Signalman 1 & C - Historic Naval Ships Association

The letter N is also used for minus 13; this isprovided for a ship in zone minus 12 keeping daylightsaving time.BEARING, DIRECTION, AND DISTANCETrue bearing is signaled by three numerals. Sucha signal may be used in conjunction with any signalgroup to indicate the bearing of the subject of thatgroup.Relative direction may be signaled by the PORTflag or STARBOARD pennant. One or two numeralsmay be used to indicate the number of tens of degreesfrom right ahead.Bearing and distance, unless otherwise stated, areindicated by the numeral group for bearing, followedby the position or unit indicated (if required) and thenumeral group for distance in miles.SINGLE FLAGS AND PENNANTSSome single (including basic maneuvering) flagsand pennants are in almost constant use by ships inport as well as under way. Many are used so commonlythat all hands aboard ship soon know them. WheneverBRAVO is seen flying, for instance, all hands shouldknow that flammable or explosive material is beinghandled and that the smoking lamp is out.When two or more single flags or pennants areshown in the same hoist, they must be separated byTACK. Single flags or pennants may be hoisted alsowith groups from the signal book if separated from thegroup and themselves by TACK. Signals from thesingle flag and pennant tables are not to be precededby EMERGENCY. Individual flags followingEMERGENCY have different meanings. Example:OSCAR, when hoisted alone, means man overboard,which is certainly an emergency situation. However,EMERGENCY O has an entirely different meaning.Its meaning may be found in chapter 3 of the signalbook.Single flags also are used in internationalsignaling; do not confuse the meanings of signalsunder the two procedures.EMERGENCY SIGNALSWhen an emergency exists, or when the tacticalsituation is such that speed is the main considerationin executing a maneuver, the originator hoists theEMERGENCY pennant as the first flag on the hoist.Any received signal preceded by EMERGENCYis acted upon as soon as understood. The originatorsounds six short blasts on the ship's whistle to callattention to the hoist and, if other than the OTC, passesthe signal to the OTC by the most expeditious meansauthorized.Emergency signals made by flaghoist are repeatedby all ships. FIRST SUB and the originator's call signare only used with emergency alarm signals.Emergency action signals are repeated flag for flag.When EMERGENCY is shown with severalsignal groups, it governs all groups when eitherseparated from them by TACK or hoisted in a superiorposition on an adjacent halyard. If EMERGENCY isrequired to govern only one of several groups, itimmediately precedes the group to be governed.EMERGENCY preceding a call executes allsignals flying under a similar call sign as soon asunderstood. Used without a call, EMERGENCYexecutes all signals flying without a call.FLAG HOIST PROCEDURESLEARNING OBJECTIVES: Explain theprocedures for acknowledging, answering,canceling, correcting, and relaying flaghoistsignals.ANSWERING AND ACKNOWLEDGINGIn transmitting a flaghoist signal, the originatorhoists the flags close up with the upper (first) flag againstthe block. Addressees answer the signal by repeating thehoist, flag for flag, at the dip. Heavy ships and unitcommanders will always repeat flag for flag. Small shipswill normally act in the same manner; but when signalingconditions warrant, they may use ANS alone or belowthe call of the originator if necessary to avoid confusion.A flag officer or unit commander may answer a flaghoistaddressed to him/her from a ship or unit commanderjunior to him/her by hoisting ANS at the dip, either aloneor below the originator's call. This action tells theoriginator that an addressee has read the signal correctly.It does not, however, mean that the addressee knowswhat the message says. The signal watch supervisorshould assist in verifying the accuracy of incoming andoutgoing signals.An addressee keeps the hoist at the dip while theOOD and CIC compare interpretations of the signal.When the OOD, by using the term Understood, signalunderstood, or a similar phrase, orders you to5-13