View source for Bureau of Ordnance

The '''Bureau of Ordnance''' (abbreviated '''BuOrd''') was the [[United States Navy]] bureau responsible for the construction, maintenance, and storage of the Navy's weaponry and ammunition supplies.

==History==
Congress established the Bureau in mid 1862, paring off the hydrographic functions of the preceding [[Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography]] (founded in 1842) to the newly established [[Bureau of Navigation]].

===1893===
<blockquote>1. The duties of the Bureau of Ordnance shall comprise all that relates to the torpedo station and to magazines on shore, to the manufacture of offensive and defensive arms and apparatus (including torpedoes), all ammunition, and war explosives. It shall require for or manufacture all machinery, apparatus, equipment, material and supplies required by, or for use with, the above.
2. It shall recommend the armament to be carried by all armed vessels and the material, kind, and qualities of the armor, and shall design revolving gun turrets; it shall also fix, within the carrying power of vessels as determined by the Bureau of Construction and Repair, the location and command of the armament, and distribute the thickness of armor.

3. It shall place the armament on board of ships and determine upon the method of construction of armories, ammunition rooms, and ammunition hoists on shipboard; and, in conjunction with the Bureau of Construction and Repair, determine upon their location.

4. It shall design the various shops and buildings at navy yards where its work is executed, so far as their internal arrangements are concerned.

5. It shall design, erect, and maintain all shops and buildings constructed for its own purposes outside the limits of navy yards and for which it may have estimated; and it shall be charged, under the special instructions of the Secretary, with the purchase, sale, and transfer of all land and buildings in connection therewith, except in navy yards, and with the preservation of the public property under its control.

6. It shall determine upon and require for or manufacture all the tools, stores, stationery, blank books, forms, material, means and appliances of every kind required in its shops, including fuel and transportation.

7. It shall superintend all the work done under it.

8. It shall have control of the organization and muster of the employés [''sic''] used entirely for its own purposes.

9. It shall estimate for, and defray from its own funds, the cost necessary to carry out its duties as above defined.

10. Orders relating to navy yard business connected with the bureau shall be given by the chief of bureau to the commandants who will be held responsible for their execution.{{USNavyRegs1893|pp. 4-5}}</blockquote>

===1905===
<blockquote>(1) The duties of the Bureau of Ordnance shall comprise all that relates to the Torpedo Station, Naval Proving Ground, and magazines on shore, to the manufacture of offensive and defensive arms and apparatus (including torpedoes), all ammunition, and war explosives. It shall require for or manufacture all machinery, apparatus, equipment, material, and supplies required by or for use with the above.
(2) It shall recommend the armament to be carried by all armed vessels, the material, kind, and quality of the armor, the interior dimensions of revolving turrets, and their requirements as regards rotation; it shall also fix, within the carrying power of vessels as determined by the [[Bureau of Construction and Repair]], the location and command of the armament, and distribute the thickness of armor.

(3) It shall, as the work proceeds, inspect the installation of the permanent fixtures of the armament and its accessories on board ship, and the methods of stowing, handling, and transporting ammunition and torpedoes, all of which work shall be performed to its satisfaction. It shall design and construct turret ammunition hoists, determine the requirements of all ammunition hoists, and the method of construction of armories and ammunition rooms on shipboard, and, in conjunction with the Bureau of Construction and Repair, determine upon their location and that of ammunition hoists. It shall install all parts of the armament and its accessories which are not permanently attached to any portion of the structure of the hull, excepting turret guns, turret mounts, and ammunition hoists, and such other mounts as require simultaneous structural work in connection with installation or removal. It shall confer with the [[Bureau of Construction and Repair]] respecting the arrangements for centering the turrets, and the character of the roller paths and their supports.

(4) It shall have cognizance of all electrically operated ammunition hoists, rammers, and gun-elevating gear which are in turrets; of electric range finders; of electric training and elevating gear for gun mounts not in turrets; of electrically operated air compressors for charging torpedoes; and of all battle-order and range transmitters and indicators.

(5) It shall design the various shops and buildings at navy yards where its work is executed, so far as their internal arrangements are concerned.

(6) It shall design, erect, and maintain all shops and buildings constructed for its own purposes outside the limits of navy yards and for which it may have estimated; and it shall be charged, under the special instructions of the Secretary, with the purchase, sale, and transfer of all land and buildings in connection therewith, except at navy yards, and with the preservation of the public property under its control.

(7) It shall determine upon and require for or manufacture all the tools, stores, stationery, blank books, forms, material, means and appliances of every kind required in its shops, including fuel and transportation.

(8) It shall superintend all the work done under it.

(9) It shall have control of the organization and muster of the employees used entirely for its own purposes.

(10) It shall estimate for, and defray from its own funds, the cost necessary to carry out its duties as above defined.

(11) Orders relating to navv-yard business connected with the Bureau shall be given by the Chief of Bureau to the commandants, who shall be responsible for their execution.{{USNavyRegs1905|pp. 14-15}}</blockquote>

===1909===
<blockquote>(1) The duties of the Bureau of Ordnance shall comprise all that relates to the Torpedo Station. Naval Proving Ground, and magazines on shore, to the manufacture of offensive and defensive arms and apparatus (including torpedoes), all ammunition, and war explosives. It shall require for or manufacture all machinery, apparatus, equipment, material, and supplies required by or for use with the above.

(2) It shall recommend the armament to be carried by all armed vessels, the material, kind, and quality of armor, the interior dimensions of revolving turrets, and their requirements as regards rotation: it shall also fix, within the carrying power of vessels as determined by the Bureau of Construction and Repair, the location and command of the armament, and distribute the thickness of armor.

