10 Sec.

EXECUTIVE SIGN.

295. The preliminary executive sign (... or "IX" made as one character) followed by a ten-second dash constitutes the executive sign. The termination of the ten-second dash is the final signal of execution, and corresponds to the "haul down" of a flag-hoist signal.

296. Full stop sign (.

FULL STOP.

-) is used to separate two complete signals sent at the same time and which are to be executed simultaneously.

FINALE STOP.

297. Finale sign (. —. — .) is used to indicate the end of a signal that has just been sent.

298.

299.

300.

301.

302.

303.

13050-20--11

CHAPTER VII.

VISUAL CALL SYSTEM AND TRANSMISSION OF

SIGNALS BY FLAGS.

VISUAL CALL SYSTEM.

304. In calling or exchanging calls with naval ships or naval shore stations by flag signal, the naval calls are to be used.

305. In calling or exchanging calls with merchantmen, or when it is desired to inform shore stations other than naval of the name of the ship, the international call letters are to be used.

306. In calling any Government signal station other than naval, the International alphabet pennant "G" (or "G" made by other means) is to be used by day, and at night "G" is to be made by flashing light. Similarly, "G" is used by a Government signal station to call a naval vessel (or the senior, if more than one is present).

307. There are two classes of naval calls-collective calls and ship calls.

COLLECTIVE CALLS.

308. Collective calls designate or call:

(1) Classes of ships, as "L flag; the train." "B flag, 9 pennant; predreadnaught battleships." "C flag, zero pennant; battle cruisers."

(2) Units of the fleet, as "B flag, division flag, 3 pennant; battleship division 3."

NOTE. When calling units of the same type as the calling ship, the class flag may be omitted. Thus if the above call were made by the battleship force commander, the call would be "Division flag, 3 pennant."

SHIP CALLS.

309. The complete call of a ship consists of its class letter and its "ship" numbers, both assigned by the department. Among vessels of the same force, and at other times when confusion will not result, the class letter is omitted from ship calls.

162

310. In units composed of vessels with numbers over one hundred, the "hundreds" may also be omitted when practicable. Thus the call D 123 may be made as 23.

311. When used, the "class letter" of a call is made by alphabet flag, or dot and dash equivalent; the ship's number is made by numeral pennants, or dot and dash numerals. A ship's call must include at least two pennants, zero pennant being used if necessary; thus C 09 is made by flag, C, zero pennant, 9 pennant, and similarly by dot and dash.

312. There is no equivalent for the call pennants in semaphore. When it is not practicable to call by a hoist, and the "attention sign" is not sufficiently definite, the first three or four letters of the ship's name will be used as a call.

BOAT CALLS.

313. The complete call of a boat consists of the call of the ship over the "E" flag over the boat's number as "B 3 pennant 4 pennant E 1 pennant 4 pennant.' The complete call is necessary when a ship calls a boat other than her own. When a ship is calling one of her own boats the ship's call may be omitted, the call being "E 1 pennant 4 pennant." The letter E alone calls all of the boats of that ship.

314. For uniformity, boats are assigned numbers as follows:
E1 pennant, admiral's barge.

E 2 pennant, Chief of Staff's gig.
E 3 pennant, captain's gig.
E 4 pennant, first steamer.
E 5 pennant, second steamer.
E 6 pennant, third steamer.
E 7 pennant, first motor sailer.
E 8 pennant, second motor sailer.
E 9 pennant, third motor sailer.
E 10 pennants, fourth motor sailer.
E 11 pennants, fifth motor sailer.
E 12 pennants, first whaleboat.
E 13 pennants, second whaleboat.
E 14 pennants, first dinghy.
E 15 pennants, second dinghy.
E 16 pennants, first cutter.
E 17 pennants, second cutter.
E 18 pennants, third cutter.
E 19 pennants, fourth cutter.

E 20.....

E 21.

E 22.

E 23.

E 24.

E 25...

315. A division call hoisted over "Easy" calls all the ship flotillas of that division.

316. A squadron call hoisted over "Easy" calls all the ship flotillas of that squadron.

317. The call of each boat should be painted on a conspicuous place in the boat.

318. Each boat shall fly at drill a white distinguishing flag in the bow. This flag shall be rectangular 26 by 18 inches, with the ship's call letters and the boat's number painted upon it in black letters and figures to read from staff to fly, and the staff to show 4 feet above the rail.

319. Hospital boats shall display the Red Cross in the bow, instead of their boat number, the dimensions of the flag and staff being the same as prescribed for other boats.

320. Class letters:

B. Battleships.

C. Cruisers and gunboats.

D. Destroyers.

E. Ship's boats.

F.

G. Government signal stations

on shore and on light ves

sels.

H. Aircraft.

L. Fleet auxiliaries.

M. Mine vessels.

Q. Naval district vessels.
R.

T. Transports.

U. Submarines.

X. Submarine chasers.

Y. Eagle boats.

Z. Miscellaneous vessels.

K.

USE OF CALLS.

321. Calls are used for two purposes:

(1) As an address, or "call up" for a signal or dispatch.

(2) To complete the meaning of a signal by referring to, indicating, or designating a unit, ship, or class of ships. When so used they are called "designating signals.'

CALLS, AS AN ADDRESS, OR "CALL UP."

322. As an address or "call up" by flag hoist

(1) The call is hoisted above the signal, or as a separate hoist, at the same yardarm.

(2) As a "call up" for a bridge dispatch the call is hoisted at the yardarm, unless it is necessary to make such a call while flag signals are displayed at the same yardarm. In this case, the call for a bridge dispatch is hoisted at the dip. In either case the dipping of the call indicates an error, and hauling it down indicates the end of the dispatch.

(3) To address a unit or class of ships, less certain ships or smaller units, which otherwise would be included, the call of the ship or unit exempted is hoisted under the call of the larger unit, but separated from it by the "negative flag" ("N"). Thus, to call Division 3, less a ship whose number is 42, the complete call is "Division flag, 3 pennant, N, 4 pennant, 2 pennant. To exempt a ship or unit from a signal, which otherwise would be addressed to all ships in signal distance, the call of the ship or unit exempted is made under "N," as a separate hoist on the same yardarm.

(4) By flag hoist when the address involves a combination of calls, whether collective, or of ships, or both, such calls are separated by tack lines, if each call in its complete form is not sufficient to avoid confusion. Class, squadron, division, or negative flags govern all pennants beneath them until the sequence is interrupted by another class, squadron, division, or negative flag.

(5) For example, the tack line is used in flag-hoist calls as follows: (a) To separate a signal from the last flag of a call, when the last flag of the call is an alphabet flag or the squadron or division flag. Thus, to address the signal "BRQ" to the fleet, "F tack line BRQ. (b) To separate two calls of classes or forces. Thus, to call mine and destroyer forces, "M tack line D."

(c) To separate two single pennant calls. Thus, to call battleship squadrons 1 and 2, “1 pennant tack line 2 pennant.”

(d) To separate a two-pennant ship call from a three-pennant ship call. Thus, for a flotilla commander to call destroyers 96 and 107, "9 pennant, 6 pennant tack line, 1 pennant, 0 pennant, 7 pennant." (6) The following are examples of compound calls in which it is not necessary to use a tack line:

(a) To call a unit plus a ship. Thus, for Division 4 plus battleship 36, "Division flag, 4 pennant, B, 3 pennant, 6 pennant.

(b) For commander in chief to call Battleship squadron 2 and destroyer division 6, "2 pennant, D, division flag, 6 pennant."