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GraphiteGru t1_j7fxlhs wrote

Until I was in my 40's and went there as a parent escort for a Scout Trip I always thought that those huge turrets with the large 16 inch guns just sort of "sat on top of the deck". I thought they sat on a kind of turntable and they brought the ammo and powder to them as needed.

Never realized that they were large multi deck structures that go deep into the hull and that the whole thing rotates. You cannot even see most of what rotates as it is inside the ship. Still amazed how they got the shells and the bags of gunpowder from the magazine (where you certainly dont want them to explode) up to the guns.

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bjanas t1_j7gixw3 wrote

If I'm not mistaken, your turntable analogy is more apt than you may have meant. I believe that they're not even technically "secured" to the ship. As in, if a Titan were to pick up the ship and turn it upside down, the guns would just fall out of their mounts.

Obviously they're not going to go anywhere in the real world, I can't imagine how much they weigh, but I always thought that was cool.

Somebody with more knowledge, please correct me if I'm wrong!

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blamatron t1_j7gk5wd wrote

It happens when ships like this sink in deep water. They tumble on the way down and the turrets slip out. Thats why the wreck of the Bismarck has no guns.

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bjanas t1_j7gkea5 wrote

Ah yes I forgot about that bit! Pretty wild to think about.

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