Known internationally as THE FIRST CANADIAN SUBMARINE SQUADRON'S (IN)FAMOUS DOLPHIN CODE. A Souvenir of Association With Travellers in Tubular Steel Who Do It Better, this code originated aboard HMCS Okanagan in July, 1976. It represents the culmination of months of effort by that submarine's officers under the command of Lieutenant Commander Keith Nesbit.
Designed primarily to facilitate communication between Canadian conventional submarines and those units/authorities with and under whom they operated the code was somewhat imitative of the aviators' widely known FALCON CODE. Being more gentlemanly in tone than the latter, however, the Dolphin Code was more acceptable to those many military minds for whom uncouthness was unethical.
The Dolphin Code has earned a solid international reputation, and is now well known within Western Submarine navies. It has even been rumoured that the late Soviet Naval Air Force used the code on occasion. The Royal Australian Navy additions were added in 1997 and serve to attest to the popularity of the Dolphin Code.
| 1 | Your last surfacing procedure was: | |
| A | First class. | |
| B | Surprisingly good. | |
| C | Understandably awful. | |
| D | Indescribable. | |
| 2 | I presume you got your ticket in a raffle. | |
| 3 | For the last serial you could have used any fishing vessel. | |
| 4 | My battery is: | |
| A | 100%, I will simulate a Nuclear Submarine if you wish. | |
| B | 75%, I will simulate a Nuclear Submarine for a short time if you wish. | |
| C | 50%, I will not simulate a Nuclear Submarine, regardless of your wish. | |
| D | 25%, I wish to simulate a Conventional Submarine, and will hot-pipe if you wish. | |
| E | DEAD, I hot-pipe now, regardless of your wish. | |
| 5 | I was unaware that medical standards had been revised. You must be blind as a bat. | |
| 6 | During the last action you displayed noticeably suicidal tendencies. | |
| 7 | Once again you have demonstrated a commendable ability to practise basics. | |
| 8 | The last serial was so bad that we watched a double feature. | |
| 9 | Your exercise instructions are simple. Simply awful. | |
| 10 | I am unable to act as evasively as I wish. | |
| 11 | I am unable to act as unevasively as you wish. | |
| 12 | I am surfaced (surfacing) because: | |
| A | I must make repairs. | |
| B | I wish to bale out water. | |
| C | Your chances of locating me are negligible otherwise. | |
| D | I wish to barbecue the next meal. | |
| 13 | I must temporarily withdraw from the exercise because of difficulties with: | |
| A | Technical systems which are to difficult to explain. | |
| B | Battery/motors/generators, I no go right. | |
| C | Sonar, I no hear right. | |
| D | Ingress of water, I no float right. | |
| E | Fire/smoke, I no breathe right. | |
| F | Personnel, I no lead right. | |
| 14 | Please accept my apologies for failing to make the assigned rendezvous. My reason is as follows: | |
| A | The navigator is a Newfoundlander. | |
| B | I was doing something else at the time and didn't think you'd miss me. | |
| C | I erroneously assumed that you would be where you said you would be. | |
| D | My navigational equipment has not been updated since the Boer War. | |
| 15 | If you don't ask me to raise more masts I won't ask you to fly with your wheels in the water. | |
| 16 | Your last attack is assessed as follows: | |
| A | Excellent, within 500 yards. | |
| B | Good, within 1000 yards. | C | Marginal, 1000 to 2000 yards. |
| D | Poor, over 2000 yards. | |
| E | Awful, over 3000 yards. | |
| F | Unmeasurably distant | |
| 17 | It is difficult to believe that you and I are operating in the same ocean. | |
| 18 | Your message (Date/Time/Group ________): | |
| A | Appears to have been drafted hastily. | |
| B | Does little to foster good relations. | |
| C | Is a shining example of illiteracy. | |
| D | Is not held by this unit. | |
| E | Is held by this unit, but we wish it wasn't. | |
| F | Requires the sort of reply I am not used to making. | |
| G | Was a crippler. | |
| H | B.O.H.I.C.A. (Bend over here it comes again). | |
| 19 | When we were surface sailors we also used to do silly things. | |
| 20 | If you decide to graduate to advanced exercises, please hire a different submarine. | |
| 21 | If you ask me to fire another smoke, I'll scream. | |
| 22 | Submarines never cheat and rarely lie. | |
| 23 | It's a pity that in wartime we d be on the same side. | |
| 24 | Your approach to the problem was impossible but tactically sound. | |
| 25 | A | Your helicopter frightened me. |
