Difference between revisions of "Iron Duke Class Battleship (1912)"

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===Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter===
 
===Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter===
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At some point, all ships were equipped with four [[Mark II Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter]]s:
+
At some point, all ships in this class were equipped with four [[Mark II Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter]]s:
 
* one on each side of the foretop, driven by flexible shafting from the Evershed rack on the director
 
* one on each side of the foretop, driven by flexible shafting from the Evershed rack on the director
 
* one on each side of the [[Gun Control Tower]] employing an electrical [[F.T.P.]] system.
 
* one on each side of the [[Gun Control Tower]] employing an electrical [[F.T.P.]] system.

Revision as of 16:45, 2 October 2009

Fire Control

Rangefinders

Evershed Bearing Indicators

All 4 units were likely fitted with this equipment before late 1914.[Inference][1]

One might reasonably assume the particulars resembled those of the King George V class.[Inference]

Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter

At some point, all ships in this class were equipped with four Mark II Mechanical Aid-to-Spotters:

  • one on each side of the foretop, driven by flexible shafting from the Evershed rack on the director
  • one on each side of the Gun Control Tower employing an electrical F.T.P. system.

As the need for such gear was apparently first identified in early 1916, it seems likely that these installations were effected well after Jutland.[2]

Gunnery Control

The control arrangements were as follows.[3]

Control Positions

  • Gun control tower
  • 'B' turret
  • 'X' turret

Some ships had C.O.S.s within the control positions so they could be connected to either TS.[4]

Control Groups

The five 13.5-in turrets were each a separate group with a local C.O.S. so that it could be connected to

  • Transmitting Station
  • Local control from officer's position within turret

The 6-in guns were formed into two groups[5] for port and starboard broadsides.[Inference]

Directors

Main Battery

The ships were fitted with a cam-type tripod-type director in a light aloft tower on the foremast along with a directing gun (in 'X' turret?).[6]

The main battery could be divided into forward ('A', 'B' & 'Q') and aft ('X' & 'Y') groups for split director control.[7]

A C.O.S. in the TS afforded these options:[8]

  1. All turrets on aloft tower
  2. All turrets on directing gun
  3. Forward group on aloft tower, aft group on directing gun

Secondary Battery

The ships had a pair of directors fitted to port and starboard on the forward superstructure to direct the 6-in broadside guns. Marlborough's were pedestal-mounted, and the others tripod-mounted.[9]

Torpedo Control

Transmitting Stations

These ships were somewhat unusual in that they (like |Tiger and possibly later ships[Inference]) had a TS for the main battery and another for the 6-in secondary battery[10]. It is not clear to me whether the secondary battery's TS had a Dreyer table.

Dreyer Table

In June 1918, Marlborough had a Mark I Dreyer Table while the other three units had Mark IV Dreyer Tables[11] and all had been provided Dreyer Turret Control Tables.[12] The disparity in Dreyer Marks creates a loose impression that all ships were initially given Mark I tables and for some reason Marlborough missed her chance for an upgrade, perhaps due to her damage at the Battle of Jutland.

Fire Control Instruments

Continuing the pattern established in the Colossus class, all 4 units used Vickers F.T.P. Mark III range and deflection instruments to the gun sights and Barr and Stroud (probably Mark II*[Inference]) instruments for other purposes.[13]

The ships also had Gun Ready signals in the TS and control positions, but had no Target Visible signals.[14]

See Also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ They are not mentioned in the pertinent section of Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914
  2. ↑ The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, 1919, pp. 25-6.
  3. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 7.
  4. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 7.
  5. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 7.
  6. ↑ The Director Firing Handbook, 1917. pp. 88, 142.
  7. ↑ The Director Firing Handbook, 1917, p. 88.
  8. ↑ The Director Firing Handbook, 1917. p. 88.
  9. ↑ The Director Firing Handbook, 1917. pp. 143.
  10. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, pp. 6-7.
  11. ↑ Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, p. 3.
  12. ↑ absent from list in Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, p. 3.
  13. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, pp. 72.
  14. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 11.

Bibliography

Template:Iron Duke Class (1912)

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