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RustyBattleship · 01-26-2007, 14:46 PM

I have some copies of Navy drawings of 16" projectiles. But they are too big to scan and I can't afford a digital camera capable of photographing them in high definition.

Basically, the 16" round comes in two different sizes; a 1,900 lb High Explosive round 64" long and a 2.700 lb armor piercing 72" long.

Most AP rounds I've seen (sat on them on a barge for loading up the New Jersey in Seal Beach) were all black with a yellow band around the nose.

Practice rounds with no explosives are painted light blue and are called BLP's or Blind Loaded Plugs.

Standard HE rounds are Olive Drab with an 8" wide yellow band 8" down from the nose.

There are other kinds also. I have seen them with two yellow bands each about 3" wide.

I have seen them with a checkerboard of yellow indicating they are one of the types of "Fire Cracker" rounds. Another with yellow diamonds around the nose.

The Fire Cracker rounds each carry 400 bouncing betty anti-personnel mines. Excellent for taking out exposed enemy. One full salvo of 9 rounds from all three turrets will kill everbody above ground within one square mile.

Most of the weight is in the steel casings to keep in shape during firing (they leave the muzzle at 1.700 mph) and to restrain the pressure build up of the explosive until the stress goes way beyond the ultimate (breaking) strength of the steel. This provides for a more damaging explosion than with more explosive and thinner case walls.

This is particularly important where the AP rounds are capable of going through 32 feet of reinforced concrete (by that time they have "slowed down" to 1.100 mph) then blowing out the guts of the bunker.

In WW II, the USS Wisconsin took out Japanese bunkers with 16-foot thick walls. Bob Ballinger was aboard her at the time. After the war he went to work for Buships, later named NAVSEA in Washington, D.C. When we reactivated the Battleships in the 80's, he was right in the middle of it as a mechanical engineer.

When Sadaam Hussein bragged about his shore defense bunkers of 12-foot thick walls, I thought Bob was going to have a heart attack from laughter.

His old ship, the "Wisky", was asked to perform a little deja vue. They turned the bunkers into decomposed granite and broke for lunch.

01-26-2007, 14:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
RustyBattleship *Defense Professional* Join Date: 01-12-06 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 2,965	I have some copies of Navy drawings of 16" projectiles. But they are too big to scan and I can't afford a digital camera capable of photographing them in high definition. Basically, the 16" round comes in two different sizes; a 1,900 lb High Explosive round 64" long and a 2.700 lb armor piercing 72" long. Most AP rounds I've seen (sat on them on a barge for loading up the New Jersey in Seal Beach) were all black with a yellow band around the nose. Practice rounds with no explosives are painted light blue and are called BLP's or Blind Loaded Plugs. Standard HE rounds are Olive Drab with an 8" wide yellow band 8" down from the nose. There are other kinds also. I have seen them with two yellow bands each about 3" wide. I have seen them with a checkerboard of yellow indicating they are one of the types of "Fire Cracker" rounds. Another with yellow diamonds around the nose. The Fire Cracker rounds each carry 400 bouncing betty anti-personnel mines. Excellent for taking out exposed enemy. One full salvo of 9 rounds from all three turrets will kill everbody above ground within one square mile. Most of the weight is in the steel casings to keep in shape during firing (they leave the muzzle at 1.700 mph) and to restrain the pressure build up of the explosive until the stress goes way beyond the ultimate (breaking) strength of the steel. This provides for a more damaging explosion than with more explosive and thinner case walls. This is particularly important where the AP rounds are capable of going through 32 feet of reinforced concrete (by that time they have "slowed down" to 1.100 mph) then blowing out the guts of the bunker. In WW II, the USS Wisconsin took out Japanese bunkers with 16-foot thick walls. Bob Ballinger was aboard her at the time. After the war he went to work for Buships, later named NAVSEA in Washington, D.C. When we reactivated the Battleships in the 80's, he was right in the middle of it as a mechanical engineer. When Sadaam Hussein bragged about his shore defense bunkers of 12-foot thick walls, I thought Bob was going to have a heart attack from laughter. His old ship, the "Wisky", was asked to perform a little deja vue. They turned the bunkers into decomposed granite and broke for lunch. __________________ Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.