| B | Your helicopter didn't frighten me. | |
| C | I frightened your helicopter. | |
| D | I wasn't aware you had a helicopter airborne | |
| 26 | A | Thank you for your valuable assistance. |
| B | Had assistance been rendered, I would have been thankful. | |
| C | No, thank you, I do not require assistance. | |
| D | Please do not render assistance, I need your help like a hole in the head. | |
| 27 | You have been on task for several hours. You must be suffering terribly from crew fatigue. | |
| 28 | We have been on task for several weeks. Next week we will probably begin to suffer from crew fatigue. | |
| 29 | Tracking without attacking is the commonest form of military masochism. | |
| 30 | I suppose the worsening weather will mean you'll have to stop the war. | |
| 31 | The adverse weather is affecting us greatly: The movie projector has tipped over twice. | |
| 32 | If you're so good why aren't you in submarines? | |
| 33 | Submariners do it deeper. | |
| 34 | Submariners think deeper. | |
| 35 | Deep down you know it makes sense. | |
| 36 | Submariners are super. | |
| 37 | Submariners have bigger balls. | |
| 38 | Diesel boats forever. | |
| 39 | Black is beautiful. | |
| 40 | Breaker one nine, this is rubber duck, I think we got us a convoy. | |
| 41 | Ten Four. | |
| 42 | Please be gentle, this is my first time. | |
| 43 | We think the water has been sufficiently ensonified. Maybe you should try something else. | |
| 44 | You have the uncanny ability to complicate a very simple exercise. | |
| 45 | Intelligence is a God-given gift. Doorknobs are man-made. Mental midgets only have God's love. Is my point clear? | |
| 46 | After working with you I now realise why some animals eat their young. | |
| 47 | My CO and XO can out drink your CO and XO. | |
| 48 | When someone is as good as me it's hard to be modest. | |
| 49 | Happiness is 500 ft in force 12. | |
| 50 | With friends like you, who needs enemies? | |
| 51 | Don't knock a stern shot until you've fired one. | |
| 52 | If you provide the fresh water, I'll provide: | |
| A | Soap. | |
| B | Towels. | |
| C | 60 dirty bodies. | |
| D | Whiskey. | |
| E | All of the above. | |
| 53 | G.O.Y.A. | |
| 54 | D.B.S.F.W. | |
| 55 | B.U.F.F.S. | |
| 56 | P.P.P.P.P.P. | |
| 57 | S.M.F. | |
| 58 | With sub-killers like you around, I look forward to a long life. | |
| 59 | Missed me again. | |
| 60 | Can I go home now? | |
| 61 | We may be small but we're slow. | |
| 62 | My bite is worse than my bark. | |
| 63 | I was delayed in returning to periscope depth because: | |
| A | A large whale was holding me down. | |
| B | I forgot to vent my depth gauge. | |
| C | I was waiting for the last reel to finish. | |
| D | I had to resolve my plot. | |
| E | I wasn't sure if I knew that you knew where I was. | |
| F | I wanted to annoy you. | |
| 64 | Many thanks for: | |
| A | Your kind hospitality. | |
| B | The newspapers. | |
| C | The skin books. | |
| D | Nothing. | |
| E | The OPORDER. | |
| 65 | Excuse me sir, but I think you have confused me with someone who gives a damn. | |
| 66 | My reports/reply/message/letter was (will be) late for the following reason(s): | |
| A | Writer's cramp. | |
| B | Typewriter unserviceable due to overheating. | |
| C | My priority list didn't coincide with yours. | |
| D | We didn't think you'd notice. | |
| E | I plain forgot. | |
| F | The XO plain forgot. | |
| 67 | R.P.C. for: | |
| A | Noon cocktails. | |
| B | Informal operational discussion. | |
| C | Post-exercise punchup. | |
| D | Light meal and refreshments. | |
| E | Sarnies and sludge. | |
| 68 | M.R.U. because: | |
| A | I am otherwise operationally committed. | |
| B | I am otherwise socially committed. | |
| C | Your last such event was disastrous. | |
| D | I am unable to maintain your pace. | |
| E | I don t want to come. | |
| 69 | W.M.P: | |
| A | You offer so few invitations I can't afford to pass up this one. | |
| B | Let's do it again. | |
| C | For a short time. | |
| D | For as long as you'll have me. | |
| E | With bells on. | |
| 70 | Your social event was: | |
| A | First class. Thank you. | |
| B | Disastrous, as expected. | |
| C | One which should never be repeated. | |
| D | Most detrimental to health. | |
| E | A crashing bore. Better luck next time. | |
| 71 | Unbelievable. Will advise Mr. Ripley. | |
| 72 | A | Very well done. |
| B | Well done. | |
| C | Well done. Sort of. | |
| D | Not well done. | |
| E | Badly done. | |
| F | Very badly done. | |
| G | Don't do it again. | |
| 73 | Have lost the bubble. Will retrieve. | |
