Am I seeing correct?

DavyJonesFootlocker · 01-07-08, 12:32 PM

What exactly is the calibre of the main deck gun? In game I'm seeing 3x0.30 cal MGs? The AA is a 20mm cannon. That can't be right. At least a 2-inch gun might be in order? I have no idea of naval guns.

Mush Martin · 01-07-08, 12:41 PM

Sub AA guns come in three flavours sort of

.50 cal Browning MG
20mm single or 20mm twin
40mm Bofors single or twin.

decguns come in three flavours

3" 50cal single
4" 50 cal single or (Double for Narwhal only)
5"25 cal in single or twin (Balao and maybe Gato for twin)

DavyJonesFootlocker · 01-07-08, 01:01 PM

Thanks. Deck guns are only good for 'finishing off' a wounded target I suppose.

ReallyDedPoet · 01-07-08, 01:03 PM

Yeah, I rarely use em'

RDP

Powerthighs · 01-07-08, 01:06 PM

They are also useful for small targets like trawlers that don't warrant a torpedo.

Mush Martin · 01-07-08, 01:13 PM

On a personal note I would disagree

I would venture deckguns have many useful applications.

ReallyDedPoet · 01-07-08, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mush Martin

On a personal note I would disagree

I would venture deckguns have many useful applications.

For uber

Seriously though, how much were they used in the Pacific Theatre? I am curious, I am guessing not as
much as the Atlantic Theatre.

RDP

DavyJonesFootlocker · 01-07-08, 02:15 PM

The only good use of the deck gun is as follows:

1. For sinking a ship if your last torp failed to sink it. Even that's subjective.
2. For attracting attention. Used only for the suicidal or insane at heart.
3. If you're not using a realisim mod. Then they're better than torps.
4. For frightening off burglers when volume turned up loud.

I really think it was used by skippers as a last ditch weapon when the torps run out. It took a lot of ammo just to sink a large Sampan.

seafarer · 01-07-08, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavyJonesFootlocker

What exactly is the calibre of the main deck gun? In game I'm seeing 3x0.30 cal MGs? The AA is a 20mm cannon. That can't be right. At least a 2-inch gun might be in order? I have no idea of naval guns.

Just to clarify, the diameter of the bore is given in inches (eg. 4") and the length of the barrel in calibres (multiples of the bore diameter).

So a 4"x50calibre weapon had a chamber bore of 4 inches, and a barrel length of 200 inches (or 16 and 2/3rds feet).

And I've read that they used them a fair bit, especially towards the end of the war when large, torpedo-worthy targets were few and far between. A number of sub skippers shelled junks and near shore barge traffic a lot.

DavyJonesFootlocker · 01-07-08, 02:28 PM

Oh, I get it. I keep comparing naval guns to that of those carried in fighters. .30 cal guns on fighters was like pelting pebbles.

Sailor Steve · 01-07-08, 04:52 PM

I can see where that might be confusing. When you talk about a machine gun (or a rifle or pistol) just note that what we call "30 calibre" is actually just as you wrote it: .30 (Point-thirty), or 3/10 of an inch.

Ducimus · 01-07-08, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reallydedpoet

Seriously though, how much were they used in the Pacific Theatre? I am curious, I am guessing not as
much as the Atlantic Theatre.

RDP

My gut feeling is they were probably used more in the pacific then the atlantic. Particuarlly in anti picket boat sweeps. Wooden vessels of all kinds were used as pickets. I dont think any of which merited a torpedo, and none of these sinkings were tallied with subs offical tonnage scores.

In the book "Silent Running", Calvart talks about using the deck gun on more then a few occasions. Infact, he went into detail about how they would use radar to zero the gun by seeing where the shell splash would land on the PPI, and adjust from there. According to calvart, it was very accurate.

USS Wahoo, acutally attacked a convoy (if im not mistaken), with just a deck gun when all torepdos were expended. The message he sent was famous, it started with " In 10 hour running gun and torpedo battle....." later he sent, "Another running gun battle today, destroyer gunning, wahoo running."

Apparently deck gun action was so common, as to merit its own battle condition, "Battle surface", and i guess was common enough for someone to draw this comic:
http://www.ducimus.net/sh4/pto/humor.jpg

So i think the deck gun was very common in the pacific. Hell, while the germans removed them late war, the americans kept them, if not adding more (that is, if the double 5/25" configuration is historically accurate)

Mush Martin · 01-09-08, 06:23 PM

My research supports Ducimus' conclusions.

many accounts of gun use on the surface exist in the
pacific campaign. I dont think we need look any further
than howard gilmore.

also the deckguns and aa guns were regularly turned on the
picket boats in some areas. but not generally in the current
active operation areas as they didnt want to announce to
the IJN that they were in the area.

M

Ridgeback · 01-09-08, 07:46 PM

Gene Fluckey (of USS Barb fame) in his last patrol during 1945 expended every round of 5 inch ammo and 40mm ammo they had on board. Most was used to bombard shoreline installations in/near the Japanese home islands but it was also used on small vessels like sampans and coastal luggers.

He tells the story of finding three star shells for the 5 inch deck gun in the bottom of the ammo lockers, which they used to drill holes in and sink two wooden sampans!!

