Yeah, I went and looked up naval artillery online and was surprised to find the guns depressed that far, I'd assumed there would be no operational requirement. I'd be interested to know how much water a shell with that much mass and inertia would penetrate. Probably not much, since unlike rifle bullets, shells are
really designed to expand on impact
I can relate to the experience of the inept skipper. I've known a few infantry officers who'd have been unlikely to make it through combat without some friendly fire. A company commander in my unit was once court-martialled for losing his rifle on exercise. Someone had obviously taken it while he was asleep, and the rumour was that it had been disassembled and buried on the training area. He got a slap on the wrist, some loss of seniority and an administrative posting, which may well have saved lives further down the line. Anyone whose weapon can be taken from them while asleep, doesn't really count as a soldier - Queen's Commission notwithstanding...
It's funny - I miss my Dad now, more than I did when he died. I'd have loved to hear more about his time in the Navy. I remember once he told me how strange it felt to be standing on the deck of a blacked-out ship, listening to the drone of planes overhead, and knowing that those planes were looking for
him. I know that he was part of Combined Ops at some point, and I have a memory of him saying he coxwained a Landing Craft, also that he was in some way involved in the D-Day landings. He never spoke much about that sort of thing, and by the time we were old enough to relate as adults, we didn't have the time. When I was twenty, it seemed that 52 was a reasonable age to die, but now I'm 51 it seems a bit harsh......
One story he did tell me though, is of a time he was stationed in India. The Rum ration was stored in the jail, and a couple of guys who were locked up there, managed to smuggle a keg out to their friends, just before they were released, which was on a Friday. The rum would be missed on Monday, which left that particular watch/mess the weekend to dispose of the evidence. [What does the Navy call a Platoon anyway].
So - the scene he painted was of a tropical beach with about 30 guys collapsed on it like victims of a ground burst and in the middle, this squat, black keg of Pussers rum, like some pagan idol. Every so often one of the bodies would stir, stagger to its feet and over to the keg, fill a mug with rum, stagger away, drink and fall down again. I'm told the stuff was pretty potent........ Anyway, they got rid of it although it sounds like it could easily have gone the other way....
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Also
c13G' - You tell a good tale - thanks
As an aside - I know that there's a distance between the round and the muzzle in which the trajectory is completely flat - It's of little interest when discussing small arms fire, but it can have implications for larger calibres. e.g. most tanks can't engage at short distances with their guns over the rear decks. Anyway. I have always understood the term "Point Blank range" to refer to this particular distance - Anyone know if that's true?