ORGANIZATION OF A YUGOSLAV MARITIME METEROLOGICAL SERVICE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700070321-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 18, 2011
• Sequence Number: 321
• Publication Date: July 15, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION RESTRICTED
SECURITY INFORMATION
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
Monthly periodical
Rijeka
Jul 1951
HOW
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE
PUBLISHED
COUNTRY Yugoslavia
SUBJECT Geographic - Weather service
Military - Navy
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1951
DATE DIST. /5 Jul 1952
JUL 28 02 NO, OF PAGES 4
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SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
Realizing the importance and value of maritime commerce, Yugoslavia has
joined and will continue to join all international organizations working for
its safety and improvement. One such ^rganization is the International Mete-
urological Service.
The establishment of a meteorological service aboard ships is a new serv-
ice which the Yugoslav Meteorogical Service must introduce. In 1947, the In-
ternati-nal Meteorological Service appealed to all member countries, especially
maritime countries, to contribute to the Limit of their ability to the
strengthening and progress of maritime meteorological service, and to bear in
mind that they are closely linked with the International Convention for Safety
of Life at Sea, which Yugoslavia has also joined.
The establishment of a meteorological service on Yugoslav ships should be
thoroughly understood and handled systematically and carefully from the begin-
ning. The Maritime Meteorological Service should supply uniform services to other
services, such as the Yugoslav Navy, which has unique and definite meterologi-
cal needs which should be resolved in peacetime so the navy will be prepared in
case of war. The same applies to the commercial fleet. Yugoslavia must there-
fore keep abreast of and utilize profitably advances in tech_.ology and science
and developments in the merchant marine and military naval technology relevant
to analysis dnd forecasting of weather conditions. A Ship Meteorological Serv-
ice should be organized as part of the Maritime Meteorological Service. Ships
and stations should be classified as selected ships, auxiliary ships, other
ships, coastal stations, automatic meteorological stations, radar service,
aerological service, lighthouses, and buoys.
Selected ships would be equipped with complete' installations of tested
meteorological instruments. Thcy would make observations, transmit reports as
prescribed for international reports, transmitting in standard form during in-
ternational synoptic hours when possible. Selected ships would transmit re-
ports while en route, They would not transmit reports while in port, but would
record observations on special forms.
STATE NAVY 141 NSRn
ARMY AIR FBI
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Auxiliary ships would be equipped with a small installation of tested me-
teorological instruments. They would report on areas where marine traffic is
relatively light, either on instructions from the Maritime Meteorological Serv-
ice or on request from other ships and meteorological centers, reporting es-
pecially on dangerous winds and other dangerous phenomena. They should utilize
an abbreviated form of report and transmit during international synoptic hours
as outlined in regulations of the International Convention for Safety of Life
at Sea.
Other ships without special meteorological instruments would transmit re-
ports on areas where marine traffic is relatively light, either on instructions
from the Maritime Meteorological Service or on request when special weather
conditions prevailed or were expected. The abbreviated form of report would be
used, as outlined in regulations of the International Convention for Safety of
Life at Sea; ordinary language could be used if necessary. It would be recom-
mended for ships to transmit reports during international synoptic hours, but
transmission at other hours which might be more convenient would also be ac-
ceptable.
Existing coastal stations in the network of hydrometeorological stations
in the coastal area, and new stations which should be established where bad
weather is customary and where maritime traffic is well developed, should be
included. This is well under way, since most of the meteorological stations
on the coast and islands are already a part of the network of the Maritime Me-
teorological Service.
Automatic meteorological stations should be set up in places where there
is maritime traffic but where it is impossible to have observers, where the
weather pattern is distinctive, or where interruptions in communications are
likely at the very time data from a particular point are most needed, such as
periods of high winds and seas. The same applies to setting up automatic me-
teorological stations on buoys,
Radar has not yet been used for meteorological purposes in Yugoslavia. A
radar meteorological service wo-ild be extremely helpful in coastal shipping,
fishing, port traffic, and similar operations, since damage caused by sudden
changes in the weather could be eliminated.
The operation of the stations mentioned, as well as of buoys and radar
service, would be planned and organized by the Maritime Meteorological Service.
The operation of lighthouses should be organized as efficiently as pos-
sible. Their location is very favorable for meteorological observation, for
some are located exactly where bad weather is customary and where thera is
maritime traffic. A regular meteorological service should be established in
some of them, with reports being transmitted at scheduled times.
The gathering and transmission of data would be done through the nearest
collection center, utilizing existing communications or new radio and telephone
connections, which should be set up. Some stations ':hould sul:,lement their
regular duties by watching for sudden changes in weather, reporting the begin-
ning and end of bad weather by means of special international warning signals,
such as flags or lights suspended iu easily visible places.
