SECTION IV
TRAINING OF SHIP’S CREW
12. INDIVIDUAL TRAINING. a. General. Most of a port repair ship’s crew will have had training and experience in civilian life to qualify them for the highly specialized jobs they are assigned in this military unit. Before receiving further technical instruction, all personnel are given basic military training.
Figure 42. View of interior of recompression chamber. If divers must be brought up in a hurry they are rushed into this chamber for decompression to prevent their getting the “bends.”
b. Diving and salvage training. The diving and salvage training is given officers and enlisted men with particular emphasis on operations performed in and around docks, quays, and other waterfront structures, harbors, inland waterways. Diving and salvage operations are essential to the rehabilitation of ports. The training should include the following:
(1) Diving-team problems with timber and steel construction; underwater concrete construction; underwater demolition of docks, piers, and ships; and actual salvage operations.
(2) Individual diving problems including underwater reconnaissance, pipefitting, patching, welding, cutting with hydrogen torch and oxyelectric machine; survey of underwater conditions in mud, swift currents, and various tide actions; use of jetting nozzle and siphon.
(3) Use of hand tools, air tools, machine tools, pumps, winches, and blacksmithing.
(4) Rigging, beach gear, and hi-lines.