Iron Duke Class Battleship (1912)

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Fire Control

Rangefinders

Evershed Bearing Indicators

All 4 units were likely fitted with this equipment before late 1914[Inference][1].

One might reasonably assume the particulars resembled those of the King George V class[Inference].

Gunnery Control

The control arrangements were as follows[2].

Control Positions

  • Gun control tower
  • 'B' turret
  • 'X' turret

Some ships had C.O.S.s within the control positions so they could be connected to either TS[3].

Control Groups

The five 13.5-in turrets were each a separate group with a local C.O.S. so that it could be connected to

  • Transmitting Station
  • Local control from officer's position within turret

The 6-in guns were formed into two groups[4] (presumably port and starboard broadsides[Inference]).

Directors

Main Battery

The ships were fitted with a cam-type tripod-type director in a light aloft tower on the foremast along with a directing gun (in 'X' turret?)[5].

The main battery could be divided into forward ('A', 'B' & 'Q') and aft ('X' & 'Y') groups for split director control[6].

A C.O.S. in the TS afforded these options[7]:

  1. All turrets on aloft tower
  2. All turrets on directing gun
  3. Forward group on aloft tower, aft group on directing gun

Secondary Battery

The ships had a pair of directors fitted to port and starboard on the forward superstructure to direct the 6-in broadside guns. Marlborough's were pedestal-mounted, and the others tripod-mounted[8].

Torpedo Control

Transmitting Stations

These ships were somewhat unusual in that they (like |Tiger and possibly later ships[Inference]) had a TS for the main battery and another for the 6-in secondary battery[9]. It is not clear to me whether the secondary battery's TS had a Dreyer table.

Dreyer Table

In June 1918, Marlborough had a Mark I Dreyer table while the other three units had Mark IV tables[10] and all had been provided Dreyer Turret Control Tables[11]. The disparity in Dreyer Marks creates a loose impression that all ships were initially given Mark I tables and for some reason Marlborough missed her chance for an upgrade, perhaps due to her damage at the Battle of Jutland.

Shipwide Network

Continuing the pattern established in the Colossus class, all 4 units used Vickers F.T.P. Mark III range and deflection instruments to the gun sights and Barr and Stroud (probably Mark II*[Inference]) instruments for other purposes[12].

The ships also had Gun Ready signals in the TS and control positions, but had no Target Visible signals[13].

See Also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ They are not mentioned in the pertinent section of Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914
  2. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 7.
  3. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 7.
  4. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 7.
  5. ↑ The Director Firing Handbook, 1917. pp. 88, 142.
  6. ↑ The Director Firing Handbook, 1917, p. 88.
  7. ↑ The Director Firing Handbook, 1917. p. 88.
  8. ↑ The Director Firing Handbook, 1917. pp. 143.
  9. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, pp. 6-7.
  10. ↑ Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, p. 3.
  11. ↑ absent from list in Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, p. 3.
  12. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, pp. 72.
  13. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 11.

Bibliography

Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1914). Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. G. 01627/14. C.B. 1030. Copy 1235 at The National Archives. ADM 186/191. Template:BibBrooksDreadnoughtGunnery Template:BibUKDirectorFiringHandbook1917 Template:BibUKDreyerTableHandbook1918

Template:Iron Duke Class (1912)

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