General quarters, battle stations, or action stations is an announcement made aboard a naval warship to signal that all hands (everyone available) aboard a ship must go to battle stations (the positions they are to assume when the vessel is in combat) as quickly as possible. [1]
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According to The Encyclopedia of War, formerly "[i]n naval service, the phrase 'beat to quarters' indicated a particular kind of drum roll that ordered sailors to their posts for a fight where some would load and prepare to fire the ship's guns and others would arm with muskets and ascend the rigging as sharpshooters in preparation for combat." [2]
Aboard U.S. Navy vessels, the following announcement would be made using the vessel’s public address system (known as the 1MC):
General Quarters, General Quarters. All hands, man your battle stations. The route of travel is forward and up to starboard, down and aft to port. Set material condition 'Zebra' [3] throughout the ship. Reason for General Quarters: [Inbound hostile aircraft/Hostile surface contact/etc.]
