Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!psuvax1!rutgers!att!cbnews!military
From: Brian Ross (bxr307@coombs.anu.oz)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: New Jersey big guns
Message-ID: <11926@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 4 Dec 89 02:21:38 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Lines: 64
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: Brian Ross (bxr307@coombs.anu.oz)
     In an earlier incarnation the New Jersey (or one of the 
other ships in the class) during the Vietnam war successfully 
tested the use of rocket boosted projectiles.  This increased the 
range of the 16in guns to about 100km.  However accuraccy 
suffered due to the altering of the ballistics of the shell (ie 
the rocket motor fired outside the barrel and as a result was 
more prone to sidewinds,etc.).  In addition an Arrow (highly 
streamlined) round based on the WWII German "Phieffelschloss" (I 
think thats how it was spelled) experiments was used.  This was 
more accurate than the rocket boosted round as the only 
propellant came from within the barrel.  Its range was also about 
the same as well.

[mod.note:  Risking another attempt at German 8-), I think that's
"Peenemuender Pfeil Geschoss" - Bill ]

     Both types of shell however suffered from a decreased 
payload and were considered to be rather ineffective.  While a 
simple guidance system (perhaps inertial) would have corrected 
the propblems with accuracy it was thought difficult to design 
one which would withstand the savage accelerations experienced 
inside a very large gun barrel.  One wonders though what a full-
bore extended range round with a base-bleed unit would do for 
range and payload.  Based upon the experience with the 155mm 
calibre round I would expect an increase in range of about 33% 
and an actual increase in payload of about 15%.
          If teamed with a laser designator along the lines of 
the Copperhead round the accuracy problems would also be cured.  
However I question the value of using such things as laser 
designators with very long range artillery.  The use of artillery 
firepower depends upon the ability of an artillery battery 
(whether shore based or aboard ship) to be able to fire a large 
number of rounds in a short space of time.  The laser rounds are 
dependant upon a designator (whether ground or air based) to 
paint a target with a laser beam.  If the artillery battery is 
firing at a high rate I wonder about the ability of a designator 
to change targets fast enough to keep up with the rate of fire of 
a normal battery.  If the battery fires at a slower rate it is 
opening itself up to counter-battery fire.  If it fires at its 
normal rate it is wasting comparatively expensive rounds on 
targets which will have already been destroyed by one or two of 
the previous rounds.  This of course could be prevented by using 
more laser designators operating at slighlty different 
frequencies.  However the expense of the designators seem to 
preclude them being issued at a level where this is possible.  
Does anyone out there have any other information about how rounds 
like the Copperhead will be employed?  Perhaps I've got it wrong.

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                                        |
Brian Ross                              |Snail Mail:- 
"Bill Bracket the self-made man who came|
in a a packet"                          |     Brian Ross
----------------------------------------|     Sociology Dept.R.S.S.S.
E-Mail Addresses:- bxr307@coombs.anu.oz |     Australian National University
                                        |     CANBERRA,A.C.T.,2601,
                   bxr307@csc.anu.oz    |     AUSTRALIA
                                        |
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