Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:16:32-2:17:37

Would Brooklyn's turrets have been better suited to Coronel?

Higher turrets offered a more usable battery in heavy seas, while low casemates could flood and even higher casemate or sponson guns could struggle.

Battle Of CoronelCasemate GunsNaval GunnerySea StateUSS Brooklyn
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Question

Would USS Brooklyn's turret arrangement have been better suited to Coronel?

Short answer

Higher turrets offered a more usable battery in heavy seas, while low casemates could flood and even higher casemate or sponson guns could struggle.

Notes

Brooklyn's turret-mounted heavy guns offer a comparison with Good Hope's more exposed battery. In the rough seas around southern South America, low gun positions could become unusable. Even weapons mounted higher in casemates or sponsons faced operating difficulties. Turrets provided the most reliable firing positions in those conditions.