Carpenter's Mate
Encyclopedia
Carpenter's Mate was a United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 rating throughout the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.

The rating was established in 1797, and separate pay grades were implemented in 1893. The sleeve insignia for the rating depicted two crossed axes. Responsibilities of carpenter's mates included maintaining ship ventilation, watertight control, painting, and drainage. During the era of wooden ships, carpenter's mates were charged with maintaining the integrity of the ship's hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...

. In times of battle, carpenter's mates would fight fires and use plugs to patch holes in the hull. In 1948, the rating was changed to damage controlman
Damage Controlman
Damage Controlman are the Navy's and Coast Guard’s maintenance and emergency repair specialist.Coast Guard Damage Controlmen assigned to cutters are responsible for maintaining watertight integrity, emergency equipment associated with firefighting and Shipboard flooding; plumbing repairs; welding...

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