NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Battenberg Course Indicator
From: W F Jones
Date: 2006 Mar 5, 17:15 -0500
From: W F Jones
Date: 2006 Mar 5, 17:15 -0500
Apparently provides a rapid graphical solution for mathematical problems that were difficult to solve in a timely manner without a computer. I have also seen the three-arm protractors (station keepers) on ebay relatively often and think about how these could be replaced with a computer program. Two bearings are taken on three land-based objects resulting in a fix. Anyone know of a mathematical solution? Frank Rochester, NY Date sent: Sun, 5 Mar 2006 13:13:17 -0800 Send reply to: Navigation Mailing ListFrom: Paul Hirose Subject: Battenberg Course Indicator To: NAVIGATION-L@LISTSERV.WEBKAHUNA.COM I came across this by chance while prowling the Internet. "The Battenberg Course Indicator was invented in 1892 by Captain H. S. H. Prince Louis of Battenberg, G.C.B., afterwards Admiral-of-the-Fleet The Marquess of Milford Haven, P.C., G.C.B., G.C.V.O., K.C.M.G., LL.D. It is practically the mooring board in mechanical form, and is designed for the rapid solution of a series of ordinary speed and distance triangles frequently met with in fleet work." To me the instrument looks like a mechanization of the maneuvering board. It has arms and sliders on which you set up the inputs and read the outputs. "Owing to the small inaccuracies inseparable from an instrument built with moving parts on robust lines, the answers furnished by individual instruments will vary slightly." http://www.gwpda.org/naval/ou5274.htm (This consists of scans of the instructions, and photos showing the setups for several example problems. It must total a couple meg, so there will be a delay with a dial-up connection.) There are several other interesting links at the parent site. "Boxing the compass, points of the compass", etc. http://www.gwpda.org/naval/n0000000.htm#swt I found the 1908 document "Coaling from a Collier" interesting, though the instructions were about 70% incomprehensible due to the thicket of terminology. Good grief, what a detestable task coaling must have been! "The first maxim in coaling should be to get every single officer and man that can be spared, into the collier to dig out the coal... You will find at the commencement of a commission, that there are various ratings who look upon it as a right to be excused coaling. Meet them with a stony eye, and say there is no such thing as 'having a right' when the coal has to come in." The author, Christopher Cradock, commanded the small British force that confronted von Spee's powerful squadron in the battle off Coronel in 1914. He was killed when his cruiser HMS Good Hope blew up.