16" 50 cal projectiles

[tlturbo]

Greetings,

New member here.

I found the board while doing a Google search on the 16" 50 cal and it appears someone (hopefully) on here should have the info I'm looking for.

I would like to find a tech drawing, schematic, whatever you want to call it on a 16" 50 cal HC HE projectile. Thinks like markings, proper painting, what pieces make it up, etc. Hope someone can help. Maybe someone was a gunners mate on a BB?

I have been a shooter all my life and currently enjoy a McBros .50 cal (the little .50" cal) target rifle. Gave up Hi-Power competition shooting when eyes gave up.

I look forward to some interesting reading on here.

[RustyBattleship]

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.

[Dreadnought]

Originally Posted by tlturbo

Greetings,

New member here.

I found the board while doing a Google search on the 16" 50 cal and it appears someone (hopefully) on here should have the info I'm looking for.

I would like to find a tech drawing, schematic, whatever you want to call it on a 16" 50 cal HC HE projectile. Thinks like markings, proper painting, what pieces make it up, etc. Hope someone can help. Maybe someone was a gunners mate on a BB?

I have been a shooter all my life and currently enjoy a McBros .50 cal (the little .50" cal) target rifle. Gave up Hi-Power competition shooting when eyes gave up.

I look forward to some interesting reading on here.

Greetings Turbo and welcome to the WAB.

The information you seek is here within the Battleship Forum.

There are specs for the 16"/50 cal HE round (1900lbs.) and the 16"/50 cal AP round (2700lbs). If you peruse the threads I believe you will find the colors each ship was assigned as well as a schematic for them.

This link may help.
Definitions and Information about Naval Guns - Part 2
USA 16"/50 (40.6 cm) Mark 7

[Dreadnought]

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.

Class dismissed?

[RAL's_pal?]

Originally Posted by RustyBattleship

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.

Hey cRusty, how about a regular camera and film? All you'd need is a lens optimized for "flat field" work. With a decent negative you could scan that (in an appropriate scanner) and then send it out for printing.

[RustyBattleship]

Originally Posted by RAL's_pal?

Hey cRusty, how about a regular camera and film? All you'd need is a lens optimized for "flat field" work. With a decent negative you could scan that (in an appropriate scanner) and then send it out for printing.

If you want to do the work, come on over and pick them up. I have too many other things to do right now.

I've found a local publisher that's interested in the book (his brother is 2nd in command at the Navy Golf Course) so I have to prepare a presentation.

And all the pictures I took of the plaques I donated have to be converted to grey scale and printed for appendix C.

Plus I'm still in the running for Chief Engineer aboard the Iowa and trying to find 42" wide quick acting watertight doors for handicap access.

I have a Model Train Club meeting tonight and tomorrow night my wife wants me to go to a birthday party of a young girl I hardly know.

Sunday Rosalie Clark may be stopping by to trade some stuff for a shipyard mug.

Cal Johnson wants 12 more hats.

And I even have not put my hearing aids in yet.

[RAL's_pal?]

Originally Posted by RustyBattleship

If you want to do the work, come on over and pick them up. I have too many other things to do right now.

Me come over to copy gun plans? Oh sure, let me run right over..... Any recent changes to the medications??

Originally Posted by RustyBattleship

I have a Model Train Club meeting tonight and tomorrow night my wife wants me to go to a birthday party of a young girl I hardly know.

How young? At your age 45 is young......

[RustyBattleship]

Originally Posted by RAL's_pal?

Me come over to copy gun plans? Oh sure, let me run right over..... Any recent changes to the medications??



How young? At your age 45 is young......

She's younger than my daughter. We know the family well and have been to a lot of functions together. But I'd rather stay home and work on my presentation and samples for the possible publisher.

[RAL's_pal?]

Originally Posted by RustyBattleship

But I'd rather stay home and work on my presentation and samples for the possible publisher.

