[CW] Army/Navy Code 1860-1912

[John Alcorn VK2JWA]

Hi All,
>From Neal K5RW
"  To make it even worse, in the infant years, the Navy had the Navy
code.  So you had ships at sea using three codes."

So true, it was developed from 1856 to 1859 by A.J.Myer, founder of the US
Signal Corps.
Adopted in 1860, known as the Myer Code is was a single flag signalling code
using left - right flag movements to make signals.
Adopted by the US Army as the General Service Code a left motion was "1" and
a right motion was "2".
A front motion (down to the front) was "3".
The one and two motions were reversed soon after its introduction.
The reason is not known but thought to have been first done by the
Confederate Signal Corps.
The US Navy adopted the code in 1862, it became known as the Army/Navy Code.
Myer published the first Handbook in 1864.

Adopted into electric usage, "1" (Right) was 1 dot,  "2" (Left) was 2 dots.
"3" three dots.
Hence it was also known as 'The Dot Code'.
It continued is use with minor changes by the Army, Navy and US Coast Guard
until 16 November 1912.
The Navy also tried other codes from c1894 to c1910.

As said, marine radio introduced problems, foreign ships using
International, US using Myer, and landlines using American codes.
Operators complained of having to learn 3 codes and this complicated and
extended training time and cost.
Along came Titanic which brought comms problems to a head, although the GSC
was not involved in this.
The London Conference regularised things and Myer was dropped, International
Code becoming the General Service Code.
The Myer flag movements were adopted as Right - Dot,  Left - Dash,  Front -
Space.
These were used with both International and American codes.
The long dash was distinguished by a pause at the low point of the dip.

It continued in use for many years although 2 flag Semaphore is more
efficient and faster, needing only one position for each Letter etc.
The 1987 International Code of Signals has adopted a different method of
Morse Flag Signalling.

73,

John.
 --
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