Difference between revisions of "Formidable Class Battleship (1898)"

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Revision as of 11:29, 11 August 2012

Armament

During the war, along with those of other older ships, the eight 6-inch guns casemated on the first deck proved of little use in practical sea states. It was decided to remove the eight casemate guns, plate their ports over and move 4 of them to the upper deck. Four of the twelve 12-pdr guns were also surrendered due to this alteration.[1][Fact Check]

Main Battery

The 12-in guns were Mark IX, mounted in B VI turrets.[2][Fact Check]

Secondary Battery

Other Guns

Twelve 12-pdr guns, later reduced to eight when the 6-in casemate guns were relocated.[3][Fact Check]

Fire Control

Though it may have little relevance given the age difference, the general system of wiring between the TSs in ships prior to Lord Nelson class is illustrated in Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914.[4]

Rangefinders

Evershed Bearing Indicators

It is unlikely that this equipment was ever provided.[Inference]

Directors

These ships never received directors for main or secondary batteries.[5]

Gunnery Control

The ship's guns were organized in 3 groups:[6]

  1. Two 12-in turrets
  2. Starboard 6-in guns ('A' & 'X')
  3. Port 6-in guns ('B' & 'Y')

Local Control in Turrets

There was no provision in these ships for local turret control wherein the receivers in the turret could be driven by transmitters in the officer's position at the back of the turret.[7]

Transmitting Stations

These ships likely had fore and aft TSes.[8][Inference]

A C.O.S. allowed[Inference] control options of

  1. Fore
  2. After
  3. Separate

Each control group had transmitters with a pair of receivers, one wired directly to the transmitter as a tell-tale, and the other fed off the wires going to the distant guns (i.e., the aft guns for the fore TS and vice-versa) as a repeat. "These repeat receivers are necessary to keep the idle transmitters in step; when changing back from separate control they are required to enable both halves of the group to be set alike before being paralleled on to one transmitter."[9]

Dreyer Table

These ships never received Dreyer tables.[10]

Fire Control Instruments

The 3 ships in this class were equipped in 2 separate styles.

By 1909, Formidable and Implacable were equipped with: [11]

  • Range (B. & S. Mark II): 6 transmitters, 30 receivers
  • Orders (B & S Mark I): 6 transmitters, 20 receivers
  • Rate (B. & S. Mark II): 4 transmitters, 8 receivers
  • Deflection (Vickers): 6 transmitters, 26 receivers

Additionally, this class had the following Siemens fire control equipment:[12]

  • Group Switches: 3 (converted by Chatham)
  • Turret fire gongs: 8 with 2 keys
  • Fire Gongs: 12 with 4 keys
  • Captain's Cease Fire Bells: 18 with 1 key

Irresistible was equipped with Vickers, Son and Maxim instruments for range, deflection and orders and with Barr and Stroud rate instruments[13] Detailed information is lacking, but might be similar to London class or another such.[Inference]

These ships lacked Target Visible and Gun Ready signals.[14]

Torpedo Control

See Also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Technical History and Index Vol. 4, Part 36, p. 9. I am inferring here that this class was treated as part of London, Duncan or Canopus classes which are unmentioned in the source, but which straddle this in time.
  2. ↑ The Sight Manual, 1916, p. 109.
  3. ↑ ditto the inference under "Armament"
  4. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 50 & Plates 50 and 54(I).
  5. ↑ Director Firing Handbook, 1917. pp. 142-3.
  6. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 8.
  7. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 50.
  8. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 50 & Plates 50 and 54(I).
  9. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. pp. 50-1.
  10. ↑ Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables. p. 3.
  11. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909. pp. 58-9.
  12. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909, p. 59.
  13. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909. p. 56.
  14. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 11.

Bibliography


Template:CatClassUKPreDreadnought

Template:Formidable Class (1898)

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