Signals in the navy - Appendix D

Signals in the navy are messages transmitted by flag hoists, semaphore, flashing light, radio telephony and wireless telegraph.  The term message is therefore often interchangeable with signal.  The following list of signals/messages are a good illustration for showing communication in a convoy.  The list was provided by Harry Wexler of Deux Montagnes, Quebec, who was serving in the destroyer Saguenay when he was volunteered by the Engineer Officer to type it for a Sackville officer.  The convoy converned is ON115, the time is 2 and 3 August, and the ships involved are the destroyers Hamilton and Witch (RN) , and the corvettes Sackville, Louisburg and Agassiz.

GLOSSARY

A/S                  anti-submarine

D/C                 depth charge

Easter              Witch

FONF              Flag Officer Newfoundland

Parrot              radar contact

Raspberry       illuminate with starshell

R/T                  radio telephony

TOD                time of despatch

TOR                time of receipt

V                     from

V/S                  visual signalling

W/T                 wireless telegraphy

Z                      Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)

Louisburg from Sackville	suspicious object 207 degrees 7 miles	1435Z/2 (R/T)
Louisburg v Sackville	No further sighting investigating	1451Z/2 (R/T)
Sackville v Louisburg	If no contact return in 15 minutes	(no time of origin) (R/T)
Louisburg v Sackville	Shall I stay on port beam	1840Z/2 (V/S)
Louisburg v Sackville	My 1840Z. Request reply	2001Z/2 (V/S)
Sackville v Louisburg	Remain on bow until Witch returns	2006Z/2 (V/S)
Hamilton v Sackville	I am passing over contact now	2032Z/2 (V/S)
Sackville v Louisburg	If Witch does not return before dark assume position K in N.E. 2. Course will be altered to 260 at 2340Z and to 240 at 2355Z	2040 (V/S)
Hamilton v Sackville	I picked up another ships transmission but no other ship nearby	2040 (V/S)
Sackville v Hamilton	Have you reported to Easter by R/T	TOR 2041 (V/S)
Hamilton v Sackville	No	TOD 2042 (V/S)
Hamilton v Sackville	Will continue this course for 1000 yards	2046 (V/S)
Hamilton v Sackville	Will turn 70 degrees to starboard	TOD 2050 (V/S)
Hamilton v Sackville	If no contact on this run intend breaking off	TOD 2058 (V/S)
Easter v Sackville	Dropped two patterns on contact.  Contact now lost	2115Z/2 (R/T)
Easter v Sackville	I am rejoining	2135 (R/T)
Witch v Sackville	What is my nite station	(R/T)
Sackville v Witch	Port bow	0045Z/3 (R/T)
Escort v Witch	Operation Raspberry	TOR 0110Z/3 (R/T)
Escort v Commodore	Parrot. Submarine was on port bow	TOR 0114Z/3 (R/T)
Escort v Commodore	Second Parrot	0121Z/3 (R/T)
Escort v Witch	Have sighted U-boat or torpedoed ship	0142Z/3 (R/T)
Witch v Sackville	Sackville believes survivors in sight	0148Z/3 (R/T)
Witch v Agassiz	Alongside torpedoed ship no sign of U-boat	0149Z/3 (R/T)
Agassiz v Sackville	Do you want our assistance	0200Z (R/T)
Sackville v Agassiz	Thanks but another ship is assisting us	0205Z (R/T)
Witch v Sackville	Am attacking submarine that was sighted	0250Z (R/T)
Witch v Sackville	Consider submarine sunk am still investigating	0309Z/3 (R/T)
Witch v Sackville	Request permission to search for submarine wreckage and investigate salvability of torpedoed tanker nearby	0345Z (R/T)
Sackville v Hamilton	Am taking torpedoed tanker in two	0413Z/3 (R/T)
v Hamilton	About 35 survivors am standing by until daybreak	0450Z (R/T)
Hamilton v Sackville	One submarine nearby	0503Z (R/T)
Hamilton v Sackville	We have made no first sighting report on either submarine	0520Z/3 (R/T)
Witch v Sackville	Swept area no contact	0615Z (R/T)
Sackville v Witch	Rejoin convoy	0625Z/3 (R/T)
Witch v Sackville	2 merchant ships afloat request A/S protection for salvage work as submarine sighted on the surface within one mile	0707Z/3 (R/T)
Sackville v Witch	Your 0707Z/3 approved	0727Z/3 (R/T)
Witch repeat Sackville v Agassiz	Am under way with tanker GS Waldon in tow.  Expect work up to 3 knots by noon	0729Z/3 (R/T)
Sackville v Agassiz	Suggest you provide A/S protection for us	0753Z/3 (R/T)
Witch v Sackville	Your 0727. Am screening Agassiz and tanker	0805Z/3 (R/T)
Witch v Sackville	My 0805 speed 4 knots one merchant ship still afloat 045 48N 047 20W OFR 3 days at 13 knots no reserve 12 depth charges left	0823Z/3
FONF v Sackville	Am screening Agassiz with tow.  Consider Empire Selwyn (Belgian Soldier) salvable but not Loch Katrine.  Position at 1130Z/3 45 50N 47 30W.  I have 2 days fuel left	1335Z/3 (W/T)
CFS v Sackville	1 submarine position 45 56N 47 46W	1500Z/3 (W/T)
FONF v Sackville	My 1500Z/3. At 1503Z/3 in dense fog U-26 crossed bows. Missed ramming but hit him beam on with 4 inch H.E. at point blank range at base of conning tower. Fired D/Cs probably little effect. Agassiz slipped tow and both searched for 2 hours without result. Agassiz sucuring tow now	1718Z/3 (W/T)

Note    U-26 could not be the attacking U-boat mentioned for it was sunk in June 1940.  Scoring hits, however, were U-552, 553 and 607. 

Serving in the four-stacker Hamilton at this time was Tel Doug Chapman of Bancroft, ON.  He was with the ship until Aug 1943 when she became a training ship at Cornwallis.  Tel Chapman was then drafted to the frigate Dunver.