Shipboard Calls And Commands

BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL
SOUND RECORDINGS FOR TRAINING
NP11334RA-11338RB
SHIPBOARD CALLS AND COMMANDS

Photo of the first side of the first record.
USN BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONEL TRAINING AIDS
NP11334RA
USN 1594
START OUTSIDE
78 RPM

SHIPBOARD CALLS AND COMMANDS

INTRODUCTION
Recorded 11 May 1950 by
EMPIRE BROADCASTING CORP.
New York

SHIPBOARD CALLS AND COMMANDS NP11334RA-11338RB
PREPARED FOR
THE BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL
BY
Special Devices Center
Port Washington, L.I., N.Y.

INTRODUCTION NP11334RA
This first side, "Introduction," helps you get acquainted with the different sounds to be heard later in the album. It also demonstrates how a complete call is put together, and explains why adjustments in the make-up of calls and commands are sometimes made in the Operational Navy.

EMERGENCY CALLS

1 GENERAL QUARTERS
Pipe: All Hands. NP11334RB
Word Passed: General Quarters. All hands man your battle stations.
Bugle: General Quarters.
General Alarm
Word Passed: General Quarters. All hands man your battle stations.

This is an "all hands" drill. Notice that it begins with an "all hands" call on the Pipe. Then the word is passed at once to reach all persons within hearing. The General Alarm is optional.

2 AIR DEFENSE NP11334RB
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Man all air defense stations.
Bugle: Air Defense.
Word Passed: Man all air defense stations.

Air Defense is not an "all hands" drill and a shorter pipe call, "Word To Be Passed," establishes this fact at the very beginning. The bugle call for Air Defense, and for Torpedo Defense (#5), is the same call.

3 FLIGHT QUARTERS NP11334RB
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Man all flight quarters stations.
Bugle: Flight Quarters.
Word Passed: Man all flight quarters stations.

All men connected with the aviation divisions and squadrons respond to this call to Flight Quarters.
Flight Quarters is one of the emergency calls.

4 FIRE NP11335RA
Pipe: All Hands.
Word Passed: Fire on the hangar deck. Port side, forward. Frame 45.
Bugle: Fire Call. Pause. One Blast.
Ship's Bell: Rapid Ringing. Pause. One Ring.
Word Passed: Fire on the hangar deck. Port side, forward. Frame 45.

That one blast following the bugle call, and that one ring following the bell ringing both tell you the fire is located forward in the ship.
Two blasts following the bugle call, and two rings following the bell ringing would mean that the fire is located aft in the ship.

5 TORPEDO DEFENSE NP11335RA
Pipe: Word To Be Passed
Word Passed: Man all torpedo defense stations.
Bugle: Torpedo Defense
Word Passed: Man all torpedo defense stations.

Torpedo Defense, one of the emergency calls and commands, contains the same bugle call as the one used in Air Defense (#2).
At this call those hands involved in torpedo defense man their Stations.

6 FIRE AND RESCUE NP11335RA
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Away fire and rescue party. Section One.
Bugle: Away All Boats.
Word Passed: Away fire and rescue party. Section One.

This call is given to send a rescue squad to assist at the site of an accident—afloat or ashore—away from the home ship.

7 COLLISION NP11335RB
Ship's Siren: One Long Blast.
Pipe: All Hands.
Word Passed: Collision. Starboard side. Frame 48. All repair parties man your stations.
Bugle: Assembly.
General Alarm
Word Passed: Collision. Starboard side. Frame 48. All repair parties man your stations.

Collision is the only call in which the Ship's Siren is blown.
Note that when the word is passed the location of the collision is included.
The General Alarm is optional in this call, and also in all other emergency calls. It is never sounded in routine calls.

