Appreciating the size of a "Really Big Gun" -- 18" of Raw Muscle

If you've had to rebarrel a Springfield, Enfield, or M-1, you know it takes planning, technical expertise, and some tender loving care.

But moving the barrel on a battleship is a whole other matter. My neighbor went on a midshipman cruise to England and Spain aboard the USS New Jersey, one of the four Arizona class battle wagons (New Jersey, Arizona, Missouri and Wisconsin)

"We fired six salvos from each of these 18" monsters. Quite an experience!" he exclaimed, and sent me this post of the Gun Barrels Memorial.

"You can appreciate the size of these Guns by the Equipment required to move them. You don't think the barrels are that big when they were on the battleship, but when you see them hauled down the road you really see how huge they are."

http://www.youtube.com/embed/0dFIZX_RXuU

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Originally Posted by Seaspriter

USS New Jersey, one of the four Arizona class battle wagons (New Jersey, Arizona, Missouri and Wisconsin)

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Arizona class? No such thing is there? The New Jersey and her sisters(6 in all) are Iowa class.
The U.S.S. Arizona was a Pennsylvania class, commissioned in 1916.
Never heard of any U.S. Battleships having 18'' main guns, 16'' is the largest I can reference to.

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Originally Posted by vintage hunter

The New Jersey and her sisters(6 in all) are Iowa class.

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Originally Posted by vintage hunter

16'' is the largest

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That's right, here's the rest...according to Wiki... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_New_Jersey_(BB-62)

AFAIK the Japanese hold the record for the largest caliber naval guns ever fitted to a ship. The battleship Yamato and her sister Musashi each had nine 18.1 inch main guns.

I have wondered for years whether there's still machinery capable of making new 16" rifled barrels. Would have to guess the Japanese equipment is long gone.

Good question. Been a while since I studied up one Iowa class BB's but IIRC the Mk.7 gun barrels weren't a one piece deal. They had a liner that was replaced once shot out. Due to the type propellant used during WWII barrel life was only 290 rounds. One good pre-invasion shore bombardment and off they went to Pearl for new liners I reckon.

The New Jersey is docked in Camden, NJ right across the Delaware river from Philly. Been on her four times now and every time I'm amazed. My favorite part is you climb up into the turret fire control room which isn't that big and can look down on the loading room. The helm is inside an armored bridge with steel something like 2 1/2' thick. The poor helmsmen only has a compass to steer by no view outside. Since my last visit they have opened the handling room on one of the turrets and visitors go through the motions of a mock loading and firing. An excuse for another visit.
One thing that you don't realize until you've been on her is the steep uphill angle of the deck at the bow. I always thought BB's where flat in that area. I could go on and on there's so much..
If your from the area and haven't been your missing out!!

Mates, you are absolutely correct. I posted the material, taking the material as it was sent -- never should have posted it without checking the facts, which didn't sound quite right (long day and an international flight must have fuzzed my old brain, and my neighbor is getting along in the years.). Sorry for the misstep.

Great observations about firing a salvo from a battleship. The shock wave from a salvo was so strong it would rip the skin off sailors on deck. A big difference from the 5" guns we had on our destroyer (now known as a frigate).

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Originally Posted by vintage hunter

They had a liner that was replaced once shot out.

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You can see the liner when looking from the muzzle...

I have been on the Wisconsin and I will say that is a massive ship. It was pretty cool especially considering that ship was left in the last condition it was used in (i.e. Gulf War 1). On the side of the guns it had the name of I am guessing some Iraqi cities and a little shell beside them, likely for each shell fired. Most didn't have more than one shell.