And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Monday, June 9, 2025
USS Boise (CL-47) seen from USS Yorktown (CV-10) on May 6, 1943. A Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat is parked on the carrier's elevator. "Note Boise's fresh Measure 22 camouflage, and her fifteen 6/47 guns trained on her port quarter at high elevation."
The Boise carried cartridge guns as opposed to bag guns. This enabled a higher rate of fire. There is a very nice display in the Boise airport terminal.
At first I thought so too, but no. You can see the range finders sticking out to the side on the rear of each turret. The faces of the gun houses are in shadow.
To get the weight of that gun lower for stability issues. These guns had gads of elevation and #3 turret could toss shells and surprising angles off the bow even given its positioning. Look up the Nelson Class Battleships of the British Navy. They could point all their guns WAY towards aft for "over-the-shoulder" shots with nine 16" rifles. There are images and some films of this. Boise here has some SPECTACULAR shooting vids to check out. Recommended highly.
I'm just an old ground pounder, but my guess is that it would have been too much weight up too high, especially when maneuvering hard over. Obviously the idea was to maneuver so you could open fire with all guns.
I think RHT447 has it correct. Ships have to be very carefully balanced with the center of flotation always higher than the center of gravity to make sure that when they roll they will right themselves instead of capsizing. Here's an example of what can go wrong - https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/the-story-of-vasa-the-epic-17th-century-swedish-warship-that-sank-20-minutes-into-her-voyage#google_vignette Al_in_Ottawa
Regarding the Yorktown, it was commissioned on April 15, 1943. It was still in the Norfolk area at the time this photo was taken. It left on its shakedown cruise for Trinidad on May 21.
My dad, a wet-behind-the-ears 15-year-old who lied about his age in July 1942 when he joined the Navy, might well have been watching the photographer take this photo. His first ship had been torpedoed during the North African invasion.
I always wondered if the spotter plane pilots felt like they got a raw deal or heaved a sigh of relief at not going to the air wings on carriers. I figure both had drawbacks but at least on a cruiser you're not sitting on a million gallons of avgas.
The Boise carried cartridge guns as opposed to bag guns. This enabled a higher rate of fire. There is a very nice display in the Boise airport terminal.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Each gun could fire 8-10 rounds/minute. Times 15 guns.
DeleteAren't Boise's guns pointed to starboard?
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought so too, but no. You can see the range finders sticking out to the side on the rear of each turret. The faces of the gun houses are in shadow.
DeleteSeems odd that the #3? turret (3rd from left) would be lower than the second? Gotta be a logical reason but I can't figure it out.
ReplyDeleteTo get the weight of that gun lower for stability issues.
DeleteThese guns had gads of elevation and #3 turret could toss shells and surprising angles off the bow even given its positioning.
Look up the Nelson Class Battleships of the British Navy.
They could point all their guns WAY towards aft for "over-the-shoulder" shots with nine 16" rifles.
There are images and some films of this.
Boise here has some SPECTACULAR shooting vids to check out.
Recommended highly.
I'm just an old ground pounder, but my guess is that it would have been too much weight up too high, especially when maneuvering hard over. Obviously the idea was to maneuver so you could open fire with all guns.
ReplyDeleteI think RHT447 has it correct. Ships have to be very carefully balanced with the center of flotation always higher than the center of gravity to make sure that when they roll they will right themselves instead of capsizing.
DeleteHere's an example of what can go wrong - https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/the-story-of-vasa-the-epic-17th-century-swedish-warship-that-sank-20-minutes-into-her-voyage#google_vignette
Al_in_Ottawa
Regarding the Yorktown, it was commissioned on April 15, 1943. It was still in the Norfolk area at the time this photo was taken. It left on its shakedown cruise for Trinidad on May 21.
ReplyDeleteMy dad, a wet-behind-the-ears 15-year-old who lied about his age in July 1942 when he joined the Navy, might well have been watching the photographer take this photo. His first ship had been torpedoed during the North African invasion.
I always wondered if the spotter plane pilots felt like they got a raw deal or heaved a sigh of relief at not going to the air wings on carriers. I figure both had drawbacks but at least on a cruiser you're not sitting on a million gallons of avgas.
ReplyDelete240K to 255K gallons depending on ship, but who's counting...lol!
DeleteStill makey bigg um boomly if lit off.