Formations, Dispositions, Screens, and Maneuvering Rules

1. Formations, Dispositions, Screens, and Maneuvering Rules

2. Maneuvering Definitions • Large ship - greater than 450 feet • Small ship - less than 450 feet • Formation - ordered arrangement of two or more ships or units proceeding together • Disposition - ordered arrangement of two or more formations proceeding together

3. Maneuvering Definitions • Main body - Principal ship of formation • Screen - arrangement of ships or ASW helicopters designed to protect the main body • Guide - ship on which other ships take station when forming or keep station when formed • Station - prescribed position of a ship in relation to the guide

4. Maneuvering Definitions • OTC - Officer in Tactical Command • Standard distance - range between ships in a line depending on size • 1000 yards between large ships • 500 yards between small ships • 1000 yards between large and small ships

5. LINE FORMATIONS • Historically used as a cruising or battle formation • Advantages • Ease of station keeping, maneuvering, communications • Basic line formations: • Column (also column open order) • Line abreast (also loose line abreast) • Line of bearing (also loose line of bearing) • Diamond • See figure 6.1

6. Column • Formation of ships in single file • Usually front ship is guide • Advantages: • Useful for transiting restricted waters such as swept channel in mine field or narrow strait • Disadvantages: • Visual comms are difficult - signals must be passed ship to ship

7. Column • Column open order - Assists with visual comms

8. Line Abreast • Ships are maneuvered in a line on either side of the guide • Advantages: • Useful for certain searches • Loose line abreast is used to relax station keeping Guide Line Abreast to Port

9. Line of Bearing • Ships are maneuvered on either a true or relative direction from the guide (other than on bow, beam or stern) • Port or Starboard • May form a loose Line of Bearing Guide Line of bearing 250R

10. Diamond Formation • Allows greater space between ships without making formation longer Guide

11. MANEUVERING • The movement of ships required to organize into line formations • Normally executed upon signal by OTC • Guide may automatically shift in some cases • Maneuvering signal pro-words • TURN • CORPEN • FORM • See figure 6.3

12. TURN • All ships turn simultaneously • True bearings to other ships remain the same, relative bearings change • Visual signal • TURN pennant in conjunction with PORT or STBD flag to indicate direction of turn • Three numerals is course to steer • One or two numerals (0-18) indicated 10’s of degrees to turn • ANSWER pennant is used to indicate 5 degrees

13. TURN • Examples • TURN PORT 3 ANSWER - turn 35 degrees to port • TURN STBD 290 - turn to course 290

14. True bearing of 030 T to guide True bearing of 030 T to guide TURN from a Line Formation Before maneuver After maneuver Column formation Line of Bearing

15. CORPEN • Wheeling - formation course is changed without altering arrangement of ships • Relative bearings to other ships remain the same, true bearings change • Visual signals • CORPEN pennant in conjunction with PORT or STBD flag to indicate direction of turn • Same numeral rules as TURN

16. CORPEN • A corpen may only be executed out of a column or line abreast (including column open order, loose line abreast, diamond) • Limitations: • Column - 180 degrees • Line abreast - 90 degrees • Diamond - 30 degrees • For column - follow in wake of the guide • For line abreast - wheel formation

17. Relative bearing of 000 R to guide Relative bearing of 000 R to guide CORPEN - from a Column Before maneuver After maneuver Column formation Column formation

18. Pivot ship Relative bearing 270 R Relative bearing 270 R to guide CORPEN - from a Line Abreast After maneuver Before maneuver Auto shift of guide Line Abreast to STBD Line Abreast to PORT

19. FORM • Used to change formation bearing without changing the formation course • Guide maintains formation course and remaining ships form on new line of bearing • Visual signal: • FORM pennant and three numerals indicate true line of bearing • FORM pennant PORT/ STBD and one or two numerals indicate relative line of bearing

20. FORM • Examples: • FORM 150 - all ships form a line of bearing along 150T from the guide • FORM PORT 15 - all ships form on a line of bearing 150 to port of formation course

21. SEARCH TURN • Used to search a large body of water in close quarters - downed pilot, etc • Ships must start in a line abreast • Wing ship away from turn assumes the guide and immediately maneuvers • Other ships turn when previous ship is astern • See figure 6.4

22. Screens • An arrangement of ships, aircraft, subs for the protection of main body • Normally designed to protect against one threat (ie. air, sub, surface) • Design must be continuously evaluated to ensure threat protection

23. Sector Screen • Units are assigned areas of responsibility rather than points • Units are required to patrol sectors • Avoid maintaining base course and speed so that it cannot be determined passively • Center is ZZ

24. Sector Screen • Boundaries are ordered by 4 numerals • 2 for left in 10’s of degrees true • 2 for right • Depth is also four numerals • 2 for inner limit in thousands of yards • 2 for outer • Sector boundaries are followed by call sign of ship

25. Sector Screen • Example:0106-4575 DESIG M4NThe sector for M4N is from 010T-060T, 4,500-7,500 yards

26. Maneuvering Sea Customs • Small ships do not hamper the movements of large ships, especially in restricted waters • Ships not in station shall remain clear of those in station • Do not pass through formations • Customary rules do not relieve ships from rules of the road responsibility

27. Signal Flags • Know the following: • Letter flags • Numeral flags (not pennants) • ANSWER flag and meaning • PORT/ STBD flag • TURN/ CORPEN/ FORM flags • DESIG • See figure 5.2