Combat Information Center


*U.S.S. Allen M. Sumner DD-692*
Combat Information Center CIC

The following is an extract from Radar Bulletin No. 6 (a/k/a RADSIX) from the Fleet CIC Manual dated July 7, 1945. This presents an idea of the layout, personnel and activities performed in the Combat Information Center.

COMINCH P-013

5600. The CIC of a Destroyer (DD).

	5601.	The destroyer is a general utility ship and has many missions to perform. It may be used in surface actions, air actions or against subsurface craft. Its primary weapon of attack is the torpedo, but it has a potent secondary weapon of dual purpose guns. Escort work for combatant or noncombatant ships is also a destroyer's duty.
5610.	Function, duties and responsibilities of CIC.
	5611.	The CIC of a destroyer performs the same general functions as outlined in Parts II, II and IV of Rad SIX. The CIC of a destroyer should provide for efficient handling of simultaneous enemy attacks of all types.
	5612.	In addition to the general functions, a destroyer's CIC has the following added responsibilities:
		1. Torpedo fire.
		2. Anti submarine warfare.
		3. Escort work
5620.	Administrative organization of CIC. (Pending decision)
5630.	Diagram of CIC (fig 14).

Figure 14-CIC-DD (2,200 ton)

PERSONNEL LEGEND	EQUIPMENT LEGEND
1. Evaluator 2. CIC officer 3. Fighter director 4. Gunnery liaison officer 5. Geographic plotter 6. Assistant geographic plotter 7. Geographic recorder 8. Air plotter 9. Assistant air plotter 10. Surface plotter 11. JA talker 12. Radio recorder 13. SG operator 14. Standby SG operator 15. SC operator 16. Standby SC operator	C. Radio phone unit and speaker amplifier E. Pitometer F. Speaker H. Sound-powered selector switch K. Remote bearing indicator L. Remote range indicator M. Remote range and bearing indicator Note: these are extremely hard to make out on the drawing

	5640.	Communications in CIC.
		5641.	Diagram of S/P communications and other intraship communications (see table 12.)

Table 12. - DD: Communications Diagram

1JP

21
JS

22
JS

41
JS

81
JS

1JV

1
or
5
JW

49
JY
(4)

X6J

21
MC

VHF
&
HF

Evaluator

CIC officer

Fighter director

Gunnery liaison officer

Geographic plotter

Assistant geographic plotter

Geographic recorder

Surface plotter

Air plotter

Assistant air plotter

SG operator and standby

SC operator and standby

Radio recorder

JA talker

5642.

Equipment used for intership communications. The allowance of radio equipment changes often, and the installation at times varies from the allowance. A specific list of radio equipment would therefore be misleading. The VHF channels available will indicate in a general manner the extent and type of radio equipment provided. Remote radio phone units and speaker amplifiers provide CIC with a flexible means for transmitting and receiving on multitudinous H.F. channels. DD(445-692)

Equipment	Frequency	Use
2 remote control transmitter-receivers	VHF	Maneuvering and emergency warning.
1 transmitter and receiver	VHF	Inter CIC, support aircraft direction.
2 10-channel transmitters receivers	VHF	Aircraft control, force (group) CIC circuit, fighter net
2 radio telephone units (RPU) transmit and receive	VHF, HF	Fighter net, CIC circuit, local air warning
2 radio telephones	HF	General purpose

	5650.	Operational Organization of CIC.
		5641.	Battle bill and condition watches (table 13.)

TABLE 13. - DD: CIC Watch Bill

Station	Condition I
Station	Officers	Men
Evaluator	1
CIC officer	1
Fighter director	1
Gunnery liaison officer	1
Geographic plotter		1
Assistant geographic plotter		1
Geographic plotter		1
Surface plotter		1
Air Plotter		1
Assistant air plotter		1
SG operator and standby		2
SC operator and standby		2
Radio recorder		1
JA talker		1
	Condition III
	Officers	Men
CIC watch officer	1
Geographic plotter		1
Surface plotter and VF operator		1
Air plotter		1
SG operator		1
SC operator		1

Precision PPI operated by surface plotter or gunnery liaison officer during condition I. A precision PPI operator may be desirable, in addition, during condition I.

