My ship has a nick-name?

Sailor’s often really love their ships and they have various ways of showing their love One is to give the ship an affectionate nick-name, such as, “Connie” for the old carrier USS Constellation, “Mighty Mo” for the battleship USS Missouri or “Robbie for my old destroyer the USS Robison.

The Fleet has nick-names for these ships too - some not so affectionate. Over the year’s I’ve collected a few, some nice, some not so nice. The not so nice one’s are RARELY used by those who are, or have been, crew on the ship in question. So. . .

No Go Maru - the battleship USS Nevada and probably a lot of others known to have barky engines

Shitty Kitty - the carrier USS Kitty Hawk. Only used by those not part of her crew and never in the vicinity of any Kitty Hawk sailor’s if you didn’t want to start a fight

Dirty Ernie - the first nuclear carrier USS Enterprise. The fleet couldn’t resist this one what with her having no stacks spewing smoke and that nice clean atomic power stuff.

Starship Enterprise - the nuclear carrier USS Enterprise. Used by her crew and Navy PR folks. You get the connection, right?

Big E - the first carrier named USS Enterprise and probably by the crew of the present Enterprise.

Big John - the carrier USS John F Kennedy

Big Stick - The battleship USS Iowa and the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.

The old Adams class guided missile destroyer’s had a lot of fleet names, a lot of them derogatory. They had 1200 pound steam plants that tended to need a lot of attention and a very high metacentric height which made them top heavy and rough riders in moderate to heavy seas.

Rocking Robbie - USS Robison. Boy could she rock!

Brokenly - USS Berkeley. All the Adams class destroyers had their days when they just didn’t want to go.

Robbie Maru - USS Robison. Used when the steam plant broke down.

Waddling Wally - USS Waddell

Bucking Bucky - USS Buchanan

Shivering Towers - USS Towers

Any many others. . .

Chucky V - the carrier USS Charles Vinson

Connie - the carrier USS Constellation

Sara - both carriers named USS Saratoga

Inch-on - the amphibious ship the USS Inchon. Engine troubles?

Socar - the nuclear missile cruiser USS South Carolina

Sweet 16 - the missile cruiser USS Leahy (her hull number was DLG-16, then CG-16). I’ve also heard Shitty 16. . .

Blocka’ Wood - the amphibious ship USS Bella Wood. Also known more affectionately as Big Dog and Devil Dog.

Naushious - the amphibious ship USS Nassau. USS Naushious was the pet name used by the sailors of her sister ship USS Saipan. Hate to think what they called us.

Bedpan - the amphibious ship USS Saipan. See we had these bedpan washer’s. . ..I’ve also heard Shit Pan - that one started a fight.

Bonnie Dick - the amphibious ship USS Bonhomme Richard

Witless - the command ship USS Mount Whitney. Get this one?

There are more, some older, some newer. Since I’ve been out of the Navy I’ve been out of touch so I don’t know very many fleet names for today’s new ships. Not sure I really want to. If I have offended any ship mate’s from the ship’s I’ve named I’m sorry. It’s part of history, get a grip.