CHAPTER 3

INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

INTRODUCTION

This chapter gives you an overall picture of CIC’sinternal communication systems, methods, andprocedures.

Whenever we communicate, we make every effortis to ensure the speed, accuracy, reliability, andsecurity of the communication. Bear in mind thatalthough accuracy, reliability, and security areessential, those efforts will be wasted unless thecommunication is made in ample time to be completelyeffective.

The success of all CIC operations depends onteamwork. What is teamwork? Teamwork is thecoordinated actions of two or more members of a team.How do we achieve this coordinated action? Byexchanging ideas, information, and orders, we letothers know what we are doing or are planning to do.Without communications, the CIC team is not really ateam. It is merely a group of people doing differentjobs, with little chance for actually accomplishing themission. Therefore, every member of the CIC teammust become an expert in voice communications.

TYPES OF INTERNAL

COMMUNICATIONS

Severa l types of sh ipboard internalcommunications are used in CIC. They are (1) voicetubes, (2) ship’s service telephones, (3) messengers,(4) pneumatic tubes, (5) multi-channel (MC) systems,

and (6) Inter Voice Communication System (IVCS),(7) CIC Communications group, (8) sound-poweredtelephone systems. Not every ship’s CIC has all ofthese means of communication. The larger ships do,but the smaller ones may have only a few of them. Asour discussion progresses, we will examine each typeof internal communications.

VOICE TUBES

Voice tubes provide an important means ofinternal communications, although they are normallyused only as a standby measure. This system is merelya network of metal tubes designed to carry the sound ofthe voice from one station to another. The major valueof this system is that it is practically immune tomechanical failure. Consequently, it can be reliedupon when accidents or damage disrupts othersystems.

SHIP’S SERVICE TELEPHONES

Although the ship’s service telephones are not partof the battle communication system, they can proveinvaluable if the regular systems fail. They arestandard telephones powered by the ship’s generatorsand are normal ly used in carry ing out theadministrative routine aboard ship. Two featuresexpedite the telephone-calling process: the executivecut-in telephone and the hunt-the-not-busy-linefeature.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After you finish this chapter, you should be able to do the folloiwng:

1. Identify the types of shipboard internal communication systems and statetheir uses.

2. Recognize sound-powered phone nomenclature

3. Identify sound-powered phone equipment and describes its operation

4. Demonstrate proper sound-powered phone operating procedures.

Executive cut-in telephones, clearly marked, arefor emergency calls and for the use of persons inauthority. Operationally, these telephones are thesame as a standard telephone but are limited in numberand can be used to call a station that is in use. Instead ofa busy signal being returned, the cut-in phone breaksinto the circuit. The caller then can interrupt theconversation in progress to deliver an importantmessage.

The hunt-the-not-busy-line feature can be usedwhen a call is made to an area that has a group ofconsecutively numbered telephone stations. After thelowest numbered station has been dialed, theswitchboard connects the calling station to the lowestnumbered idle telephone. When all the circuits of thegroup called are in use, a busy signal is returned as witha standard telephone.

MESSENGERS

Ships today still use the oldest method ofcommunicat ion—the messenger. Al thoughmessengers are a reliable means of communication,they are not as fast as the other methods. You will becalled on many times during your naval career to useyour knowledge of the ship by serving as a messenger.

PNEUMATIC TUBES

Pneumatic tubes are for relaying written messagesbetween communication stations in some ships. Thissystem has the advantage of routing a message quickly.Two disadvantages are that it needs ship’s power forcompressed air and that it is good for written messagesonly.

MULTI-CHANNEL (MC) SYSTEMS

Multi-channel (MC) systems transmit orders andinformation between stations within the ship, bymeans of direct, amplified voice communications.There are two types of MC equipment—one type isused in intercommunication (intercom) systems; theother type is used in shipboard announcing systems.Each type has distinguishing features, which wediscuss below.

