Danton Class Battleship (1909)
Contents
Fire Control
The first French class of battleships with coincidence rangefinders and stepper motor order transmitters as designed. Otherwise organistion was as previous ships.
Later the P.C. (Post Central, or Transmitting Station) was fitted with a Le Prieur fire control table (probably an M1916) during WWI.
Rangefinders
Barr & Stroud 9ft devices either side of the bridge. Turrets had 4.5ft devices.
Bearing Indicators
Possibly late in WWI.
Directors
The notion of director did not exist for these ships, although ranges may have been transmitted automatically late in WWI. Fire was directed by the commander in the blockhouse.
Gunnery Control
The ship's guns were organized in 3 groups:
- Fore and aft turrets
- Starboard turrets
- Port turrets
Local Control in Turrets
Each turret could operate as an independent section if required being equipped with a rangefinder and range tables. They may also have had a portable range clock.
Transmitting Stations - Post Central
Only one for the entire ship, passing orders for range using Lecomte-Aubry (L.A.) stepper motor transmitters for range and hydraulic Germain system for other functions. Some ships may have used the more advanced L.A. system for other gunnery data by late WWI.
Le Prieur tables would have been fitted from 1916 onwards.
Torpedo Control
Other Notes
Last ships to use French Electric turrets.
See Also
Footnotes
