Warship Quiz # 14

[Jester]

Extra Points if you can tell me what the device on top of the gun barrel is for.

Good Luck!  

[seabat]

During the Clinton administration the US Navy suffered severe cutbacks in budget and was instructed not to use any ammunition larger than .30 cal on targets.  Also due to budget restrictions all current armament on ships could not be removed but were to be used as mounts for the machine guns.

[SMIDSY]

it looks like a machine gun but it isnt. there is no ammunition feed. my guess is it is a device to check for barrel warp.


the photo seems to be taken durring the 1920s guessing by the woman's attire and the WWI style destroyers in the background. the destroyers are of the Royal Navy.

[Krusty]

The original Aimpoint??

[greystar]

its a boom mic for extra zoom camera circa 1920:rofl




------------------------------------------------------------------------------
if it aint ded ,,,shoot it

     GreyStar

[Blooz]

No idea on the ship.

The 'device" on the gun barrel, I think, is a ranging machine gun.

British tanks in the '70's had them on their barrels too.

Although we didn't use them when I was in, we were required to know about them and ways to determine range using tracer burnout and such.

[Jester]

Originally posted by Blooz
No idea on the ship.

Not asking for the "Specific Ship Name" - just the type and kind of gun. But you can give me the ship type if you can pick it out.  

[Jester]

5 inch/ 51 caliber Naval Gun it is!

Looks like I stumped the band again!  

Gun is from the Secondary Battery of the Battleship USS ARKANSAS BB-33, photo taken in 1919.

Blooz, get the points - device is a .50 cal targeting rifle. It was used to aline the gun, by tracer, when targets had got so close that the the telescopic sites were ineffective.

Smids, sorry, both ships in the background ARE US Destroyers. Don't think any RN DD's ever had 4 stacks. Good guess on the timeline though!

Congrats to all!  

[SMIDSY]

yes they did, RN destroyers could be distinguished by having 4 stacks. in fact, a german comerce raider operating in the indian ocean fitted a false 4th stack to lure in comercial ships.

[MiloMorai]

British WW1 destroyers,
http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritishDestroyers.htm

[Fencer51]

Originally posted by SMIDSY
yes they did, RN destroyers could be distinguished by having 4 stacks. in fact, a german comerce raider operating in the indian ocean fitted a false 4th stack to lure in comercial ships.

That was a light cruiser.

[SMIDSY]

ah, my mistake.

[Grits]

Anybody know what kind of DD's those are? They look like Paulding or Wickes class but I cant tell from the photo.

[Jester]

The one on the left is a CASSIN CLASS DD.


The one on the right is a WICKES CLASS DD.

[Grits]

Hey, I got one right.