(a) Maintain on board an adequate stock of the following mail books and forms:-
(i) Record book S.568. (vi) Inland Telegraph form.
(ii) Register List I.N. 462. (vii) Double Postcards.
(iii) Receipt I.N. 400. (viii) Postal Order form.
(iv) Letter of Parcel Bill IN 463. (ix) Money Order forms.
(v) Air Letter forms. (x) Mailman’s authority to collect mail.
(b) Ensure that all members of the ship’s company are aware of the regulations concerning addressing and posting of mail and the various postal concessions to which they are entitled.
(c) Ensure that a record is maintained in the ship of all personnel on board and transferred away from the ship, the letter with date of departure and forwarding addresses formal; and re address mail for personnel who have left the ship
(d) Receive on board, record and deliver to the addresses, if on board, mail for the ship in accordance with regulation 0374; receive, record, make up and despatch mail from the ship in accordance with regulation 0375(2).
(e) Inform the Captain of delay and non-receipt of mail so that the latter can report the fact to the Naval authority or civil post officer concerned.
(f) Take care that registered items pass through as few hands as possible, and that all possible precautions are taken to prevent their being tampered with while in Navy custody. They shall be kept under lock and key until delivered. A signature shall be obtained when they are transferred from one person to another.
(g) Before sailing, make proper arrangements for diversion of the ship’s mail, stating the latest time at which mail for the ship on be received at ports before the ship’s departure.
(2) The ship’s mailman shall be a trustworthy Petty officer or Leading sailor who must be furnished with written authority, signed by the Commanding officer and bearing the signature of the mailman, to collect mail for them ship. His duties are to:-
(a) Deliver mail from the ship to the appropriate Naval shore authority and to the post office as instructed by the ship’s mail officer, obtaining signatures for registered items.
(b) Deliver and collect special items of mail at places ashore on the instructions of the ship’s Mail officer.
(c) Collect mail for the ship from the naval shore authority and post office, and from other places as specially instructed; check and sign for registered items and deliver the mail to the ship’s mail officer.
(3) When one mailman is authorised to collect mails for several vessels, the Mail officer of the ship to which he delivers the mails shall see that full particulars of the registered items (or sealed registered bags) for each ship, as well as his own, are entered in the ship’s Record Book S.568 and placed in safe custody until called for by the addressee or the postman from the addressee’s ship.
0374. Receipt of Mail on Board. (1) Particulars of each registered item received on board shall be entered in Record Book S.568. The letter bill and register list enclosed in sealed bags of mail shall be checked and, if correct, one copy shall be signed and returned promptly to the officer from which the mail was despatched and the other copy signed and filed for reference. Discrepancies in the number of registered items received, or damage to a registered item or to a parcel enclosed in the bag shall be reported by signal to the office from which the mail was despatched. The bag, seal, label, string, letter bill and register list concerned shall be retained in the receiving office until the query has been satisfactorily settled in case it is required by the despatching office. Before such a report is made, a commissioned or gazetted officer shall be called by the person who has discovered the loss or damage to witness the correctness of the report.
(2) After entry, registered items shall be signed for in S.568 by the addressee and the ship’s mailman who issues them before delivery to the addressee. Each entry shall be countersigned by the ship’s mail officer. It is important that the signature thus obtained shall be legible to enable the movements of missing packets to be traced throughout.
(3) If the addressee of a registered item has left the ship, the item shall be redirected and the entry in S.568 endorsed according to indicated disposal.
(4) Unregistered mail shall be divided into divisions and messes and delivered accordingly. Mail for personnel who have left the ship shall be clearly readdressed and redirected to the address to which the person was transferred from the ship, or in accordance with any special instructions left by the addressee.
0375. Mails received in a ship for Conveyance. (1) A record shall be kept in an S.568 of all bags of mail received for conveyance and a receipt obtained when they are transferred. This receipt shall be pasted in S.568.
