BIG NAVAL GUNS

Evening Star, Issue 21715, 9 May 1934, Page 2

BIG NAVAL GUNS

INCREASED RATE OF FIRING Kemarkable developments in naval gunnery which may lead to important modifications in warship design and tactics are proceeding (writes Hector Bywater, in the London ‘ Daily Telegraph ’). Germany is mounting in her “ pocket battleships ” a new type of Uin gun which is claimed to be equal to the British 15in gun—representing the main armament of all except two of our capital ships—in every respect, save weight of shell. The German gun, built of Krupp sicel produced by a new secret process, weighs only thirty-eight tons. The mounting is of novel design, and renders possible a rate < f fire never previously attained with heavy naval ordnance- Unlv fifteen seconds areneeded to load the gun. At the gunnery trials of the Deutschland, the first pocket battleship to bo commissioned each of the two triple turrets achieved a maximum rate of twelve rounds in 65 seconds, so that the total volume of fire from the ship exceeded twenty rounds a minute. As each shell weighs 6701 b, the weight of metal discharged per minute was six tons. In the United States navy a new Biu gun is being installed in the later group of 10,000-ton cruisers. ■ The mountings and ammunition hoists, worked by_ electricity, embody a now system of quick loading which enables a round to be fired every ten seconds. As each cruiser is armed with nine of these guns in triple turrets the volume of fire is fifty-four 2501 b shells per minute. These development* reflect the modern tendency to convert the heavy naval gun into a quick-firer. Treaty restrictions are impeding similar progress in the British Navy. The gun mountings in all except three of our capital ships are of pre-van pattern, and while the Bin armament of the county class cruisers is fairly up to date it , does not incorporate the latest improvements in quick-loading gear.