Orion Class Battleship (1910)
Fire Control
Rangefinders
Evershed Bearing Indicators
All 4 units were likely fitted with this equipment before late 1914, albeit only Orion is specifically known to have been fitted.[1]
Orion's transmitting positions in late 1914 were
- Conning Tower
- Fore control platform (transmitters to port and starboard with C.O.S. to select one in use)
- 'B' turret
- 'Q' turret (scheduled to be changed to 'X' turret)
The protocols for handling wooding of the turrets is outlined in the Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914.[2]
Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter
At some point, the ships were equipped with two Mark I Mechanical Aid-to-Spotters, one on each side of the foretop, keyed off the Evershed rack on the director. As the need for such gear was apparently first identified in early 1916, it seems likely that these installations were effected well after Jutland.[3]
Gunnery Control
The control arrangements were as follows.[4]
Control Positions
- Control top
- Gunnery control tower
- 'B' turret
- 'Q' turret
Some ships had C.O.S.s within the control positions so they could be connected to either TS.[5]
Control Groups
The five 13.5-in turrets were each a separate group with a local C.O.S.[Inference] so that it could be connected to
- Forward TS
- After TS
- Local control from officer's position within turret
Directors
Main Battery
The ships were fitted with a cam-type tripod-type director in a light aloft tower on the foremast along with a directing gun (in 'X' turret?).[6]
This class was the first in which the main battery could be divided into forward ('A', 'B' & 'Q') and aft ('X' & 'Y') groups for split director control.[7]
A C.O.S. in the TS afforded these options:
- All turrets on aloft tower
- All turrets on directing gun
- Forward group on aloft tower, aft group on directing gun
Secondary Battery
The 4-in guns never had directors installed.[8]
Torpedo Control
Transmitting Stations
Like nearly all large British ships of the era prior to King George V and Queen Mary,[9] these ships likely had 2 TSes.
Dreyer Table
Orion and Conqueror were eventually retro-fitted with a Mark II Dreyer Tables, while Monarch and Thunderer received Mark III Dreyer Tables.[10] As of June 1918, they had not been provided Dreyer Turret Control Tables.[11]
Fire Control Instruments
Continuing the pattern established in the Colossus class, all 4 units used Vickers F.T.P. Mark III range and deflection instruments to the gun sights and Barr and Stroud (probably Mark II*[Inference]) instruments for other purposes.[12]
The ships also had Target Visible and Gun Ready signals, with indications of which turret could see the target and which guns were ready being visible in the TSs and control positions.[13]
See Also
Footnotes
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 36.
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 37.
- ↑ The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, 1919, pp. 25-6.
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 7.
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 7.
- ↑ The Director Firing Handbook, 1917. pp. 88, 142.
- ↑ The Director Firing Handbook, 1917. p. 88.
- ↑ absent from list in The Director Firing Handbook, 1917. p. 143.
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, pp. 6-7.
- ↑ Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, p. 3.
- ↑ absent from list in Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, p. 3.
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, pp. 72.
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 11.
Bibliography
- Template:BibUKFireControlInHMShips1919
- 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
