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Originally Posted by Sailor Steve
Snowman999, thanks for straightening that out. I never served on a sub. I assumed that it was different from the surface navy, but of course I had no idea exactly how. And now that I think about it, the COB might be drawn from any rating there too, as long as he's the senior chief on board. But I really don't remember.
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In surface, these days, I think the role is called Command Master Chief. In WWII I don't think skimmers had anything equivalent to a COB. They had MAAs for a police force, and in very large combatants departments had a department senior CPO, but I think it was more informal than a COB.
Bottom-line, in practice the COB is the third most senior man aboard. Some would say second. A weak COB is a disaster.
Looking over muster sheets for lost subs I also see MOMM as the engineering rate rather than Engineman as I posted (I think Enginemen might have worked on small engines.) I think an MOMM was a Motorman Machinist's Mate or similar title. Propulsion diesels rather than donkey engines, pump drivers, and small craft engines which would have been an Engineman's baliwick.