Ideas for mechanically assisted loading of battleship-calibre guns appeared well before modern digital systems. A very large shell still demands a workable fire-control solution, because rapid salvo fire is of little use if the ship cannot obtain accurate range information. Radar direction and a fire-control computer make a small number of carefully aimed shots more credible than repeated ranging salvos. Any armour practical on a ship would be hard pressed to defeat a functioning 24-inch armour-piercing shell.
Notable Point · 8:19-12:34
Battleship autoloaders need fire-control context
A speculative 24-inch autoloader leads to a discussion of early mechanised-loading research, radar-directed fire control, and the difficulty of protecting ships against very large shells.