How an early twentieth-century warship answered a distress call

Would an early twentieth-century warship responding to a peacetime distress call go to action stations?

It would normally go to recovery stations, manning boats and nets while maintaining a limited watch on secondary guns.

A distress response used recovery stations rather than full action stations. Most of the crew would prepare boats and nets to bring survivors aboard. Some personnel would still watch the secondary guns as a precaution. The arrangement balanced rescue work with basic security.