Abbreviation worthy of the Royal Navy’s largest warship
SAILORS have long been known for speaking their own nautical language that leaves landlubbers baffled.
That tradition continued yesterday when the Royal Navy’s largest-ever warship published its daily orders for the public to see on Twitter as the 65,000-ton vessel left Portsmouth.
As the £3.1billion HMS Queen Elizabeth was prepared for departure, commanders shared the string of shorthand orders given to the 700-strong crew, joking that it was the “longest abbreviation known to humankind”.
The orders, reading: “SSDCUADCS3CYHTHSHOOTROTDCOTUDCASDAH” equated to “Special Sea Dutymen Close Up Assume Damage Control State 3 Condition Yankee Hands to Harbour Stations Hands Out Of The Rig Of The Day Clear Off The Upper Deck Close All Screen Doors And Hatches”. Or, as naval sources explained for those still none the wiser: “Get ready to go”.
The UK’S future flagship sailed for the first time since being officially commissioned into the Royal Navy in December and will be launching her first helicopter trials at sea.
Two Chinook helicopters from the aircraft test and evaluation facility at MOD Boscombe Down landed on the warship before it sailed and two Merlin Mk2 helicopters will join later.
Specialist equipment on the aircraft will test landings, take-offs and manoeuvres in different seas and winds. Flight trials for the new F-35B stealth jet will take place later in the year.
Capt Jerry Kyd, the ship’s commanding officer, said: ““This is an important milestone in the ship’s progression towards embarking the F-35B Lightning jets later this year, and ultimately the achievement of carrier strike capability.”