Ship Plans in the Cartographic Research Room at College Park, MD

U.S. Schooner Alligator Ware # 1
scene in National Archives Catalog
The National Archives ’ Cartographic Branch holds transport technology drawings for a majority of vessels commissioned by the United States Navy dating from the 1790s through the Korean War era. These drawings largely consist of inboard and outboard motorboat profiles, deck plans, and sections, although extra general arrangement drawings exist for some ships .

Record Group 19: Records of the Bureau of Ships, 1940 – 1966
The majority of transport plans held by the Cartographic Branch can be found within Record Group ( RG ) 19. Established in 1940, the Bureau of Ships was responsible for the construction and maintenance of the ships of the US Navy. The Bureau of Ships absorbed the former Bureau of Engineering and the Bureau of Construction & Repair, so this criminal record group besides includes many embark plans dating earlier than 1940. One of the most useful types of records contained within these series is the booklet of general plans created for each embark. These booklets were most often produced in the WWII-era. They normally contain inboard and outboard motorboat profiles of the ship, ampere well as deck plans, which provide a comprehensive examination overview of the form, layout, and dimensions of the ship .

The three primary series of ship plans within RG 19 are:  

USS New York ( BB-34 ) : Outboard Profile
opinion in National Archives Catalog
roentgenium 19 : alphabetic Series of Ship Engineering Drawings, 1919-1940
This series is subdivided into rolled and flat sub-series of plans. The flat plans have been in full digitized and are available in the catalog. Rolled plans can be requested in the research room .

RG 19 : Hull Series of Ship Engineering Drawings, 1874-1976
These plans can be requested in the inquiry room by citing the Hull series and the embark ’ s hull number .

RG 19 : ship Design and Construction Drawings ( DASH Plans ), 1794-1909
These plans are organized according to a Navy-assigned “ dash ” number. In order to locate specific plans, consult the smash charge index cards, available on request in the research room, or in the catalogue under : index to Ship Design and Construction Drawings, 1862 – 1909 .

secondary series within RG 19 typically cover specific time periods, types of plans, or organizations within the Navy. These plans are chiefly utilitarian if there aren ’ metric ton plans available in any of the primary series In particular, the microfilm series can contain copies of more detail plans that were much late disposed of by the Navy as temp records, including details on insulating material or imprison .
roentgenium 19 : microfilm of Ship Engineering Drawings, 1945 – 1955
RG 19 : chest of drawers of Steam Engineering Plans, 1862-1920
RG 19 : Portfolio Series of Ship Engineering Drawings, 1908 – 1938
RG 19 : aperture Cards of Ship Engineering Drawings, 1950 – 1966

Record Group 26: Records of the U.S. Coast Guard, 1785 – 2005

USS Guthrie

scene in National Archives Catalog
This record group contains embark plans for the numerous types of cutters, lightships, and accessory vessels employed by the Coast Guard, and the former Revenue Cutter Service, Life-Saving Service and Lighthouse Service. In order to request plans of a Coast Guard vessel, The mention ( if available ), the hull number, and the duration of the vessel are typically required to request these records. These details can be found in finding aids available in the Cartographic Research Room in College Park .

roentgenium 26 : tender and Lightship Plans, 1883 – 1914
RG 26 : Cutter Ship Plans, 1915 – 1987
RG 26 : Admeasurement Ship Plans, 1915 – 1967

Records of Foreign Ships:

Battleship Disguised as an island
view in National Archives Catalog
roentgenium 19 : Captured japanese Ship Plans and Design Data, 1946 – 1947
roentgenium 19 : german Battleship Plans, ca. 1945 – ca. 1947
roentgenium 19 : camouflage Design Drawings for U.S. Navy Commissioned Ships, U.S. Merchant Ships and British Ships, 1917 – 1919
roentgenium 106 : World War II Enemy Ship Identification Drawings, 1963 – 1963

Additional Ship Plans

U.S. Ship Congress Ware # 4
see in National Archives Catalog
roentgenium 32 : capacitance Plans for Merchant Ships, 1917 – 1927
roentgenium 45 : Drawings of Naval Vessels and Equipment, 1939 – 1945 ( Ware Drawings )
roentgenium 45 : Drawings of Ship Construction and Equipment, 1939 – 1945 ( Grice Drawings )

roentgenium 106 : ship Engineering Drawings, 1901 – 1903
roentgenium 357 : ship structure and Engineering Drawings, ca. 1950 – ca. 1962