(2) Make up and Despatch to the Store. When registered mail is handed in by the sender to the ship’s mail officer for despatch, the mail officer shall give the sender a completed receipt for the item on I.N. 400.
(3) Telegrams must be completed with the name and address of sender in the space provided on the telegraph form.
(4) To facilitate sorting, letters shall not be despatched loose in mailbags but shall be, tied in bundles with the address facing in one direction.
(5) Mailbags must be kept for mail purposes only. Surplus mailbags shall be passed ashore to the appropriate Naval authority or to the post office.
SECTION IX – NAVAL AIR ARM
0376. General Responsibilities. (1) The Captain of a ship or air station is responsible for the general command, discipline, efficiency and safety of the air units under his command and for ensuring that the correct procedure is carried out for the custody, maintenance and reporting of all aircraft and air equipment held by such units until they are properly transferred to another authority.
(2) The Captain shall issue such instructions as may be necessary to ensure the safe and proper conduct of flying from their stations/ships.
0377. Airworthiness of Aircraft. (1) When for any reason the Captain of a ship or air station has cause to question the airworthiness, either generally or for any particular purpose, of any type of aircraft, he shall report the matter by signal to the appropriate Naval authorities, repeated to Naval Headquarters. If necessary, the Captain shall order the cessation or restriction of flying on the particular type of aircraft in question under his command. Any such orders, if issued, shall be similarly reported.
(2) Instructions to the Naval service generally on the matters dealt with in sub regulation (1) will be issued by the Chief of the Naval Staff.
(3)Should it be necessary, in emergency, for the Captain to issue orders for the removal of such flying restrictions, pending the receipt of covering approval from the Chief of the Naval Staff, he shall inform the Chief of the Naval Staff and the appropriate Administrative Authorities.
0378. Authorisation of Flights. The Captain is responsible that every flight made by a service aircraft is authorised by an officer empowered in this behalf. He shall promulgate within his ship or air station the names of officers to whom he delegates responsibility for the authorisation of flights.
0379. Unserviceability of Airfield. (1) Captain of an air station shall ensure that routine inspections of the airfield are made to ascertain whether any obstructions exist and whether the airfield or any portion of it is unserviceable through bad ground or other causes. Any such areas or obstructions shall be indicated as laid down in the Air Traffic Control Regulations and other relevant instructions.
(2) If the extent of the unserviceable area renders it necessary, the airfield, or a portion thereof, shall be declared unfit for flying.
(3) To enable warnings to be issued to aircraft, the Captain shall report by signal to all appropriate Naval, Indian Air Force (I.A.F) and civil authorities if the airfield or any substantial portion of it becomes unserviceable, or if any temporary obstructions, not clearly discernible by pilots from the air, cannot be effectively indicated by the standard methods. The report shall state:-
(a) The nature and position of the unserviceable area or obstruction.
(b) The nature of markings by day and night.
(c) The approximate period for which the area will remain unserviceable.
(4) When the state of unserviceability or obstruction ceases to exist, the fact shall be reported to the authorities referred to in sub regulation (3).
0380. Closing of Airfield. (1) An airfield may not be declared closed for reasons of bad weather alone, but only when exceptional circumstances such as unserviceability of the landing area make it impossible for aircraft to land safely.
(2) The Captain is responsible that the I.A.F and Civil Aviation Authorities are informed of bad weather and other adverse local conditions and may advise aircrew against landing, but may not forbid this solely on account of bad weather.
0381. Responsibility for Airfield Surfaces. (1) The Captain of an air station is responsible for the upkeep of the grassed surfaces throughout the station after their construction has been completed and they have been handed over to his charge.
(2) The Commander Works Engineer is responsible for the maintenance of all hard surfaces and drainage and will also undertake any repairs to the grassed surfaces, which are agreed to be beyond the capacity of the station staff.
0382. Air Publications. The Captain shall ensure that facilities are provided for all aircrews and officers and sailors to make themselves acquainted with such air publications as may concern them.
