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On 2019-06-11 15:46, David C wrote:
 > Though it is expected that little difficulty will be experienced in
changing over from the ‘indirect’ system to the ‘direct’ system, for a
time the orders will be given in the words “wheel to Starboard” and
“Wheel to Port” thus enabling the helmsman to adapt himself gradually to
the new system.

The U.S. Navy chose to quit the old system "cold turkey" in 1913:

"On and after July 1, 1913, the present designations 'starboard' and
'port' governing movements of a ship's helm are hereby ordered
discontinued in orders or directions to the steersman, and the terms
'right' and 'left' referring to movement of the ship's head, shall
thereafter be used instead."


https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/g/general-orders/general-order-no-30-1913-movement-rudder.html


The next year, General Order No. 98 went further and prohibited the word
"helm" in steering commands:

"The term 'helm' shall not be used in any command or directions
connected with the operation of the rudder; in lieu thereof the term
'rudder' shall be used--standard rudder, half rudder, etc."


https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/g/general-orders/general-order-no-98-1914-movement-rudder.html


In 1915 that was replaced by General Order No. 154, "orders to the wheel
and engine telegraphs"

https://books.google.com/books?id=2D4uAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA64


In "Modern Seamanship" (1921) Knight mentions the changes:

https://books.google.com/books?id=m01QAQAAIAAJ&jtp=338


The 1990s movie "Titanic" accurately depicts the old fashioned verbal
command to the quartermaster and his rotation of the wheel in the
opposite direction. So does the 1958 film "A Night to Remember."
However, most people probably think the apparent contradictions are
flubs. To further confuse matters, the explanation in the IMDB
"Incorrectly regarded as goofs" section is wrong:

"When the ship is bearing down on the iceberg, the officer orders the
helmsman to put the helm hard to starboard and later hard to port. In
each case the helmsman appears to do exactly the opposite. However,
prior to the advent and mass popularity of the automobile, a ship's
wheel was rigged such that to turn the ship left (port), the wheel was
turned clockwise (or as we would consider it, to the right). It was only
after a generation of drivers had grown up driving cars that the
shipping industry began rigging their wheels to conform."

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120338/goofs/?tab=gf&ref_=tt_trv_gf
(about 70% of the way down the page)

In reality, the only "backward" thing by modern standards was the verbal
command. Ships of that era responded to the wheel like a modern
automobile. That's clear if you examine old seamanship books. For example,

"But in all cases the principle is the same; and wherever the tiller, or
other appliance, may be fitted, when the order 'port the helm!' is
given, it means that the ship's course is to be altered to starboard,
and vice versa.

"As a general rule, the wheel, the rudder, and the ship's head move in
the same direction. Some attempts have been made lately to alter this
arrangement, but without success, as there seems to be no good reason
why the old order should be altered."

("A Manual of Elementary Seamanship," David Wilson-Barker, 1909)
https://books.google.com/books?id=7btJAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA88&dq=intitle:seamanship


And also,

"Starboard the helm — A man standing the starboard side of the wheel
turns the wheel from him; if standing the port side he hauls it towards
him, the tiller to starboard, and the rudder to port: it causes a ship's
head (supposing her to have headway) to pay off to port."

"The Boy's Manual of Seamanship and Gunnery: Compiled for the Use of the
Training Ships of the Royal Navy," Commander C. Burney, 1867
https://books.google.com/books?id=1UcOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA208

   

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