	5652.	Detailed duties - battle bill.
		a.	The evaluator should:

	1.	Supervise all activities in CIC during General Quarters.
	2.	Furnish timely, properly evaluated, accurate information to the captain, the unit commander embarked and the control officers as necessary.
	3.	Train CIC teams so that specific orders are not necessary.
	4.	Supervise exterior and interior communications used by CIC. Require that immediate reports be made to him of all pertinent information received from all sources, including radio, internal communication systems, lookout, and visual signals.
	5.	Coordinate the plotting and tracking of all air and surface contacts.
	6.	Use fire control radar to check doubtful contacts.
	7.	Make initial reports to command on all contacts and see that necessary contact report is sent out on warning net.
	8.	Make necessary amplifying reports to command and warning net.
	9.	Designate targets as ordered by the commanding officer. Coach main battery and torpedo directors and automatic weapons on to invisible targets.
	10.	Inform the radar operators of all facts that might aid them in radar interpretation, such as presence of all land echoes, masses, squalls, expected friendly contacts, second sweep echoes.
	11.	Use all facilities to insure safe navigation of the ship.
	12.	Have DRT and other equipment checked for accuracy at frequent intervals. Gyro repeaters should be checked every 15 minutes.
	13.	Report enemy countermeasures immediately to command.
	14.	Be thoroughly familiar with the capabilities and limitations of all radar and identification equipment.

The CIC officer should:

	1.	Be thoroughly familiar with the responsibilities of the evaluator, and in his absence assume those responsibilities.
	2.	Coordinate and supervise the tracking of targets, supervise the upkeep of the surface plot insuring that standard plotting procedures are followed.
	3.	Solve all problems involving the use of the maneuvering board, own and enemy torpedo effective range devices and the CIC equipment.
	4.	Be thoroughly familiar with destroyer tactical, torpedo, gunnery, and associated doctrines, including the force plans.
	5.	When in contact with unidentified surface units, solve torpedo effective range problems and advise the evaluator of his findings.
	6.	Furnish necessary information on invisible targets to the torpedo director for solution of torpedo control problems.
	7.	Understand and control the use of IFF.
	8.	Perform other duties as directed by the evaluator.

The fighter director should:

	1.	Know the responsibilities of the force (group, unit) and ship CIC in connection with the control of aircraft as laid down in current tactical publications and the operations plan.
	2.	Control communications with the combat air patrol, and, when necessary, with the force (group, unit) CIC officer and CIC officers of the other units.
	3.	Control the use of the air search radar when actually engaged in the director of fighter aircraft.
	4.	Relinquish his control of the air search radar to the officer performing gunnery liaison duties when air attach is imminent.
	5.	Keep the evaluator informed of the air situation.
	6.	Have an accurate log of radio transmission kept.
	7.	When not engaged in directing fighter aircraft, supervise maintenance of air or summary plot.
	8.	Be prepared to direct aircraft engaged in antisubmarine patrol, and perform that function when ordered.
	9.	Notify the evaluator at once of the bearing and range of emergency IFF.

The gunnery liaison officer should:

	1.	Coordinate and supervise the operation of search radars, following standard operational procedures.
	2.	Interpret all radar contacts and be proficient in that function.
	3.	Keep himself and all radar operators informed of expected contacts.
	4.	Coach main battery director on invisible targets designated by the evaluator, using all available facilities such as precision PPI.
	5.	Furnish radar spots to the gunnery control officer as requested.

Visual fighter director (applies to specifically designated fighter director ships) should:

	1.	Take over direction of aircraft by visual means when the situation dictates this necessity.
	2.	Assist the fighter director in CIC by coordinating all visual information and relaying to CIC.
	3.	This officer may be the recognition officer or other officer appropriately trained.

