Borys Posted 20 February , 2007 Share Posted 20 February , 2007 Ahoj! Did World War One era "destroyers", vessels of some 800-2000 ton displacement and armed with c. 4 inch guns have ammunition hoists for their main armament? Borys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ionia Posted 21 February , 2007 Share Posted 21 February , 2007 Ahoj! Did World War One era "destroyers", vessels of some 800-2000 ton displacement and armed with c. 4 inch guns have ammunition hoists for their main armament? Borys No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ionia Posted 21 February , 2007 Share Posted 21 February , 2007 Ahoj! Did World War One era "destroyers", vessels of some 800-2000 ton displacement and armed with c. 4 inch guns have ammunition hoists for their main armament? Borys Upon relection it seems advisable to clarify the terminology. If you mean by "ammunition hoist" a power hoist which delivers ammunition from the magazine/shell room to the gun then these were not used in WW1 destroyers. However, I would imagine that hand worked simple dredger hoists would have been used for part of the distance - "B" gun in a "V & W" is four decks above the magazine. No such hoists are shown on the plans in Edgar March's "British Destroyers" - these plans show hand-ups only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borys Posted 21 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 21 February , 2007 Ahoj! By "ammunition hoist" I understood any contraption bringing up rounds to the gun from a magazine somewhere below. Thank you for your answer - so the answer is "yes" Borys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 21 February , 2007 Share Posted 21 February , 2007 Borys, Im not sure how you came to the conclusion 'Yes' I would say no as the guns could only fire as fast as the hoists could move. On the smaller vessels, those with guns under 4.7inch the ammunition woulds be moved by hand the guns themselves designed around a shell that was managable by a man. Hoists would be used to re-ammunition the magazines as there was no need for blast curtains and doors. Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borys Posted 21 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 21 February , 2007 Ahoj! I seem to have jumped to a conclusion here. After reading answers to tis query on other sites, I have came to a conclusion, that "no". My current thinking is: In the pre-1920 era small ships did not have individual hoists for each gun. There were ready use magazines near each c.4 inch gun, refilled from a hoist connecting the magazine (if one) or magazines (two were used, on USN ships for instance) with the deck. Borys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 22 February , 2007 Share Posted 22 February , 2007 Hi, Im not sure there was any 'Hoists' at all in vessels destroyer and smaller... it would be quicker and more efficient for the ammunition to be man handled from the magazines to the weapon. The hoists as far as I am aware came into use about 1905 at the advent of the dreadnought. That because off the weight of the shell? I have photos of hoists in 9.2 inch plus ships but nothing smaller. Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ionia Posted 22 February , 2007 Share Posted 22 February , 2007 Further research in March's "British Destroyers" resulted in the discovery of one plan "TBDs 1912-13 ; Disposition of Armament and course of Ammunition" (Page 136 of my edition). These were the "L" Class armed with 3 x 4" QF in positions A (forecastle), Q (iron deck) and Y (quarter deck). This plan seems to show a dredger hoist from the forward magazine up to the deck below the forecastle deck with a hand-up to the gun on the forecastle. Amunition for the gun in Q position was carried aft by hand from the hoist (being on the same deck). The gun in Y position was fed by hand-ups to the wardroom and then to the deck. A note on the plan states that storage for 20 nrounds of amunition was to be provided at each gun. The gun is the 4" QF Mk IV. I would have thought that a 4" QF gun would fire fixed ammunition but I notice that the plan shows a 4" magazine to starboard and a 4" shell room to port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borys Posted 22 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 22 February , 2007 Ahoj! Thank you very much! Borys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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