What is a super firing turret?

Superfiring armament is a naval military building technique in which two (or more) turrets are located in a line, one behind the other, with the second turret located above (“super”) the one in front so that the second turret can fire over the first.

Why do ships use gun turrets?

All battleship turrets were just set into place on the bearing races and held there by gravity. WWII battleships turrets weighed more than a destroyer. When and if battleships were sunk, if they rolled over and capsized which most sinking battleships at sea do, the turrets would all fall off as they rolled.

What battleship had the most turrets?

There were exceptions; the battleship HMS Agincourt had the uniquely large number of seven turrets. These were numbered “1” to “7” but were unofficially nicknamed “Sunday”, Monday”, etc. through to “Saturday”.

How did battleships aim their guns?

USN Battleships had the most sophisticated analog-mechanical computers to aim their guns. They took in the following information and used it to compute a firing solution: Distance and bearing to the target (input from manual observations or radar. Propellant load (1–6 bags)

How did ball turrets work?

Ball turrets appeared in the nose and tail as well as the nose of the final series B-24. To enter the turret, the turret was moved until the guns were pointed straight down. The gunner placed his feet in the heel rests and occupied his cramped station. He would put on a safety strap and close and lock the turret door.

How far can 16-inch guns fire?

The first Iowa-class ship was laid down in June 1940; in their World War II configuration, each of the Iowa-class battleships had a main battery of 16-inch (406 mm) guns that could hit targets nearly 20 statute miles (32 km) away with a variety of artillery shells designed for anti-ship or bombardment work.

How far can a railgun shoot?

110 nautical miles
Railguns use magnetic fields created by high electrical currents to accelerate a projectile to Mach 6, or 5,400 miles an hour. The velocity is sufficient to give the EMRG an effective range of 110 nautical miles, or 126 miles on land. This content is imported from {embed-name}.

What is a superfiring pair of turrets on a ship?

The gun layout developed by Chief Constructor Washington L. Capps was the superfiring pair of turrets. In this layout two turrets were placed in line, one turret on normal deck level, with the second turret above and behind.

What was the first battleship to have two superfiring turrets?

The first British battleship to carry two pairs of superfiring turrets was HMS Orion, also laid down in 1909. In Germany the Kaiser class of battleships were the first to carry superfiring turrets, again one pair at the rear of the ship. The Konig class, laid in 1911-1912, would be the first to feature two pairs of superfiring turrets.

What was the main concern with the design of the turrets?

The main concern about this arrangement of turrets was that in some circumstances the upper guns would be firing directly over the top of the lower turret. There was a real danger that this would cause blast damage to the lower turret, possibly enough to prevent the upper guns from be using against targets directly in line with the lower turret.

What was the first ship to have superfiring guns?

The first ships to actually carry this arrangement of guns were HMS Nelson and HMS Rodney, each carrying one pair of superfiring three gun 16in turrets, laid down in 1922 but not completed for five years. The George V class went one step further, and carried two four gun turrets, carried as a superfiring pair at the front of the ship.