Intercommunicating (Intercom) Units

Intercommunication (intercom) systems allowtwo-way transmission of orders and informationbetween stations (in the same space or in different

spaces). Each intercom unit contains its ownamplifier.

There are several basic types of intercom units inuse throughout the Navy, with certain variations to thebasic types (fig. 3-1). These types differ mainly inphysical appearance and in the materials used in theirconstruction. Regardless of their appearance andconstruction, all intercom units have the sameelectrical characteristics. This allows units of differentconstruction and from different manufacturers to beused in one common system. The components consistessentially of a reproducer, controls, and an amplifier.

Thereproducer serves both as a microphone andas a loudspeaker. An incoming call can be heardthrough the loudspeaker because the sound isamplified by the amplifier of the calling unit.

The controls consist of the talk switch, apushbutton assembly, a busy light, a call light, avolume control, and a dimmer control.

When the talk switch is depressed, the reproducerfunctions as a microphone and the output of theamplifier is electrically connected to the reproducer ofthe called station. When the switch is released, thereproducer functions as a loudspeaker. The talk switchis spring loaded and returns to the listen or standbyposition when released.

A handset can be used with the intercom-municating unit in place of the reproducer. Theoperation is the same as that of the reproducer exceptthat the pushbutton in the handset is used as a talkswitch in place of the regular talk switch on the front

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VOLUME

INC

REASE

DIMMEROFF

MIC. OFF PRESS

TO

TALK

RE-

LEASE

BU SY CA LL

Figure 3-1.—Typical MC unit.

panel. Incoming calls can be heard simultaneously inthe handset and in the reproducer. The volume controlcontrols the level of the incoming call to the reproduceronly.

A portable microphone can also be used with theequipment. The operation is the same as that of thereproducer except that the pushbutton on themicrophone is used as a talk switch instead of theregular talk switch on the equipment.

The station selector buttons are located at the topof the front panel. The locations or designations of thevarious units in the system are engraved in the stationdesignation plate below the associated selectorbuttons. When a station selector button is depressed, itwill lock in the operative position until the releasepushbutton is depressed to return i t to thenon-operative position.

The “busy” lamp is lighted when a station button isdepressed to call another station and the station beingcalled is busy. Do not leave a station selector buttondepressed when the “busy” lamp is lighted. Depressthe release pushbutton and call later.

The dimmer control controls all illumination of theunit. The “busy” and “call” lights are off when thecontrol knob is in the extreme counterclockwiseposition and are fully lighted for all other positions asthe knob is turned clockwise. The station designationlights are lighted for all positions of the control knoband the illumination increases as the knob is turnedclockwise.

The volume control varies the volume of incomingtransmissions. This control has no effect on thevolume of the outgoing sound from the unit. Thus, thevolume of each unit in the system can be adjusted to thedesired level.

To call a particular station, depress the stationselector button of the desired station, depress the “talk”switch, and speak directly into the grille. Release the“talk” switch to listen. When you complete yourconversation, depress the “release” pushbutton toreturn the station selector switch to the non-operativeposition.

To accept a call from another station, listen to theincoming call through the loudspeaker. Do not operateany of the station selector switches. Depress the “talk”switch to reply to the incoming call. The “call” lightilluminates to indicate that the station is being calledby another station.

Shipboard Announcing (MC) Systems

Shipboard announcing systems (also called centralamplifier systems), are designed to broadcast orders orin format ion to a large number of s tat ionssimultaneously. In each of these systems, a centralamplifier is used, hence, the system affords onlyone-way communication.

The following are a few of the MC systems thatyou may see and use (some are not located in CIC).

General (1MC) — The general announcing systemis a one-way system found on practically allships—large or small. The system’s transmitter is notlocated in CIC, but you may have occasion to use itwhile standing in-port quarterdeck watches. It is usedfor passing general orders and administrativeinformation. Transmissions can be made from keystations—bridge, quarterdeck, and damage controlstations—to all or selected groups of stations orcompartments within the ship and to all topside areas.The 1MC also provides a means for transmittingemergency alarms throughout the ship.

