Memo to All players interested in Naval History: Ship's Bells and how to tell time

[11thACRColdsteel]

 

A ship's bell is used to indicate the time aboard a ship and hence to regulate the sailors' duty watches. The bell itself is usually made of brass or bronze and normally has the ship's name engraved or cast on it.

 

I never could understand (one bells, two bells, etc.) this system.  

 

Until that is, I realized that the time system on a ship is in 4 hour blocks, called a watch.  Forget the 12 or 24 hour time system.  Think in terms of 4 hour block of time as your clock.

 

So watches last 4 hours starting at midnight.  And the bell is rung every 30 minutes in increasing repetitions. 

 

        30 min              1 bell

 

        1 hr                   2 bells  (sound:  ding-ding)

 

        1 hr 30 min         3 bells etc.(sound:  ding-ding......ding)

 

For example 4:30 pm would be 1 bell.   (eg. 30 min after the start of the watch)

 

Number of bells	Bell pattern	Watch
		Middle	Morning	Fore- noon	After- noon	Dog		First
						First	Last
One bell	1	0:30	4:30	8:30	12:30	16:30	18:30[a]	20:30
Two bells	2	1:00	5:00	9:00	13:00	17:00	19:00[a]	21:00
Three bells	2 1	1:30	5:30	9:30	13:30	17:30	19:30[a]	21:30
Four bells	2 2	2:00	6:00	10:00	14:00	18:00		22:00
Five bells	2 2 1	2:30	6:30	10:30	14:30		18:30	22:30
Six bells	2 2 2	3:00	7:00	11:00	15:00		19:00	23:00
Seven bells	2 2 2 1	3:30	7:30	11:30	15:30		19:30	23:30
Eight bells	2 2 2 2	4:00	8:00	12:00	16:00		20:00	0:00

 

The 30 minute interval between bells came about because in the age of sailing, watches were timed with a 30-minute hourglass. Bells would be struck every time the glass was turned, and in a pattern of pairs for easier counting, with any odd bells at the end of the sequence.

 

The hours between 16:00 and 20:00 are so arranged because that watch (the "dog watch") was divided into two. The odd number of watches aimed to give each man a different watch each day. It also allows the entire crew of a vessel to eat an evening meal, the normal time being at 17:00 with first dog watchmen eating at 18:00.^[1]

 

Eight bells can also be a way of saying that a sailor's watch is over, for instance, in his or her obituary, as a nautical euphemism for finished.

 

It is a naval tradition to baptize children using the ship's bell as a baptismal font and to engrave the names of the children on the bell afterwards.a

 

[212thAttackBattalion]

Thanks for this, now I can watch the Hornblower series and know what time they're talking about when they speak in bells

[Sir_Robert_Whitney]

Thanks for this, now I can watch the Hornblower series and know what time they're talking about when they speak in bells

 

yeah, the books are also really good.

[Mister_Rawr]

Another thing to point out is that though this is nominally still in use, it's now limited to the hours between 0600 and 2000 on most ships.  An exception is for days where there is an early morning special event of some sort, at which point bells generally begin at reveille.  

 

There are some that have done away with it all together, but they are rather few and far between.

 

-R

[Umikami]

That is very interesting; thank you.

[CorvusBB39]

The 30 minute interval between bells came about because in the age of sailing, watches were timed with a 30-minute hourglass. Bells would be struck every time the glass was turned, and in a pattern of pairs for easier counting, with any odd bells at the end of the sequence.

 

In Master and Commander there is a short scene showing this process.  The marine on duty taps the glass to let the last bit drain out, turns it, then strikes the bell.

[Mordalen]

Here is a related tradition from the US Navy.

 

With the introduction of mechanical clocks, it became the duty of the ship's Navigation Department to ensure all clocks were wound each day, & set to exactly the same time. This is done before noon time, so that the ship's position could be accurately fixed with a sextant when the sun is at its' highest point in the sky. Then, just before noon time, the Officer of the Watch sends the Messenger of the Watch to the Captain with this message: "The Officer of the Watch sends his respects and wishes to report that all chronometers have been wound and compared, and requests permission to strike eight bells on time."

 

 

[Mister_Rawr]

CO, USS Lastship would look back at the poor Messenger of the Watch every afternoon and ask, in the middle of lunch in the wardroom; "Have all the chronometers really been wound and compared?"

 

Guy was a bit of a prick.  The "Ship's Chronometer" now resides digitally in the navigation system and is regularly updated in an automated manner.  I mean, unless the CO decides to designate one of the two or three actual chronometers assigned to the ship as such.

 

-R

[chrisibare]

 

 

Glad to see this information passed along to others.  As an old Boatswain's Mate / Bosun of the Vessel,  I would add the following uses of a Ship's Bell :

 

1. Restricted Visibility:  Generally used at anchor, or vessel constrained by draft, a combination of whistle, Bell, & Gong is utilized, when heavy Fog is present. Rapid ringing of the Bell for 5 sec., every 1 minute, in the forward part of the Ship, followed by ringing of the gong aft, then 3 blasts of the Ship's whistle, short, long, short.   Loud & Annoying as hell, but rather necessary.

