Thread: Naval combatants question.

'Smee again.

I’m fairly sure there’s a word or a phrase used to describe the act, by the crew of one ship, of halting and boarding another ship, but I can’t think of it.

In context, I have a large Royal Navy vessel apprehending a small German gunboat during WW2, and taking the crew captive. One of the seamen involved in this operation is telling the story to an audience 35 years later. All I can think of, for words to put in his mouth, is “We grabbed them” which, while it might be vernacular, isn’t exactly naval terminology.

The thesaurus doesn’t help. Do you have any ideas? Thanks in advance.

We put one across their bow and signaled 'em to come about. When they did we went alongside, made fast, and boarded.

Looks like in law it might be a naval seizure. Don't imagine that helps much.

garza - How does one signal 'Come about' in German?



Edit: Don't worry, I've found it.

Most of the time the signal is not needed, but is made to be certain the skipper of the other vessel understands the meaning of a shot across his bow.

This is developing all the hallmarks of a Keystone Kops episode. You weren’t to know, but my entire story hinges around a bumbling fool manning a twin Lewis machine gun. If I have him putting that shot across Fritz’s bows, he’ll be just as likely to aim too low and sink them. Then my tale takes an entirely new direction.

A machine gun wouldn't be appropriate for a shot across the bow anyway. The signal then could serve the purpose.

Ox,

It's called a capture. Boarding is crew going aboard, but that doesn't necessarily mean a siezure. If it's siezed, a prize crew is put aboard and it's called a prize.

Johnb

Former gunfire controller, USN

I think what xO is looking for in this instance is not a technical term but rather the words used by sailors in a bar talking informally about what happened. He needs to file away your terms for reference when he writes the scene in maritime court that comes later in the book.

I wrote a short article about gunfire controllers some years ago. You may recall the incident when the crew of an Iraqi tank stuck in the sands were waving frantically to one of the reconnaissance drones from the Missouri. Some reporters and columnists who'd not done their homework wrote silly articles about the Iraqi soldiers surrendering to a little unmanned, unarmed, aircraft. In my article I explained that the soldiers were not surrendering to the aircraft but to the fire control officer on the battleship who was watching the picture sent back by the drone. The soldiers knew that the presence of the little airplane could lead to the arrival in the not too distant future of a 16-inch high explosive round that would reduce the tank to tiny pieces of metal buried in the desert sand. What the tank crew should have been doing instead of waving was running; getting away from the tank as fast as they could go.

Thanks garza, don't worry about it. It goes with the territory, people reading what they want to read in an internet post. The day everyone answers the question asked will be a day worthy to be marked with a white stone.

Sorry if I read something wrong, but I don't think "capture" is a very techical term. But that's okay, just my .00002 cents worth.

As for the Big Mo, I got to help tend to her and 2 other BB's in the Philadelphia Yard in mothballs, early 70's. The New Jersey was in Vietnam. Once a month, I'd go thru the ships, taking temperature and humidity readings. The first time, I got lost belowdecks in one of the huge gun-turrets. Over the months, I snooped around and found a few souvenirs, a 48 star flag, an officer's registry from the 40's and several M-1's (minus the stocks) packed in cosmolene. Late 70's, I taught fire control to Iranian sailors, since they were our good allies and we were giving them ships. Times do change, don't they?

Take care,

JohnB