Kookaburra2011
Aug. 8 1938: HMAS VOYAGER's aft 4-inch gun - Coffs Harbour City Library.
2719. In just over a year VOYAGER and her sisters would be in the thick of the Mediterranean war. Despite the fame they were to achieve, however, the ships went into WWII as WWI vessels, a full generation out of date. Both their modest size and armaments reflected this.
Only an extreme shortage of destroyer-type vessels placed them in frontline positions for so long.
The 'V' and 'W' Class destroyers were armed with four 4-inch guns, one 3-inch [76mm] AA, one Vickers .303 machine gun, four Lewis guns and six 21-inch torpedo tubes in triple mounts.
Under constant air attack in the Mediterranean their lack of a credible AA battery was sorely felt, and eventually VOYAGER's aft set of torpedo tubes was landed to create more space for AA.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN COMMENTS BELOW: from genericdad: "The description of armaments during WW2 is incorrect. When carrying the 3-inch HA gun the aft set of tubes were landed so they carried only 3 [torpedo tubes], not six..."
At one stage the ship's battery was augmented by a captured Italian Breda gun.
Photo: Courtesy of the Coffs Harbour City Library and Regional Museum, Accession NO. mus07-1611. Copies of these photographs have been acquired for the Unofficial RAN Centenary 1911-2011 photostream, and permission gained for this usage. Thanks to Liz Thomas, Special Collections Librarian, for archival and permissions assistance.
Aug. 8 1938: HMAS VOYAGER's aft 4-inch gun - Coffs Harbour City Library.
2719. In just over a year VOYAGER and her sisters would be in the thick of the Mediterranean war. Despite the fame they were to achieve, however, the ships went into WWII as WWI vessels, a full generation out of date. Both their modest size and armaments reflected this.
Only an extreme shortage of destroyer-type vessels placed them in frontline positions for so long.
The 'V' and 'W' Class destroyers were armed with four 4-inch guns, one 3-inch [76mm] AA, one Vickers .303 machine gun, four Lewis guns and six 21-inch torpedo tubes in triple mounts.
Under constant air attack in the Mediterranean their lack of a credible AA battery was sorely felt, and eventually VOYAGER's aft set of torpedo tubes was landed to create more space for AA.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN COMMENTS BELOW: from genericdad: "The description of armaments during WW2 is incorrect. When carrying the 3-inch HA gun the aft set of tubes were landed so they carried only 3 [torpedo tubes], not six..."
At one stage the ship's battery was augmented by a captured Italian Breda gun.
Photo: Courtesy of the Coffs Harbour City Library and Regional Museum, Accession NO. mus07-1611. Copies of these photographs have been acquired for the Unofficial RAN Centenary 1911-2011 photostream, and permission gained for this usage. Thanks to Liz Thomas, Special Collections Librarian, for archival and permissions assistance.