Formations, Guides & Manoeuvring Definitions

Size and grouping

Large ship — a ship larger than a destroyer (over 450 feet in length). Small ship — a destroyer (under 450 feet) or smaller.

Unit — a single ship or aircraft, or a small number operating as an entity for manoeuvring purposes.

Formation — an ordered arrangement of two or more ships or units proceeding together. Disposition — an ordered arrangement of two or more formations proceeding together.

Main body — the principal ships of a formation, which normally has a screen. Screen — a peripheral arrangement of ships whose function is to protect a main body or convoy.

Lines

A line is a formation in which ships are formed along a straight line extending in any direction from the line guide.

Column — ships formed directly ahead or astern of the line guide. Line abreast — ships formed directly abeam of the line guide. Line of bearing — ships formed in a line on a relative direction from the line guide other than directly ahead, astern or abeam.

Guides and pivots

Guide — a ship on which other ships take station when forming and keep station when formed up.

The Guide — the ship on which all units of a formation, and all formation guides in a disposition, take and keep station. Formation guide — a ship in each formation on which units of that formation take and keep station.

Line guide — when ships are formed in more than one line, the ship occupying the station in her own line corresponding to that occupied by the Guide in the Guide's line.

Pivot ship — the wing ship in a line on the side toward which a wheel is being made. Pivot column — the wing column toward which the wheel is being made.

Basic single-line formations

Column: ships bow to stern, station 1 leading, subsequent stations numbered sequentially astern. The bearing between stations equals the course of the formation.

Line abreast: ships beam to beam with station 1 at one end. Stations to starboard of station 1 make it line abreast to starboard; to port, line abreast to port. The bearing between stations is perpendicular to the course.

Line of bearing: stations aligned along a designated bearing, ordered either as a true bearing (FORM 120, FORM 235) or as a relative bearing in tens of degrees (FORM PORT 15, FORM STARBOARD 13.5).

Other single-line variants include loose line abreast, loose line of bearing, loose line of column, column open order and diamond.