Our new, or rather OLD, flags

At the recommendation of some senior navy types, we've adopted a new symbol for our forces afloat. The US Navy's Small Craft Ensign was a common sight aboard the fleet's boats and small craft from the mid-19th century on. It fell into disuse in the 1960s, the last recorded examples issued being in the 1950s. Considering the special use of the flags, the slight novelty and the easy recognition as a variation of the national ensign of the US, they are perfect for use aboard our small craft.

NHS Executive Resolution 105.29, 21 May 2010.

After May 30 2010, the US Navy's Small Craft Ensign is to be flown by all NHS boats while in service insofar as is practicable as determined by the Coxswain or Officer in Charge. Other historical flags may be subsituted (as appropriate) for the Ensign herein prescribed at the discretion of the Commanding Officer.

A sufficient stock of these flags are to be produced and maintained by the Commissioner of Supply at the expense of his Regular Operating Budget (ROB) in the following sizes in whatever quantities he thinks necessary:

Flag Size Number/Hoist (height)/Fly (length)
9 3.52 6.69
10 2.90 5.51
11 2.37 4.50
12 1.31 2.49

Upon completion each flag is to be marked per Supply Regulations and delivered to the Dockyard Superintendant, who shall maintain accountability for the same.

Fun times! Check it out at HarborFest this Saturday!

NNNN

Communicate THIS

Modern navies have massive amounts of communications gear, designed to do everything from talk to a ship over the horizon via live text chat, to call your wife at home, to have a video teleconference with the president. Of course, in the techno age that created such devices there are ways to jam, disrupt and monitor those as well - and communications security, or COMSEC, is as critical as ever.

One thing that has been overlooked (in my opinion) in recent years is line-of-sight communications. Not that we operate in formations much anymore, or steam in carrier battle groups. But occasionally, when we do, we seem to be at a loss for the simple techniques left floundering on the shoulder of the technological superhighway. Methods such as flashing light, signal flags and semaphore used to be employed to send signals over line of sight distances, with very little risk of interception (unless your adversary is watching you) let alone deciphering. Allied Tactical Protocol (ATP) signals aren't THAT complicated - dust off your code books used to prop up wardroom table legs and have a look.

The real sting prevented here is the massive amount of emissions sent between ships and satellites that can be detected and hacked from an outbuilding in the Mu Shu Province. The kind of traffic that gives away where ships are, and that something is brewing. That knowledge alone is enough to figure out what we're up to most of the time.

The one great piece of anecdotal evidence I can give is a recollection of my last deployment to the Fifth Fleet AOR. While onboard the carrier, we were steaming along in our box, running back and forth launching and recovering aircraft. Our trusty shotgun, a Ticonderoga class cruiser by our side. When suddenly down in the Combat Direction Center a phone call comes in from the CO:

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS WARSHIP IN PLANE GUARD? THAT'S NOT [our cruiser]"

Umm. "Sir, that's [our cruiser]."

"NO THE HELL ITS NOT I CAN SEE THE BASTARDS WAVING AT ME!"

"Copy sir, let me get back to you. CLICK. Lookouts, what ship do you have on the quarter?"

"sir, that's some old ass warship, ain't ours."

Oh boy.

Long story short: it was an Indian Navy destroyer. Actually, there were four ships, all within 20 miles. They went radio silent, no emitters, and snuck up on a deployed -and escorted -US Carrier launching aircraft in open ocean. And we didn't have any clue they were there until one of them jumped into plane guard before our escort did. Smart ass, but very clever. I have a very healthy respect for those gentlemen as mariners, now. Way to go, guys.

BT

In order to do our part to revitalize interest in this fading art form, we've had our own signal code in the works for more or less a year. The code itself isn't that complex, but finding funding to produce several sets of flags, buy Aldis lamps (or reasonable substitutes) and other equipment has not been the swiftest evolution. Every time the idea comes up for action, it always gets back burner-ed.

Well the debate has come up again, and I hope that by the end of the week I'll see an order going out to my counterpart the Commissioner of Supply to produce or procure the required equipment. Also means the code book and instruction manual might actually see the light of day. Stay tuned for some fun there.

Even if we only have a shore station and a single boat to communicate with, we might get some good use out of it. When we get the second boat in the water next year, the fun will really crank up. And who knows, we might be able to convince our brethren in other groups to adopt the same system, so we can all communicate at events. Hmmm. Anyone game?

BT

Once again - THIS WEEKEND - ALL HANDS - strip and varnish party at the Dockyard. Get hot!
Will

NNNN

Getting a laugh from history - priceless.

Yesterday being an intergalactic holiday, the Dockyard was closed for business. So not much to write about there. Today we start to prep for interior paint, which has been ordered, and will hopefully get on this weekend.

Today, I want to highlight a bit of a laugh from history, and something we could definately use today - the "What the Hell!?" pennant. The following is quoted from the page about the history of the Sino-American Cooperative Organization (SACO):

The American SACO commander during WWII, Milton Miles, created the pennant in 1934 when he was a junior officer on the destroyer U.S.S. Wickes in the Pacific Ocean. Occasionally during tight maneuvers, one of the ships in the fleet would do something unexpected and, during such instances, Miles wanted to send a pennant up the mast saying "What the Hell?" Miles asked his wife "Billy" (Wilma) to create such a pennant without using obscenities. Billy suggested using characters like exclamation points, saying that when newspaper writers wanted to use an obscenity, they did the same. Soon afterwards, Billy created a pennant that included question marks and exclamation points.

Miles enjoyed using the pennant for the next several years in light-hearted situations. However, in 1939, two years before the U.S. entered World War II, the pennant proved to be useful in a potentially serious situation with the Japanese Navy. Miles was skipper of the destroyer John D. Edwards that August and was ordered to Hainan Island, off the coast of China, where the Japanese Navy was threatening a coastal village, including American missionaries. When Miles arrived at Hainan, he saw several large Japanese naval ships bombarding the village. The Japanese flagship hoisted a flag warning the American destroyer to leave, which put Miles in a quandary, since his orders were to protect the American missionaries in the village. After considering the situation, Miles decided to ignore the Japanese threats and hoisted a pennant of his own -- his "What-the-Hell?" pennant.

Upon seeing the American destroyer hoisting a pennant, the Japanese halted their bombardment, giving Miles time to nestle his destroyer between the Japanese Navy and the village. The Japanese commander was puzzled about the pennant, though, since it wasn't in any of the Japanese code books, but he decided to err on the side of caution and backed the Japanese fleet away from the village. Milton Miles went ashore that afternoon, gathered up the missionaries, and departed the following morning. The Japanese Navy, meanwhile, sat offshore, still wondering about the meaning of the curious pennant.

Throughout World War II, Milton Miles' "What-the-Hell?" pennant was the unofficial emblem of SACO and was often found flying at SACO camps throughout China.

Imagine if we tried that today. I smell...[sniff] SITREP. Just another little known but awesome anecdote from the annals of naval history. And yes, I've already asked our textiles people to start working on one.

More tommorrow on the progress made later today

Will