Go fer ya gun partner

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by TorpX

I saw news video when they were used in Lebanon against the Syrians. It showed them being fired one at a time. That puzzled me as it is usually desirable to obtain a TOT effect. In a fleet action, wouldn't they have to fire them in volley, to avoid any pitching or rolling problems (in rough seas)?

In naval combat you want to fire salvos, or even full broadsides, not because of rolling problems but because the Fire Control Officer needs to see whether his aim is long or short, and you can't do that if one shell is coming down every two seconds. On the other hand, during shore bombardment you fire one and get a report from a land-based spotter, and adjust on his mark. The 5"/38s our destroyer carried were capable of firing a full broadside every five or six seconds, but in actual practice we normally fired one or a pair every fifteen seconds or so. Much easier that way, except for one time we were firing at night and my bunk was almost under the aft turret.