The Flying Bridge of a Destroyer Escort

Volunteer tour guide and retired Destroyer sailor, Jim, narrates this brief on the USS SLATER (DE-766)'s Flying Bridge. As the highest deck aboard a WWII Destroyer Escort, the Flying Bridge offered officers and lookouts an advantageous 360° view of the ship, the sky, and ocean.

[naardri]

Thank goodness...a video with a human VO and not a synth monotonal drone.

[oldgoat]

In the movie The Caine Mutiny, which is centered on the fictional destroyer escort USS Caine, there are good shots of the flying bridge and how it's used. The movie The Enemy Below is also a good movie to see how a flying bridge is used. Highly recommend watching them.

[julesjames]

Learned something today! Well presented. Thank you!

[jimskewes]

As an engineer, i very much liked delivering the oil and watet consumption reports to the bridge; especially on the mid-night watch.

[TRHART_Books]

My uncle served on this ship during WW2. His first ship was the USS Buchanan.

[ronfisher]

Terrific video and the Helm on the bridge looks identical to the one I used on board the USS Guam (LPH-9) back in 1969-71.

[lewis]

I was a Coast Guard Quartermaster/ signalman in the late 60s, so I know all about the flying bridge. But no wind/ spray shield on our ships just railings. And with the ship rolling her guts out, you were looking right down to that pitch black ocean, knowing if you lost your footing, you were gone into the ocean, & they would never find you.

[winstonalan]

First time I've ever seen a video on the advantages of a flying bridge for a WW2 warship. Not so great for north Atlantic weather, but good for survival of the ship.

[dongeorge]

I appreciate the knowledge. Thank you.

[NigelDeForrest-Pearce-cvek]

Brilliant!!! I Am Addicted to The Energy Below!!!!

[Errr]

I can't imagine spending a mid watch up there in the winter or even summer in the Arctic Circle.

[jeffapplewhite]

It's where you can see everything.

[flick]

I sure wouldn't want to have my watch there. Freezing, sweating, ice coated, wet, and worse. Just a very few times, on those perfect days, would it be nice.

[HSMiyamoto]

Now I know why my father told me he would use a hot cup of coffee to keep his hands warm.

[mikemorse]

saw a video of a Flower Class British Corvette with open bridge in heavy weather in Northern waters. How those men managed not to freeze to death is a wonder

[raywhitehead]

Often, , almost always on a destroyer, the Captains personal room is just off from the bridge by only a few feet. The navigation plot is usually on the bridge, or very near. From the bridge, you can step out side, on either side -usually. The Combat information center, is usually just below the bridge one or two levels. Configurations vary.

[ken]

I did a lot of work on a couple of DE 1052 class ships that were re-classified as FFs(Fast Frigates), the USS Lang and USS Gray in Long Beach in the 80s.

[davidlavigne]

Very interesting in the incredible detail about the Flying Bridge on a DE. Do you have any information on the Flying Bridges aboard the PC (Patrol Class) vessels? They also had a Similar arrangement as the DEs. I am writing a book about PC-564, a Sub Chaser class that my Grandfather served aboard in 1944-1945. While their crews were much smaller, and they didn't have gun directors or the sophisticated ASW or AA systems of a DE, they were used for the same missions at times. I would appreciate your reply and any help you may provide. I am especially hoping to find an example of the watch and quarter bills for the PCs, particularly the battle station assignments.

[destroyer]

As a movie and too see a DE in action watch the Enemy Below with Robert Mitchum and Curt Jurgens.

[mithridateseupator]

Can you tell me whether these ships carried a magnetic compass binnacle, in addition to to their gyro compass (pelorus)? And if so, where was it located? I couldn’t see one in the video.