0383. Airfield Dummy Deck Landing Control. The Captain of an air station at which deck landing practice is carried out may delegate the local control of air traffic during the period of these practice to Mirror Control officers or selected officers of the instructional staff, provided that close liaison with the Air Traffic Control officer is maintained.
0384. Navigational Warnings to Aircraft. The Captain shall ensure that all navigational warnings to aircraft, which are received, are promulgated to all concerned and that the necessary action to ensure the safety of aircraft is taken. He shall also ensure that the necessary authorities are notified of all practices or other activities, which shall be carried out under his direction and may affect the safe navigation of aircraft.
0385. Aircraft Overdue. Detailed instructions relating to the procedure to be followed when an aircraft becomes overdue are laid down in regulations for the Naval Air Arm. If it is apparent that an aircraft is overdue or has force landed or crashed, it is the responsibility of the Commanding officer of any I.N. establishment which received information regarding the incident to put into operation the Search and Rescue Organisation.
0386. Local Flying Areas and Weapon Firing Ranges. (1) Proposals for the establishment of low flying areas or routes, armament practice areas and general training areas shall be made by the Captain after consultation with other Naval authorities and with local civil, I.A.F and Army authorities.
(2) These proposals shall be submitted to the Chief of the Naval Staff through the Administrative Authority. The Chief of the Naval Staff will ensure that the proposed areas do no conflict with the interests of the other services or of other Government departments. When final agreement is reached, the Chief of the Naval Staff will authorise the use of the areas proposed and will promulgate the details of any restrictions to be observed in their use.
0387. Areas for Operating winged Targets. (1) Captains of air stations from which winged targets are operated shall lay down routes which are clear of built-up areas, between the airfield from which they are operated and the firing areas. In firing areas the distance from the populated areas (including populous beaches) at which winged targets are towed shall be such as will ensure that the target will n ot enter a populated area in the event of the tow parting. This distance should if possible be at least two miles.
(2) The operation of winged targets shall be confined to sparsely populated areas.
0388. Local Flying Orders. (1) The Captain shall issue and promulgate such local orders for the conduct of flying as may be necessary in amplification of instructions issued by the Chief of the Naval Staff and by Administrative Authorities.
(2) Operations and Practices. The Captain is responsible that only those operations or practices take place which have be authorised by him or b y an officer empowered to act on his behalf for this purpose, and that proper instructions are issued for their conduct.
(3) SAR (Search And Rescue) Cover During Flying. The Captain is responsible for ensuring that when Single Engine (SE) aircraft from a ship or air station are carrying out exercises over the sea or when the circuit crosses the coast at least one of the following Search and Rescue precautions is taken:-
(a) A SAR helicopter is ready for immediate take-off or is airborne within the circuit.
(b) A power boat is in the vicinity of the practice area and is in direct communication with the air station or ship or at a buoy or alongside a pier in the vicinity of the practice area manned by her crew in instant readiness to proceed and in direct communication with the air station or carrier.
(c) A sea boat is maintained in instant readiness for use as a crash boat.
(d) A ship specially detailed is under way in the exercise areas and in direct communication with the carrier or the air station.
(4) When none of these facilities can be made available aircraft may operate over the sea only provided that they are flying at such a height that they can reach land by gliding or can ditch alongside a ship and are under positive control or radar surveillance.
(5) Single engine aircraft flying beyond gliding distance to the shore are not to operate singly.
(6) A Medical officer should, if possible, be embarked in ships acting in accordance with sub regulation 1(d) above.
(7) Section VI Chapter 65 on SAR operations of INAP-2 (orders for the Air Arm of the Indian Navy) is also relevant.
Note1. Medical Cover. In the interest of flight safety all Captains are to ensure that before permitting any flying, a medical officer and a medical assistant is available for immediate duty with the ambulance in the sick bay Note 2. Exceptions. On ships conducting flying operations, a Medical officer/Medical assistant is to be available on the flight deck. However, under exceptional circumstances helicopter operations may be undertaken from a ship without a Medical officer provided a Medical officer is present on board another ship in company. This is to be resorted to only after approval of the Senior Officer present.
