Here is a procedure to send a semaphore message. First, get
the receiver's attention with the Attention signal, made by waving both
flags repeatedly overhead in a scissor-like motion. When the receiver sends
the letter K, you can go ahead.
Send the letters of each word by going directly from the position of
one letter, without stopping, into the position of the next, pausing in
each. If you have to think of the next letter, hold the letter you are
making until the next one comes to mind.
To indicate the end of a word, give the front signal by bringing the
flags down in front of you, with the staffs crossing each other. Whenever
double letters appear in a word, use the front signal to separate them.
Make the first letter, then front, and immediately, without pause, bring
the flags again in position of the letter.
The receiver acknowledges each word by sending C. If he or she suddenly
sends I-M-I, it means that he or she did not catch your last word. Repeat
it and continue from there. If you have made an error yourself, send eight
Es and start again from the beginning of that word. Finish the message
with A-R and wait for the receiver to make the letter R. This means the
receiver has your message.
 |
| Semaphore signalling positions.(Graphic courtesy Navy
Memories Shop) |
Sometime between 2007 and 2015, semaphore training was dropped at the
RCN Fleet School. The NATO sending standard for Naval Communicators is
15 words per minute but it is rarely used as a means of official communication.
Semaphore was most often used during replenishment at sea or as an unofficial
chat line to converse with another ship. Many times the exchange of gifts
or souvenirs between two ships were arranged via semaphore.
As of 2015, Navcom rates are trained in the following:
- Flashing light;
- Signal flag (hoists);
- Radio procedure;
- Satcom modes
No more semaphore. When ships are close enough to use it, the
preference would be flashing light, and the resulting time saved in the
training syllabus has been shifted towards computers, secure email, satcoms
and the like.
INDICATIFS D'APPEL
Years ago, when a naval ship entered a foreign, or a Canadian non-naval
port, pendant numbers on the flag hoist would mean nothing to the Port
Authority or pilot station. However, flying a radio call sign would provide
immediate identification as they could reference a listing in an international
publication known as Indicatifs D'Appel. In English, the book is
titled "List of Call Signs and Numerical Identities (of stations used by
the maritime mobile and marine mobile-satellite service). Published
by the International Telecommunications Union in Geneva Switzerland, it
identifies stations based on their radio call signs. In the RCN,
the book became affectionately known as Green Apples as a result
of its light green coloured cover and that 'Appel' sounds like 'Apples'
in English. Surprisingly, Canadian warships have not been listed since
the 1959 issue.
 |
This is the cover of the 1987 issue of Indicatifs
D'Appel. It has 419 pages of detailed listings. Click
to enlarge. All merchant ships are listed but a few nations do not list
their government ships. In 2007, Green Apples is no longer available under
that title. It is now one of the ACP's. (Image courtesy of Spud
Roscoe) |
 |
A sample page from Indicatifs D'Appel showing
the trailing end of the Russian call sign listings and the beginning of
the Canadian stations. The two letters after the station are codes to denote
the type of station. Click to enlarge. (Image courtesy of Spud
Roscoe) |
MILITARY PUBLICATIONS
ACP(s) - Allied Communications Publication(s)
The Signalman Trade Group Manual BRCN 3038 lists numerous publications
used in naval communications. The data shown below is valid for the 1963
period.
DEFINITIONS
INTRA - This group includes those publications which are issued by the
RCN for its own use only.
JOINT - Publications issued for use between two or more services
of the same country ( ie Army , Navy Air
Force)
COMBINED - These publications are issued for use between two or more
countries.
This is a list of abbreviations used in the "Short Titles" of Communications
Publications.
ACP Allied Communication Publication
AFSAG Armed Forces Security Agency (General)
AFSAK Armed Forces Security Agency (Key List)
AFSAL Armed Forces Security Agency (List)
AFSAM Armed Forces Security Agency (Material)
AFO Admiralty Fleet Order
ALRS Admiralty List of Radio Stations
AMSP Allied Military Security Publication
ATP Allied Tactical Publication
AXP Allied Exercise Publication
BR Book of Reference
BRCN Book of Reference Canadian Navy
CB Confidential Book
CBCN Confidential Book Canadian Navy
CGO Confidential General Order
CSPM Confidential Security Publication Memorandum
DNC Director of Naval Communications (USN)
GO General Order
JANAP Joint Army Navy Air Force Publication
NACSIM NATO Communication Security Information Memorandum
NCCP NATO Commander's Communication Publication
QRCN Queen's Regulations and Orders for the Royal
Canadian Navy
SP Signal Publication.
