Naval History Forums

Yes the breeches were higher than on a LA optimized mounting, but the 5.25 used a loading tray (similar to that used on the 4.7/4.5') that simplified all angle loading, and the 5.25 turret had a separate HA and LA shell hoist that eased the task of the loader when the gun was being fired at surface ...

As far as the KGVs were concerned, I would have installed the originally planned 20 4.5 in guns instead of the 16 5.25 in. The 4.5 in had problems with fixed rounds breaking, but it still had IIRC a rof of at least 12 rpm as compared with 7 to 8 rpm for the 5.25 in. So it was a considerably better ...

They did invent some fictional names and even gave Bismarck an AA kill, but, by and large it was pretty accurate, IMHO.

BuOrd, May 1 1944: Report from Fire Control Section Re4... 4. When Re4 was formed in April 1941, the status of navy fire control could be summarized briefly as follows: (a) We had an excellent main battery fire control system in our modern ships (b) We had an excellent 5" antiaircraft fire con...

Japan was waging a genocidal war in China, and Roosevelt imposed the embargo due to public outcry over Japanese atrocities. Japan could have made peace in China and would have still retained Manchuria. It is quite a stretch to suggest that the USA was guilty of anything in regards to the Japanese at...

marcelo_malara wrote:May be he referred to the Mk 33 and it is a typo error.

The USN equivalent to HACS 1 was Mk 19, even Mk33 did not appear until ~1937, and it is equivalent to HACS III in terms of development.

Friedman describes HACS 1 and on page 237 states: " ...that there was no attempt to measure target motion using gyros, as in US systems such as Mark 37 ." HACS 1 appeared in 1930 and Mk37 in 1941, so comparing the two systems is a bit strange to begin with, but in fact even HACS1 used a &q...

Thank you, especially the fist link is very helpful, can you tell me what book it's scanned from? Apparently it is chapter 12, Part B, from an unpublished internal RN history of the Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment : No organisation can tell 'our' story better than our own Scientists who wor...

I would suggest reading this file: http://www.rnmuseumradarandcommunications2006.org.uk/ASWE%20CHAPTER%2012%20PART%20B.pdf Excellent data on the Type 284 and the sinking of Scharnhorst and some about Bismarck. and looking here: http://www.rnmuseumradarandcommunications2006.org.uk/PAGE%2019.htm You s...

@ Duncan: Howse includes a portion of it. I don't know if or where it may be available online? . The RN CLs were probably using their Type 273 WS radar in Warning Surface mode, giving all round coverage, initially to detect and surprise Hipper, but then switched them into Gunnery Surface (as they h...

Wasn't the Mark IV the Hazemeyer mount that the British copied from the Dutch after the minelayer Willem van der Zaan escaped to England? If so, that mount, according to Campbell, was first issued to Whimbrel in November 1942. No, the hazemeyer mounting was a triaxial twin barrel bofors gun mount, ...

*According to Tovey's report the 10cm Type 271 radars on the British destroyers could not acquire and track the targets on their own but had to be put on the targets following visual sighting. Afterward they could hold the Hipper to a max range of about 16,000 yards. Where did you read Tovey's repo...

I have been pouring over Norman Friedman's new book, British Cruisers: Two World Wars and After and I have to say that this book is a real winner. It's 432 pages are densely packed with information about ship's designs, proposed designs and refits along with interesting comments and data about RN te...

Theoretical fuel consumption figures will not match actual consumption for various reasons: The need to keep more boilers lit as a precaution than are needed for best economy degradation of machinery from prolonged use with insufficient maintenance. bottom fouling and increased drag the need to keep...