Majestic Class Battleship (1894)
Contents
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[1].
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[2].
Gunnery Control
The ship's guns were organized in 3 groups[3]:
- Two 12-in turrets
- Starboard 6-in guns ('A' & 'X')
- 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[4].
Transmitting Stations
These ships likely had fore and aft TSs[5][Inference].
A C.O.S. allowed[Inference] control options of
- Fore
- After
- Separate
Each control group had range, order and deflection 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."[6]
Dreyer Table
These ships never received Dreyer tables[7].
Shipwide Network
By late 1914, the ships were equipped with Barr and Stroud Mark II range, Barr and Stroud Mark I order, and Vickers deflection instruments, except Illustrious and Victorious which had Vickers, Son and Maxim equipment as well as Barr and Stroud rate instruments[8].
These ships lacked Target Visible and Gun Ready signals[9].
Torpedo Control
See Also
Footnotes
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 50 & Plates 50 and 54(I).
- ↑ Director Firing Handbook, 1917, pp. 142-3.
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 8.
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 50.
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 50 & Plates 50 and 54(I).
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, pp. 50-1.
- ↑ Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, p. 3.
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 72.
- ↑ 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:BibUKDirectorFiringHandbook1917 Template:BibUKDreyerTableHandbook1918
