Navy Signals

Whom to blame? Originator of signal or Communicators who received signal without ED?

by Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne 

Passing messages among ship and ship -to- shore is vital way of communication. These messages are known as “Signals” in Naval jargon. Some of these signals are secret messages like enemy ship positions. Others very much routine signals such as ship’s victualling requirements and personnel transfers.

Signal men or present day “Communicators” are proud set of people in the Navy who work closely with Commanding Officer and other officers. As old Navy mostly communicated in English and in Morse code in English, their English knowledge was always impeccable. Further communicators dressed very smartly. The famous writer late Kalakeerthi Karl Muller, in his novel “Spit and Polish”, a Novel mixed with vulgar, history and his naval life up to Chief Petty Officer in Signal branch, vividly amplified the job of Communicators in the Navy.

Well before the radio technology and telecommunications was invented, sailing ships Communicated each other by flags. Those ships required to get close to harbours communicate with shore. There are numerical and alphabetical flags of various colours and shapes in the Navy. These flags were hoisted in various methods in “signal mast” of sailing ship so that other ships understood once’s intentions. One of such flag signal hoisted by Lt James Pasco, the Signal officer of Vice Admiral Lord  Horatio  Nelson  just  before  engaging  Franco-  Spanish Fleet in Trafalgar Sea Battle on 21st October 1805 on board his flag ship “HMS Victory” was “England expects every man to do his Duty”. Most of the Admirals who command these sailing ships has weak eyesight due to their age, all were passing 40 years ! So, a young, smart and bright Naval officer was appointed as assistant to Admiral to assist him in reading flags and always remain close proximity to Admiral. He was known as a “Flag Lieutenant “, immaterial of his rank. That’s why Aide to Admiral is known as Flag Lieutenant.

When I explained the “history of Flag Lieutenants” to my wife Yamuna, very rightly said, “ Present day flag Lieutenants do all work of Admiral other than reading the flags”. How true !

Battle of Trafalgar

When radio technology and telecommunication was found, ships started to communicate in “Morse Code”., in series of Dids and Dahs. Did-means dot (.) and Dah- means dash (-). Every letter in English and numbers 1 to 10 has code of “dids and dahs”. This system was first use in telecommunication by Gotthard Railway and soon popular among shortwave radio operators. This system was named Morse Code in honour of Samuel Morse, one of the inventors of telegraph.

Morse Key

As Naval Cadets we were supposed to learn both flag signals, semaphore ( another way of signalling with two flags) and More Code (both in Morse key and flash light). Soon you become expert when practice it daily. Regular competition among ships in our fleet and foreign Navy fleets held and our junior officers and communicators has shown their class by winning them. However it’s a continuous process, doing such exercises and increase your speed in transmitting and receiving.

Morse code light signal

You know what is “Nelson’s eye” ? Vice Admiral Lord Nelson lost sight of one of his eyes in Corsica in 1795. In 1801, during Battle of Copenhagen, when his fleet Commander ordered to withdraw, showed his unwillingness to his Flag Lieutenant keeping his telescope to his blind eye and saying he cannot see a withdrawal flag signal and continued fighting until Victory was assured.

Then you have the secret codes in Communication. Codes are very easy to implement, but code sheets to be kept safely. Enemy getting your code sheets will allow code breakers to read your signals. History says US code breakers effort in decoding secret messages of Imperial Japanese Navy after attack on Pearl Harbour in WW 11 has made things easier for US fleet. The easiest way to make a secret code is have an alternative code word for actual word.     The sweetest such code I received from my duty officer at Naval Headquarters on night of 6th/7th September 2007, when I was Director Naval Operations and our fleet led by then Captain (later Admiral and Navy Commander) Travis Sinniah was sailed thousands miles away from home looking for LTTE Floating Weapons Warehouses. Coded Message said over the telephone “Delaware Oregon”. When decoded it says, “ Enemy Located” !. I knew we did most difficult part of our operation in Vast Indian Ocean with help of friendly Nation and Travis will do the needful to LTTE ships. Obviously our Senior Staff Communication Officer at that time, LT Commander (now commodore) Buddhika Liyanagamage has used “names of US Cities” as his code for key words on our Operation Order.

LTTE Gunrunning Ship destroy by SLN

Communicators has to be perfect. Any mistake in transmitting or receiving a signal may ends up in a total disaster. An hilarious incident on transmitting and receiving a logistical signal from Northern Naval Area to Eastern Naval Area happened in mid late 1980s. The biggest supplier of victuals, POL (petroleum oil and lubricants) and spare parts to ships/ craft to Northern Area was East. Logistic ships were assigned for this task. A long logistic requirements list was received by Naval Commutation Center (East) from Naval Commutation Center (North).

It included 1000 Kgs of “coconut husk” ! Eastern logistic Commanders surprised with this requirement, but no one bothered to contact the originator of the logistic signal over telephone and ask actual requirement. They all thought this is a requirement for some defense construction. Naval trucks were sent to Kurunagala area from Trincomalee to collect coconut husk. It was a large load. Patriotic people in Kurunagala area thinking this was a requirement for North (May be to cover bunkers of our gallant sailors fighting LTTE), collected coconut husk and gave most of them free of cost. Eastern logistics Commanders very proud of their great effort in providing much needed coconut husk to North.

Ship load (1000 Kgs) of Coconut husk ends up in Karainagar Naval Base. Loading and unloading of coconut husk was an tedious task due to there sheer volume, even though very light in weight., which took lot of time and energy of Officers both in Trincomalee and Karainagar.

Why so much of coconut husk? To built new type of protection to bunkers? No one exactly knew until originator of the logistic signal, the Logistic Officer of Karainagar Naval Base returned after leave.

He never ordered “Coconut Husk” ! He ordered “Coconut Husked” (coconuts after removing husk). During the signal communication, “Ed” has dropped !

Coconut husk and coconut husked

Whom to blame ? Originator of signal or Communicators who received signal without ED?

You decide ! My Deputy Principal at Royal College, Mr EC Gunasekara ( fondly known as “KATAYA” among students) always used to tell us “ Best sense is COMMON SENCE).

Word “Coconut” would have suffice rather writing “Coconut husked”

The writer, Retired from Sri Lanka Navy, Former Chief of Defence Staff