Ready Room (19MC) — The 19MC providestwo-way communications for stations dealing with airoperations on aircraft carriers. Stations on the circuitinclude CIC, ready rooms, flight deck control, hangardeck control station, air intelligence, and thewardroom.

Combat Information (20MC) — The 20MC is usedprimarily to pass combat intelligence from each mainplotting group in CIC to a variety of users. Theseinclude primary and secondary conning stations,captain’s tactical plot, open bridge, main batterycontrol stations, anti-air warfare stations, main batterydirector stations, main and secondary battery plottingrooms, flag bridge, flag command and plottingstations, missile control stations, and electronicwarfare (EW) stations.

Captain’s Command (21MC) — The 21MCprovides two-way transmission of ship control ordersand information among key stations. Key stationsinclude primary and secondary conning stations,signal bridge, main battery control station, air warfarestation, radio central, damage control station, mainengine control, CIC, primary flight control station, andthe captain’s tactical plot. CIC uses the 21MC to sendinitial contact reports and any emergency informationto the bridge. The signal bridge frequently transmitsinformation it receives from flaghoist to the bridge andCIC at the same time.

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Radio Room (22MC) — The 22MC is used to passinformation and orders concerning radio facilities, aswell as data, between radio rooms and certain otherradio operating stations. In CIC, you may use the22MC to call radio and request a frequency setup on atransmitter or to check a radio receiver that may bedrifting out of tune.

Flag Command (24MC) — The 24MC systemprovides two-way transmission of flag orders andinformation between selected stations, such as flagbridge, signal bridge, flag plot, flag radio, radiocentral, open bridge, combat information center, andcaptain’s tactical plot.

Sonar Information (29MC) — The 29MC systemprovides one-way communication from sonaroperators to the captain’s tactical plot, open bridge,pilothouse, CIC, underwater battery plot, and the ASWattack station.

CIC Coordination (42MC) — The 42MC isusually found in CICs in larger ships, especially thosehaving a modular CIC. Such an arrangement providescommunications at any time between key personnelwithin CIC.

INTERIOR VOICE COMMUNICATIONSYSTEM (IVCS)

IVCS is a computer–controlled voice system thatserves as the ship’s internal telephone system andreplaces the majority of the circuits traditionallyassociated with sound-powered telephones. IVCS haspredefined networks, such as the Lookout net with jackboxes at all lookout watch stations and the pilothouse.IVCS nets are listed in Table 3-1.

In addition to jack boxes, IVCS providestelephone terminals throughout the ship. The majorityof these are standard dial terminals. Some terminalshave additional features such as multi-line, remotespeakers, or hands-free operation. Besides serving as atelephone, each IVCS terminal can access all IVCSnets.

CIC INTERCOMMUNICATIONS GROUP

The CIC communications system provides CICconsole allows operators to call other consoleoperators, to sign on to CIC nets, to talk on secure andplain R/T circuits, and, through the IVCS interface, tocall any telephone on the ship or to access IVCS nets.Each console in CIC and sonar control, and the oneconsole on the bridge, has a communications unit. In

addition to the communications units at each console,remote units are located in CIC for watch stations notassociated with a standard console, such as electronicwarfare (EW) and TOMAHAWK. CIC nets are listedin Table 3-2.

SOUND-POWERED TELEPHONE SYSTEM

The commanding officer can fight the ship mosteffectively when he is provided with adequate andaccurate evaluated information. This informationmust be passed over sound-powered (S/P) telephonecircui ts from damage control (DC) central ,engineering spaces, weapons control, after steering,combat information center (CIC), radio central, signalbridge, lookouts, and other stations in the ship. A goodphone talker is vital to the ship and plays an importantpart in the ship’s overall performance.

