In  single-line  formations,  any  given  ship  is responsible for the ships beyond and in the direction away  from  the  originating  ship.  In  multiple-line formations, the senior officer is responsible for ships in his/her own line and line commanders of lines immediately adjacent to his/her own line. The line commanders in the multiple lines are responsible for ships  in  their  own  line  and  line  commanders immediately  adjacent  but  in  a  direction  beyond  and away from the originating ship. Individual ships are responsible for ships in their own line beyond and away from their own line commander. In  any  operational  formation  or  disposition,  the chain of visual responsibility is governed by the rules set  forth  previously  unless  modified  by  responsible commanders. It may be necessary for a commander to issue  detailed  relaying  instructions  or  diagrams showing sectors of visual responsibility, to make sure visual signals are cleared as quickly as possible. In assigning  responsibility,  a  commander  considers  the relative capabilities of various ships, such as the type of  visual  equipment  installed,  personnel  limitations, and type of formations. Repeating Ship A repeating ship is any ship through which a message is relayed. A repeating ship is any of the following: A ship specifically designated as a repeating ship A ship that automatically relays A ship that elects to relay to facilitate signaling A ship through which a message is routed The function of a ship specifically designated as a repeating ship is to act as a primary relay station to facilitate  communication. As you can see, visual relay responsibility can be complicated; but it is a part of your job, so learn it. OPERATOR'S  RESPONSIBILITIES Reliability, security, and speed depend, to a large extent, upon the operator. It is essential, therefore, that operators   be   well-trained,   maintain   signaling discipline,   and   understand   thoroughly   their responsibilities. You   should   always   follow   the   prescribed procedure.   Unauthorized   departures   from   or variations in prescribed procedures invariably create confusion,  reduce  reliability  and  speed,  and  tend  to nullify   security   precautions.   If   an   unusual circumstance   is   not   covered   by   set   procedure, initiative   and   common   sense   should   provide   a reasonable procedure. The following practices are forbidden: 1. Violating visual silence when such condition is imposed. 2. Transmitting the operator's personal sign. (The operator's  initials  or  any  other  identifying  sign constitutes a personal sign.) 3. Using plain language when unauthorized to do so. 4. Using profane, indecent, or obscene language. 5. Using other than authorized prosigns. VISUAL PROCEDURE When transmitting a visual message, you must transmit  each  character  distinctly.  The  speed  of transmission is governed by prevailing conditions and the  capability  of  the  receiving  operators. Accuracy  in  transmission  is  far  more  important than speed. The difference in the time required to send a message at 10 words per minute and that required to transmit at 15 words per minute is slight. Even this slight gain in time may be nullified by an added time required  for  repetitions.  The  speed  at  which  the receiving  operator  can  copy  without  having  to  obtain repetitions  is  the  speed  at  which  the  transmitting operator   should   transmit.   When   an   operator   is transmitting   to   more   than   one   station,   his/her governing speed is to be that of the slowest receiving operator. The speed of transmitting the heading should be slower than the speed of transmitting the text. Logs and Files Every signal transmitted or received by visual means  must  be  logged,  together  with  the  time  of execution, in a suitable record book. A file of all messages transmitted or received by visual means must be kept to facilitate future reference. Logs and files are covered more in depth in chapter 8. Message   Transmission Messages are to be transmitted exactly as written. Abbreviations  must  not  be  substituted  for  plain language   or   plain   language   substituted   for abbreviations. 4-3