[REL] Real Fleet Boat

perisher · 05-01-07, 04:09 AM

We could argue about rates of fire until the cows come home. I have seen to written down that the 5.25 inch submarine gun could fire between 10 and 15 rounds a minute. I am sure that it could, with a well trained and practised crew while tied up along side in harbour and with the ammunition stacked ready. At sea it would be a different ball game. The boat is pitching and rolling, seas may be breaking across the deck. The captain isn't going to want to open the fore hatch in anything more than a dead calm. The crew have to go through the conning tower to man the gun. The gun has to be made ready, tompion removed, locks removed; on most guns the sights are removed before diving, so they have to be replaced. Ammunition has to be passed. Some US submarine classes had ready use lockers in the tower superstructure and water-tight ammunition chutes by the guns, but others would have to pass the rounds by hand up the tower and down again. No 10 to 15 rounds a minute now.

Personal experience, on RN 4.5 inch guns, is that a well trained and well practised crew could manage 15 rounds per minute, where as a gash crew of signalmen (like myself) and other non-gunners was only capable of about 7 or 8 per minute. That was in an enclosed power operated turret with the guns being aimed from the director tower.

Our submarine gun crew has no protection from the elements, no direct ammunition feed from the magazine and they have to aim the gun themselves. They would have been well trained but they would not be well practised (except late in the war, when the guns were used more). I would think that once the gun was cleared for action, by using the ready use ammunition, maybe 5 or 6 rounds a minute for the first two minutes, but once the ready use has been used the rate would slow to 3 or 4 a minute, in good sea conditions.

My personal preference in the game is a setting of 3 rounds per minute.

How do you set that rate? Well first you go here http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...light=tutorial

05-01-07, 04:09 AM	#9
perisher Frogman Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: England Posts: 300 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	We could argue about rates of fire until the cows come home. I have seen to written down that the 5.25 inch submarine gun could fire between 10 and 15 rounds a minute. I am sure that it could, with a well trained and practised crew while tied up along side in harbour and with the ammunition stacked ready. At sea it would be a different ball game. The boat is pitching and rolling, seas may be breaking across the deck. The captain isn't going to want to open the fore hatch in anything more than a dead calm. The crew have to go through the conning tower to man the gun. The gun has to be made ready, tompion removed, locks removed; on most guns the sights are removed before diving, so they have to be replaced. Ammunition has to be passed. Some US submarine classes had ready use lockers in the tower superstructure and water-tight ammunition chutes by the guns, but others would have to pass the rounds by hand up the tower and down again. No 10 to 15 rounds a minute now. Personal experience, on RN 4.5 inch guns, is that a well trained and well practised crew could manage 15 rounds per minute, where as a gash crew of signalmen (like myself) and other non-gunners was only capable of about 7 or 8 per minute. That was in an enclosed power operated turret with the guns being aimed from the director tower. Our submarine gun crew has no protection from the elements, no direct ammunition feed from the magazine and they have to aim the gun themselves. They would have been well trained but they would not be well practised (except late in the war, when the guns were used more). I would think that once the gun was cleared for action, by using the ready use ammunition, maybe 5 or 6 rounds a minute for the first two minutes, but once the ready use has been used the rate would slow to 3 or 4 a minute, in good sea conditions. My personal preference in the game is a setting of 3 rounds per minute. How do you set that rate? Well first you go here http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...light=tutorial __________________ "Pitt was the greatest fool who ever lived to encourage a mode of war which they who commanded the seas did not want, and which, if successful, would deprive them of it." Earl St.Vincent (allegedly)