British 16 inch guns?

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tameraire01
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British 16 inch guns?

Post by tameraire01 »

With the Lion class 16 inch guns would anyone know the possible damage and problems with the triple turrets?
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aurora
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Re: British 16 inch guns?

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It would not appear so-The Lion-class ships' main armament consisted of nine 45-calibre 16-inch guns of a new design in three triple, hydraulically powered gun turrets designated 'A', 'B', and 'Y' from bow to stern. The maximum elevation of the turrets was increased to +40° although the guns were loaded at +5°. They fired 2,375-pound (1,077 kg) projectiles at a muzzle velocity of 2,483 ft/s (757 m/s); this provided a maximum range of 40,560 yards (37,088 m). Their rate of fire was two rounds per gun per minute. The ships carried 100 shells per gun.
There is no evidence to show the effectiveness of these guns and turrets; but you will be aware that Rodney's 16" gun aft broadsides caused significant blast damage to the ship's superstructure
Quo Fata Vocant-Whither the Fates call

Jim
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aurora
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Re: British 16 inch guns?

Post by aurora »

The triple 16" mount turret proved itself when, in October 1929, a turret crew with two years experience loaded and fired 33 consecutive rounds without mishap. The incorporation of many safety features, achieved with lighter materials, meant that the complex and relatively fragile equipment had to be serviced regularly over the ships' lifetime. These ships were fitted with the HACS AA fire control system and the Admiralty Fire Control Table Mk I for surface fire control of the main armament.

However, the blast of the guns disrupted some officers on the bridge to such an extent that the guns of 'X' turret were usually prohibited from firing abaft of the beam at high elevations of 40 degrees during peacetime practice firing. Fitting tempered glass in the bridge windows was tried, but gun blast shattered some of them and filled the bridge with flying debris.

A great deal of effort was expended in correcting this problem, and fitting of protective ledges below the bridge windows proved successful. Blast was also a problem elsewhere; D.K. Brown tells of a test firing that was suspended when DNC observer H.S. Pengelly, who was beneath the foredeck, reported a bright red flash after firing all guns in 'A' turret. This was later discovered to be caused by concussion of the observers' eyeballs.
Quo Fata Vocant-Whither the Fates call

Jim
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