Dreyer Table Mark II
The Mark II Dreyer Table was a variation of the Mark III Dreyer Table to evaluate the Argo Clock Mark IV by integrating it with the Dreyer range and bearing rate-plots. Little is known of the particulars of the table. Not even the outer dimensions are specified in the Handbook of Captain F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918.[1]
Contents
Development
Little detailed information is known of these tables, as they are glossed over in the 1918 Handbook[2] to such a degree that it is difficult indeed to feel this wasn't a petulant effort to avoid highlighting the competitor's gear.[3]
Argo Clock
The Argo clock was connected so its clock range output caused a commutator to drive an electric motor which then interacted with the Dreyer table in the same manner as did the output shaft of the Dreyer-Elphinstone Range Clock in the Mark III table.[4]
Spotting Corrector
This was probably the same as any Mark III table of the same period.
Range Plot
This aspect of the table was probably much like that in the Mark III table, and evolved through its service life on the same path.
Bearing Plot
This probably was similar to the one used in a Mark III table and tracked the evolution of the plots on those tables. The 1918 Handbook explicitly says that a standard bearing plot was used, but this should be regarded as being suspect for reason of this device's short-lived tenure before the G.D.T. replaced it.
Deployment
The Dreyer Handbook of 1918 lists some ships with Mark II tables, with those no longer in active service crossed out by hand at some later date, and those lost before promulgation not listed at all. Those appearing in that document are footnoted below[5]. Note that this source would not be expected to show Queen Mary or Audacious, as they were lost well before it was prepared.
This source is at slight variance with a schedule of ships listed as those to which Argo Clocks Mark IV would be shipped.[6] it is worth noting that this list was for bare Argo clocks and was a forecast of equipage.
| Ship using Mark II table | Date equipped | Notes |
| Queen Mary[6] | certainly before Jutland, possibly in 1914 | |
| Conqueror[5][6] | N/A | |
| Orion[5] | ||
| Ajax[5][6] | ??? | |
| Audacious[6] | ??? | |
| Centurion[5][6] | ??? |
See Also
Footnotes
- ↑ Handbook of Captain F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. p. 90.
- ↑ Handbook of Captain F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. p. 15.
- ↑ The Mark II table receives two sentences in its description and no images whatsoever.
- ↑ Handbook of Captain F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. p. 15.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Handbook of Captain F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. p. 3.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Dreyer & Usborne. Pollen Aim Corrector System, Part I. Technical History and Technical Comparison with Commander F. C. Dreyer's Fire Control System, 1913. p. 3.
Bibliography
- Template:BibUKDreyerTableHandbook1918
- Template:BibBrooksDreadnoughtGunnery
- Template:BibBrooksThesis
- Template:BibUKTechnicalHistoryComparisonArgoAndDreyer
