Could the 5 inch guns in the USS Missouri (or any Iowa class battleship) independently elevate? I know that the 16 inch guns could, wondering if the same was true for the 5 inchers.
Thanks!
I’m 99% sure they could not independently elevate. I’ve got some plans of the interior and while it doesn’t have all of the machinery, I don’t see separate elevation motors. 1% off since I’ve been wrong before…
I found this concerning the 5" 38Caliber gun mounts. It is the instruction manual for both the single and twin mounts published in 1943 and makes some pretty good reading. After a cursory scan of it, I have concluded that the twin guns were slaved to each other and could not elevate independently of each other. www.hnsa.org/…/index.htm
During my tour with the US Navy, I served on a Gearing class DD that retained two of these same gun mounts and I never witnessed them in any other configuration even during maintenance.
Go ahead Tracy, throw that other 1% in there, I am sure you are correct.
According to the book Iowa Class Battleships, Their Design, Weapons, and Equipment by Robert Sumrall The 16" guns were mounted in a three gun turret as opposed to designating it a triple turret. In a three gun turret each gun could be individually elevated. In a triple turret all three guns shared the same elevating mechanism. The five inch guns were designated as a twin mount and the two guns in each mount shared the same elevating mechanism.
Love that manual! Good info!