Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Wiktionary
n. 1 (context military British Canada English) The positions or activity assumed by the crew of a warship immediately in advance of combat or other hostile action; also, the signal given to indicate such imminent action. 2 Any general state of intense anticipatory activity.
Usage examples of "action stations".
The Sirrus, overloaded with survivors, was carrying double her normal complement of men, and usually that mess-deck would have been crowded: during action stations it was empty.
You keep on sending us out when the Russian season's over, when the nights are barely longer than the days, when twenty hours out of the twenty-four are spent on watch or at action stations, and you expect us to feed well!
Lockhart's position at Action Stations was on the fo'c'sle, in charge of the gun: he had no sooner got there, clattering up the ladder in the darkness, and Leading-Seaman Phillips had reported that the gun's-crew was closed up, than he felt Compass Rose tremble as she increased speed: the wind of their advance struck cold on his face, prompting him to action.
As Blaine released the crew from action stations, the red-haired midshipman was probably thinking that the ordeal was over.
During action stations the compartment would be occupied by damage-control parties and used for emergency-repair assemblies.
All ground defences to report immediately to their action stations.
But I could tell from young Devenish, the sub's, face, that the officers considered their skipper had gone round the bend -- perhaps even now he was going up the creek by this apparently ridiculous order for action stations after a couple of hours of fooling around which would have caused any would-be officer to be sacked from his training course.
Turning onto his original course to make the other Helmsman commit himself, he called for action stations and gave permission to enable the ship's disrupters.
HMS Ambuscade's crew had closed up to their action stations over half an hour ago, taking their time, making certain they'd done it right.
It always was at action stations, even without the need to pack an extra body into the available space.