I served onboard the USS Nicholas FFG47 while I was in the Navy. I was a Boatswains Mate 2nd Class. Our Engineering dept was lead by a CHENG Officer (Pronounced CHANG, means Chief Engineer) an EOW (pronounced E-OW, mean Engineering Officer of the Watch) usually a CPO (Chief Petty Officer) or EN1 (Engineman 1 class Petty Officer) would stand this as a 4 hour watch before being relieved by another 1st class or Chief. Then we had a main engine room, and an AUX 1 and Aux 2. Around 20 Enginemen, and Firemen (E1 - E3) would maintain these compartments from what I recall. Of course on larger ships the number would increase. I think there might even be more than one CHENG officer on some of the really large ships. Probably 1 Officer for every 1 or 2 engine rooms.
The only thing that I wish we were able to do in this sim is switch from Gas Turbines to Diesel Engines on the FFG. We usually had to run all 4 diesels to make up what 2 gas turbines could give us in power. We used the diesel engines while transitting across the pond to save on fuel. Diesel got better fuel economy than the gas turbines which we would use in combat situations or for shorter coastal deployment up and down the East Coast.
|