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Loading for the 16 Inch Naval gun.
35 Whelen
Member Posts: 14,307 ✭✭✭
Thought this was interesting. From the 2nd Edition Ammo Encyclopedia. A great reference book, BTW.[8D]
"The 16-inch 50-caliber Mark 7 main guns of the now-retired Iowa-class battleships have earned an almost legendary reputation. This being the case, let us take a quick look at the ballistics on which this legend is based."
Projectile Type: Mk.13 HC (high explosive)
Projectile Weight(lbs.): 1900
Propellant Weight(lbs.): 660
Muzzle Velocity(fps): 2,690
Max Range(miles): 23.6
Projectile Type: Mk.8 AP
Projectile Weight(lbs.): 2,700
Propellant Weight(lbs.): 660
Muzzle Velocity(fps): 2,500
Max Range(miles): 24
At 5.7 miles, the Mk.8 Armor Piercing shell could penetrate just over 26 inches of steel armor plate.
Max. average chamber pressure was a modest 37,000 psi.
Muzzle energy of the Mk.8 AP shell was 116,980 foot-TONS!
"The 16-inch 50-caliber Mark 7 main guns of the now-retired Iowa-class battleships have earned an almost legendary reputation. This being the case, let us take a quick look at the ballistics on which this legend is based."
Projectile Type: Mk.13 HC (high explosive)
Projectile Weight(lbs.): 1900
Propellant Weight(lbs.): 660
Muzzle Velocity(fps): 2,690
Max Range(miles): 23.6
Projectile Type: Mk.8 AP
Projectile Weight(lbs.): 2,700
Propellant Weight(lbs.): 660
Muzzle Velocity(fps): 2,500
Max Range(miles): 24
At 5.7 miles, the Mk.8 Armor Piercing shell could penetrate just over 26 inches of steel armor plate.
Max. average chamber pressure was a modest 37,000 psi.
Muzzle energy of the Mk.8 AP shell was 116,980 foot-TONS!
An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it.
Comments
We found out on our first call for a fire mission. One fire for effect, if you gave those guys the right numbers, they could put em in your hip pocket, if you wanted it there. It was amazing, them boys could shoot.
To this day, I don't totally understand how naval gunnery works, but it damn sure works. [^]
W.D.
Propellant Weight(lbs.): 660
To put that into numbers we are used to that is a bullet weighing 13,300,000gr over a powder charge of 4,620,000gr. Wow, I won't complain about my 300WSM using to much powder again.
that had obtained One surplus. at the cost of Powdwer at todays prices it would be costly to ZERO one in [:0]
WD I am with you how do you hit any thing when The PLATFORM THE GUN IS MOUNTED ON IS MOVING.
l read somewhere once the the powder/propellant grains are about the size of golf balls
I have one of the powder "chunks". I am hesitant to call it a "grain". Give me a minute and I will get a photo.
I can set it beside a golf ball for size comparison. [:D]
WD I am with you how do you h.it any thing when The PLATFORM THE GUN IS MOUNTED ON IS MOVING.Consider too that our Navy achieves such unbelievable over the horizon accuracy using WWII-era tubes, powder and projectiles.
The huge leap in capability is due to their forward looking ordnance section's commissioning of the world's first supercomputer way back in the early 50's. Overnight their accuracy went from good to outrageous.
There's little glory or glamour involved, but electronics actually rank just behind ships on our Navy's list of important gear. Rightfully so.
One of two triple 283MM gun turrets from the German battlecruier Gneisenau is preserved in Norway where it was installed as part of the Atlantic Wall in 1942/43
Apparently the other near Bergen has been scrapped (which would have been easier to visit)
The remaining one is at Austr?tt Fort outside Trondheim in northern Norway
Gneisenau arrived at Kiel, Germany from Brest, France in great shape in Feb 42 and so was intended to be moved to Norway and join Tirpitz.
In a rare move her ammo was not unloaded as she had a quick refit and an unlucky hit during an air raid destroyed her forward magazine burning out the forecastle.
Rather than just repair her it was decided to replace the 3 triple 283MM turrets with twin 380MM turrets, her original intended guns not used to appease the British politically making her a 3/4 Bismarck in effect. So the three guns from turret Anton were sent to Holland and the complete turrets Bruno and Cesare were shipped to Norway and installed as coastal defense.
These are some of the very guns that sank the carrier HMS Glorious as well as many other British ships when Gneisenau and her sister Schranhorst fought at sea(known as the twins as they were usually deployed together)and they are preserved in Norway.
This piece of history is the last remaining piece of the major German warships of WWII in existence and while it might be a very expensive trip it would certainly be interesting to see it with one's own eyes
Wulfmann
"Fools learn from their own mistakes. I learn from the mistakes of others"
Otto von Bismarck
Here is a nice bunch of photos taken by a local of Gneisenau's turret Cesare
Notice the powder charge is not silk bags but is a brass case.
The Germans were the only naval power in WWII that used brass charges on their main battery guns which is why they could actually have magazine fires that did not destroy the ship.
It was also why these guns could fir at better than 3 rounds per minute
Wulfmann
"Fools learn from their own mistakes. I learn from the mistakes of others"
Otto von Bismarck
or > 199,618,117.2 - foot pounds of energy !
Sounds more impressive ! ... IMHO
[;)][:D][^][8D]
[;)]
That doesn't look like it will meter very well, and I thought 4831 was bad[;)]
[;)]
Those grains are very nearly the same size ratios as the powder used for the 155 guns- except much larger. The grains for the 155s were about an inch long by 1/4" wide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OmOQs0ziSU
They had the same complaints we did.