Flags That Talk

 

SM2 Dale I. Bronson, a signalman aboard the USS Stokes (AKA-68), was on the signal bridge during the invasion of Iwo Jima and used signal flags in communicating with other ships in the fleet. Click HERE for his story.

 U.S. Navy Signal Flags

Even in these days of radio and satellite communications, the U.S. Navy uses the international alphabet flags, numeral pennants, numeral flags, and special flags and pennants for visual signaling. These signal flags are used to communicate while maintaining radio silence. Navy Signalmen transmit messages by hoisting a flag or a series of flags on a halyard. Each side of the ship has halyards and a "flag bag", containing a full set of signal flags. Signals unique to the Navy are used when communicating with other U.S. Navy or allied forces. When communicating with all other vessels, the International Code of Signals is used. The code/answer pennant precedes all signals in international code.

Phonetic Alphabet and Signal Flags

A phonetic alphabet is a list of words used to identify letters in a message transmitted by radio or telephone. Spoken words from an approved list are substituted for letters. For example, the word "Navy" would be "November Alfa Victor Yankee" when spelled in the phonetic alphabet. This practice helps to prevent confusion between similar sounding letters, such as "m" and "n", and to clarify communications that may be garbled during transmission.

Alfa	Bravo	Charlie	Delta	Echo
Foxtrot	Golf	Hotel	India	Juliet
Kilo	Lima	Mike	November	Oscar
Papa	Quebec	Romeo	Sierra	Tango
Uniform	Victor	Whiskey	Xray	Yankee
Zulu	Number 1	Number 2	Number 3	Number 4
Number 5	Number 6	Number 7	Number 8	Number 9
Number 0	Code/Answer	First substitute	Second substitute	Third substitute
Fourth substitute	Pennant one	Pennant two	Pennant three	Pennant four
Pennant five	Pennant six	Pennant seven	Pennant eight	Pennant Nine

 

Pennant zero

Source: The Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington, D.C