(3) It shall, as the work proceeds, inspect the installation of the permanent fixtures of the armament and its accessories on board ship, and the methods of stowing, handling, and transporting ammunition and torpedoes, all of which work shall be performed to its satisfaction. It shall design and construct turret ammunition hoists, determine the requirements of all ammunition hoists, and the method of construction of armories and ammunition rooms on shipboard, and, in conjunction with the Bureau of Construction and Repair, determine upon their location and that of ammunition hoists. It shall confer with the Bureau of Construction and Repair respecting the arrangements for centering the turrets, and the character of the roller paths and their supports.

(4) It shall have cognizance of all electrically operated ammunition hoists, rammers, and gun-elevating gear which are in turrets; of electric range finders; of electric training and elevating gear for gnu mounts not in turrets; of electrically operated air compressors for charging torpedoes; and of all battle-order and range transmitters and indicators.

(5) It shall approve the design of the various shops and buildings at navy yards where its work is executed, so far as their internal arrangements are concerned.

(6) It shall determine upon and require for or manufacture all the tools, stores, stationery, blank books, forms, material, means and appliances of every kind required in its shops, including fuel and transportation.

(7) It shall inspect all work done for it.{{USNavyRegs1909|pp. 13-14}}</blockquote>

==Chiefs of the Bureau==

<div name=fredbot:officeChief otitle="Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance" nat="US">
{{Tenure|rank={{CdreUS}}|name=Augustus Ludlow Case|nick=Augustus L. Case|appt=10 August, 1869{{USOfficerReg1872|pp. 12-13}}|end=10 April, 1873{{USOfficerReg1875-2|pp. 8, 51}}{{INF}}|precBy=John A. Dahlgren}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CdreUS}}|name=William Nicholson Jeffers|nick=William N. Jeffers|appt=10 April, 1873{{USOfficerReg1879|pp. 7, 12-13}}|end=1 July, 1881{{USOfficerReg1890|pp. 6-7}}{{INF}}}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CaptUS}}|name=Montgomery Sicard|nick=Montgomery Sicard|appt=1 July, 1881{{USOfficerReg1890|pp. 6-7}}|end=12 February, 1890{{USOfficerReg1892|pp. 8-9}}{{INF}}|note=with relative rank of {{CdreUS}}}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CommUS}}|name=William Mayhew Folger|nick=William M. Folger|appt=12 February, 1890{{USOfficerReg1892|pp. 8-9}}|end=28 January, 1893{{USOfficerReg1895|pp. 6-7}}{{INF}}|note=with relative rank of {{CdreUS}}}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CaptUS}}|name=William Thomas Sampson|nick=William T. Sampson|appt=28 January, 1893{{USOfficerReg1895|pp. 6-7}}|end=1 June, 1897{{USOfficerReg1898|p. 8}}|note=with relative rank of {{CdreUS}}}}
{{Tenure|rank={{RearUS}}|name=Charles O'Neil|nick=Charles O'Neil|appt=1 June, 1897{{USOfficerReg1900|p. 8}}|end=1 August, 1904{{USOfficerReg1907|p. 8}}{{INF}}}}
{{Tenure|rank={{RearUS}}|name=Newton Eliphalet Mason|nick=Newton E. Mason|appt=1 August, 1904{{USOfficerReg1907|p. 8}}|end=25 May, 1911{{USOfficerReg1912|p. 14}}{{USOfficerReg1911|p. 6}}{{INF}}}}
{{Tenure|rank={{RearUS}}|name=Nathan Crook Twining|nick=Nathan C. Twining|appt=25 May, 1911{{USOfficerReg1912|p. 14}}|end=after 1 January, 1913{{USOfficerReg1913|p. 14}}}}
{{Tenure|rank={{RearUS}}|name=Joseph Strauss|nick=Joseph Strauss|appt=21 October, 1913{{USOfficerReg1915|p. 12}}|end=26 December, 1916{{USOfficerReg1916|p. 12}}{{USOfficerReg1920|pp. 14-15}}{{INF}}}}
{{Tenure|rank={{RearUS}}|name=Ralph Earle|nick=Ralph Earle|appt=26 December, 1916{{USOfficerReg1920|pp. 14-15}}}}
{{Tenure|rank={{RearUS}}|name=Claude Charles Bloch|nick=Claude C. Bloch|appt=1 October, 1923{{USOfficerReg1925|pp. 14-15}}|end=14 October, 1927}}
{{Tenure|rank={{RearUS}}|name=William Daniel Leahy|nick=William D. Leahy|appt=14 October, 1927{{USOfficerReg1930|pp. 12-13}}|end=1 June, 1931{{USOfficerReg1934|pp. 26-17}}{{INF}}}}
{{Tenure|rank={{RearUS}}|name=Edgar Brown Larimer|nick=Edgar B. Larimer|appt=1 June, 1931{{USOfficerReg1934|pp. 26-17}}|end=2 November, 1934{{USOfficerReg1936|pp. 18-19}}{{INF}}|succBy=Harold R. Stark}}
</div name=fredbot:officeChief>

==Assistants to the Bureau==

<div name=fredbot:officeAsst otitle="Assistant to Bureau of Ordnance" nat="US">
{{Tenure|rank={{CommUS}}|name=Thomas Albert Kearney|nick=Thomas A. Kearney|appt=December, 1916{{USOfficerReg1917|p. 16}}}}
</div name=fredbot:officeAsst>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
{{refend}}

[[Category:Pages with Offices]]