The Viribus Unitis Battleship: 1:25 Model; Main Gun Turrets

Jura, I learn something new everyday. I never knew about the heat exhaustion on american BB

Do you play the game world of warships? it didn't have Viribus Unitis but it did have KMS Kaiser and USS Texas

Lezt said:

Jura, I learn something new everyday. I never knew about the heat exhaustion on american BB

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then I probably know why you didn't

Jura said:

address the hoists, too ... also _continuous_ supply of shells on American battleships, which made all of them (shells) accessible _at once_, but at battle conditions created delays in their transport towards the shell hoists (have no book with me now so I hope you understand what I'm saying

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Lezt said:

Do you play the game world of warships? it didn't have Viribus Unitis but it did have KMS Kaiser and USS Texas

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the only game I play is chess (blitz only)

You will love it:

Lezt said:

You will love it:...

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nah

I'm coming back again to

Jura said:

... hope you'll address the hoists, too ... also _continuous_ supply of shells on American battleships, which made all of them (shells) accessible _at once_, but at battle conditions created delays in their transport towards the shell hoists (have no book with me now so I hope you understand what I'm saying

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actually I think what's not frequently discussed is the arrangement AROUND the hoists, I mean the top views, for example on (newer) USN Battleships they would be like this:
shells were 'parbuckled on a capstan' (LOL the first time I've used these words) towards the shell hoist (there was a fancy arrangement of hoists, basically the shell met its propellants only in the gunhouse; here's a simplified (and more clear to me view, the powder hoist shown in the middle:

I'm going to compare to other arrangements here ... any thoughts/links would be appreciated

Do you think it would be possible using today's technology to mostly or completely automate large bore guns like this?

welcome to this thread

Iron Man said:

Do you think it would be possible using today's technology to mostly or completely automate large bore guns like this?

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not sure if you meant

1. 16" Mk7 to reactivate the Iowas again? or
2. a new design?

if #1, even if it had been automated, it would've reduced the crew by only three times something like one hundred, out of about two thousand ... on the technical side, I think the Iowas had one of the most cramped arrangements of the main battery turrets/magazines, so I don't know if it would be a good idea to cut through it and perhaps it would be better to leave it as it is (as we all know, if hoist(s) worked properly, limiting for the rate of fire would be, well, operating the gun itself), which anyway begs the question: what for to shoot it now? (I'll get back to this right after the next point)

if #2, I think people would be surprised how difficult it would be to build a brand-new large-caliber gun now, the gear is gone, the particular steel is gone, heck the whole factories are gone ... (yes, it should be possible to feed automatically, but that's not the point); plus the cost, well, you may check about 5": https://www.sinodefenceforum.com/us-military-news-reports-data-etc.t1547/page-616#post-417543

I'm a big fun of Naval Artillery, but I'm not sure if it's going to be used for peppering beaches again, as the risk in "littorals" would be too high these days ... I of course know about the Zumwalts etc. etc. and don't want to start a fight here ... I just thing aircraft will take over this role, too

Jura said:

...
actually I think what's not frequently discussed is the arrangement AROUND the hoists, I mean the top views, ...
I'm going to compare to other arrangements here ...

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... the Yamatos now (don't have the top view though):
(anybody recognizes the book? I only found the chart in Internet: )

the description by Campbell (starting at the end of p. 179):
"Shells were stowed vertically and moved by push-pull gear. Of the total of 100 per gun, 60 were stowed in the shell handling rooms in the revolving structure, and 40 in the shell handling room, that is immediately below the main armour deck in 'B' and 'Y and a deck lower in 'A'. In action, the guns would be supplied from the lower handling room and then from the upper one. Transfer from the shell room by push-pull gear and shell bogie was slower than supply by the hoists so that the handling rooms would be replenished between actions."

Lezt said:

Oh radar, how magical you are.
...

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... and the, ehm, computer:

Jura said:

... and the, ehm, computer:

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LOL the picture doesn't show to me; it's worth it though:

Jura said:

...

shells were 'parbuckled on a capstan' ...

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since
in