck Logs Section. Please call ahead to check on the availability of the deck logs.
3. Operational Archives Branch (202) 433-3170
Has custody of the post-1945 war diary and action report coverage for most individual ships, which are available for research purposes. World War II submarine war patrols and action report/war diary coverage of some World War II ships are held on microfilm.
4. Photographic Section, Curator Branch (202) 433-2765
Maintains a well-indexed reference collection of naval photography, including views of individual ships.
5. Navy Department Library (202) 433-4132
The library maintains an extensive collection of cruise books for individual ships. Duplicate post-World War II cruise books can be borrowed through interlibrary loan for in-library use only. Due to possible copyright violations, often fragile book conditions and a small staff, the Navy Department Library does not provide photocopies of entire cruise books. See New York Public Library entry as an alternate source for cruise books.
6. Naval Aviation History Branch, Building 157, First Floor, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC 20374-0571 (202) 433-4355
Maintains source files on aircraft carriers, aircraft tenders, and other aviation-type vessels including periodic histories submitted by these ships and other historical data relating to naval aviation. They also hold microfilm copies of aircraft accident reports from 1920-1953. the Operational Archives is transferring the collection of unpublished histories of aviation-type ships for the 1942-1952 period to this Branch.
Holds deck logs of individual ships through 1941. Officer personnel are often listed on the first page of each month's log for the 1880-1941 time period. A collection of monthly muster rolls listing enlisted personnel aboard individual ships from 1880-1941 is also available. The Navy's Judge Advocate General investigative records, for the preWorld War II period, are also maintained in the Branch.
Archives II, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi
Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001.
1. Textual Reference Branch, (301)-713-7250
Holds deck logs of individual ships from 1942 through 1961. Officer personnel are often listed on the first page of each month's log. A collection of monthly muster rolls listing enlisted personnel aboard individual ships from 1942 through 1966 is available. Starting with 1958, the officer rosters are inluded with the muster rolls on the microfilms. The Bureau of Naval Personnel Casualty files contain the official listing of casualties for World War II, as well as casualty reports for U.S. Navy ships and the Naval Armed Guard serving on merchant ships. The Bureau of Naval Personnel files also include the armed guard reports for each voyage. In the process of being transferrred to this branch are the Navy's Operational Archives Branches' collection of World War II action reports, war diaries, and operation plans, as well as the Tenth Fleet files which contain merchant ship movement report cards, the loss and damage reports for merchant ships, folders on invidivual convoys, and Allied Antisubmarine Warfare Assessment Committee evaluations. These records will be closed for several months during the transfer.
2. Still Pictures Branch, NNSP, (301)-713-6660
Maintains the largest collection of official Department of the Navy still photography covering the 1775-1981 period.
3. Cartographic Branch, NNSC, (301) 713-6885
Holds a collection of aerial photography taken during some of the Defense Intelligence Agency's mapping and topographical surveys covering the pre-World War II-1960 period. Aerial photographs of U.S. Navy ships are included. However, the ship photography is not indexed. In addition, it includes the Bureau of Ships collection of general plans and drawings for most ships stricken from the Naval Vessel Register.
Central Records Office, Judge Advocate General of the Navy, Alexandria
VA 22332 (703) 325-9533
Records and proceedings of court martials, boards of investigation, courts of inquiry, and other investigative records are held from World War II to the present. Similar investigative records for the pre-World War II period are at the Military Reference Branch of the U.S. National Archives.
New York Public Library, 5th Avenue & 42nd Street, New York, New
York, 10018
Maintains a collection of cruise books for U.S. naval ships.
8 October 1996