Secundary guns turrets

[Herr Nilsson]

Below every foremost turret is a handling room. The 15 cm magazines were behind bulkheads of this handling room. The shells and charges were stored on the opposite side of these bulkheads (distance ~1.5m). Ammunition was transported through small hatches into the handling room. The hatches were located in the outermost corners of the handling room.

[marcelo_malara]

Below every foremost turret is a handling room. The 15 cm magazines were behind bulkheads of this handling room. The shells and charges were stored on the opposite side of these bulkheads (distance ~1.5m). Ammunition was transported through small hatches into the handling room. The hatches were located in the outermost corners of the handling room.

Yes, but....if you have a charge (or two) in the lower end of the mounting´s lift, and the turret is impacted at that moment and those two charges ignited, would the bulkheads prevent the magazines charges detonating?

What strikes me, is that for primary battery turrets the frontal plate is about the same thickness that the armoured belt, and so with the turret facing the enemy there is no visible weak spot of less thickness. But then you have a weaker 15cm turret front plate (and side plate, and barbette), leading to a way to the lower protected spaces of the ship.

Regards

[Bill Jurens]

There is some variance regarding the number of charges that might be ignited at any particular time, the type of propellant being used, the enclosed volume of the handling (note, in the RN this was 'handing') room, and the venting of the space -- accidental or otherwise -- vary from case to case, but most designers seem to have arranged things so that any extensive spread of flame from an accidental ignition in a handling (handing) room would have been unlikely. That's why the handling room was there in the first place...

Bill Jurens

[OpanaPointer]

I was under the impression that there were "flash blockers" in the line of ammo from storage to gun deck. They opened upward and the shell passed through, then they closed. I've seen this in operation at least once, but lordy, that was 30+ years ago. Ready to say "Oops".

[marcelo_malara]

I was under the impression that there were "flash blockers" in the line of ammo from storage to gun deck. They opened upward and the shell passed through, then they closed. I've seen this in operation at least once, but lordy, that was 30+ years ago. Ready to say "Oops".

Yes, and they will work to the bulkhead´s limit in withstanding the overpressure from the deflagration.

[OpanaPointer]

Yeah. But the join between the flaps and the rest of the bulkhead would be the weakest point, yes?

[OpanaPointer]

Anybody know of a good analysis of Arizona's cataclysmic explosion? Did the US Parks Service do any such or did they just survey the wreckage?

[Bill Jurens]

Re the Arizona explosion, I wrote one of a series of very detailed articles -- my recollection is there were three in the series -- on this particular subject. i.e. the mechanics of the explosion about fifteen years ago, published in Warship International. You should be able to find them in the Warship International indexes, and download copies via the backup site on JSTOR.

Bill Jurens

[OpanaPointer]

The Park Service survey is online.

I helped teach the Pearl Harbor attack module at Purdue, under Prof. Randy Roberts. I was asked why the bodies weren't removed from the wreck. "Well, besides the ghoulishness of the task you have to remember that a shit load of powder went off in a confined space. The folks in the forward part of the ship were effectively powdered. Some teeth might be found, along with bits of the bigger bones. Otherwise, not much."

Got quiet in the classroom for a while. Afterwards the NROTC CO asked me if I'd like to talk to the current crop? I obliged.

[marcelo_malara]

Strangely enough, there seems to be an error in Draminski´s AOTS Scharnhorst. The fore 15cm barbettes are above compartments 17 and 18 (15cm magazine and handling room), but in the aft ones these compartments are farther to the stern. Is this a mistake or the arrangement was different?




https://postimg.cc/crXkFSmF/385451e3

[Thorsten Wahl]

you have to shift the lower picture by about 1-2 m. look at the transverse bulkheads.

[marcelo_malara]

you have to shift the lower picture by about 1-2 m. look at the transverse bulkheads.

HI! I noticed this, but it won´t work either. In the armoured deck the barbettes are located in compartment VII, its openings roughly between stations 75 and 77. In the deck below the 15cm magazines and handling rooms are located in compartment VI, reaching at most to station 74.