Gun crews, stokers, and officers could experience the same action in different ways. A gunner had a visible task and some sense of acting against the threat, while a stoker below decks could be exposed to danger without seeing or influencing the battle. Training and experienced sailors on a gun team are discussed as ways to strengthen the crew's sense of control. The Royal Navy tried to distribute veterans among gun teams to maintain professional standards. The claim that a well-trained crew could not suffer battle fatigue is rejected as too simple. A sense of control could affect one source of trauma while leaving others unresolved. This explanation paraphrases psychology specialists and carries an explicit limitation of psychological expertise.
Notable Point · 11:45-14:44
Why different shipboard jobs expose crews to different stresses
Work below decks, gun-team experience, and the degree of control over events shaped different forms of combat stress.