Go fer ya gun partner

[Sailor Steve]

Yes, that would be it. I posted a link in that thread to the experts' reasons why movement is minimal, but just in case it can't be found.
http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-022.htm

Also, if you want to spend a lot of time (a big lot of time) finding out things (including why nuclear-powered aircraft carriers don't really go 50 knots, or 45, or even 40) have a look through their main page.
http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/index_tech.htm

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

Aft guns appear to have fired first.

I don't think the fore most gun has even fired yet

I think you are right. In real life would all nine guns ever be fired exactly at the same time or would there be a ripple? i.e., Turret 1, turret 2, turret 3 right after another?

Can all three turrets be fired at the exact same time?

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Yes, that would be it. I posted a link in that thread to the experts' reasons why movement is minimal, but just in case it can't be found.
http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-022.htm

Also, if you want to spend a lot of time (a big lot of time) finding out things (including why nuclear-powered aircraft carriers don't really go 50 knots, or 45, or even 40) have a look through their main page.
http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/index_tech.htm

Navweps needs to be bookmarked by anyone interested in .. uh.. well.. naval weapons.

It is an awesome website!

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Judging by the puffs of smoke amidships, some of the five inch secondary batteries are likely firing too.

Originally Posted by CCIP

I believe that's the New Jersey in exercises off Puerto Rico.

USS Iowa BB-16 firing a 15 gun Broadside in 1984 So I think you are right, some of the 5 inch guns are involved.

http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-022.htm

Here is an interesting picture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Iowa_%28BB-61%29

Look at the bow (pointy end) of the Iowa. There appears to be a white wake disturbance that indicates that the bow has moved laterally. What is that white foam?

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Look at the bow (pointy end) of the Iowa. There appears to be a white wake disturbance that indicates that the bow has moved laterally. What is that white foam?

When a heavy gun is fired, it leaves an enormous vacuum about the muzzle. Could be that it's drawing in the foam from the bow wake.

[MothBalls]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Blame Ronald Reagan . He's the one who brought these behemoths out of mothballs.

It was a very unpleasant experience for me, would rather forget it.

[antikristuseke]

So the TL;DR answer to the question, do battleship move sideways when firing their guns, is this one of the following:

Short answer: No.

Long answer: ---- no.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

When a heavy gun is fired, it leaves an enormous vacuum about the muzzle. Could be that it's drawing in the foam from the bow wake.

Actually it's photoshop. I've seen the exact same photo in an old book, and none of that streaking foam is in the original picture.

Here are a couple of pictures for real:





And some pretty good video:

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Platapus

I think you are right. In real life would all nine guns ever be fired exactly at the same time or would there be a ripple? i.e., Turret 1, turret 2, turret 3 right after another?

Can all three turrets be fired at the exact same time?

Yes they can. The guns in the turrets are automatically timed to fire a fraction of a second apart to prevent the shells from interfering with each other. Standard practice in most navies was to fire one barrel from each turret simultaneously, as this made it easier for the gunnery officer to see exactly where they were hitting.

Navweps needs to be bookmarked by anyone interested in .. uh.. well.. naval weapons.

It is an awesome website!

It used to be part of a much larger site called Warships1.com. The guy running it shut it down several years ago, but his partner kept his half going. The old site had hundreds of pictures and information on ships. Their discussion boards used to be a lot of fun. I haven't been there lately, so I can't say for certain what's going on these days.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Platapus

USS Iowa BB-16...

The BB-16 was the USS New Jersey, Virginia class battleship.

Trivia time, what was the last in commission BB sunk for reasons other than training or scuttling?

[Raptor1]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

The BB-16 was the USS New Jersey, Virginia class battleship.

Trivia time, what was the last in commission BB sunk for reasons other than training or scuttling?

USS Arkansas (BB-33) was sunk with nuclear weapons in Operation Crossroads on July 25th, 1946, four days before she was decommissioned.

EDIT: Oh, wait, only US ships? If not, I do believe the Novorossiysk (Formerly the Giulio Cesare) exploded and sank around 1955...

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Actually it's photoshop. I've seen the exact same photo in an old book, and none of that streaking foam is in the original picture.

Here are a couple of pictures for real:

Those are impressive pictures. Probably more so for being relatively modern photographs in color. Sadly, most of the pictures of the great battlewagons of World Wars One or Two unloosing a broadside are in black and white if they exist at all.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

The BB-16 was the USS New Jersey, Virginia class battleship.

Either it was my fat finger typing 16 vice 61 or it was my dyslexia "seeing" 16 vice 61 or just my land lubbing ignorance, but in any case Mea Culpa for my mistake.

There is a big difference between BB-16 and BB-61

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Raptor1

EDIT: Oh, wait, only US ships? If not, I do believe the Novorossiysk (Formerly the Giulio Cesare) exploded and sank around 1955...

Correct.

Ok, before you all laugh, I seem to remember being asked years ago, "if a bumble bee hit and ocean going liner head on at sea" that both would actually stop for an instance, heh. Maybe the battle ship would move slightly to one side while firing a broadside, I know I move slightly foreward when expelling sudden and violet gusts of gas, it's relative.

[seaniam81]

A nice (if somewhat old) video of the USS Wisconsin firing her guns. Even shows them loading the shell and powder. Even has a picture in picture of the recoil of a gun.