it is time to open a thread about this subject, so who wants to deeply analyze it can do it with the right reference base.
Here an useful forum to refer to for the overall gun knowledge :
http://warships1discussionboards.yuku.c ... 7Lbob5H7s1
Here a movie to refer to ( from the above link ) were everyone can see the guns in action and their ROF ( rate of fire ) from min 1.50 until min 2.15 :
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/home-fleet-at-sea
Following the 2 main statements regarding the utilization at Denmark Strait of those guns by the HMS Prince of Wales.
From Capt J.C. Leach narrative :
From PoW gunnery report :"Hood" had a further 2 blue flying when, at 06.00, just after "Bismarck's" 5th salvo, a huge explosion occurred between "Hood's" after funnel and mainmast and she sank in three or four minutes.
"Hood" had fired five or six salvos but fall of shot was not seen, possibly because this coincided with firing of "Prince of Wales'" guns.
"Prince of Wales" starboard 5.25" battery was now in action.
Course had to be altered to starboard to avoid remains of "Hood"; meanwhile "Bismarck" had shifted main and secondary armament fire quickly and accurately onto "Prince of Wales".
A heavy hit was felt almost immediately.
And at 0602 compass platform was hit and majority of personnel killed. Navigating Officer was wounded; Commanding Officer unhurt.
The same salvo severed all fire control leads to the port forward H.A. Director and put the starboard forward H.A. Director out of action temporarily jamming it in training.
Bye Antonio7. The 5.25-in. armament opened fire at a range of 18,600 yards.
After firing a deflection triple, a 15-in. shell passed through the superstructure supporting the H.A. directors.
The shot caused the director to jam temporarily in training and the Control Officer of the latter ordered all turrets to go into "aft control".
This was carried out, but about the same time a 15-in. shell burst on the boat deck and seriously upset the after starboard H.A. director.
The crew of this director had already been considerably blasted by "Y" turret firing on a forward bearing.
The 15-in. shell burst threw the Control Officer off his feet, broke his telephone lead, and a splinter hit his earphones and very slightly wounded him.
By the time he had regained control of the situation, the target was lost behind smoke astern.
A careful inquiry has been held into the reason why the fore H.A. director jammed and no satisfactory explanation has been arrived at; the director was found to be "free" after the action and it is possible that the locking bolt jumped down and the Control Officer was too hasty in ordering "after control."
This fact has not, however, been proved and it is also possible that the severe shaking the director had caused it to "bind" temporarily in training.