StarDestroyer.Net BBS

from the Des Moines class CA USS Salem.

That's the Old Swayback from In Harm's Way.

Too bad the same technology that made an autoloading 8in gun with fully automatic radar control possible, also made workable radar guided weapons possible and so doomed even the best possible gunships. Awesome design though and the USN really did pull it out of its ass in record time. 50% heavier for 300% of the firepower.

The 3/50 was kind of not what we hoped, manly because as soon as it appeared so had jet aircraft and very quickly it went from an ultimate defense weapon to actually being the minimal gun even worth having. And thus the 3/70 saga began.

It says something though that the weight of fire from the Des Monies battery of 3in guns is 15,600lb per minute, exactly the same as the peak output of the 6in main battery on a Cleveland!

Norway still used this gun, with a weather shield also found on later USN installations, until 2007. Not sure if anyone else still does but I think Taiwan is a user, Brazil still has at least one river gunboat with the earlier manually worked 3/50.