Morse Problems

Morse problems in the BPF when working with the USN

by Godfrey Dykes

©RN Communications Branch Museum/Library

In December 1941/January 1942, the COMBINED COMMUNICATIONS BOARD was set up in Washington D.C., to make rules which would standardise Communications and the Associated Publications for all Allied Forces prosecuting the war in Europe and in the Pacific. Their publications which the British used of course, were called CCBP's "COMBINED COMMUNICATIONS BOARD PUBLICATION". The CCBP was followed by the current issued number e.g. CCBP2. National Publications were kept (and updated) but not used.

At the time the BPF was at its full strength, CCBP-3 - Combined 'Op Sigs' - was extant. That publication carried three letter 'Op Sigs' many of which were also recorded in national publications, so most of the operators were au fait with them and their meaning. From that publication I have picked out four 'Op Sigs' which might have been used between the USN and the RN during 1945.

ZAC = Cease using speed key

ZBM Place on this frequency 1 = A qualified speed key operator or 2 = A competent operator

INT ZHO = What is the speed of automatic transmission

INT ZHP = What is preventing automatic transmissions from being recorded.

After the War, nations reverted back to the national publications and ours were "BRITISH JOINT COMMUNICATION PUBLICATIONS - BJCP's" for the navy, army and air force. The plate below is an example.

This plate gives an example of a BJCP -2 which as you can see is the British Operating Signals both of the 'Z' Code and the 'Q' Code.

The Americans used their own publications which were called JANAP's meaning "JOINT ARMY NAVY AIR FORCE PUBLICATION". Their Op Sig Publication was JANAP 131.

Not long afterwards and at a time when NATO was being formulated, the NATO Allies coined ACP "ALLIED COMMUNICATIONS PUBLICATION" as being the publications of the future, and the might of the USA won through because the figures 131 were added to ACP, with ACP 131 becoming the new book of 'Op Sigs'. Whilst we Brits still had some 'Op Sigs' unique to the UK Forces (which were printed in the ACP with a suitable caveat on use), we largely followed ACP 131 for all our usage. However, it has to be noted that the USN maintained the use of JANAP 131 for Intra-USN use, and I remember that we submariners in the Halifax Nova Scotia Squadron (S/M6) of the early 1960's who regularly worked with the USN/RCN and visited US ports frequently, had to carry and use JANAP's including 'Op Sigs'.