USN cruisers fire control top

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marcelo_malara
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USN cruisers fire control top

Post by marcelo_malara »

Hi guys.

In the early days of centralized fire control, the director and the range finder were different pieces of equipment. The director was mounted on the top of the masts, and the range finders (there were more than one) in lower positions, on top of the conning tower for example.

Between wars the director and the range finder were combined in one and installed on top the superstructure, common knowledge says that the director alone was far lighter and could be installed aloft, while the new directors were heavier and needed to be lowered.

Then I came to this cruiser, the USS Chester, that have a modern director (even with FC radar antenna) on top of the main mast:

Image

Question is, how could this cruiser have a combined director aloft while modernized warships had to lower the combined director to the top of the superstructure?
HvKleist
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Re: USN cruisers fire control top

Post by HvKleist »

Hello,

It didn't. The MB director atop the Foremast is the old director she had originally.

The new, modified director (AA, or dual purpose director) is aft on the Mainmast, which has been cut down.

HTH
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marcelo_malara
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Re: USN cruisers fire control top

Post by marcelo_malara »

Yes, I found the answer in Friedman´s US Naval Weapons. The director in Chester is Mk24, it had no range finder. The first US director that incorporated a range finder (in the way the DCT of the RN did) was the later Mk34.

Regards
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