RustyBattleship

I don't know how this drifted from RPVs, but here's my answer that was confirmed by a retired GMC-1 from the Korean War (he came out of retirement in the 1980s to serve as a GMMC on New Jersey then retired again later).

As opposed to many other big gun ships, the Iowa Class Battleships could elevate their guns 45 degrees for absolutely maximum range. Many other ships, such as the Bismarck class only had a maximum 35 degree elevation. Unfortunately, engineering calculations and roller bearing failure on the Texas limited the maximum elevation to only 42 degrees so as not to overload the rollers.

But IF the guns were at 45 degrees, they could carry in about 26 miles. At Pusan, Marines were pinned down at a bridge and the North Koreans and Chinese were well protected on the other side of the river in some brick or concrete buildings being used as pill boxes. The Missouri was available for gunfire support but from her position in the harbor the targets would be almost 26 miles and the Captain was only allowed to elevate 42 degrees.

By that time harbor bottom profile was pretty well plotted out so he brought Missouri over a sandbar, ballasted down onto the sandbar and allowed her to list to port 3 to 4 degrees. Relative to the fire plane of the ship (roller path) the guns were only 41 to 42 degrees. But relative to the Earth and with the analog computer also capable of compensating for the correalus effect (how much the Earth moves under the flight of the projectiles) the guns were now at 45 degrees. Her first salvo was directly on target and the Marines radioed back that they could now cross that bridge - "standing upright".

Now DO NOT argue with me on this one. I not only heard it before (and it was briefly touched on in the TV series "Navy Log") but when the Master Chief Gunner's Mate who was there confirmed it, --- well, actually NOBODY argues with a chief.

Even full Captains refrain from it and I sure as hell wouldn't.