Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Size and Range of Naval Artillery

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Size and Range of Naval Artillery

    This may be a silly question, but why do larger diameter projectiles have a longer range than those with a smaller diameter? I note from a chart on the Iowa class that a 16", 640 lb. projectile with a full charge at an angle of 45 degrees reaches 47,000 yards. The 5", 53.3 lb. projectile at the same angle reaches only 18,200 yards. Obviously there must be proportionately less powder behind the 5" projectile. Could'nt you put enough powder behind a 5" shell to send it an equal distance downrange? Is range related to the length of the barrel?

    Another question, would'nt it be possible to design a modern, sabot style penetrator shell that would pierce even the armor on a battleship?

    Thanks!

  • #2
    Generally the larger artillery barrels and breeches are stronger and thicker allowing you to put alot more behind them without destroying the gun.

    As for a discarding penetrator sabot I'm sure you could if you put some effort into it with a large enough weapon but what size gun would you design it for?

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Necessary Evil View Post
      This may be a silly question, but why do larger diameter projectiles have a longer range than those with a smaller diameter? I note from a chart on the Iowa class that a 16", 640 lb. projectile with a full charge at an angle of 45 degrees reaches 47,000 yards.
      16" projectiles commonly used by Iowa class were 1900# Mk13 Explosive, and 2700# Mk8 Amor piercing, they didn't use a 640# projectile, elevation was limited to 43 deg for 16" gun - due to turret rollers being damaged by recoil - the greater range of these heavy projectiles was largely due to their momentum being able to overcome drag for a longer flight time - for larger projectiles -the frontal area causing the drag increases less than the weight which is determined by projectile volume
      The 5", 53.3 lb. projectile at the same angle reaches only 18,200 yards. Obviously there must be proportionately less powder behind the 5" projectile. Could'nt you put enough powder behind a 5" shell to send it an equal distance downrange?
      Yes you could, it would require a special gun, you couldn't just load a regular gun with more powder
      Is range related to the length of the barrel?
      Yes, it is related to barrel length -longer barrels can produce higher muzzle velocity
      Another question, would'nt it be possible to design a modern, sabot style penetrator shell that would pierce even the armor on a battleship?
      ]Thanks!
      Modern tank SABO rounds can theoretically penetrate battleship armor, but there are no battleships to shoot at, and if there were, a sabo round would not be effective at defeating them - it wouldn't do enough damage to a target that big, anti ship missiles would be much more effective
      Last edited by USSWisconsin; 09 Aug 10,, 22:13.
      sigpic"If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees.
      If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children."

      Comment


      • #4
        On the other hand, the main effect of an APSFDS round once it penetrates is that it turns itself into spall, basically disintegrating into a whole crapload of tiny pieces of metal flying around the enclosed turret at insanely fast speeds. while also dragging along with it a whole bunch of what used to be tank armor that adds to the devastation. Think the equivalent of shooting a shotgun into the top end of a Coca-Cola can.

        If something like that can already penetrate the armor of a BB, or a cruiser/destroyer/frigate, it will be carrying a lot more along with it, and can cause some serious damage, especially if it penetrates an engine room, magazine, or some other vital part of the ship. Even hitting the tower will cause some serious damage
        Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

        Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

        Comment


        • #5
          I suppose a large high velocity SABO type AP projectile would be devestating to a battleship turret or conning tower, I don't know how well it would survive the passage through layers of compartments and armor on the way to the machinery or magazines. I would also question the accuracy at ranges already available to regular projectiles. Still if there were a need for such projectiles I believe technology could be developed to make them work, perhaps terminal guidence could be employed. My thought was that AShM technology is already available, and against lightly armored or unarmored vessels, it would be much more effective, and even against a battleship, a mission kill (at least) would be a likely outcome of a coordinated attack with heavy AShM's.
          sigpic"If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees.
          If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children."

          Comment


          • #6
            640 lb 16" projectile? the only 3 projectiles that I know of, that the Iowa's carried were the Armor Piercing at 2700 lbs, High Explosive at 1900 lbs and the atomic shells also at 1900 lbs..

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by dundonrl View Post
              640 lb 16" projectile? the only 3 projectiles that I know of, that the Iowa's carried were the Armor Piercing at 2700 lbs, High Explosive at 1900 lbs and the atomic shells also at 1900 lbs..
              He may have been confused with the data that a full service charge is 660 pounds of gun powder.

              Funny thing though, when the New Jersey came into LBNSY in 1968, I saw some Hi-caps stenciled with a weight of 1,950 lbs. Must have been non-standardized surplus ammo from WW II.
              Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by dundonrl View Post
                640 lb 16" projectile? the only 3 projectiles that I know of, that the Iowa's carried were the Armor Piercing at 2700 lbs, High Explosive at 1900 lbs and the atomic shells also at 1900 lbs..

                *You also had your "Dummy" or inert pale blue rounds for practice loading drills and a few "test rounds" in the later 1980's. These were still on the Gunroom "check list" when they retired.
                Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by RustyBattleship View Post
                  He may have been confused with the data that a full service charge is 660 pounds of gun powder.

                  Funny thing though, when the New Jersey came into LBNSY in 1968, I saw some Hi-caps stenciled with a weight of 1,950 lbs. Must have been non-standardized surplus ammo from WW II.
                  Standard weights have a variation. An artillery example the M-107 HE round. Standard weight 92lbs. But actual weight can vary, due to the manufacturing process, from between 90-94.6Lbs

                  In artillery we mark the weight variation with squares. In the photo, the square weight of the projectile is 2. This projectile weights 90-91lbs. FDC will use this info for determining firing data.


                  For 16in projectiles, I would think they did as you state and stencil the actual weight on the projectile
                  Attached Files

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I have read before where extra dye packs (blue in this case for NJ) would be used to bring an underweight projectile up to minimum weight rating if it was in a certain range but I dont think they would use that much or could it have been an experimental version for improved spotting or other purpose?
                    Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X