Adding a number to the above abbreviation denotes a specific publication
CALL SIGN PUBLICATIONS
The following are some of the more common publications that a Signalman
would encounter.
ACP 100 Allied Call Sign and Address
ACP 110 Tactical Call Signs
ACP 112 Task Organization Call Signs
ACP 113 Call Sign Book for Ships
ACP 118 Visual Call Signs
BRCN 1202 List of Ship Stations (International)
BRCN 1206 Alphabetical List of Call Signs (International)
BRCN 1208 Signal Letters of British Ships (International)
JANAP 117 Joint Routing Indicator Book
JANAP 119 Voice Call Signs
COMMUNICATION INSTRUCTIONS and PROCEDURES
ACP 121 Communications Instructions, General
ACP 122 Communications Instructions, Security
ACP 124 Radio Telegraph Procedure
ACP 125 Radio Telephone Procedure
ACP 126 Teletype Procedure
ACP 127 Tape Relay Procedure
ACP 129 Visual Signalling Procedure
ACP 130 Direction Finding Procedure
ACP 135 Distress and Rescue Procedure
ACP 150 Recognition Instructions
ACP 167 Glossary of Communication-Electronic Terms
ACP 176 Allied Naval Communication Instructions
AXP 3 Allied Naval Communication Exercises
NDCSI National Defence Communication System Instructions
CODE PUBLICATIONS
ACP 131 Operating Signals
ACP 148 Wartime Instructions for Merchant Ships (Visual)
ACP 165 Operational Brevity Code
ACP 168 Pyrotechnic Signals
ATP 1 Vol II Allied Naval Signal Book (ANSB)
BR 98 Minor Landing Craft and Boats Signal Book
BRCN 1216(I) International Code of Signals (Visual)
BRCN 1216 (II) International Code of Signals (Radio)
TACTICAL PUBLICATIONS
ATP 1 Vol I Allied Naval and Manoeuvring Instructions
ATP 3 Anti-Submarine Evasive
Steering
ATP 16 Replenishment At Sea
ATP 19 Allied Minesweeping Manoeuvring Instructions
MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATIONS
1. AMERICAN
DNC27 United States Naval Flags and Pennants
JANAP 195 Basic Armed Forces Communication Plan (BAFCOM)
2. CANADIAN
BRCN 109 RCN Publications Manual
BRCN 1215 Brown's Flags and Funnels
BRCN 1228 Yacht Flags and Ensigns
CBCN 5101 RCN Security Manual
3. BRITISH
BR 20 Flags of All Nations
BR 1971 Visual Signalling and Equipment Handbook
Admiralty Fleet orders ( AFO) "S" Series:
S1/60 Royal Navy Communication Instruction
S2/61 Message Handling Instructions
S3/62 Commonwealth Naval Command Communication Organization
S7/61 Commonwealth Naval Ship-Shore Organization
In 2007, ACP's are distributed on CD-ROM. On Halifax class ships, they
are printed out as needed and supplied to the bridge where they do not
have access to a laptop computer. There are also many country specific
publications which detail the local methods of communication.
ORDERS
Command orders were promulgated by senior officers to cover local requirements.
They supplemented instructions contained in publications by supplying specific
details for existing requirements. The more common orders of this type
which were applicable to a Signalman were:
LANTCOMO (Atlantic Command Communication Orders) - These orders
were issued by CANFLAGANT and governed local communications in the Atlantic
area. They contained such orders as watches to be kept in Halifax and other
East Coast ports, local call signs, addresses of standard type messages,
and radio organizations.
PACOM (Pacific Command Communication Orders) - Same as LANTCOMO except
they were applicable to the Pacific Command.
SQUADRON COMMUNICATIONS ORDERS - These orders were issued by Squadron
Commanders and applied to their individual squadrons only. They contained
such instructions as when to make routine reports, signals used only within
the squadron , guardship assignments etc...
