It is generally accepted that the designation of the most famous distress sign is the abbreviation of the English words Save Our Souls. We checked if it was true.

In the textbook for universities "Methods of autonomous survival of man in nature" It is saidthat "the disaster signal SOS (" save our souls ") was adopted by the International Convention in Berlin on November 3, 1906." In one of episodes The cult novel “Twelve Chairs” (1927) The radio operator hears screams on the air: “Wow! Wow, uu! SOS! SOS! SOS! Save our souls! " Similar appeal Mentioned In the documentary book of the polar researcher Rudolf Samoilovich “S.O.S. in the Arctic. " The same idea is the basis of the names of the Soviet film 1960, Russian film 2005 and Serbian film 2007. And, perhaps, the most famous Russian -language mention of the phrase “Save our souls” in connection with the SOS signal can be found in the same name song Vladimir Vysotsky. A similar association is popular on West, especially in English -speaking countries.

The invention of the radio has opened a new page in the history of navigation. Earlier, the vessels used standard sound and visual signals for an emergency or private communication - for example, semaphoric flags, signaling missiles and bells. However, from the end of the XIX century in people There was an opportunity Use a wireless telegraph (as they first called radio communications through the ABC Morse) is a much more convenient means for such purposes. True, in the first years of the radio existence, the process of standardization of the distress signals was blocked due to rivalry between competing radio companies.

In 1903 in Berlin was held Preliminary conference on wireless telegraphy, on which the Italian Captain Kintino Bonomo suggested that the disturbing court send the SSS DDD signal with an interval of several minutes. However, procedural issues went beyond the conference, so no standard signal entered the final protocol. This did not stop the representatives of the Marconi International Marine Communication Company, which on January 7, 1904 Entered For all vessels equipped with its radio stations, the cqd distress signal. It consisted of a general call signal of all stations (CQ, or - · - · - · - · - in the language of the ABC Morsa), to which the letter D ( - · ·), which meant Danger ("danger") was added. As is often the case with Brobronymi, the sailors soon picked up the phrase “Come Quick, Danger” under the signal (“Come faster, danger”).

However, due to restrictions on the brand of the CQD radio station, it was impossible to call a single international distress signal. And in 1906 in Berlin, it took place II International Radio Telephone Conferenceon which the representative of Marconi Co. I tried to convince the rest of the need to approve the company's signal as an international standard. However, due to the arguments of the American side, which claimed that the signal is often confused with the overall call of CQ, and in addition, it is also used on land (for accidents on railways), it was decided to choose another combination.

Competitive struggle with Marconi Co. In those years, he led the German concern Telefunken, whose operators in emergency used three additional signals adopted by Germany in 1905 as a national standard. One of these signals was Notzeichen - a distress sign consisting of nine signs: · · · - - - · · · · (three points, three dashes, three points). It is important to note that this sign did not contain interbuy intervals, that is, it was not a combination of letters, but was a separate, unique symbol of nine signs, which, thanks to this property, could not be confused with any other. The proposal to accept this signal was approved, and for many years it became the main sign of disaster. Exists TreatmentAs if for the first time the signal was sent in 1912 from the side of the drowning Titanic, but this is not so. According to this parameter, the famous ship did not just yield to at least a few other (the first “combat” application of the signal dates 1909), but also According to the latest data, first used the CQD signal already outdated at that time, which caused a mocking reaction of the side of the signal. And the glorious story of a sign known as SOS continued until 1999, when it was sent to a landfill of history and Replaced Automatic warning system GMDSS based on satellite communication. Today it is used only in some cases.

Why did the signal be called SOS? Indeed, if you divide its notation into three equal parts (· · · ·, - - - and · · · · · · · · · · · · they will correspond to the letters S, O and S in the ABC Morse. However, technically, this action is incorrect and can only be explained by mnemonic needs: SOS and most other combinations from this sequence of points and dash (for example, VTB, IJS, VGI) easier to remember. A formally The sign is recorded as SOS with a line from above,

Since it is a separate "letter" of the ABC Morse. It is unnecessary to say that a non -existent word cannot have official decoding. All kinds of options Save OUR Souls, Save OUR Spirits, Save OUR SHIP or even “Save from Death” appeared after the signal began to be used in practice. So common knowledge is nothing more than folk etymology.