Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!convex!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military
From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: battleships
Message-ID: <1991Feb15.063949.7028@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 15 Feb 91 06:39:49 GMT
References: <1991Feb13.220636.4720@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
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Approved: military@att.att.com



From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold)
> The news reported that the Missouri shelled Iraq, and not many shells
> were reported.  Then it was reported as replaced by the Wisconsin, and
> today I read that the Missouri is back.  Is there some feature of
> battleships that limits the number that can be fired or limits the
> time the battleship can spend in the place from which it fires?

From the descriptions, I would guess that the BBs were doing a bit of
OJT - firing at live (real) targets as a means to train the gun crews,
fire control teams, liaison people, etc.  They fired at least one 
9-gun "broadside" each.  This will also test out the entire ship's 
systems - any weak pipes, valves, electrical connections, etc. will
tend to fail during firing due to the shock and vibration.

The BBs can fire at a sustained rate until the magazines are empty.

I don't know the rate offhand; it must take about 4-5 minutes to get
all three tubes reloaded. 

[mod.note:  Rate of fire for the Iowa class (and most WWII-era
battleships) is about 2 rounds per minute.  All tubes can be
loaded simultaneously, so that can mean 2 broadsides, 18 rounds,
per minute. - Bill ]