QUIZ 1. When was the Naval Communication Service created? 2. What function does the Executive Officer fulfill in a shipboard organization? 3. When should visual traffic be delivered directly to the CO and OOD? 4. What are the duties of a traffic messenger? 5. Who is responsible for the strikers' signaling school aboard ship? 6. What required information is entered in the visual signal log? 7. What is the TOX of a signal ? 8. Where are signal logs filed? 9. How are messages filed in the Communication Center File? 10. Where may the maneuvering and fighting signals of the U. S. Navy be found? 11. Which one of the following groups does NOT come under the direct supervision of the Radio Officer? a. Postal officers. b. Traffic chiefs. c. SMC. d. Mail telemen. 12. Generally, which of the following officers would most likely be assigned the responsibility of releasing messages for transmission in the Captain's absence? a. Operations Officer. b. Navigator. c. Executive Officer. d. Gunnery Officer. 13. The original copy of a message is retained by the a. Captain's office. b. Executive Officer's office. c. Operations Officer's office. d. Communication Officer's office. 14. Which of the following is least likely to be a responsibility of a signaling supervisor? a. Maintain an alert watch. b. Be familiar with signaling publications. c. Encrypt and decrypt messages. d. Safeguard all communication publications on signal bridge. 15. The visual signal log does not contain which of the following? a. All general signals. b. Meaning of all general signals. c. Date time groups of all general signals. d. Originator of all general signals. 16. Destruction of signal logs is authorized after a. one year. b. two years. c. three years. d. none of the above. 17. Communication procedures are not found in which of the following publications? a. JANAP 122. b. ACP 134. c. ACP 102. d. ACP 121. 18. Each Signalman standing signaling duties must know a. International Morse Code. b. international flags. c. semaphore. d. all of the above. CHAPTER 2 FLASHING LIGHT AND SEMAPHORE The three principal types of visual signaling used today are flashing light, semaphore, and flag hoist. All meet the rigid demands of good naval communications: reliability, security, and speed. In this chapter we will discuss in detail flashing light and semaphore methods and the equipment which is used in these methods of signaling. The FLASHING LIGHT system of signaling includes the use of searchlights, yardarm blinkers, multipurpose lamps, and blinker tubes. The flashing light system employs the International Morse alphabet, numerals, special characters, and procedure. INTERNATIONAL MORSE CODE INTERNATIONAL MORSE CODE is standard for all naval communications transmitted by flashing light or radiotelegraph. You must know it well before you can use flashing light equipment or go on to procedure. The International Morse Code is a dot-dash system. It isn't hard to learn, if you go about it the right way. Basically it consists of 36 SIGHT PATTERNS for you to memorize. Each of these sight patterns is really a mental picture of dots and dashes arranged in a group. These groups consist of one to five dots or dashes, or both, and each group represents a letter of the alphabet or a numeral. You'll be surprised how easy it is to learn them-with some practice. But don't neglect it-PRACTICE is the secret of success. The International Morse Code alphabet and number lineup, and the phonetic alphabet equivalent for each, are shown on page 25. If you get on the ball, you can learn them in one or two sittings. Wartime experience proved that the best way to learn code is by WHOLES. The Radioman is taught to learn whole tonal sounds. Similarly, the Signalman should learn by whole sight patterns. Do not break each character into dots and dashes which you have to count. Instead, try to learn each character as a complete mental picture. When you see one dot and one dash (.-), don't count them ("one dot, one dash") and then conclude it's A you saw, but THINK the letter A as soon as you see the dot and dash. Get an experienced man to send to you with a practice searchlight, multipurpose light, or blinker card. Just have him tell you what he's going to send. Then have him send without telling you. When you miss, ask him at once to tell you the letter and then to flash it again. When you get each character cold, try code groups and later plain language. But never plain language first. Use these code groups as a starter. be found at the end of each chapter. Other exercises will You can make up all sorts of combinations. Just be sure they are code groups-not ordinary words so you cannot anticipate what's coming next. Once you get really good at code groups you can graduate to plain language. But even then try not to anticipate the next letter. You may be wrong and find yourself really SNAFU. And in any case, you'll never be a good code man if you get into that bad habit. Tips on Sending After your receiving is pretty well along, try some sending. You'll find it easy to pick up. Remember that there is a definite physical limitation on the speed with which flashing light can be sent and still be readable. The manufacturer's specifications state that the 12-inch Navy signal searchlight |