Good, I'll be expecting my autographed copy, gratis.

[Shipwreck]

Originally Posted by RustyBattleship

Plus I'm still in the running for Chief Engineer aboard the Iowa and trying to find 42" wide quick acting watertight doors for handicap access.

Since you mention that, Dick, what's the latest on the competition between Vallejo and Stockton for USS Iowa ?

[RustyBattleship]

Originally Posted by Shipwreck

Since you mention that, Dick, what's the latest on the competition between Vallejo and Stockton for USS Iowa ?

We go into our third round of request in March. We have to go back to NAVSEA and answer any more questions they have and present proof (or reasonable assurances) of how we would fund the ship and take care of it.

My materiel condition report and my report on converting the ship only raised 2 questions on maintenance out of 27 total. And one of those questions was already answered in my conversion report as to what valves need to be opened or closed for bringing fresh water on board and flushing the toilets. Guess the reviewer back there didn't know how to read an isometric piping drawing.

[Shipwreck]

Originally Posted by RustyBattleship

We go into our third round of request in March. We have to go back to NAVSEA and answer any more questions they have and present proof (or reasonable assurances) of how we would fund the ship and take care of it.

Thank you, Dick.

More questions if I may :

1. When is the Navy decision due for (I seem to recall something like second or third quarter of 2007) ?

2. What impact will the recent legislation requiring continued use of cathodic protection and dehumidification have ? (e.g. who's going to pay the bills, what will be open to public, etc...)

I reckon that with the recent demise of Richard Pombo, Vallejo seems in a much better position than Stockton.

Go Vallejo !!!

[RustyBattleship]

[quote=Shipwreck;336138]Thank you, Dick.

More questions if I may :

1. When is the Navy decision due for (I seem to recall something like second or third quarter of 2007) ?

2. What impact will the recent legislation requiring continued use of cathodic protection and dehumidification have ? (e.g. who's going to pay the bills, what will be open to public, etc...)
QUOTE]

First question: I think a 3rd quarter decision is most likely. I wish it would be 2nd quarter then we have some nicer weather to start repairs and modifications.

Second question: This is going to be a tough one. Since it is the government's decision to keep the ship in semi-Class B reserve, we think the government should pay for cathodic protection and dehumidification.

Right now, cathodic protection is using the standard mothballed ship method of hanging impressed current cathodic anodes over the side. But Iowa has her own built into the hull (I personally drew the plans for them).

D/H may be a little rough since many spaces now under D/H will be open to the public and under A/C instead. The plans I have drawn for D/H mods actually takes 3 of the 9 machines and puts them in storage for spares. It also relocates 2 other machines to continue dehumidifying non visitor spaces but gets them out of the way of regular visitor spaces.

There is a ton more items that we have addressed in our proposal and it's going to require a sit down - eyeball to eyeball meeting to hammer out who pays for what.

I may even have to bite the bullet and fly back to DC for the meeting (I hate flying if I'm not at the controls).

Hmmm. If lounge is open, 2 or 3 vodkas will help me get on the plane. While in the air attempt to buy out entire supply of Vodka. Then rent a car ----. Believe it or not, by the time I step off a plane I'm stone sober. Burned it all up in anxiety I guess.

My dream retirement was that of the guy who invented Warp Drive on Star Trek. That was to relax on a South Seas Island with sun-tanned naked girls all around me.

But at my age, I wouldn't know what to do with a naked girl anymore (except hyperventilate) but I still know how to fix a Battleship.

[rickusn]

I wish you much luck and success in your endeavor.

If I ever get out to the Bay Area again (lived there for nearly 14 years) I hope to be able to visit and admire your handi-work.

Please keep us posted if possible on your progress.

Rick

[RustyBattleship]

Originally Posted by rickusn

I wish you much luck and success in your endeavor.

Please keep us posted if possible on your progress.

Rick

Within limits of confidentiallity between me and other vested parties I'll do my best.