What are those padded things on the bridge of a ship?

Hello!

I can't tell for sure but maybe you mean torpedo nets? They were hung a few meters from the ship on special poles to make torpedoes explode before connecting with the hull. That doesn't explain those things below bridge windows - maybe you could post some photos, that would help a lot. Have a nice day

Paweł

These look like padding but look how high up it goes on the stack.

These look like flak jackets for the upper portions of this ship.

To hazard a guess from the actual photo, I think they are attempting to provide some protection from smaller naval guns or perhaps small arms, also shrapnel protection. If you look they are placed around the "flying"bridge and the searchlight tub aft. From the looks they weren't very effective.

Hammocks. Rolled up tight. I do believe that their purpose was to absorb, or at least slow down splinters. 

stikpusher

Hammocks. Rolled up tight. I do believe that their purpose was to absorb, or at least slow down splinters. 

 

Yes hammocks, as shown on the painting of Adm Togo on the Mikasa.     The Japanese used rolled hammocks for splinter protection up to during WWII.    See videos of the aircraft launching at Pearl Harbor  & Coral Sea.

The RN/RCN used dedicated splinter padding which does look very much like seat cushions

Yes, splinter mats - usually hammocks or mattresses, for protection from small arms / shrapnel / flying debris, some more info HERE

I really appreciate the responses. I have 100% better understanding now. Splinter mats. Makes sense. I'm building my first ship and have been delving into naval warfare history from about the very late 1800's through WW1. I really love learning about military history! Thanks guys

  Rob

The Japanese were still using the rolled hammocks in the early portion of the Pacific War into at least 1942. I'm not sure when or if the truly discontinued the practice. 

All correct. This was common practice in wooden warships, where splinters were the greatest threat to life and limb.  It hung around (no pun intended) in various navies for different lenghts of time in the iron and early steel Navy era.

Great photo. I completely get it now. That was exactly what I was talking about. Thanks! 

I can only find one source other than the usual forum chatter.

In a book named "Wave Off! A History of LSOs and Ship-Board Landings" by Robert Powell, there's a photo of Akagi in 1942 on her way to Colombo. The caption includes in part

"Rolled futon mattresses have been lashed to the island to give extra protection from bomb splinters."

Sounds about right to me. I suspect at that early stage of the war, the real concern was shells. Big carriers at the time had 8" guns.

Only Akagi and Kaga of the IJN fleet carriers had 8" guns. Just like USS Saratoga and USS Lexington did. All subsequest carriers built carried no larger guns than 5". And by the time of the outbreak of war, the IJN Carrier doctrine had moved the carriers well away from the surface force battle line. So the likelihood of a surface action was strongly reduced compared to the doctrine when those ships were first commissioned.

I would love to find photos of any IJN ships during the Solomons Campaign of 1942/1943 when surface actions were a regular occurrence and see if they still were using the rolled hammocks then and there. 

OK biggest carriers. And the 8" were not multi-purpose guns, as were not 5" guns 50 cal. on the other carriers. They were fitted for ship-to-ship defence.

I'm not sure I agree. By Midway, maybe, except that the carriers were assumed to be part of the Big Battle. But back in March during the Indian Ocean incursion, Operation C, the time when my citation was tied to, carriers (aircraft- lessons learned from Pearl Harbor) were at the front line.

As for Tsushima, we don't really know the veracity of that painting. Obviously it wasn't painted on the spot. Probably quite a few years later, like Turner re: Trafalgar.

The RN stuff looks purpose built. They like kapok and silk.

Griffin25

These look like padding but look how high up it goes on the stack

 

 

I can't say that painting means much. There are some after action photos from Tsushima, but I've not seen Japanese ones. It would not surprise if the painting was made much later and reflected practice at that later time.

Hasegawa Mikasa is one of the top ten plastic ship models ever, IMO.

stikpusher

I would love to find photos of any IJN ships during the Solomons Campaign of 1942/1943 when surface actions were a regular occurrence and see if they still were using the rolled hammocks then and there. 

 

On another channel, I have lots of new views on what carriers really "carried" up to mid 43, having read three new books. If the IJN had more "zeros", we would have been screwed. Like wise, if our carriers had an extra VF. Both Coral Sea and Midway, plus the Eastern Solomons in 8/42 were absolute maulings of attacking VTs and VBs by CAP.

It's actually the forward mast wrapped in hammocks, here is an image of the aft bridge of Mikasa after the batle of the Yellow Sea, you can see the tops of the hammocks above the canvas dodgers on the bridges.  Russians also used hammock protection, especially round the conning tower

Also from "THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR: (BRITISH) NAVAL ATTACHES REPORTS" on p311 on p355 for preparation for the battle of Tsushima
May 23rd

"When leaving the harbour in the morning the "Idzumo" hung hammocks round her foremast from the range-finder platform to the upper deck, giving it a bloated appearance. It is said that the idea is to prevent splinters from the funnels reaching the roof of the charthouse, where the admiral and staff are likely to be"

and for "Adzuma" "hammocks stowed round the standard compass on charthouse; hammock mantelets.... placed on shelter decks, in rear of and between upper deck guns "

Hi ;

 The pads , If indeed you are referring to them are indeed bags filled with sand , or in most cases the rolled up bedding of the crew and extras made from futons . to give some protection against small arms and shrapnel . The idea was sound But they often didn't work as well as hoped .

There's a secondary reason, particularly in the beginning of the 20th century, to stow rolled hammocks topside.  By doing so, they cannot catch fire below decks by accident or combat.  And, should they catch fire, they will be seen, unlike if they were stowed away somewhere below decks.

USN tended to roll hammocks (and the thin mattresses that issued with them) and stowed them in the sleeping compartments, which were otherwise cleared for action, as it were.  At least until the adption of pipe racks and mattresses put paid to rolling sleeping gear.

Some more images of hammocks on Mikasa

and some other Japanese ships

And Asashi

 At the battle of Tsushima

and a crop for  earlier in the war