Supervisory personnel and S/P telephone talkerscan exchange information adequately and accurately

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Table 3-1.—Common IVCS Nets

and in the most timely and efficient manner only whenthey know and abide by the rules for talkers. Talkersmust use standard phrases and common terminologyand know and practice proper care of their S/Ptelephone. You should already have a basicknowledge about sound-powered telephones.However, because S/P telephones are considered the“workhorses” of shipboard internal communicationssystems and since their use in CIC is quite extensive,we need to study them further.

Advantages of S/P Telephones

Severa l advantages are af forded bysound-powered telephone equipment for internalcommunications. A few of them are as follows:

It is simple to operate.

• The equipment is rugged, when givenreasonable care.

• Talkers are not distracted by external noise,because their ears are isolated by the telephone’sear pads.

• Security or privacy of communications issuperior to that provided by MC equipment.

• Transmissions do not contribute to station noiselevels.

• The talker is mobile within the limitations set bythe length of the cord and, except whiletransmitting, is free to perform other tasks, suchas those required of a radar operator or plotter inCIC.

• The earphones may be used for emergencytransmissions if the microphone becomesdefective, and vice versa.

• The system does not require an external sourceof power for operation.

Circuit Nomenclature

Each sound-powered telephone circuit is designedfor a specific purpose. The groups linked by asound-powered circuit may include the bridge, theunderway and docking stations, and the damagecontrol teams. Each circuit is identified, according toits use, by a letter and number code, as explainedbelow.

J—The first let ter of a pr imary sound-powered-circuit designation isJ. It indicates thatthe circuit is a sound-powered communication link.

JS—The second letter identifies the generalpurpose of the circuit.

22JS—Numerals preceding the letters indicate thespecific purpose of the circuit. In this example, thedesignation means that the circuit is an air searchradar information circuit.

22JS1—Numerals after the letters indicate aparticular station in the circuit—for example, theair summary plotter.

X22JS1—The letterX indicates that the circuit is inthe auxiliary S/P telephone system.

Circuit Requirements in CIC

The number of sound-powered circuits required inCIC depends on the type of ship. Normally there aremore circuits in larger ships than in smaller ones. Alltypes of ships, however, have certain minimum circuitrequirements. These needs include separate circuits asfollows:

• Between each search radar and the plotters forthat radar

• Between the EW room and other CIC stations

• Between the visual lookout station, CIC, andother stations

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Table 3-2.—CIC Nets

• Between radio central (communications) andCIC and other stations

• Between CIC, bridge, and other conning stations

• For direct communications between CIC andflag plot (on flagships)

• Between CIC and each weapons control station,including sonar in sonar-equipped ships

• For aircraft information in carriers

Large ships, in which there are manysound-powered telephone circuits, use a moreelaborate setup. The number of phones manneddepends on what the ship is doing. More circuits aremanned at general quarters than during normalsteaming watches. Table 3-3 shows the common S/Pcircuits used in CIC.

Sound-Powered Telephone Equipment

There are so many varieties of sound-poweredtelephone equipment that it would serve no practicalpurpose in this text to discuss all of them. We can,however, discuss a few units, and by studying themyou should gain a better understanding of thesound-powered system.

DRUM-TYPE SELECTOR SWITCH .—Thedrum-type selector switch (fig. 3-2) makes it possibleto cut a single jack into any one of a number of circuitsby turning the switch to the desired circuit marked onthe face of the dial. Because of the construction of theswitch, only one circuit can be connected at a time.

CALL SIGNAL STATION BOX .— The callsignal box contains a handset phone (see figure 3-3).The purpose of th is c i rcu i t is to prov idecommunication between stations that normally do notneed to exchange information continually. Twodistinct circuits compose the call bell system. The firstis the S/P circuit to which all the handsets areconnected. The second is the call circuit.

