Naval History Forums

It's quite a simple matter to have an wide angle optical sight with a grid overlay reticule in the eyepiece. We can be fairly certain that if the Gunnery Pocket Book says that there is a COFAS that it actually existed. See the previous post for info on a high speed tachymetric computer. From everyt...

1)The COFAS has a reticle for eye-shooting aim off. The GRU sight required that the target be kept centred in the crosshair to allow the gyro to compute the target rate. 2) With continuous radar ranging the GRUB (computer could (and must) calculate true target motion otherwise radar ranging would a...

Hi! In the Mk14-Mk51 the lead is applied by a moving reticle, the telescope/sight does not move beyond what is needed to follow the target. It can be that in the MkIV the lead is applied by the calculator by leading the guns respect to the sights. A further comment. These gyro-based systems did not...

1) The layer and trainer's sights were aligned with the COFAS so it would be obvious to the CO and the layer and trainer if they were following the wrong target. 2) In later models the COFAS was linked to power control to allow the CO to track the target via the COFAS to ensure that everyone was fo...

A torpedo bomber would not be flying directly at the ship. There was quite a lot of lead involved. Yes some deflection, but nothing like that required to engage the same aircraft attacking a different ship. I don't thing a low deflection shot is easy... most aircrafts' side profile is about 5 to 10...

1) The layer and trainer's sights were aligned with the COFAS so it would be obvious to the CO and the layer and trainer if they were following the wrong target. 2) In later models the COFAS was linked to power control to allow the CO to track the target via the COFAS to ensure that everyone was fo...

1) The layer and trainer's sights were aligned with the COFAS so it would be obvious to the CO and the layer and trainer if they were following the wrong target. 2) In later models the COFAS was linked to power control to allow the CO to track the target via the COFAS to ensure that everyone was fo...

Regardless, the Mk IV director need the crew of 8 + radar crew to work in unison, and there will definitely be delays such as 1. trainer and layer to recognise the target selected by CO 2. GRU operator to line up with target and followers to put in the rates 3. Range follower to input range, either ...

Illustrious and Victorious were originally fitted with Mk III directors. Pom-pom mounts began to be fitted with USN Mk 14 gyro gunsights, probably in 1942, but I don't know the status of the mounts used during PEDESTAL. The one man joystick control was engineered by the Mediterranean Fleet and then...

During Pedestal Victorious had 5 octuple pom-poms modified to use 'joystick' control for one man training/laying control of the mounts, and the 6th mount was given Mk IV control. I am pretty surprised that 5 octuple pom-poms uses local one man control. As I believe as designed, director positions a...

Is there any information on how widespread the installation of RPC pom pom mounts is? I suspect a lot will be retrofitting existing mounts, but I haven't come across any records. Also, even though type 282 radar is pretty common, there seems to be very few mentions on its effectiveness on action rep...

Pom pom director Mk 4 is a very complicated director that integrated Gyro rate unit (GRU) and a Type 282 radar. There are 8 members on the director sight itself: 1 Officer, 3 rate followers, trainer, layer, GRU operator, range taker. On the other hand, Bofors in USN service mostly relies on a Mk 51 ...

You have a misunderstanding regarding the loading cycle of the 16in triple turret. The shell bogies feed shells upward to a shell scuttle which held 4 x 16in shells per gun. The individual guns could load from the scuttles at their own pace, depending on the salvo cycle, completely independent from...

Rodney and Nelson used 1/2 salvos during WW2. See: http://www.kbismarck.com/rodney-gunnery-report.html Double salvos are not the usual half salvos... Double salvos are fired with both groups of guns loaded. The two groups of guns are fired within a short interval and typically used for initial salv...

Hi Paul. I have always wondered that the RN honored world´s most famous admiral with that....ship. Nelson class was a big compromise, the designers tried to accommodate 9 16" guns and good protection in just the 35000 t allowed by treaties, something needed to suffer and it was propulsion, wit...