Wartime naval maintenance rested on both skilled labour and equipment that could be shifted with modest lifting gear. Most ammunition and components could be carried by one sailor or a pair, while torpedoes and battleship shells needed trolleys, derricks, or shipboard cranes. Contemporary ships also carried more personnel for maintenance work than modern vessels usually do. That combination let a mobile support site handle labour-intensive tasks without elaborate permanent port infrastructure. The design was practical because it matched mobile lifting gear with the large crews needed for labour-intensive maintenance.
Notable Point · 5:36-7:15
Crew size and lifting gear made mobile support practical
Large wartime crews could move most ammunition and components by hand, while cranes and trolleys handled torpedoes and the heaviest shells.