LOCAL ORDERS - Were issued by the Senior Officers of foreign ports
and were available to ships visiting those ports. They contained information
similar to that of LANTCOMO and PACOM.
OPERATION ORDERS - Operations and exercises involving ships have specific
requirements that are promulgated by the Senior Officer of the ships which
are participating in same. They contained the communication orders necessary
for the ships and usually included frequency plans, publications to be
used, reports required, manoeuvring instructions etc...
These orders were promulgated sufficiently in advance of an operation
or exercise to allow the personnel concerned to become familiar with them.
PORT INFORMATION
Bob Willson details port information provided by the RCN. "Every naval
port you entered had a set of "Port Orders". In Halifax it was ACSO's -
Atlantic Command Standing Orders - and these would probably specify which
side your radio call sign was to be hoisted. At one time we also hoisted
the number of our destination berth on the opposite halyard from the call
sign.
When you sailed from Halifax, you always took on board, the orders for
the ports you were going to. In addition, we carried a "Port Information
Book" which had numerous details about ports around the world, filed by
ships that had previously visited. As well as official information about
customs, protocol, and administrivia, they contained useful tidbits
about the local "attractions" and suggested places that should be "out
of bounds."
OTHER EXHIBITS
 |
| Vaults and strongboxes such as there were used for the storage of classified
and confidential materials. (Image courtesy RCN) |
 |
| Naval message form circa 1958. (Image courtesy RCN) |
NEWEST TOOLS FOR THE VISUAL SIGNALER
Today, there a few extra tools available to the Signalman which were
not around in the 1960's. Basically not much has changed in 50 years. Some
of these tools include computers, newer small signalling lanterns, Big
Eyes (huge binoculars), Xenon searchlights used for night Man Overboards
and vessel illumination when being hailed. Modern VHF radios are
now used to hail other ships, not flag hoists. Both naval and merchant
ships fitted with the Automatic Identification System (AIS) broadcast their
name by radio so it is not necessary to contact them visually.
AIS
 |
| The Automatic Identification System (AIS) made by L-3 Communications
is a collision avoidance tool, mandated by IMO SOLAS (International
Maritime
Organization
, International Convention for the
Safety of
Life
at
Sea),
to improve the situational awareness of the bridge crew while facilitating
communication between vessels. It also has a built-in GPS receiver. In
this case, the ship is broadcasting its name "HMCS Halifax 330". Other
ships similarly equipped will also broadcast their name and it will show
up in the display. Note the coordinates of N 43° 16.5560 , W
79°51.3560 are the western portion of Pier 9 in Hamilton. The
photo was taken on May 4/07 when HMCS Halifax was berthed Hamilton during
a Great Lakes tour. (Photo by Jerry Proc) |
BIG EYE
Binoculars have always been part of the Signalman's kit. Starting with
the simple telescope in the days of sail, optical technology has made great
strides over time. Today, HMC ships are fitted with high performance binoculars
called Big Eye (20x120). The left most number signifies a magnification
of 20 times while the right most number is the diameter of the objective
lens in millimeters. It has an apparent field-of-view of approximately
70 degrees.
The binocular is mounted on a height adjustable carriage assembly which
itself is adjustable through 70 degrees elevation ranging from -10 degrees
depression to +60 degrees elevation with reference to the horizon. It is
free to rotate through 360 degrees in azimuth. Variable density polarizing
filters may be introduced into the optical path to reduce glare. Optical
elements are anti-reflective coated to increase light transmission. Visors
are provided on each barrel and may be extended to minimize reflections
on the objective lenses. The most current model (in 2007) is the Mark III,
Mod 5.
This method of signaling is an old favorite of the Navy because it is the
fastest way of sending messages by flags and is even faster than flashing
light. It can be used only in the daytime and at distances of less
than 2 miles. It is even more secure than light signalling because there
is less chance of interception by an adversary.
Fireworks
, flames and smoke are normally used as a means of communication
only in emergency. In the 1950's and 60's period, the night signal box
kept on or near the bridge, contained 3 signal rockets, 1 tin of friction
tubes, 1 pistol, 2 short lights and 18 one-inch signal cartridges. There
were 6 cartridges in each colour of red, white and green.