Geographic plotter, assistant geographic plotter and the geographic recorder should:

	1.	Work as a team, tracking all unidentified or designated targets on the DRT accurately and rapidly.
	2.	Give particular attention to targets designated by the evaluator when plotting several targets simultaneously. A rough plot should be kept of the location of all unidentified units.
	3.	Include in the plot up-to-date minute data on course, speed, number, and composition of targets, in accordance with standard surface plotting procedures.
	4.	The surface recorder should keep a record of time, target range, bearing and identity of all targets being tracked, and give the time "marks" for such tracking.
	5.	Check the DRT and supplementary equipment for proper scale settings, alignment and accuracy.
	6.	Aid in low visibility navigation and shore bombardment.

The air plotter, assistant air plotter should:

	1.	Work as a team, plotting all air targets rapidly and accurately in accordance with standard air plotting procedure, and in accordance with standard air plotting procedure, determine the altitude, identity, course, speed, and composition. When plotting several targets, particular attention should be given those targets designated by the fighter director or, if attack is imminent, by the evaluator or his assistant.
	2.	Maintain an up-to-date air status board.
	3.	Advise the fighter director and air search radar operator of all targets which fail to track with a normal air speed.
	4.	Dead reckon friendly planes when they are being vectored for interception if no fixes are reported by radar.
	5.	Keep reference points plotted and convert contacts for contact and amplifying reports.
	6.	Check with surface search radar for spotting low flying aircraft.

The surface (or summary) plotter should:

	1.	By keeping a continuous track of all surface contacts (or all surface and air contacts); keep the cognizant personnel in CIC informed of the identity of any surface radar contact (if summary plotter, any surface or air contact) in question.
	2.	He must aid the gunnery liaison officer in preventing the fire of own ship from endangering friendly ships.
	3.	Maintain a relative plot of own disposition.
	4.	Indicate location and disposition of friendly ships, pickets, and stragglers.
	5.	Maintain maneuvering board plot of own ship's course and speed and be prepared to furnish tactical data.
	6.	Provide ranges and bearings of sound contacts by escorts, in relation to self and fleet center.
	7.	Plot such data as rain clouds, land, wind speed, and direction.
	8.	Plot reports from radar operators and lookouts.

Surface search radar operator should:

	1.	Operate the surface search radar in accordance with standard operating procedure.
	2.	Report all new targets as soon as detected, and obtain acknowledgement.
	3.	Report ranges and bearings of targets in accordance with standard procedures.
	4.	Report any abnormal performance of the surface search radar, and obtain acknowledgement.
	5.	Report the suspected use of radar countermeasures.
	6.	Report presence of IFF on all targets.
	7.	Be alert to pick up low flying aircraft and report them to the air search radar operator and geographic plotter.

Assistant surface search radar operator should:

	1.	Assist the surface search radar operator with his duties.
	2.	Alternate with the surface search radar operator in operating the radar.
	3.	Report ranges and bearings to surface (or summary) plotter if desired.

Air search radar operator should:

Operate the air search radar in accordance with procedure set forth in paragraph (i) above.

Assistant air search radar operator should:

	1.	Assist the air search radar operator with his duties.
	2.	Alternate with the air search radar operator in operating the radar.

JA talker should:

	1.	Report to the evaluator all transmissions in this circuit.
	2.	Serve as the evaluator's talker.

	5653.	Detailed duties - condition watches.
		a.	CIC watch officer should:

	1.	Perform the duties assigned during General Quarters to the evaluator, CIC officer, and gunnery liaison officer.
	2.	Conduct sufficient drills and training exercises when practicable to train condition watch CIC team.

The geographic plotter should:

	1.	Perform the duties assigned to the geographic plotting team during General Quarters.
	2.	Maintain the surface (or summary) plot.
	3.	Alternate with a search radar operator at frequent intervals (about every 30 minutes).

The air plotter should:

	1.	Perform the duties of the air plotting team during General Quarters.
	2.	Maintain a record of all voice transmissions.
	3.	Alternate with a search radar operator at frequent intervals.

The surface search radar operator should:

	1.	Perform the duties assigned to the surface search operators during General Quarters.
	2.	Alternate with one of the plotters at frequent intervals.

Links to additional information on the equipment listed in this publication as they were found on the Sumner