Difference between revisions of "King Edward VII Class Battleship (1903)"

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In 1905, ''Commonwealth'', ''Hindustan'', ''King Edward VII'' and ''Zealandia'' were slated to be equipped with Barr and Stroud Mark I range and order instruments (the range instruments probably changed to Mark II before installation), and Vickers deflection instruments.  However, by 1909, these 4  were apparently equipped entirely with Barr and Stroud Mark II equipment.<ref>''Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909'', p. 56.</ref>  I think it most likely that plans had changed before the ships received the earlier assortment of instruments.
 
In 1905, ''Commonwealth'', ''Hindustan'', ''King Edward VII'' and ''Zealandia'' were slated to be equipped with Barr and Stroud Mark I range and order instruments (the range instruments probably changed to Mark II before installation), and Vickers deflection instruments.  However, by 1909, these 4  were apparently equipped entirely with Barr and Stroud Mark II equipment.<ref>''Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909'', p. 56.</ref>  I think it most likely that plans had changed before the ships received the earlier assortment of instruments.
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The ''Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909'' lists the Barr and Stroud Mark II equipment on this class (presumably, only ''Commonwealth'', ''Hindustan'', ''King Edward VII'' and ''Zealandia'') as:<ref>''Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909'', p. 58.</ref>
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* Combined Range, Order, Deflection:  10 transmitters, 46 receivers
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* Group Switches: 5
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* Rate: 4 transmitters, 12 receivers
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* Bearing: 2 transmitters, 2 receivers (''King Edward VII'' only)
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Additionally, this class had the following Graham fire control equipment:<ref>''Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909'', p. 58.</ref>
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* Turret fire gongs: 14  with 6 keys
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* Fire Gongs: 10 with 4 keys
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* Captain's Cease Fire Bells:  20 with 1 key
  
 
None of the ships had ''Target Visible'' or ''Gun Ready'' signals.<ref>''Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914'', p. 11.</ref>
 
None of the ships had ''Target Visible'' or ''Gun Ready'' signals.<ref>''Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914'', p. 11.</ref>

Revision as of 18:40, 19 September 2009

Fire Control Systems

The general system of wiring between the TSs in ships prior to Lord Nelson class is illustrated in Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914[1].

Rangefinders

Evershed Bearing Indicators

Installed by late 1914, these ships appear to have had a single transmitter with all-around training, addressing the fore and aft turrets as receiving stations[2].

Gunnery Control

The ship's guns were organized in 5 groups[3]:

  1. Two 12-in turrets
  2. Two Starboard 9.2-in turrets
  3. Two Port 9.2-in turrets
  4. Starboard 6-in guns
  5. Port 6-in guns

Local Control in Turrets

There was no provision in these ships for local turret control wherein the receivers in the turret could be driven by transmitters in the officer's position at the back of the turret[4].

Directors

These ships never received directors for main or secondary batteries[5].

Torpedo Control

Transmitting Stations

These ships had fore and aft TSs[6].

A C.O.S. allowed control options of

  1. Fore
  2. After
  3. Separate

Each group had transmitters (of various kind, see Shipwide Network) with a pair of receivers, one wired directly to the transmitter as a tell-tale, and the other fed off the wires going to the distant guns (i.e., the aft guns for the fore TS and vice-versa) as a repeat. "These repeat receivers are necessary to keep the idle transmitters in step; when changing back from separate control they are required to enable both halves of the group to be set alike before being paralleled on to one transmitter."[7]

Dreyer Table

These ships never received Dreyer tables[8].

Shipwide Network

The ships in this class varied in their instruments. By late 1914, Africa, Britannia, Dominion and Hibernia were equipped with instruments from Vickers, Son and Maxim paired with Barr and Stroud rate instruments.

In 1905, Commonwealth, Hindustan, King Edward VII and Zealandia were slated to be equipped with Barr and Stroud Mark I range and order instruments (the range instruments probably changed to Mark II before installation), and Vickers deflection instruments. However, by 1909, these 4 were apparently equipped entirely with Barr and Stroud Mark II equipment.[9] I think it most likely that plans had changed before the ships received the earlier assortment of instruments.

The Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909 lists the Barr and Stroud Mark II equipment on this class (presumably, only Commonwealth, Hindustan, King Edward VII and Zealandia) as:[10]

  • Combined Range, Order, Deflection: 10 transmitters, 46 receivers
  • Group Switches: 5
  • Rate: 4 transmitters, 12 receivers
  • Bearing: 2 transmitters, 2 receivers (King Edward VII only)

Additionally, this class had the following Graham fire control equipment:[11]

  • Turret fire gongs: 14 with 6 keys
  • Fire Gongs: 10 with 4 keys
  • Captain's Cease Fire Bells: 20 with 1 key

None of the ships had Target Visible or Gun Ready signals.[12]

See Also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 50 & Plates 50 and 54(I).
  2. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, Plate 42, but glaringly not mentioned on pp. 39-40.
  3. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 8.
  4. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 50.
  5. ↑ Director Firing Handbook, 1917, pp. 142-3.
  6. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 50 & Plates 50 and 54(I).
  7. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, pp. 50-1.
  8. ↑ Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, p. 3.
  9. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909, p. 56.
  10. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909, p. 58.
  11. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909, p. 58.
  12. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 11.

Bibliography

Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1914). Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. G. 01627/14. C.B. 1030. Copy 1235 at The National Archives. ADM 186/191. Template:BibUKDirectorFiringHandbook1917 Template:BibUKDreyerTableHandbook1918

Template:King Edward VII Class (1903)

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