On the call circuit, the operator turns the selectorswitch to the desired position (this switch is usuallynumbered 1 through 16), turns the magneto handcrank, and listens on the handset until someoneanswers the call. This circuit does not have a bell like astandard telephone; instead, it makes a growling noise,and is sometimes referred to as thegrowler. Althoughthis circuit is not in constant use, it is a good idea tolisten in on the circuit before turning the magneto, toavoid having two conversations on the same S/Pcircuit. A nameplate just above the selector dial liststhe stations on the circuit, identified by the appropriatestation number.

PLOTTERS’ TRANSFER SWITCH-BOARD.—Most ships have a plotters’ transferswitchboard installed in CIC. This switchboard (fig.3-4) allows the CIC S/P circuits to be patched tovarious stations. For convenience, S/P telephone jackstations are located throughout CIC and are numberedJS1, JS2, JS3, etc. (These jack station numbers areshown on the left side of the switchboard in figure 3-4.)

Through use of the plotters’ transfer switchboard,the plotter who is plugged in to JS7, for instance, cantalk on any of the S/P circuits that are wired to theswitchboard. (The S/P circuits are shown across thetop of the switchboard in figure 3-4.) You can patchthe plotter who is plugged in to JS7 into the 21JS circuit

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Figure 3-2.—Drum-type selector switch. Figure 3-3.—Call signal station box.

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Table 3-3.—Common sound-powered Phone Circuits

as follows: Locate JS7 on the left side and 21JS on thetop of the switchboard. Move horizontally to the rightfrom JS7 to the switch that is located vertically under21JS. Turn this switch clockwise 90° to patch the 21JScircuit into JS7.

More than one circuit may be patched to the samejack station. However, when this is done, the circuitsin question are crossed, and every station on the twocircuits will be in communication with every otherstation. Sometimes it is desirable to cross circuits, butcarelessness in switching circuits can result inunnecessary cross patches. For this reason, onlyexperienced personnel should make all changes to theplotters’ transfer switchboard.

Care of Telephone Equipment

Sound-powered telephones are of sturdyconstruction. If handled with reasonable care, theyshould require little attention. Nevertheless, they arefine instruments, perform an important function, andshould be treated accordingly. Observe the followingprecautions.

• Avoid pulling on the electrical connections, andnever use the cables for carrying or handling theequipment.

• Remember that the length of the cord is limited.If you attempt to walk any farther than the cord

permits, the cord may be pulled loose from thejack plug.

• Unauthorized persons should not disassembleS/P telephones or tamper with them in any way.

• Do not insert any object through the protectivescreen. The diaphragm may become damaged.

• When secured, telephones should be made upand stowed on hooks or in the stowage boxesprovided. Never leave the telephone adrift orexposed to the weather.

• Never remove a pair of telephones from astowage box that does not belong to your station.Should general quarters be sounded, theindividual who normally used those phoneswould not be able to man the station, and thesafety of your ship could be at stake.

• When you wear a pair of phones, always try tokeep the excess cord out of the way of peoplepassing by. If you leave the cord in the way,someone may trip on it and sustain injury orcause damage.

• Do not leave inoperative telephones on station.Telephones that are out of order should betagged and turned in at once to the IC room ortelephone repair locker. They should then be

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(B)(A)

LEGEND:

INDICATES OPEN SWITCH

INDICATES CLOSED SWITCH

Figure 3-4.—Plotters’ transfer switchboard.

replaced by sets that are in good operatingcondition.

Q1. What are the eight common types of internalcommunications used in CIC?

Q2. List four advantages of sound-poweredtelephones.

S/P TELEPHONE AND IVCSPROCEDURES

The purpose of having standard sound-powered-telephone and IVCS procedures is to provideuniformity of expression, enabling messages to beunderstood more clearly over the phones. In every CICin the fleet, day in and day out, Operations Specialistsdeal over and over wi th the same type ofinformation—bearings, ranges, speed, distances, andother tactical data. CIC personnel can handleinformation with speed, accuracy, and reliability whenthey have a system that is simple, easily understood,and readily usable. They can then place everytransmission into a brief and clear form that will beunderstood instantly and is ready for use whenreceived.