8 ABANDON SHIP NP11335RB
Explanation: (not part of the call) In the Abandon Ship call, when assigned equipment is to be provided, the word passed is as follows:
Pipe: All Hands.
Word Passed: All hands stand by to abandon ship. Provide.
Bugle: Abandon Ship.
Word Passed: All hands stand by to abandon ship. Provide.
Explanation: (not part of the call) When assigned equipment is not to be provided, the word passed in the Abandon Ship call is changed accordingly to sound this way.
Word Passed: All hands stand by to abandon ship. Do not provide

This emergency order, calling all hands to action, includes either the word, "Provide," or the phrase, "Do not provide."
The command to be delivered would depend on whether or not life jackets, emergency rations, etc., should be provided under the circumstances.

9 MAN OVERBOARD NP11335RB
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Man overboard. Starboard side.
Bugle: Man overboard.
Word Passed: Man overboard. Starboard side.

Notice that the word passed gigs the approximate location of the man overboard.
Assembly is sometimes sounded after the Man Overboard call so the missing man may he identified.

See the inside back cover of the album for Flight Deck Procedure, Plan of the Day, and Routine Calls and Commands.

10 FLIGHT DECK PROCEDURE NP11336RA
Announcer: Flight Deck Procedure.
  SOUND: PLANE TAKING OFF CARRIER.
Announcer: Pauses between commands in this recording are not necessarily the same as those in actual procedure.
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Man all flight quarters stations.
Bugle: Flight Quarters.
Word Passed: Man all flight quarters stations.
Word Passed: Secure all loose gear about the flight deck. Check fire bottles.
Word Passed: Stand by to start engines. Word Passed: Stand clear of propellers. Word Passed: Start engines.
  SOUND: ENGINES STARTING
Announcer: Plane captains arc now checking engines.
  SOUND: YODELS.
Word Passed: Cut all engines.
  SOUND: ENGINES REV UP, THEN COME TO STOP.
Word Passed: Pilots. Man your planes.
Word Passed: Stand by for time check.
Word Passed: On signal the time will be 14 hours, 37 minutes. Stand by. Mark.
Word Passed: Secure all loose gear about the deck. Check fire bottles. Word Passed: Stand by to start engines.
Word Passed: Stand clear of propellers.
Word Passed: Start engines.
  SOUND: ENGINES STARTING. YODELS.
Word Passed: Stand by to launch planes.
  SOUND: YODELS.
Word Passed: Launch planes. SOUND: PLANE TAKE-OFF AND FADE.
Word Passed: Stand by to land planes. SOUND: YODELS.
Word Passed: Land planes.
  SOUND: PLANE APPROACHES. ROUTINE LANDING.
  SOUND: PLANE APPROACHES. IN TROUBLE.
  SOUND: YODELS. CRASH ALARM. SOUND: PLANE LANDING AND HITTING BARRIER.
Word Passed: Crash. Crash.
Announcer: After landing operations have been completed, you may hear the following command.
Word Passed: Respot the deck.
Announcer: All hands not involved in respotting and refueling are secured at this phase of the operation. When respotting and refueling operations have been completed you will hear the following command.
Word Passed: Secure from flight quarters.

11 PLAN OF THE DAY-PART I NP11336RB
Announcer: Here are some of the calls common in an ordinary day's routine.
Bugle: Reveille.
Pipe: All Hands.
Word Passed: Up all hands. Up all hands.
Pipe: Sweepers.
Word Passed: Sweepers. Man your brooms. Clean sweepdown, fore and aft.
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Up all idlers. Up all idlers.
Bugle: Officers' Call.
Bugle: Assembly.
Pipe: All Hands.
Word Passed: All hands to quarters for muster. All hands to quarters for muster.
Bugle: Dismiss.
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Secure from quarters. Turn to. Secure front quarters. Turn to.
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: There is an oil barge along the port side. The smoking lamp is out throughout the ship. (word is repeated.)
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Knock off ship's work. All hands shift into uniform of the day. (word is repeated.)
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Attention on deck. Bugle: Attention.
Word Passed: Right hand salute. Bugle: One. Blast.
Word Passed: Two.
Bugle: Two Blasts.
Bugle: Carry On.

