Data Sharing Review

[Ian Batten]

On 19 Jul 2008, at 10:36, Ian Mason wrote:
>
> Typical example: MD goes on holiday, delegates power X to senior =20
> manager.
> Senior manager is taken ill, delegates power to alternate. Alternate =20=

> has to
> deal with family crisis at kid's school, other senior managers are =20
> out for
> the rest of the day and so needs to delegate power to a junior. I've =20=

> had
> days exactly like that.

The military, of course, have that `chain of command' thing mapped out =20=

in precise detail.   There's a precise set of rules to determine who, =20=

in any given combination of people, has command authority.  Now there =20=

are some things I'm not clear about, especially the mechanism by which =20=

the prerogatives of commissioned officers are passed to NCOs, but the =20=

rules exist.

To quote one example when this policy mattered, the USS Aylwin got to =20=

sea on the 7th of December 1941, and operated for four days commanded =20=

by four ensigns.

> As Aylwin lay moored in a nest with her squadron mates on the =20
> morning of 7 December 1941, one small boiler was in operation to =20
> provide enough power for auxiliary services on board. Approximately =20=

> half of her men were enjoying leave and liberty that weekend. At =20
> 07:55 that Sunday morning, shortly before morning colors, the sound =20=

> of airplane engines surprised Aylwin=92s men and countless other =20
> bluejackets. At that time, Japanese planes torpedoed the target ship =20=

> Utah (AG-16) moored to a quay off Ford Island.
> Three minutes later, Aylwin=92s returned fire. At 08:00, the "black =20=

> gang" lit fires under two boilers, cutting them in on her main steam =20=

> line within 15 minutes. At 08:29, Commander, Destroyers Battle Force =20=

> directed his ships to get underway. At about 08:50, a Japanese plane =20=

> dropped a bomb that exploded some 75 yards off Aylwin=92s starboard =20=

> bow. Eight minutes later, Aylwin, leaving her stern wire and anchor =20=

> chain behind, headed for the channel and the open sea.
> The destroyer, manned by 50% of her crew under the direction of four =20=

> ensigns=97the senior officer, Ensign Stanley B. Caplan, had served at =20=

> sea for only some eight months=97proceeded out of Pearl Harbor, =20
> stripping ship for war and simultaneously maintaining a "continuous =20=

> fire." Her machine gunners claimed to have downed at least three =20
> aircraft; but, in the light of the tremendous volume of antiaircraft =20=

> fire from all ships, her "kills" cannot be proven conclusively.
> As Aylwin raced out to sea, those men topside who chanced to look =20
> astern beheld a curious sight, her captain, Lt. Comdr. Robert H. =20
> Rodgers, and other officers, in a motor launch about 1,000 yards off =20=

> the entrance buoys. Nevertheless, in view of ComDesRon 1's =20
> instructions, Aylwincould not slow down, but instead headed out to =20
> sea for patrol duty, leaving most of her officers orphans on board =20
> the old flushdecker Chew(DD-106).