| Gun Laying |
Article Index for Gun |
Website Links For Gun |
Information AboutGun Laying |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT GUN LAYING | |
| artillery | |
|
The gun may be traversed, that is rotated in the horizontal plane, to line up on its target. It must also be elevated, moved in the vertical plane, to range it to its target. This is necessary to compensate for the fall of the shot from the point it leaves the muzzle to the point where, if all goes as intended, it encounters its target. There are two possible paths that a shot can take to a target at a defined range. The lower trajectory is known as Direct Fire , and the higher trajectory is known as Plunging Fire . In some gun mountings it is also possible to depress the gun, that is to move it in the vertical plane to point it below the horizontal, to fire down at a target. Such a facility is only of relevance if the gun is higher than its target, though in some muzzle loading guns, the gun must be depressed to load it. These movements, and the mechanism to handle the recoil of the gun, are provided by the gun mounting. GUN LAYING IN THE AGE OF CANNON In the days of cannon, guns were provided with trunnions that were mounted onto a gun carriage. The gunner and gun-crew levered the front or rear of the carriage to traverse the gun, and drove in or pulled out wedges under the breech to elevate it. When fired the whole cannon on its carriage rolled backward against the resistance of a block and tackle rig. The recoil pushed the gun back far enough for the crew to access the muzzle to reload it, and when loaded the same block and tackle was used to return the carriage to its firing point. On sailing warships in normal operations the guns were lashed down to the gun decks in the recoiled position, and the gun ports closed. To "run out the guns" was to open the gun ports, and haul the cannon forward to the firing position, a very threatening gesture, more so if the guns were actually loaded since Blackpowder charges in the guns degenerate swiftly, and unloading a cannon without firing it is a dangerous process. GUN LAYING IN THE AGE OF BREECH LOADING , 1915.]] Field Artillery pieces where the gun is mounted on a wheeled gun carriage usually have a gun trail, by which it is towed, and this is manhandled to traverse the gun. The elevation is commonly set by a screw mechanism, and the gun mounting provides at least some range of depression, to allow firing from a height. There is usually a mechanism to absorb the majority of the recoil built into the gun carriage so the gun bucks when fired, but does not need to be winched back into place after firing. GUN LAYING ON A BATTLESHIP Naval guns mounted in batteries in gun turrets brought gun laying to a new level of sophistication. Turret traverse, gun elevation and recoil are managed using hydraulic power. The guns are fired electrically and a fire control system is arranged to fire the guns in sequence, firing each gun as the roll of the ship brings the gun to bear on its target. GUN LAYING ON THE PRESENT BATTLEFIELD Current fighting vehicles have automated gun laying systems that in addition to the traditional ballistic calculations add additional aiming data to compensate for additional factors such as air temperature, wind direction, compensation for the movement of the vehicle, and compensation for the wear and straightness of the gun barrel. |
|
|