A system that satisfies these requirements is thestandard sound-powered-telephone procedure andphraseology. The system is simple. Speed is notachieved by transmitting rapidly and biting off wordsor running them together. Speed is gained by usingstandard procedure and terminology with everytransmission.

GENERAL RULES

The following is a list of some general rules forsound-powered-phone talkers.

1. Be alert. Pay attention to what is said over thephones. If possible, maintain a written log of theactivities of other stations on the circuit. Payattention to the officer or petty officer in chargeof the station.

2. Repeat or relay all messages word for word. DONOTREPHRASE ANY MESSAGE. Changinga single word may can change the meaning ofthe entire message.

3. Do not engage in idle conversation on thephone. Keep your mind on your assigned duty.

4. Speak into the transmitter in a loud, clear tone;do not shout or whisper. Shouting results inmushy, slurred noises. A whisper cannot be

heard. Speak distinctly. Pronounce everysyllable. Restrict your dialect or accent.

5. When using a headset, hold the button downwhen talking, but do not touch it when listening.When using a handset, hold the button downboth to speak and listen.

6. Hold the headset transmitter about 1/2 inch fromyour mouth when talking.

7. Do not use alphabetic letters as references. Thispractice can lead to confusion and errors thatmay result in a considerable loss of time and canprevent needed action that might have beentaken had the message been received correctly.Use words in the phonetic alphabet, such asALFA, GOLF, PAPA, and XRAY.

8. To be an important member of any team, youmust become familiar with all the duties of theCIC team.

9. As an OS, strive to be the best talkers on thecircuit.

BASIC MESSAGE FORMAT

The basic format for transmitting a message bysound-powered telephone consists of the standardshipboard names for the station called and the stationcalling, followed by the text (what is to be said) inclear, concise language. In the example below,Combat is passing information about a surface contactto the bridge.

Message from Combat: “Bridge, Combat. Surfacecontact—TOO SIX ZE-RO—TWEN-TYTOW-ZAND

Response from the bridge: “Bridge—Aye, Aye “

NOTE

Do not call a station and wait for word to go ahead.Every time you have information to transmit, call thestation(s) concerned, identify your station, and sendthe message. If you do not get a response, repeat yourmessage.

S/P PHRASEOLOGY

If all called stations could receive and entirelyunderstand every transmission on the f i rs ttransmission, there would be no need for anythingmore than the procedure ment ioned above.Unfortunately, not all transmissions are received

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perfectly. Operators sometimes make errors duringtransmissions; communication is difficult at times. Tohelp prevent errors, standardized words or phrasescome in handy. Using them helps eliminatetransmission errors and misunderstandings. Some ofthe common terms and their meaning follow.

1. SILENCE ON THE LINE— Use this term onlyin emergencies. When a transmission inprogress on the circuit is interrupted by amessage of extreme importance, the person onthe circuit must cease talking to permit the cut-into send the important message.

2. AYE AYE — Use this standard response to alltransmissions you receive completely. It means“I have received all of your transmission andwill deliver it exactly as received.”

Never use this response if you are uncertain thatyou received all of the transmission. Also, doNOT use it simply as an affirmative answer to aquestion. After you give an AYE AYE to amessage, either use the information the messagecontains if you are the “action” addressee orpass the message on to the person responsiblefor taking action.

3. SAY AGAIN — With this term, you signify thatyou did not receive the message. The properresponse to the term by the sender is a completeretransmission of the message.

4. CHANGING PHONES; BACK ON THE LINE— Use the term CHANGING PHONES whenyou remove the telephone headset to give it toanother talker. CHANGING PHONESsignifies that your station will temporarily beunable to receive messages. The new talkershould report BACK ON THE LINE when he orshe is ready to resume normal operations. Thisprocess should take very little time to complete.

