General quarters

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] 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.

The route of travel is forward and up to starboard, down and aft to port.

Reason for General Quarters: (Inbound hostile aircraft/Hostile surface contact/etc.