OTL Fire Control in "our era"

[Borys]

http://warships1discussionboards.yuku.com/topic/4934


1900 - No central control, may be a deck mounted rangefinder (6ft) with speaking trumpet. May be gun telescopes for individual aim. Continuous aim being invented. Long range = 5000 yards, decisive range = 2000 yards.

1905- Some central control from spotting position. Attempts at long range fire. Navy phones and telegraphs introduced. Continuous aim only possible for hand worked guns. Long Range 8-10,000 yards, Decisive range = 5000 yards.

Dreadnought -1908-1914ish- . Spotting top in elevated position, 9ft rangefinder in elevated position and on the turrets. Ranges transmitted to a central point inside the armoured citadel (navy phones and range telegraphs) (transmitting station). Plotted by colour pencils, av range, and enemy course and speed entered into a mechanical calculator called a Dumaresq. Range transmitted to turrets by step by step follow the pointer sights, which then individually site for line. May be a target indication instrument for line late in this period. Continuous aim. Guns fire can be centrally fired or individually in response to a firing gong. Broadsides and salvos spotting for range, bearing and rate by the spotting top, and corrections passed by navy phone to the transmitting station, where the next salvo or broadside is adjusted for range. Long Range 16,000 yards, Decisive Range, 12,000 yards. Long era - bid changes from Dreadnought to Lion, for example.

QE_Tigerish. 1914-1920- True range and bearing director. Longer base length rangefinders appearing (15ft). Ranges transmitted to an automatic plot incorporating several Dumaresq in a table, semi sorta helm free (own ship course change updates sorta automatic). Range and Bearing information transmitted by step by step follow the pointer sights to the guns. Central electrical firing of the broadside from the director. Spotting corrections from an elevated position higher than the director to the transmitting stations. Long Range 20,000 yards, Decisive Range 15,000 yards.

Nelson-County ish 1921-1936- Director that incorporates spotting positions as well. Longer and longer base length rangefinders. Better fire control table with more accurate gyro's, more fine corrections for small error sources. Still step by step follow the pointer transmition.

1936-44 KGVish- Director aa. Better fire control table with more corrections which is an almost complete solution to the fire control problem (adds cross level correction as one example, gyro not quite accurate enough for really effective blind fire). Synchronous transmit ion (improvement over step by step) of range and bearing to guns but still to follow the pointer sights. Relatively short baselength but duplex rangefinders in the director, and long baslength in the turrets (40ft). Gradual incorporation of decimetre (essentially range, and some short range spotting) and centimetre wavelength (range, bearing, spotting of BB shells to 35,000 yards) fire control radar. Long Range 25,000 yards, decisive range <20,000 yards, and even lower in official policy. Rapid advances, principly due to radar, 1943 KGV much more dangerous than an early KGV.

1945 Vangaurd ish-. Improved table with complete but not quite perfect solution to the fire control problem, blind fire. Remote Power Control of guns. Centimetric fire control radar. Long Range = 30,000 yards + -Decisive range, Do not get within 25,000 yards of such a ship for any reason.