| 74 | Bubble found. | |
| 75 | What can I say? | |
| 76 | Reason(s) is (are) as follows: | |
| A | I goofed. | |
| B | XO goofed. | |
| C | Somebody goofed. | |
| D | Inattention, for which some son-of-a-bitch will pay. | |
| E | Temporary decline in usual high standards. | |
| F | Another example of usual low standards. | |
| G | I thought I could get away with it. | |
| H | Misdirected malapropism. | |
| I | Lapsus lingae. | |
| 77 | This port is: | |
| A | Fantastic. Better not send surface ships here. | |
| B | Outstanding. Can we come again? | |
| C | Reasonable. | |
| D | Not the sort of place Submariners should visit. | |
| E | Hostile. | |
| F | Only good for storm avoidance. | |
| 78 | Wish you were here. | |
| 79 | Bet you wish you were here. | |
| 80 | Glad you're not here. | |
After calling at Gibraltar and Malta the next port of call was Port Said were we secured 'stern to' to the Admiralty Jetty. It was here that I heard a pipe that I never heard repeated again in my twenty - four years in 'boats'. It was 'Clear lower Deck of Seamen, Spread awnings
During the Cold War, nuclear submarines performed the greatest public service of all: prevention of a third world war. History shows that they succeeded; the Cold War ended peacefully, but for security reasons, only now can this story be told.
Eric Thompson is a career nuclear submarine officer who served from the first days of the Polaris missile boats until after the end of the Cold War. He joined the Navy in the last days of Empire, made his first sorties in World War II type submarines and ended up as the top engineer in charge of the navy's nuclear power plants. Along the way, he helped develop all manner of kit, from guided torpedoes to the Trident ballistic missile system. In this vivid personal account of his submarine operations, he reveals what it was like to literally have your finger on the nuclear button.
In his journey, the author leads the reader through top-secret submarine patrols, hush-hush scientific trials, underwater weapon developments, public relations battles with nuclear protesters, arm-wrestling with politicians and the changing roles of females and homosexuals in the Navy. It is essentially a human story, rich in both drama and comedy, like the Russian spy trawler that played dance music at passing submarines. There was never a dull moment.
Behind the lighter moments was a deadly serious game. This, the inside story of Britain's nuclear deterrent, reveals the secretive life of submarines and the men who served on them; they kept their watch, and by maintaining the threat of 'Mutually Assured Destruction' helped keep Britain and the world safe.
20 pages added or updated in the last 2 month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.
| 1 | Your last surfacing procedure was: | |
| A | First class. | |
| B | Surprisingly good. | |
| C | Understandably awful. | |
| D | Indescribable. | |
| 2 | I presume you got your ticket in a raffle. | |
| 3 | For the last serial you could have used any fishing vessel. | |
| 4 | My battery is: | |
| A | 100%, I will simulate a Nuclear Submarine if you wish. | |
| B | 75%, I will simulate a Nuclear Submarine for a short time if you wish. | |
| C | 50%, I will not simulate a Nuclear Submarine, regardless of your wish. | |
| D | 25%, I wish to simulate a Conventional Submarine, and will hot-pipe if you wish. | |
| E | DEAD, I hot-pipe now, regardless of your wish. | |
| 5 | I was unaware that medical standards had been revised. You must be blind as a bat. | |
| 6 | During the last action you displayed noticeably suicidal tendencies. | |
| 7 | Once again you have demonstrated a commendable ability to practise basics. | |
| 8 | The last serial was so bad that we watched a double feature. | |
| 9 | Your exercise instructions are simple. Simply awful. | |
| 10 | I am unable to act as evasively as I wish. | |
| 11 | I am unable to act as unevasively as you wish. | |
| 12 | I am surfaced (surfacing) because: | |
| A | I must make repairs. | |
| B | I wish to bale out water. | |
| C | Your chances of locating me are negligible otherwise. | |
| D | I wish to barbecue the next meal. | |
| 13 | I must temporarily withdraw from the exercise because of difficulties with: | |
| A | Technical systems which are to difficult to explain. | |
| B | Battery/motors/generators, I no go right. | |
| C | Sonar, I no hear right. | |
| D | Ingress of water, I no float right. | |
| E | Fire/smoke, I no breathe right. | |
| F | Personnel, I no lead right. | |
