Kompasssignalen

Kompasssignalen, or the compass signal, is a historical maritime signaling method used to convey navigational or positional information between ships, shore stations, and observers without electronic communication. The system relies on indicating a bearing from the signaler to the recipient, typically by orienting a visible device or by pointing with the arm toward a compass direction. Each bearing or sequence of bearings corresponds to a word, phrase, or command, creating a compact code that could be read at a distance and in poor visibility.

In practice, a signaling officer would present the signal by aligning a portable device with a given compass bearing or by displaying flags or lights oriented to that direction. The exact codification varied by fleet and era, but common variants used a 16- or 32-point compass rose and short, standardized messages such as course changes, position reports, or alerts.

Historically, Kompasssignalen emerged in Nordic and Baltic maritime contexts during the late 19th to early 20th century, alongside other pre-radio signaling traditions. It served as a supplement to visual signaling methods like flags and lanterns and declined with the adoption of radio telephony and standardized signaling systems in the mid-20th century.

Today, the term is of interest mainly to historians of navigation and maritime culture. It is seldom used in modern practice, though some reenactment groups study it to illustrate historical methods of ship-to-ship communication. Related technologies include flag signaling, semaphore, and the International Code of Signals.

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