ReallyDedPoet · 01-09-08, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Quote:

Originally Posted by reallydedpoet

Seriously though, how much were they used in the Pacific Theatre? I am curious, I am guessing not as
much as the Atlantic Theatre.

RDP

My gut feeling is they were probably used more in the pacific then the atlantic. Particuarlly in anti picket boat sweeps. Wooden vessels of all kinds were used as pickets. I dont think any of which merited a torpedo, and none of these sinkings were tallied with subs offical tonnage scores.

In the book "Silent Running", Calvart talks about using the deck gun on more then a few occasions. Infact, he went into detail about how they would use radar to zero the gun by seeing where the shell splash would land on the PPI, and adjust from there. According to calvart, it was very accurate.

USS Wahoo, acutally attacked a convoy (if im not mistaken), with just a deck gun when all torepdos were expended. The message he sent was famous, it started with " In 10 hour running gun and torpedo battle....." later he sent, "Another running gun battle today, destroyer gunning, wahoo running."

Apparently deck gun action was so common, as to merit its own battle condition, "Battle surface", and i guess was common enough for someone to draw this comic:
http://www.ducimus.net/sh4/pto/humor.jpg

So i think the deck gun was very common in the pacific. Hell, while the germans removed them late war, the americans kept them, if not adding more (that is, if the double 5/25" configuration is historically accurate)

Thanks Ducimus for the clarification

@ Mush, ditto

.

RDP

01-07-08, 12:32 PM	#1
DavyJonesFootlocker The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Stink Drunk in Trinidad Posts: 1,572 Downloads: 138 Uploads: 0	Am I seeing correct? What exactly is the calibre of the main deck gun? In game I'm seeing 3x0.30 cal MGs? The AA is a 20mm cannon. That can't be right. At least a 2-inch gun might be in order? I have no idea of naval guns.

01-07-08, 12:41 PM	#2
Mush Martin Eternal Patrol Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,398 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Sub AA guns come in three flavours sort of .50 cal Browning MG 20mm single or 20mm twin 40mm Bofors single or twin. decguns come in three flavours 3" 50cal single 4" 50 cal single or (Double for Narwhal only) 5"25 cal in single or twin (Balao and maybe Gato for twin) __________________ RIP Mush Tutorial

01-07-08, 01:03 PM	#4
ReallyDedPoet Canadian Wolf Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Canada. The one and only, East Coast Posts: 10,885 Downloads: 946 Uploads: 5	Yeah, I rarely use em' RDP __________________ Back in the Day

01-07-08, 01:13 PM	#6
Mush Martin Eternal Patrol Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,398 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	On a personal note I would disagree I would venture deckguns have many useful applications. __________________ RIP Mush Tutorial

01-07-08, 04:52 PM	#11
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	I can see where that might be confusing. When you talk about a machine gun (or a rifle or pistol) just note that what we call "30 calibre" is actually just as you wrote it: .30 (Point-thirty), or 3/10 of an inch. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

01-07-08, 01:01 PM	#3
DavyJonesFootlocker The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Stink Drunk in Trinidad Posts: 1,572 Downloads: 138 Uploads: 0	Thanks. Deck guns are only good for 'finishing off' a wounded target I suppose.

01-07-08, 01:06 PM	#5
Powerthighs Beach Leaf Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 287 Downloads: 11 Uploads: 0	They are also useful for small targets like trawlers that don't warrant a torpedo.

01-07-08, 02:15 PM	#8
DavyJonesFootlocker The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Stink Drunk in Trinidad Posts: 1,572 Downloads: 138 Uploads: 0	The only good use of the deck gun is as follows: 1. For sinking a ship if your last torp failed to sink it. Even that's subjective. 2. For attracting attention. Used only for the suicidal or insane at heart. 3. If you're not using a realisim mod. Then they're better than torps. 4. For frightening off burglers when volume turned up loud. I really think it was used by skippers as a last ditch weapon when the torps run out. It took a lot of ammo just to sink a large Sampan.

01-07-08, 02:28 PM	#10
DavyJonesFootlocker The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Stink Drunk in Trinidad Posts: 1,572 Downloads: 138 Uploads: 0	Oh, I get it. I keep comparing naval guns to that of those carried in fighters. .30 cal guns on fighters was like pelting pebbles.

01-09-08, 06:23 PM	#13
Mush Martin Eternal Patrol Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,398 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	My research supports Ducimus' conclusions. many accounts of gun use on the surface exist in the pacific campaign. I dont think we need look any further than howard gilmore. also the deckguns and aa guns were regularly turned on the picket boats in some areas. but not generally in the current active operation areas as they didnt want to announce to the IJN that they were in the area. M __________________ RIP Mush Tutorial

01-09-08, 07:46 PM	#14
Ridgeback Seaman Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 34 Downloads: 56 Uploads: 0	Gene Fluckey (of USS Barb fame) in his last patrol during 1945 expended every round of 5 inch ammo and 40mm ammo they had on board. Most was used to bombard shoreline installations in/near the Japanese home islands but it was also used on small vessels like sampans and coastal luggers. He tells the story of finding three star shells for the 5 inch deck gun in the bottom of the ammo lockers, which they used to drill holes in and sink two wooden sampans!! __________________ "You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer." - Frank Zappa