With the Battle Fleet Part 24

You know you may have to fight at night and you've got to be ready for it. There's no other way to prepare for it than by work at night.

It's all a matter of course, part of the day's work, with these sea dogs and gun fighters. And when you suggest that you are thinking of writing a piece for the paper telling about the routine on a wars.h.i.+p they are surprised that any such topic could be interesting and tell you that it's nothing new and is going on all the time just as it has been going on for decades and centuries. Then they'll admit perhaps that the general public doesn't realize the amount of work that is done on a wars.h.i.+p and they'll produce this schedule of hours and tasks that sums it up:

DAILY SEA ROUTINE.

3:00 A.M.--Call s.h.i.+p's cook.

3:45--Call the section of the watch, relieve wheel and lookout.

4:00--Relieve the watch on deck.

4:30--Turn to, out smoking lamp, pipe sweepers, clear up deck.

4:50--Call music, masters-at-arms and boatswain's mates.

5:00--Reveille, bugles and drum; call all sections except midwatch sections.

5:15--Execute morning orders.

5:30--Trice up clothes lines.

At sunrise station masthead lookouts, take in deck lookouts and put out running lights.

6:30--Break up and send below to be burned all boxes and articles that will float.

6:40--Trice up six bell hammock cloths.

6:50--Up all hammocks, serve out water, hoist ashes.

7:00--Time and uniform signal; mess gear for sections below.

7:15--Breakfast for sections below, light smoking lamp; ditty boxes allowed.

7:30--Mess gear for watch on deck.

7:40--Relieve wheel and lookouts.

7:45--On deck duty sections. Section on deck to breakfast.

8:15--Turn to, clean gun and deck bright work.

8:25--Sick call.

8:45--Report at mast.

8:50--Clear up decks; down towel lines and ditty boxes; sweepers.

8:55--Officers' call.

9:00--Quarters for muster and inspection; setting up drill.

9:30--Drill call.

10:00--Relieve the wheel and lookouts.

Signal (1) absentees, (2) number of sick.

11:00--Hoist ashes.

11:30--Retreat from drill. Pipe down clothes, if dry; sweepers.

11:45--Mess gear for sections below.

Noon--Dinner; duty section remain on deck. Signal (1) coal on hand, (2) coal expended, (3) lat.i.tude, (4) longitude.

P.M.--Mess gear for duty section.

Dinner duty section.

1:00--Turn to; out smoking lamp; down ditty boxes; sweepers; pipe down clothes if dry, then aired bedding, if up; start work about decks.

1:30--Serve out provisions.

2:00--Relieve wheel and lookouts.

3:00--Hoist ashes.

4:00--Relieve the watch.

4:30--Knock off all work. Clear up decks; sweepers; pipe down clothes.

5:15--Mess gear for sections going on watch.

5:30--Supper for sections going on watch.

5:45--Mess gear for other sections.

5:55--Relieve wheel and lookouts.

6:00--Relieve section on duty. Other sections to supper.

At sunset--Set running lights; lay down masthead lookouts; station deck lookouts; couple fire hose; muster life boats'

crews; c.o.xswain report when crews are present and lifeboats ready for lowering. Test night signal apparatus.

6:30--Turn to; sweepers; scrub clothes on forecastle (except Sunday).

7:00--Hoist ashes. Clear deck for hammocks.