DAY IN BIG BATTLESHIP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20708, 4 May 1929, Page 27

DAY IN BIG BATTLESHIP.

SAILOR’S ROUND OF DUTIES. . HOW HE KEEPS FIT. • slcatn of light from a shaded lamp just outside my cabin scuttle enables me to read my watch. It is 4 a.m. Save tor the throb of a duty dynamo and the clank of a pump working in a distant flat, the huge battleship, with her populauqn of nearly 1300. is eerily silent Bywater oa board the H.M.S. Royal Sovereign at Malta), On the mess decks, dimly illuminated by police lights hundreds of tired seamen are sleeping in their hammocks slung from the beams. At intervals the corporal of the watch makes hie rounds, keeping a special look-out for signs of lire. On the quarter-deck a quartermaster ,is pacing up and down. Seated in a deck chair just inside the screen the officer of the watch is regaling himself with a cup or hot cocoa. He, too, will soon be taking one of his periodical walks round the ship. Meanwhile having finished his cocoa,' he casts a professional eye at the weather and looks overside to see that the boat? are not bumping. High on the bridge one sees the shadowy nguje of a signalman, for signals are apt to-come in at any hour of the night or day, and there must be no delay in receiving them. In the wireless cabin the operator is listening-in. Outside the capc?, s , quart , er , s ' a marine sentry paces soitJy to and fro. Another marine stands at his post on the half-deck. Twice each watch a party pf leading seamen visit the magazine to take the temperature, which is Kept at an even figure by an elaborate cooling system. As these compartments contain hundreds of tons of explosives, the most meticulous precautions are taken against overheating. Other wakeful people are the night boat’s crew, whose boat is kept ready for lowering at a moment’s notice. . THE SHIP AWAKES, • * 8 , n , ow a.m., and a pearly dawn ln £ , over the Mediterranean, Muffled come from the mess decks, where the ship’s boys and men under punishment are being quietly palled. They turn out, of their hammocks, which are quickly lashed up and stowed. At 6 o clock the bosun’s mates, buglers, divisional petty oifiqers, and the duty subdivision of the watch are called, and 15 minutes later they turn out all hands, iso sues pipes whistle shrilly, bugles blare, and in an instant the mess decks present a scene of animation. The day’s work has begun. So swiftly do the men dress and stow away their hammocks that they are ready and waiting when the mess cooks arrive with cocoa at 5.30. There is just time for a sgioke, and pipes and cigarettes are hurriedly lighted before the duty part of the watch is called away to sweep down the upper deck. “Out pipes,” sounds at 5j55. Ten minutes earlier certain of the officers have been called by their servants, and the midshipman of the watch, trim and fresh in spite of the hour, salutes as he steps on: to the quarter-deck. At 6 o’clock all hands—seamen and marines—fall in and proceed to scrub the decks, while duty boats are lowered and cleaned by their crews. At 6.15 the guard apd.steerage are called, these people being granted an extra hour’s sleep owing to their having been on duty after 10 p.m. By 7 o’clock decks have been well scrubbed and dried, the awnings spread, and men are polishing up the guns and metal fittings. Then is heard the cheerful sound-of “cooks” being called away to prepare breakfast and lay the mesa tables. At 7.30 the hands disperse for breakfast, and then change into the “ dress of the day.” The general idea of routine here described is that before 8 o’eloolc the outside of the ship shall be made clean and smart. ,At 7,50 the guard and band parade on the quarterdeck, while-' duty boys and boats crews are fallen in and inspected to see that they are clean. At 8 o clock follows the always impressive ceremony of hoisting the colours. Bugles blow, the White Ensign gutters up the staff, the band plays the opening bars of ‘ God Save the King," and every officer and man on deck stands at attention, facing aft. By now the men below have finished their breakfast and are enjoying a smoke, when, at 8.80, the bosuns’ whistles summon -them to their various tasks. Both watches are fallen in. while the mess decks are cleaned up by the. oooks and certain other men detailed for the j’ob. Others are told off to polish up the brightwork. At 9 o’clock the bugles' sound “ Divisions ’ — i.e., the inspection of all seamen and marines, each officer being responsible for the appearance and turnout of his own division. This inspection is followed by prayers, which are read by the ' padre _ or by the captain, if no chaplain is in the ship.: Physical drill is the next item in the days programme. Ip some ships it takes the form of a sprint round the decks, with the band playing lively tunes in an ever-increasing tempo; in others, a more conventional style of , jerks ” is preferred. But the exercises are always strenuous and well adapted to their purpose, which is to expel the tinned air ” from the men’s lungs and refresh brain and body fpr the labours of the day. EVERY MAN HIS TASK. The commander now goes round the snip, to assign the morning’s work. The marines carry on under the supervision of their own officers; the gunnery officer and the torpedo officer set their respective parties to the particular job in hand, and work goes op steadily throughout the ship until 10.20, when “stand easy” for a 10 minutes’ rest and smoke is sounded. At 11,30 the afternoon watch goes to dinner. Deck parties sweep down decks, and cooks are piped away. Punctually at noon the men a dinner is served, and at the same time they are told what arrangements for leave have been made. Men under punishment are allowed only half an'hour for their dinner, but the other hands are free until 1.10, when cooks and sweepers again get busy clearing up the mess decks. From 1.15 drills and training classes continue until 3.30, when the first dog watch the liberty men go to tea. Evening quarters are held at 4, divisions are reported correct, and the commander makes a tour of inspection op the upper decks. Following this the hands are pipeq to tea and to shift into night clothJflR —which, however, does not mean sleeping attire. An hour later the stokers, most of whom have spent the day jn. overalls, also change into a more presentable n.B- At 6.30 preparations begin for the night. Guns are ’ covered, awnings “sloped” (that is, eased off to prevent undue stretch by rain pr dew), apt! pipal l boats, cutters, and whalers arc hoisted into the davits, Supper is served at 7.15, and by 8 oclock, hammocks having been slung, the oooks and sweepers give tininess decks a final tidying up, A CEASELESS WATCH,

The duty part of each watch, representing on-quarter of the starboard and port watches, are now mustered, together with the crew of the night boat and the fire party. Watertight doors in,the lower compartments- are closed, and other precautions taken to ensure the safety of the ship during the night hours. At 8.45 all the , boys are turned in, and, being healithlly tired, they can reckon on eight hours of sound sleep. The commander then walks through the mess decks and makes his report to the captain. At 10 the men are piped down. Ip a few minutes the ship has relapsed into that comparative silence which will endure till shortly before dawn. Such is a typical days routine in a big warship while lying in harbour. At sea’, of course, the programme is modified, as also in port on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday is “make and mend ” day, when there is practically no work in the after* noop. and no drills, except cleaning ship. On work ceases at 0 a,ni„ and Divine service is held at 10.30, “ church ” being " rigged ” on the quarter deck or the stokers’ mess deck. When in port shore leave is given as freely ns the exigencies of the service permit, and in a ship undergoing dockyard refit three* quarters of the crew are allowed to go ashore every day.