How many sailors would be needed to fire Des Moines-class guns if the autoloaders failed?
Short answerMore people than the ship carried or the turret could fit, so practical manual operation was not available.
NotesThe autoloading system was integrated through many parts of the Des Moines-class turret rather than occupying one easily bypassed station. Its machinery also consumed the space in which a large manual crew would need to work. An 8-inch projectile was at least a two-person lift, unlike a 6-inch round that one sailor might just manage. The ship therefore lacked both the people and physical room to reproduce the automatic loading cycle by hand.