 

2. Honors & Ceremonies:  normally the smaller of the 2 Ship's bells utilized, at Quarterdeck/ Gangway, to render Honors to persons of rank/ position, upon arrival & departure. Number of Bells, sometimes along with Sideboys in ceremonies, would indicate importance / rank. e.g., 2 Bells: LCDR & below. 4 Bells: CDR/ CAPT. 6 Bells: Commodore/ RADM.  8 Bells: VADM / ADM, Presidents, Heads of State,  foreign Dignitaries. Depending on the Pomp & Circumstance, the Honors Boatswain's Mate would additionally Pipe aboard/ off  the individual, followed by announcement over the 1MC. On a side-note, this is the only instance where a left-hand salute is used, by the Honors Boatswain, as he is Piping the Call with his right hand.

 

Some of My more memorable instances have been Ronald Reagan:  8 Bells, Sideboys, Pipe the Call, " United States, arriving / departing" , or the less formal but equally important Rendering of Honors to Lt. Delaplane, each time He visited : 2 Bells, announcement "Medal of Honor , arriving/ departing".  Plankowners of Vessels are accorded the same Honors, upon final departure of their vessel, usually with 2 or 4 Bells, announcement of full name, rank, position, & "Plankowner, departing" . with one final strike of the Bell when You step off the vessel.  I've had that Honor 3 times.

 

3. Fire/ Flooding/ Emergency.  At one time this was commonplace to rapidly strike the Ship's Bell for those emergency instances, but it lent itself to confusion, as some Ships would also follow with 1,2, or 3 strikes of the Bell immediately after, to indicate position on the Ship, 1 Bell: forward, 2 Bells: Midships. 3 Bells: Aft. I believe this practice fell into disuse. 

 

4. Burial-at-Sea.  Perhaps the  most sombering Use of the Ship's Bell. Not official, but Tradition had allowed to strike the Bell 1 time from each Family member in attendance to a Burial-at-Sea. Extremely rare in practice anymore, no longer done by most Navies.

 

A Ship's Bell is a wonderful thing, a part of Naval/ Maritime History.

[11thACRColdsteel]

 

 

Glad to see this information passed along to others.  As an old Boatswain's Mate / Bosun of the Vessel,  I would add the following uses of a Ship's Bell :

 

1. Restricted Visibility:  Generally used at anchor, or vessel constrained by draft, a combination of whistle, Bell, & Gong is utilized, when heavy Fog is present. Rapid ringing of the Bell for 5 sec., every 1 minute, in the forward part of the Ship, followed by ringing of the gong aft, then 3 blasts of the Ship's whistle, short, long, short.   Loud & Annoying as hell, but rather necessary.

 

2. Honors & Ceremonies:  normally the smaller of the 2 Ship's bells utilized, at Quarterdeck/ Gangway, to render Honors to persons of rank/ position, upon arrival & departure. Number of Bells, sometimes along with Sideboys in ceremonies, would indicate importance / rank. e.g., 2 Bells: LCDR & below. 4 Bells: CDR/ CAPT. 6 Bells: Commodore/ RADM.  8 Bells: VADM / ADM, Presidents, Heads of State,  foreign Dignitaries. Depending on the Pomp & Circumstance, the Honors Boatswain's Mate would additionally Pipe aboard/ off  the individual, followed by announcement over the 1MC. On a side-note, this is the only instance where a left-hand salute is used, by the Honors Boatswain, as he is Piping the Call with his right hand.

 

Some of My more memorable instances have been Ronald Reagan:  8 Bells, Sideboys, Pipe the Call, " United States, arriving / departing" , or the less formal but equally important Rendering of Honors to Lt. Delaplane, each time He visited : 2 Bells, announcement "Medal of Honor , arriving/ departing".  Plankowners of Vessels are accorded the same Honors, upon final departure of their vessel, usually with 2 or 4 Bells, announcement of full name, rank, position, & "Plankowner, departing" . with one final strike of the Bell when You step off the vessel.  I've had that Honor 3 times.

 

3. Fire/ Flooding/ Emergency.  At one time this was commonplace to rapidly strike the Ship's Bell for those emergency instances, but it lent itself to confusion, as some Ships would also follow with 1,2, or 3 strikes of the Bell immediately after, to indicate position on the Ship, 1 Bell: forward, 2 Bells: Midships. 3 Bells: Aft. I believe this practice fell into disuse. 

 

4. Burial-at-Sea.  Perhaps the  most sombering Use of the Ship's Bell. Not official, but Tradition had allowed to strike the Bell 1 time from each Family member in attendance to a Burial-at-Sea. Extremely rare in practice anymore, no longer done by most Navies.

 

A Ship's Bell is a wonderful thing, a part of Naval/ Maritime History.

Very cool +1 to you for this post.....nice inside info on the Navy.....thanks so much for sharing this....