| 14 | Please accept my apologies for failing to make the assigned rendezvous. My reason is as follows: | |
| A | The navigator is a Newfoundlander. | |
| B | I was doing something else at the time and didn't think you'd miss me. | |
| C | I erroneously assumed that you would be where you said you would be. | |
| D | My navigational equipment has not been updated since the Boer War. | |
| 15 | If you don't ask me to raise more masts I won't ask you to fly with your wheels in the water. | |
| 16 | Your last attack is assessed as follows: | |
| A | Excellent, within 500 yards. | |
| B | Good, within 1000 yards. | C | Marginal, 1000 to 2000 yards. |
| D | Poor, over 2000 yards. | |
| E | Awful, over 3000 yards. | |
| F | Unmeasurably distant | |
| 17 | It is difficult to believe that you and I are operating in the same ocean. | |
| 18 | Your message (Date/Time/Group ________): | |
| A | Appears to have been drafted hastily. | |
| B | Does little to foster good relations. | |
| C | Is a shining example of illiteracy. | |
| D | Is not held by this unit. | |
| E | Is held by this unit, but we wish it wasn't. | |
| F | Requires the sort of reply I am not used to making. | |
| G | Was a crippler. | |
| H | B.O.H.I.C.A. (Bend over here it comes again). | |
| 19 | When we were surface sailors we also used to do silly things. | |
| 20 | If you decide to graduate to advanced exercises, please hire a different submarine. | |
| 21 | If you ask me to fire another smoke, I'll scream. | |
| 22 | Submarines never cheat and rarely lie. | |
| 23 | It's a pity that in wartime we d be on the same side. | |
| 24 | Your approach to the problem was impossible but tactically sound. | |
| 25 | A | Your helicopter frightened me. |
| B | Your helicopter didn't frighten me. | |
| C | I frightened your helicopter. | |
| D | I wasn't aware you had a helicopter airborne | |
| 26 | A | Thank you for your valuable assistance. |
| B | Had assistance been rendered, I would have been thankful. | |
| C | No, thank you, I do not require assistance. | |
| D | Please do not render assistance, I need your help like a hole in the head. | |
| 27 | You have been on task for several hours. You must be suffering terribly from crew fatigue. | |
| 28 | We have been on task for several weeks. Next week we will probably begin to suffer from crew fatigue. | |
| 29 | Tracking without attacking is the commonest form of military masochism. | |
| 30 | I suppose the worsening weather will mean you'll have to stop the war. | |
| 31 | The adverse weather is affecting us greatly: The movie projector has tipped over twice. | |
| 32 | If you're so good why aren't you in submarines? | |
| 33 | Submariners do it deeper. | |
| 34 | Submariners think deeper. | |
| 35 | Deep down you know it makes sense. | |
| 36 | Submariners are super. | |
| 37 | Submariners have bigger balls. | |
| 38 | Diesel boats forever. | |
| 39 | Black is beautiful. | |
| 40 | Breaker one nine, this is rubber duck, I think we got us a convoy. | |
| 41 | Ten Four. | |
| 42 | Please be gentle, this is my first time. | |
| 43 | We think the water has been sufficiently ensonified. Maybe you should try something else. | |
| 44 | You have the uncanny ability to complicate a very simple exercise. | |
| 45 | Intelligence is a God-given gift. Doorknobs are man-made. Mental midgets only have God's love. Is my point clear? | |
| 46 | After working with you I now realise why some animals eat their young. | |
| 47 | My CO and XO can out drink your CO and XO. | |
| 48 | When someone is as good as me it's hard to be modest. | |
| 49 | Happiness is 500 ft in force 12. | |
| 50 | With friends like you, who needs enemies? | |
| 51 | Don't knock a stern shot until you've fired one. | |
| 52 | If you provide the fresh water, I'll provide: | |
| A | Soap. | |
| B | Towels. | |
| C | 60 dirty bodies. | |
| D | Whiskey. | |
| E | All of the above. | |
| 53 | G.O.Y.A. | |
| 54 | D.B.S.F.W. | |
| 55 | B.U.F.F.S. | |
| 56 | P.P.P.P.P.P. | |
| 57 | S.M.F. | |
| 58 | With sub-killers like you around, I look forward to a long life. | |
| 59 | Missed me again. | |
| 60 | Can I go home now? | |
| 61 | We may be small but we're slow. | |
| 62 | My bite is worse than my bark. | |
| 63 | I was delayed in returning to periscope depth because: | |
| A | A large whale was holding me down. | |
| B | I forgot to vent my depth gauge. | |
| C | I was waiting for the last reel to finish. | |
| D | I had to resolve my plot. | |
| E | I wasn't sure if I knew that you knew where I was. | |
| F | I wanted to annoy you. | |
