USS colorado cap tally

[norwegian blue]

 

good morning all

I found (in France) this cap tally for the USS Colorado. Can anyone confirm this is pre-WW2, as that ship apparently visited Cherbourg between the wars?

Also when where these tallies with ships' names replaced with the generic 'U.S. Navy' tally?

THis was found together with tallies from other visiting foreign ships (norwegian and polish). Thanks

[MattS]

As I understand it, and there have been threads on this subject before, when WW2 started the naval supply system couldn't keep up with all the different ship's names so it was decided to go with a generic "US Navy" tally. Unofficially you may hear the story that for security purposes, it was not wise to have the ship's name on everyone's hat lest peering eyes be able to tell what ship was in port. Then again, it would be hard to hide the 35,000 ton battlewagon that just steamed into the harbor.

 

I just checked the book American Battleships by Max Newhart and it says the Colorado visited England and France during it's shakedown cruise in 1923.

[norwegian blue]

thanks very much Matt!

[topdcnut]

By this time the head of the Navy's eagle had turned from left to right and the thought of manning up for a global fight made blue cuffed dress whites, individual named ships talleys and the officers fancy cocked hats and huge bullion epaulets simply impractical. And although it is impossible to hide a BB not having named ships talleys up and down the streets did make OPSEC a bit more manageable.

 

John

[sigsaye]

any way, 1940.

 

Steve Hesson

[Steindaddie]

Here's info regarding the dropping of ship's names or "Individual activity names" on caps:

 

The recommendation to eliminate individual activity names on cap ribbons was made in a letter by LCDR J.B. McVey from the U.S. Naval Training Center, Newport, R.I. on 6 March 1940. The reasons set forth were:

 

"Prescribe cap ribbons worn by all men to read 'U.S. Navy' or 'U.S. Naval Reserve (U.S. Coast Guard).'

 

"Change of station now entails the expense and inconvenience of changing cap ribbons. The traditions of wearing the ship's name is not followed with the white hat. It is undesirable to follow it when trying to restrict knowledge of ship's movements."

 

By the first endorsement to LCDR McVey's letter the Commanding Officer, NTS, Newport stated:

 

"I believe this change should be effected. The wearing of the correct ship's name on the cap ribbon is not enforced by a large number of ships, particularly the smaller type ships."

 

In May 1940 this item was referred to the Fleet Board on Uniforms where approval was recommended of cap ribbons to read "U.S. Navy," and "U.S. Naval Reserve" as appropriate.

 

In January 1941 the Navy Department Permanent Board acted on the recommendation on cap ribbons as follows:

 

"A change in the present practice of wearing the name of the vessel or station on cap ribbons appears to be a matter of Navy Department policy. It is suggested, however, that since names of ships are used, information as to the location and movement of the ship can be obtained, which is undesirable in time of war. The large number of changes occasion frequent purchases of cap ribbons and the Uniform Board therefore recommends all cap ribbons to be 'U.S. Navy' or 'U.S. Naval Reserve.'"

 

This change was published in the original edition of the U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations, 1941. (From www.history.navy.mil)

I've spoken with a number of old salts who state they wore the named caps throughout the year 1941. One of these sailors was a fresh out of boot camp in 1941 and then assigned to the USS Utah, but by the time he went aboard in mid 1941, the ship named ribbons were being phased-out and no longer issued. However, the transition was not overnight, so there were plenty of named caps still being worn until enough generic "US Navy" ribbons were available. Our young Utah sailor wanted to wear his ship's name so he acquired a named cap from a shipmate transferring out and thus the young sailor had his Utah cap. He says that he wasn't allowed to wear it ashore, but could wear it aboard ship for inspections and such - says it made him feel and look less like a raw recruit.*

 

Alas, he lost that cap when Utah went down on 7 Dec.

 

* It should be noted that his motives then are still in use today - no one wants to look like a greenhorn. (I remember deploying to Desert Shield in 1990 wearing woodland BDU's and how badly we newbies wanted desert BDU's to look like we weren't fresh off the boat.)

[norwegian blue]

thank you all for this wealth of knowledge!