Note 3. Pre-flight Medical. All aircrew are to undergo pre-flight medical prior to flying. Details are covered in article 3307 INAP –2 (Orders for the Air Arm of the Indian Navy).
0389. Fire Precautions. (1) The Captain is responsible that officers and sailors are drilled regularly in fire-fighting in aircraft and in the4 use and care of the equipment.
(2) In aircraft carriers, ships operating aircraft/helicopters, at least two sailors shall always be fully dressed in crash tender rig whenever aircraft are landing on, taking off, or being catapulted.
(3) Crash Tender and Ambulance. The Commanding officer of an air station is to ensure that when flying is being carried out, a properly equipped crash tender and light rescue vehicle with crew dressed in protective clothing and an ambulance with driver, are in readiness for immediate use. These vehicles are to be under the operational control of the Air Traffic Control officer. The crash tender is always to proceed to the scene of a crash whether there is a fire or not.
(4) Aircraft Being Ferried. When aircraft and aero-engines are ferried in Indian Naval ships the Captain is responsible for the maintenance of the state of preservation.
0390. Handling Aircraft for Alterations. (1) The Captain shall ensure that work which involves alterations to aircraft or their fittings is not carried out as general drill. New parts shall be fitted only to replace unserviceable equipment or in accordance with approved alterations or modifications.
(2) The handling of aircrafts may be carried out at speed after proper training, but shall not be treated as an evolution.
0391. Guarding Landed Aircraft. When crashed, unserviceable aircraft are landed at Naval establishments from Indian Naval Ships for collection by a salvage party, the ship landing the aircraft shall turn it over to the local naval authority, who will be responsible for the security of the aircraft or portion thereof, providing a guard, if necessary, until it has been entirely removed by the salvage party.
0392. Duty Crew. A duty crew shall be detailed at every air station which is in use for flying. It shall always be available to meet any requirements in connection with visiting aircraft, work out of normal routine, and salvage if separate duty salvage crews cannot be provided.
0393. Air Displays. No Naval aircraft shall be used in air displays organised by civil authorities, without the prior approval of the Government of India. All applications of such nature will be forwarded to the Chief of the Naval Staff.
Approval for air display organised by the Navy, where civilians are invited is to be obtained from the respective Administrative Authorities who will in turn keep the Chief of the Naval Staff informed.
0394. Customs and Health Regulations. The Captain shall ensure that customs and health regulations are observed in accordance with current instructions.
Naval aircraft may not carry:-
(a) Any Goods whose importation is prohibited.
(b) Any dutiable goods except in small quantities, which may be required for consumption by the crew in the flight.
CHAPTER 4 INSTRUCTIONS TO THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER
0401. General Responsibility. The Executive officer, under the Captain is responsible for the discipline, training, general organisation and welfare of the ship’s company, notwithstanding the direct responsibility of Heads of Department to the Captain for the efficiency and technical training of their own departments.
0402. Fighting Organisation. The Executive officer shall supervise the preparation and completion of the Watch and Station Bill by specialist and departmental officers and is responsible under the Captain, for the damage control organisation and training, in which he shall be guided by B.R. 1294 Damage Control Manual.
0403 Paravane and Minesweeping Equipment. The Executive officer, or such other commissioned officer as the Captain may consider suitable, shall be made responsible for the handling and maintenance of the ship’s minesweeps and paravanes.
0404. Magazines and Explosives. Under the Captain, the Executive officer is responsible for the safety of all explosives on board and shall comply with the instructions laid down in B.R. 862 Naval Magazine and “Explosives Regulations.
0405. Shipwright Artificers and Artisans. When no Shipwright officer is borne, the Executive officer shall supervise the work of the Shipwright artificers and artisans and other sailors working under them.
