[Frank Olynyk]

With regard to George Duncan and Louisville and having thought about it, I do not think the records filed in RG 24 as "Deck Logs" are what is needed. Either Louisville's Action Report for the Aleutians, or the War Diary, both filed in RG38. It turns out that for most of the year 1943 the USN changed their deck log procedures.

A WW2 deck log consists of two types of information: Operational and Administrative matters. Operational matters would be things like changes in speed and direction, for a carrier launching and landing aircraft, and usually aircraft losses; plus damage to the ship. Administrative matters would be things like court martials, captain's mast, deaths or injuries, sailors leaving or returning to the ship from leave, etc.

In 1943 the USN decided to separate the recording of these matters. Administrative matters were in the deck log, and operational matters were in the war diary, A war diary was prepared each month of the war, and was basically a summary of the operational matters in the deck log. In 1943 the war diary was all the operational matters normally in the deck log, and in fact was recorded on the same oversize paper (10 by 15 inches) as the deck log. As far as I am aware the war diaries have not been digitized, and must be accessed in the original. So that is what I will have to check when NARA II reopens; I do not believe that are available on line through the catalog.

Enjoy!

Frank.