5. CORRECTION— The word CORRECTIONpreceded and followed by a pause during atransmission indicates that the sender made anerror and is correcting it. Examples of errors area mispronounced word, an omitted word orphrase in the text, or the incorrect information.If you make an error, make the correction to themessage clearly and distinctly. To correct anerror, pause, speak the word CORRECTION,pause, retransmit the last word or phrase thatyou transmitted correctly, transmit the correctedword or phrase, and then transmit the rest of themessage. This procedure is particularly

important when you are transmitting a series ofnumerals.

6. REPEAT BACK— When you want to be surethe receiving talker has understood yourmessage correctly, you may ask him or her torepeat it back to you by saying “Repeat back.”

7. THAT IS CORRECT (or WRONG)— If youdirect another talker to REPEAT BACK amessage that you send, you must acknowledgethe repeat with either THAT IS CORRECT (orWRONG) —do not use the phrase AYE AYE.

a. Say “THAT IS CORRECT” if the receiverrepeats the message correctly.

b. Say “WRONG” if the receiver repeats themessage incorrectly. Then give thecorrection.

8. BELAY MY LAST — Sometimes, as you aretransmitting a message, but before you completethe transmission, you may realize that you madean error that you can correct only by stating themessage over. Or, you may realize that youshouldn’t have sent the message. In suchinstances, use the phrase BELAY MY LAST.Do not use this phrase to cancel a message thatyou have completely transmitted and hadreceipted.

9. WAIT — Use the word WAIT when you need tomake a pause of short duration (several seconds)during a transmission. You can also use it whensomeone requests information that you do nothave immediately available.

NUMERAL PRONUNCIATION

Although it is impossible to completelystandardize the phraseology used in the text of asound-powered-telephone message, numerals can beand are standardized. Since numerals are theOperations Specialist’s “chief stock in trade” andbecause most of the information supplied by CIC isexpressed in numerical form (bearings, ranges, speeds,distances, time, and so on), you should learn from thebeginning to treat numerals with the care they deserve.

Personnel in CIC cannot afford to make errors inthe information they handle, because in manyinstances it is vital to ship control. Numerical errorsconcerning enemy forces, when passed on to thecommand, could prove disastrous in wartime. Even inpeacetime, numerical errors on tactical maneuveringor navigational data may cause a disaster.

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For an example of how numerals can bemisunderstood, say the following numbers aloud: 7,11, 17, 70 (seven, eleven, seventeen, seventy). Noticethat the sounds are similar. If they are slurred or arepronounced indistinctly, there is room for error. Acarelessly pronounced “seventeen” may sound like“seventy”. If range (in miles) is the subject, mistaking“seventeen” for “seventy” will introduce an error of 53miles. You can avoid making such an error byfollowing the well-established communications ruleslisted below.

Basic Digits

Ten basic digits make up the numerical system.Each digit must be pronounced distinctly so that it willbe understood. Learn to pronounce them as they arewritten in the accompanying list.

Number Spoken as Number Spoken as

0 ZE-RO 5 FIFE

1 WUN 6 SIX

2 TOO 7 SEV-EN

3 TREE 8 AIT

4 FOW-ER 9 NIN-ER

Rules For Pronouncing Numerals

If the basic digits were the only consideration inusing numerals, there would be little problem.Unfortunately, numerals may form an indefinitenumber of combinations, and the combinations may bespoken in several different ways.

The following rules apply to the pronunciation andexpression of numerals. Situations may arise,however, in which these rules are inapplicable. Inthese cases, try the pronunciation and expression thatbest fit the situation.

