United States Navy. The U.S. Navy has well-established line-crossing rituals. Sailors who have already crossed the Equator are nicknamed Shellbacks, Trusty Shellbacks, Honorable Shellbacks, or Sons of Neptune. Those who have not crossed are nicknamed Pollywogs, or Slimy Pollywogs, or sometimes simply Slimy Wogs.
Pollywog— A sailor who has not crossed the equator on a U.S. Navy ship. Navy Terms. … The tradition began with the Navy over 400 years ago. The ceremony observes a mariner’s transformation from slimy Pollywog, a seaman who hasn’t crossed the equator, to trusty Shellback, also called a Son or Daughter of Neptune.
When a ship crosses the equator or “crossing the line”, King Neptune comes aboard to exercise authority over his domain and to judge charges brought against Pollywogs that they are only posing as Sailors and haven’t paid proper homage to the god of the sea.
Definition of shellback
1 : an old or veteran sailor. 2 : a person who has crossed the equator and been initiated in the traditional ceremony.
The shellback is simple enough: a sailor on official duty “crosses the line” of the equator. A golden shellback is more impressive; it means they’ve crossed the International Date Line. Even rarer, crossing at the Prime Meridian grants you access into the Order of the Emerald Shellback.
There are the Pollywogs (sailors who have not crossed the equator), the trusty Shellbacks (sailors who have crossed the equator), King Neptune (highest ranking Shellback), and his royal court.
The Emerald Shellback or Royal Diamond Shellback for maritime personnel who cross the Equator at the prime meridian. … The Wooden Shellback for maritime personnel who have crossed the equator on a vessel with a wooden hull.
The shellback is simple enough: a sailor on official duty “crosses the line” of the equator. A golden shellback is more impressive; it means they’ve crossed at or near the International Date Line.
The “Order of the Blue Nose” is a Navy tradition which dictates that when Sailors cross into the Arctic Circle, they enter the realm of Boreas Rex, King of the North. The only way to be accepted into the order is to successfully complete his list of challenges.
Destroyer warships come in a range of sizes. Smaller destroyers, such as the Royal Navy’s Type 45 Daring class and Russia’s Project 956 Sovremenny class, measure in at around 150m in length, with a beam of around 17-18m. Then there is the US Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyer, a 190m long colossus with a beam of 24.6m.
This ceremony goes back many, many years to when ships first started crossing the Equator and involves all those who have not previously crossed the Equator by sea, or have no appropriate certificate to prove their crossing.
375, creating the office of the Director of Naval Aviation, was signed by the Secretary of the Navy, and Captain Irwin was ordered to duty as the first director.
United States Department of the Navy/Founded
Separate Department of the Navy established by an act of April 30, 1798 (1 Stat. 553). Became a military department of the unified National Military Establishment, 1947.
A Time-Honored Tradition
The ceremony observes a mariner’s transformation from slimy Pollywog, a seaman who hasn’t crossed the equator, to trusty Shellback, also called a Son or Daughter of Neptune. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness.
|Known for||First European sailor crossing Earth’s equator|
For instance, those who cross the 180-degree Prime Meridian and the Equator at the same time become Golden Shellbacks. … Or, if you round the Horn and cross the Equator on the same voyage, you are duly honored as a Horned Shellback.
An ‘Order of the Red Nose’ certificate, awarded to sailors to mark their first crossing of the Antarctic Circle. It represents the Domain of the Penguin.
“America’s Navy – A global force for good.” “Ready to Lead, Ready to Follow, Never Quit.” “The only easy day was yesterday!” “Qui Plantavit Curabit” – “He who has planted will preserve.”
This achievement certificate commemorates crossing the equator. This certificate is entirely customizable with: Ship’s Crest, Commanding Officer’s Signature, Date and Time of Crossing, and Sailor’s Rate and Full Name. Available in both 11″x17″ and 12″x18″ sizes.
Nerdy history…..in the early days on naval aviation, the pioneer pilots originally wore black shoes, but since the airfields were often dirty/muddy, it made their shoes brown. Tired of constantly cleaning them, they chose to buy brown shoes. Eventually, it caught on and was approved by the Navy.
Someone may well decide 100 years from now that the Navy eliminated the stripes because it figured Admiral Nelson couldn’t possibly have won those battles because he didn’t have any carrier air support. Those 13 buttons are supposed to represent the 13 original colonies.
|Speed||In sea state 3: 45 knots (83 km/h) In sea state 5: >25 knots (46 km/h) In calm sea: >60 knots (110 km/h) (classified)|
Johnson emphasizes in his book how destroyers were nicknamed “tin cans” because they had thin, metal hulls that were useful for quickly navigating the seas but not a great protection for the soldiers that they transported, and the men serving on these ships.
45 5-inch gun, standard on Navy destroyers and cruisers, fires an unguided round with a range of 21 miles.
0d 16h 6m
King Neptune, god of the sea according to Roman mythology. … In Roman mythology, King Neptune was the god of fresh water, which is something that I found interesting. It was not until 400 B.C. when he started to become identified with King Poseidon of Greek mythology, thus taking on the role God of the Sea.
what is a shellback in the navy
what happens when you cross the equator
what is a “shellback” ceremony in the navy?
crossing the line ceremony instruction
what is equator crossing ceremony