Those 15 automatic 6” were supposedly pretty awesome once they found the range.
> Those 15 automatic 6” were supposedly pretty awesome once they found the range.
Automatic meaning the guns fired as soon as the shell were seated and not dependent on someone pressing the firing button.
In 1951 Navy boot camp we watch a destroyer gun crew go through a firing drill on a mock up of a 5” gun. It was a marvel to watch those guys work. The whole operation looked like a human machine - each guy moving exactly as he did before as they simulated firing about every ten seconds (manual loading - a projectile and then a brass case).
Later on we were taken to the room below and had to load 54 lb projectiles into the hoist. Some when up as fast as they were dropped in, others hesitated a few seconds and then shot up. We had to grip the shell by the nose and then grip the base but NEVER place our fingers over the base as they might be sheared off as the shell was sent up.
What really impressed me as to how neat some of our WWII stuff was that as the shell was delivered, the fuse in the nose was turned and set to whatever range the range finder hread at the time. Tres Cool.
When I read of some Pacific bombardments lasting hours, all I could thing of was those poor ammo handlers heaving 54 lb projectiles every 15 seconds or so. One guy wrote that after a heavy action on a light cruiser (6” guns and 100 + lb projectiles) sweat was dripping from the turrets as if they had broken a water line.
Oh yeah. If there was a misfire, the crews were supposed to wait 1/2 hour. During combat it was Tough Noogies and they had to take a chance by opening the breech and tossing the case out. Most of the times it work, but when it didn’t, the flare up fried the whole crew.