A regular service, giving weather forecasts for coastal shipping as well
as weather conditions on other routes, should be established on the coast. Re-
ports would be transmitted every 3 hours; in case of sudden change in the
weather, reports would be transmitted immediately without regard to the regular
schedule. Reports would be transmitted in at least two languages. Maritime
meteorological offices should be established in the chief ports, especially in
Rijeka. Besides transmitting weather reports, these would handle the exchange
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of publications with foreign countries and publish various reports on the
utilization of meteorological data in maritime traffic. They would collect
weather data, draw synoptic maps, and publish daily weather bulletins. They
would also make regular inspections of new instruments, furnish new instru-
ments and give help to observers on ships. This would apply to foreign as
well as Yugoslav ships. Publications would be printed in at least two lan-
guages. In Split, these functions would be discharged by the Administration
of the Maritime Meteorological Service.
The data furnished by ships at sea would be compiled a:?d recorded in the
Maritime Meteorological Service centers and would be the basis for a montiiy
bulletin such as those published by other maritime meteorological services.
The need for this bulletin is very great, since it would help to educate sea-
men in meteorology and would maintain contact with seafaring meteorologists
who want to work and cooperate, but lose contact with the meteorological serv-
ice because of the type of length of their voyages. The material in such a
bulletin would supplement Yugoslav meteorological work and studies.
The bulletin would be devoted chiefly to surveys of meteorological broad-
casts to ships, notes on additions and changes in meteorological transmissions
to seamen and hydroplanes, a listing of meteorological stations all over the
world, information on port signals, news on treaties, conventions, and deci-
sicns relating to the safety of maritime sad air traffic, notes on decisions
and conventions in the maritime meteorological service, notes on publications
which are important to the meteorological service and ships, and notes on in-
novations in meteorological technology. The bulletin would contain tabular and
graphic climatological data for coastal zones and seas, tabular aerological
data, and descriptions of weather conditions on the Adriatic and other seas.
Articles might be included on the operation and maintenance of aneroid baro-
meters, the use of meteorological instruments in making local predictions on
the open sea, distinctive and dangerous phenomena on oceans, etc. The bulletin
would also publish photographs of distinctive weather phenomena taken either
aelore or on board slip
Personnel for meteorological service on ships, corstal stations, and
lighthouses would be obtained from the Maritime Meteorological Service Center,
while other meteorological observers would be obtained from maritime schools.
Meteorological education in maritime schools would be so arranged that most of
the training would be in practical meteorology. Instruction in theory would
also be necessary, but should be reduced to a minimum.
Education in maritime schools should be divided into (1) instruction in
the techniques of observation and repaination and interpretation of meteoro-
logical dispatches and synoptic maps and (2) the principles of meteorology. A
teaching manual should be written for use in maritime schools. A meteoro-
logical station should be established in each school for practice in making
observations, reading instruments, and interpreting synoptic maps. In train-
ing schools for future ship's officers, the charting of synoptic maps should
be taught. Photography of extraordinary meteorological phenomena also should
be taught.
Selected ships should be equipped with a mercury barometer, aneroid baro-
meter, psychrometer, barograph, therometer for measuring sea temperature,and
ar anemometer. Other ships should be equipped with an aneroid barometer, baro-
gr-ph, sea-temperature thermometer, and anemometer.
Supervision and improvement of meteorological observations should be done
by the Maritime Meteorological Service Center by periodic inspection, instruc-
tion on board ship, or by letter.
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Yugoslavia already has a meteorological station network ashore and a well
developed synoptical and climatological center in Spliz. The synoptical cen-
ter follows weather developments; the climatological center gathers data from
various locations along the coast; and the meteorological stations are located
at strategic places along the coast. These are all the fields and types of
work required on alarger scale for the Maritime Meteorological Service. The
first step must be the planning and establishment of radio, telephone, and
radar service, which should be so organized that nothing short of extreme
emergencies can prevent its continuous operation. Its stability will be the
chief guarantee for the solution of problems involved in establishing the
Maritime Meteorological Service.
There is scarcely any meteorological literature on the Adriatic. Ex-
perience and word-of-mouth knowledge are the chief sources for information on
the Adriatic. Yugoslavia also needs literature on foreign seas and weather.
Although older seamen have an extensive and sound knowledge of weather on
the Adriatic and on the open sea, greater utilization of technical devices and
gradual depletion in the ranks of personnel are making the handing down of
knowledge by word of mouth and learning by experience playa much smaller part.
The new generation of seamen is in no position to acquire basic knowledge
of the sea and its weather from experience because of accelerated training and
its immediate application in practice.
Yugoslavia must therefore undertake a well planned and efficient program
to collect the knowledge of experienced foreign seamen and compile, record,
edit, and publish the gathered material. In the near future, Yugoslavia must
undertake the recording and compilation of hydrometeorological maps.
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