| 64 | Many thanks for: | |
| A | Your kind hospitality. | |
| B | The newspapers. | |
| C | The skin books. | |
| D | Nothing. | |
| E | The OPORDER. | |
| 65 | Excuse me sir, but I think you have confused me with someone who gives a damn. | |
| 66 | My reports/reply/message/letter was (will be) late for the following reason(s): | |
| A | Writer's cramp. | |
| B | Typewriter unserviceable due to overheating. | |
| C | My priority list didn't coincide with yours. | |
| D | We didn't think you'd notice. | |
| E | I plain forgot. | |
| F | The XO plain forgot. | |
| 67 | R.P.C. for: | |
| A | Noon cocktails. | |
| B | Informal operational discussion. | |
| C | Post-exercise punchup. | |
| D | Light meal and refreshments. | |
| E | Sarnies and sludge. | |
| 68 | M.R.U. because: | |
| A | I am otherwise operationally committed. | |
| B | I am otherwise socially committed. | |
| C | Your last such event was disastrous. | |
| D | I am unable to maintain your pace. | |
| E | I don t want to come. | |
| 69 | W.M.P: | |
| A | You offer so few invitations I can't afford to pass up this one. | |
| B | Let's do it again. | |
| C | For a short time. | |
| D | For as long as you'll have me. | |
| E | With bells on. | |
| 70 | Your social event was: | |
| A | First class. Thank you. | |
| B | Disastrous, as expected. | |
| C | One which should never be repeated. | |
| D | Most detrimental to health. | |
| E | A crashing bore. Better luck next time. | |
| 71 | Unbelievable. Will advise Mr. Ripley. | |
| 72 | A | Very well done. |
| B | Well done. | |
| C | Well done. Sort of. | |
| D | Not well done. | |
| E | Badly done. | |
| F | Very badly done. | |
| G | Don't do it again. | |
| 73 | Have lost the bubble. Will retrieve. | |
| 74 | Bubble found. | |
| 75 | What can I say? | |
| 76 | Reason(s) is (are) as follows: | |
| A | I goofed. | |
| B | XO goofed. | |
| C | Somebody goofed. | |
| D | Inattention, for which some son-of-a-bitch will pay. | |
| E | Temporary decline in usual high standards. | |
| F | Another example of usual low standards. | |
| G | I thought I could get away with it. | |
| H | Misdirected malapropism. | |
| I | Lapsus lingae. | |
| 77 | This port is: | |
| A | Fantastic. Better not send surface ships here. | |
| B | Outstanding. Can we come again? | |
| C | Reasonable. | |
| D | Not the sort of place Submariners should visit. | |
| E | Hostile. | |
| F | Only good for storm avoidance. | |
| 78 | Wish you were here. | |
| 79 | Bet you wish you were here. | |
| 80 | Glad you're not here. | |
After calling at Gibraltar and Malta the next port of call was Port Said were we secured 'stern to' to the Admiralty Jetty. It was here that I heard a pipe that I never heard repeated again in my twenty - four years in 'boats'. It was 'Clear lower Deck of Seamen, Spread awnings
During the Cold War, nuclear submarines performed the greatest public service of all: prevention of a third world war. History shows that they succeeded; the Cold War ended peacefully, but for security reasons, only now can this story be told.
Eric Thompson is a career nuclear submarine officer who served from the first days of the Polaris missile boats until after the end of the Cold War. He joined the Navy in the last days of Empire, made his first sorties in World War II type submarines and ended up as the top engineer in charge of the navy's nuclear power plants. Along the way, he helped develop all manner of kit, from guided torpedoes to the Trident ballistic missile system. In this vivid personal account of his submarine operations, he reveals what it was like to literally have your finger on the nuclear button.
In his journey, the author leads the reader through top-secret submarine patrols, hush-hush scientific trials, underwater weapon developments, public relations battles with nuclear protesters, arm-wrestling with politicians and the changing roles of females and homosexuals in the Navy. It is essentially a human story, rich in both drama and comedy, like the Russian spy trawler that played dance music at passing submarines. There was never a dull moment.
Behind the lighter moments was a deadly serious game. This, the inside story of Britain's nuclear deterrent, reveals the secretive life of submarines and the men who served on them; they kept their watch, and by maintaining the threat of 'Mutually Assured Destruction' helped keep Britain and the world safe.
20 pages added or updated in the last 2 month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.

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