True or False: 8 bells are struck at 0800.

The concept of "8 bells" is part of the traditional naval timekeeping system, which divides a 24-hour day into watches. Each watch lasts four hours, and bells are struck to mark the passage of time within each watch. Specifically, one bell is struck at the beginning of a watch (at 0001), with subsequent bells struck at 30-minute intervals until eight bells are reached, indicating the end of the watch.

At 0800, which is the start of the morning watch (0400-0800), it is customary to strike 8 bells to signify the end of the preceding watch (the dog watch from 0000-0400) and the beginning of the new watch. Therefore, the statement that “8 bells are struck at 0800” is indeed false, as it is actually at 0800 that 8 bells are signaled, marking the end of the previous watch, not the start.

This understanding helps clarify the bell system's timing and its significance in watch standing and operations onboard a naval vessel.