He receives messages in Morse code through his headset and notes them in his message log.
Technology had changed the nature of war at sea in just one generation. The ability to communicate with wireless was still not universally available to ships of the Royal Navy at the turn of the twentieth century. In the decade that preceded the Great War, however, every vessel acquired the ability to communicate with other ships of the fleet over the horizon. Wireless telegraphy meant that complex instructions and orders could be passed much more quickly and effectively from ship to ship or from ship to shore even if they could not see each other.
On this day
1942 — Battle of MIDWAY began. This decisive victory by the US Navy over the Japanese Navy shifted the balance of sea power in the Pacific and forced Japan to abandon plans to attack New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa. Japanese losses were 4 aircraft carriers, 1 cruiser, 248 aircraft, and over 3,000 sailors. American losses were 1 aircraft carrier, 1 destroyer, 150 aircraft, and 307 men
1944 — 78 Squadron, RAAF, carried out the last major air combat by the RAAF in WW2, off BIAK Island, New Guinea. 10 enemy planes were shot down for the loss of one Australian plane and pilot
1969 — HMAS MELBOURNE collided with USS FRANK E EVANS in the South China Sea. EVANS was cut in half and 74 of her crew were killed