The fifteen-gun broadside was formidable, but continuous fire imposed serious mechanical costs. Heat could distort barrels until accuracy suffered. Repeated shock and vibration also denied turret machinery and the rest of the ship time to settle between salvos. Sustained rapid fire therefore required crews to watch the barrels, training rings, machinery, and the ship's structural limits.
Notable Point · 1:15-3:00
What continuous rapid fire does to a cruiser
Brooklyn-class firepower leads into the barrel heating, vibration, and machinery stresses created by sustained rapid fire.