'Big Eyes' on the Signal Bridge

[Salvage Sailor]

Aloha Everyone,

 

Now and again we make reference to looking over a contact, target, object using the 'Big Eyes' on the Signal Bridge. Here's a great photo of them in use on sea and anchor detail.

 

USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV-67) June 1969.

 

Signalman 3rd Class in whites - note the 1960's leather wristband that many of us wore during the Vietnam Era.

 

 

[P-40Warhawk]

Nice photo showing the tropical white uniform too.

[TreasureHunter]

Not sure I found the signal bridge during my days on "Big John". Guess being an engineer I didnt want to get a nose bleed.

[sigsaye]

Not sure I found the signal bridge during my days on "Big John". Guess being an engineer I didnt want to get a nose bleed.

You would not have been allowed up into the sacred decks of the Signal Bridge. Your Snipe shoes would have left greasy foot prints.

[Wharfmaster]

Good old days when the "Crow" actually looked like an eagle.

[Salvage Sailor]

A signalman looks through Mark 3 "Big Eyes" binoculars on the bridge of the battleship USS MISSOURI (BB-63)

NARA: PHCS Ronald W. Bayles 

[Salvage Sailor]

PS - In the photo above the Signalman is wearing 1970-1980 vinyl & cotton cloth Cold War era USN issue gloves

[patches]

This comes with a caption.

 

SEAMAN Apprentice Justin McEvers of the 3rd Division uses the ship's binoculars while standing lookout watch on the signal bridge of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) during WestPac '93

[Salvage Sailor]

That's the surface Navy at sea depicting their daily routine.  One man on a four hour lookout watch (probably rotating each hour to other watch positions) and an 'off duty' sailor sweeping and cleaning during 'working hours', 0800-1630, unless he has the watch.  Also note the buck knife on his belt and the lookout also is wearing a Seiko moon phase watch & Zippo ships' belt buckle.

 

There ya go, haze grey and underway

[Bluehawk]

"One man on a four-hour lookout watch (probably rotating each hour to other watch positions..."

 

> What is he looking for exactly, and what does he do if he sees something?

[Salvage Sailor]

The Deck watchstanders rotate through different positions during the watch.  Some are on lookout stations - typically forward lookout, aft(er) lookout, Signal bridge (topside), and messenger/bridge talker.  All of them would be wearing sound powered phones and are hooked up to a common circuit (i.e. party line).   Other deck watchstanders are at the helm (wheel), EOT (engine order telegraph) and possibly the bridge wings depending upon your condition (independent steaming, formation, towing, etc)

 

On the signal bridge, the lookout primarily uses his Mark I eyeball to spot contacts and call them out to the Bridge/CIC on the sound powered phones.  He uses the 7x50 binoculars to sweep the horizon and the airspace above.  If he's asked to check out the contact in detail, he uses the 'Big Eyes' as shown in the photo to report to the Bridge/CIC.  It's also used to check out sailboats & cruise ship passengers too...

 

 

These are general comments in regard to normal steaming conditions and watchstanding, not for more specific Sea & Anchor Detail watches which may last from an hour to all day if you're transiting a channel, steaming up a river, or into a large busy port.

 

[sigsaye]

I was a Signalman. In my day, the bridge lookouts were NOT, on the Signal bridge, of most ships. They did not use the big eyes. The Signalmen only, used them. The thing is, that in many cases, radar can only tell you that there is something there. Not, so much what it is. Also , sometimes, due to sea state, radar can’t see things. So the SMs identified contacts for the bridge and CIC 

[Salvage Sailor]

Operation Sea Dragon

Aboard USS MANSFIELD (DD-728) 

Combat Camera shooting film from the signal bridge

 

 

 

CAPTAIN SETZER, holding his hand over his left ear, moving out of scene at left, CDR. D. P. NELLIS cups his hand over his mouth and hollers to someone at left of bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

[patches]

Here's a video I found, gives brief history of it,  this one has been refurbished, been chromed.