EPISODES OF WWII. Loading the 4-inch gun on HMAS KAPUNDA, WWII-style - Photo Derek Simon [1919-2004] courtesy Graeme Andrews.

4379. A routine slice of naval life from the Second World War that will surely soon be seen as dated as muzzle-loading. The labour intensive art of manual loading of 'fixed round' ammunition into quick firing guns would have taken constant practice and teamwork to achieve a smooth and rapid rate of fire. Contributor Graeme Andrews recalls that the gunnery teams on one of his ships, the anti-submarine frigate HMAS QUICKMATCH, could achieve 12-14 rounds per minute with each gun on her twin 4-inch mount.

 

The combined weight a 31lb projectile and powder-filled brass cartridge on the 4-inch Australian Minesweeper [AMS] guns - sometimes called a 'Woolworth gun' - was around 70 lbs, and approaching the upper limit of weight it was considered one man could handle in a sustained, repeated way. There was some manual loading of 80lb fixed ammunition for 4.5 inch guns during WWII, but beyond that required seperate projectiles and cartridge charges, like those for example used on Tribal Class 4.7 inch weapons.

 

See HMAS ARUNTA'S 4.7 inch being loaded with separate charges at pic NO. 3318, here:

 

www.flickr.com/photos/41311545@N05/5195016996/

 

and HMAS CONDAMINDE's twin 4-inch being loaded at pic NO. 3657 here.

 

www.flickr.com/photos/41311545@N05/5351307609/

 

Thanks to Graeme Andrews for correcting some gaps in our gunnery knowledge in the original version of this entry.

 

Photo: Album of Derek Simon [1919-2004], courtesy Graeme K. Andrews [RAN 1955-1968, RANR 1980].

 

 

 

 

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