A continuous sequence, from Reveille to Taps, to help teach some of the calls and commands on a typical day aboard ship.
"Sweepers" on the Pipe precedes the command to sweep down all decks. Sweepers is also a shipboard signal for activity in the command following it.
"Up all idlers," a get-up command to men who have stood the mid-watch during the night. Usually given about one hour after Reveille.
"Turn to," the signal for work to begin.
"Honors" is used when military honors are in order. "Honors" brings all men to attention on deck.
Recordings of Plan of the Day — Parts 1 and 2 — are not inclusive.
Other principal emergency and routine calls are presented separately in this album.

ROUTINE CALLS
13 through 19

12 PLAN OF THE DAY—PART 2 NP11337RA
Bugle: Watertight Doors.
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Close and report all watertight doors. (word repeated.)
Bugle: First Call.
Bugle: Evening Colors.
Bugle: Tattoo.
Pipe: Pipe Down.
Word Passed: All hands turn in your bunks. Turn out all lights. Keep silence about the decks. The smoking lamp is out. (word is repeated.)
Bugle: Taps.

"Colors" is sounded on the bugle at 0800 and at sunset.
"First Call," sounded at 2055, signals that the smoking lamp is out, and for all hands to prepare to turn in.
When "Tattoo" is sounded at 2100, all hands are expected to turn in and keep silence about the decks.
At "Taps," sounded at 2105, all hands must be in their bunks.

13 DRILL CALL NP11337RB
Bugle: Drill Call.
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Now the crew of Number 2 5-inch gun lay aft to the practice loading platform for loading drill. (word is repeated.)

This call is used to order specific crews to thrills. When the word is passed, the crew or crews required and the drills to be performed are specified. The drill ordered here is typical of any drill that may be ordered.

14 BOAT SCHEDULE NP I I337RB
Bugle: Motorboat No. 1 On The Double.
Pipe: Away Boats.
Word Passed: Away Number One motorboat on the double. (word is repeated.)
Bugle: Motor Launch No. 2 and No. 3. Pipe: Away Boats.
Word Passed: Away Number Two and Number Three motor launch. (word is repeated.)
Bugle: Gig.
Pipe: Away Boats.
Word Passed: Away Gig, away. (repeated)

The three calls in this sequence are
"Motorboat," "Motor Launch," and "Gig."
One short blast before, and after the call for "Motorboat" indicates that the crew of Number One motorboat is being called. "On The Double" is sounded after the call.
Two, then three blasts, before and after "Motor Launch" signifies Number Two and Number Three motor launches.

15 RELIEVE THE WATCH NP11338RA
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: On. deck, Second Section. Relieve the watch. Relieve the wheel and lookouts. Lifebuoy watch and lifeboat's crew to muster. On deck, Second Section. Relieve the watch.

"Relieve The Watch" is a command given at regular intervals aboard ship. It is given once every two hours, or once every four hours, depending on the condition which has been set up.

16 MESS GEAR NP11338RA
Bugle: Mess Call.
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Clear all mess decks. Clear all mess decks.
Announcer: (Explanations — not part of the call.) There is an interval of 15 or more minutes between the word to clear all mess decks and the following pipe down.
Pipe: Pipe Down.

The bugle sounds "Mess Call" about 15 minutes before mess.
This is indicated by the explanatory announcement in the recording.
"Pipe Down" is piped at the end of the interval.

17 CHURCH CALL NP11336RB
Magic: Church Call.
Ship's Bell: Tolls At Intervals.
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Church call. The smoking lamp is out. Knock off all unnecessary work and all games. Turn off all radios. Keep silence about the deck during divine services.

The ship's bell tolls at five appropriate intervals while the bugle sound. "Church Call," and tolls once at the end of the bugle call.

18 PAY CALL NP11338RB
Bugle: Pay Call.
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Fall in at your pay station. Fall in at your pay station.

"Pay Call" is a bimonthly call. The time for it to be given is determined by the disbursing officer.

19 LIBERTY CALL NP I11338RB
Bugle: Liberty Cull.
Pipe: Word To Be Passed.
Word Passed: Away liberty party. Away liberty party.

"Liberty Call" is sounded, all hands rating liberty may leave the ship.

 

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