1. Always speak the numeral 0 (writtenø) asZE-RO, never asoh. This rule applies to rangesas well as to bearings.

2. Speak decimal points as DAY SEE MAL.

3. For ranges and distances given in units otherthan “miles”, transmit the numbers digit by digitexcept for multiples of hundreds and thousands.Say them as such. Some examples are:

Number Spoken as

44 FOW-ER FOW-ER

9ø NIN-ER ZE-RO

136 WUN TREE SIX

5øø FIFE HUN-DRED

14øø WUN FOW-ER HUN-DRED

1478 WUN FOW-ER SEV-EN AIT

7øøø SEV-EN TOW-ZAND

16øøø WUN SIX TOW-SAND

165øø WUN SIX FIFE HUN-DRED

2øøøø TOO ZE-RO TOW-ZAND

812681 AIT WUN TOO SIX AIT WUN

4. Ranges and distances given in mile units, andspeed, are transmitted as the integral cardinalnumber. Some examples are:

Number Spoken as

1ø TEN

13 THUR-TEEN

25 TWEN-TY FIFE

5ø FIF-TY

11ø WUN HUN-DRED TEN

3øø TREE HUN-DRED

5. Altitude of raid aircraft is always expressed infeet. Altitude may be spoken either in exactintegral cardinal numbers or in multiples ofthousands (angels), using the integral cardinalnumber. Some examples are:

Altitude Spoken as

7øø 700“Altitude SEV-EN HUN-DRED” or“Angels DAY-SEE-MAL SEVEN”

11øø 1100“Altitude ELEV-EN HUN-DRED”or “Angels WUN point WUN”

55øø “Altitude FIF-TY FIFE HUN-DRED” or“Angels FIFE point FIFE”

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1ø5øø “Altitude TEN TOW-ZAND FIFEHUN-DRED” or “Angels TENday-see-mal FIFE”

2øøøø “Altitude TWEN-TY TOW-ZAND” or“Angels TWEN-TY”

NOTE

The brevity code wordangels pertains to theheight of friendly aircraft only. The wordaltitudepertains to bogey height, in exact integral cardinalnumbers.

6. Target altitude information relayed to weaponssupport is expressed in feet. Exact multiples ofhundreds and thousands are spoken as such.Some examples are:

Number Spoken as

1øø WUN HUN-DRED

1øøø WUN TOW-ZAND

11øø WUN TOW-ZAND WUN HUN-DRED

7. Courses, bearings, and angles other thanposition angles are given in three digits and aretransmitted digit by digit. Some examples are:

Number Spoken as

ø9ø ZE-RO NIN-ER ZE-RO

18ø WUN AIT ZE-RO

295 TOO NIN-ER FIFE

Position angles, always less than 90º, may beexpressed in one or two digits and are pronounced asthe integral cardinal number. When so transmitted, thephraseposition anglealways precedes the numerals.Some examples are:

Number Spoken as

5 POSITION ANGLE FIFE

1 POSITION ANGLE TEN

15 POSITION ANGLE FIF-TEEN

27 POSITION ANGLE TWEN-TY

SEV-EN

8. Time is always spoken digit by digit andpreceded by the word “time”.TIME: 1215–WUN TOO WUN FIFE

Q3. When is it appropriate to use the phrase “silenceon the line” on a sound-powered telephonecircuit?

Q4. What sound-powered telephone circuit is used topass sonar contact information?

ANSWERS TO CHAPTER QUESTIONS

A1. (1) voice tubes, (2) ship’s service telephones, (3)messengers, (4) television, (5) pneumatic tubes,(6) target designat ion equipment, (7)multi-channel (MC) systems, and (8) Inter VoiceCommunication System (IVCS), (9) CICCommunications group, (10) sound-poweredtelephones

A2. Simple to operate; rugged, when givenreasonable care; talkers are not distracted byexternal noise; securi ty or pr ivacy ofcommunications is superior to that provided byMC equipment; transmissions do not contributeto station noise levels; the talker is mobile and,except while transmitting, can perform othertasks; the earphones may be used for emergencytransmissions if the microphone becomesdefective, and vice versa; the system does notrequire an external source of power foroperation.

A3. Only in an emergency.

A4. 61JS.

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