0406. Precautions at Sea. (1) The Executive officer is responsible to the Captain that hatches are closed and that everything is properly secured on deck before the ship leaves harbour.
(2) When the ship is at sea, should he give an order, which may place sailors in a position of danger without previously ascertaining from the Officer of the Watch that the upper deck is safe, he assumes full responsibility for their safety.
0407. Joining and Leaving Routines. It is important that standing orders of every ship and establishment should provide for a definite routine to be carried out by all officers and sailor joining or leaving the ship. It is necessary to provide for adequate advance notice of discharges being given to all departments concerned, such as regulating, pay, store, vi8ctualling and clothing offices, sick bay, etc., and the routine should ensure that all stores on loan, including loan clothing (other than such articles issued on personal loan as are authorised to be retained during service), are withdrawn from officers, and sailors before they leave.
CHAPTER 5 THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT Section Regulations I. Instructions to Engineer Officers on the Staff 0501-0510 II. Instructions to the Engineer officers 0511-0525 III. Instructions to the Air Engineer Officers 0526-0534 IV. Instructions to the Constructor Officers 0535-0544 V. General 0545-0558 VI. Fuelling 0559-0565 SECTION I – INSTRUCTIONS TO ENGINEER OFFICERS ON THE STAFF
0501. Staff Engineer Officer. The Flotilla Engineer officer on the staff of a Flag or other officer in command of a flotilla shall perform such duties in connection with the ships and establishments within and attached to the command as may be ordered by the said flag or other officer.
0502. Flotilla Engineer Officer. The Flotilla Engineer officer on the staff of a flag or other officer in command of a flotilla shall perform such duties in connections with the ships attached to the flotilla as may be ordered by the said Flag or other officer.
0503. Squadron Engineer Officer. The Engineer officer detailed for staff duties in each squadron shall perform such duties in connection with the ships under the command of the Flag or Senior Officer as are ordered by him. These shall include the following;-
(a) To superintend generally, in the ships attached to the squadron all maters connected with the propelling machinery, boilers and all other machinery and details for which the Engineer officer of the ship is responsible; he shall visit ships in connection with his duties at any time that he may require to do so.
(b) To carry out the inspections of the machinery and boilers of ships attached to the squadron in accordance with the instructions laid down in Marine Engineering Manual.
(c) To maintain a detailed and upto-date knowledge of the condition and durability of the machinery and boilers of ships and establishments under his superintendence, to bring at once to the notice of the Flag or Senior Officer on whose staff he is borne any important defects, or reduction in the efficiency of the machinery of any ship, and to ensure that the necessary steps are taken to remedy such defects using all the resources available.
(d) To examine quarterly or as convenient, the engineering master log of the shops under his superintendence to ascertain whether they are correct and whether the instructions have been complied with.
(e) To propose to the Flag or Senior officer, for his consideration, any measure which in his opinion may conduce to economy or to the efficiency and improvement of all maters under his superintendence.
(f) To take every opportunity of ascertaining the capabilities of engineer officers to enable him to point out when called upon to do so, those who may be best qualified for any particular service or for promotion and to note during his inspections that the instructions for the training and promotions of junior officers and sailors are being fully complied with.
0504.Blank
0505. Staff Air Engineer Officer. The Staff Air Engineer officer borne for staff duties in each fleet, flotilla, squadron or shore command shall perform such duties as may be ordered by the Flag or other officer or Senior Officer on whose staff he is borne. He shall carry out the instructions given in regulation 0503 (e) and (f) in relation to Air Engineering Department, officers and sailors shall in addition:-
(a) Superintend generally all matters connected with the maintenance and repair of aircraft and associated equipment and all other machinery and details for which the air engineer officers of the ships or stations are responsible; he shall visit ships or establishments in connection with his duties at any time that he may require to do so
(b) Carry out the inspection of the air engineering departments of the ships and establishments attached to the fleet, flotilla, squadron or shore command.