Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 7:10:19-7:11:25

Why a German 15-inch turret conversion was a tight fit

A technically sophisticated German breech could make a 15-inch conversion fit only tightly because the mechanism consumed valuable barbette and turret space.

15-inch GunsBreech BlocksGun TurretsKriegsmarineNaval GunneryWarship Design
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Question

Could the proposed German battleship conversion fit 15-inch guns within its existing barbette?

Short answer

Only tightly: the large guns and their sophisticated but space-hungry breech mechanism left little room inside the existing installation.

Notes

Fitting the proposed 15-inch armament into the German ship's existing installation would be tight. The size of the guns and the way their breech mechanisms operated created the difficulty. The breeches are judged among the best from an engineering perspective and potentially among the worst in practical operation.