15"/42 (38.1 cm) Mark I guns on exhibit
at the Imperial War Museum in London
Photograph copyrighted by Axel K.
Click on this picture for a larger image
These are the last two of these guns still in existence above water. As viewed from the breech end, the left gun (number 125 built) was installed on HMS Ramillies in 1916. It was removed from that ship and stored in 1941. The right gun barrel (number 102 built) was mounted on HMS Resolution from 1915 to 1938. This gun was relined and then mounted on the monitor HMS Roberts in 1944. The breech mechanism on the right-hand gun is of interest as it was once used for instructional purposes at the Woolwich Arsenal.
For a history of these weapons, see this Imperial War Museum Webpage
Forward Turrets on the HMS Queen Elizabeth
This photograph was taken in 1915 in the
Dardanelles at the start of the Gallipoli campaign, the first time the
15"/42 (38.1 cm) guns were fired in combat
Note the sighting hoods and small base-length
rangefinders on top of each turret and that the director is located below
the bridge
IWM Photograph Q 13238
HMS Royal Oak
Good view showing both forward and broadside
views of the Mark I Turrets
HMS Valiant in early 1930s
Note the longer base-length rangefinders
on B and X turrets and the Fairey III-F floatplane on her fantail
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph
# NH 52518
HMS Vanguard
Compare this picture with the one above
of Queen Elizabeth
Note the larger gun port openings and
the 40 mm Bofors STAAG mounting atop "B" turret
Picture from the files of Shirley North,
former crewmember of the Vanguard,
and used here by his kind permission
Please Note: This picture can not be copied
without the express permission of NavWeaps.com
HMS Vanguard in September 1952
Note the belt armor, large turret rangefinders,
larger 5.25" (13.4 cm) gunhouses, transom
stern and the USA Mark 37 GFCS
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph
# NH 103735
15" (38.1 cm) Mark I/N Turret being constructed
for HMS Abercrombie
Photograph taken at Vickers-Armstrong's
Elswick Works in December 1942
The 12 ton (12.2 mt) balance weights that
were necessary for 30 degree elevation can be seen atop each gun.
At lower right can be seen a 13.5" (34.3 cm) gun. The 15"/42 (38.1
cm) Mark I was largely based upon the design of this weapon. The
one shown here was probably being linered down to a high-velocity 8" (20.3
cm) gun - see 13.5"/45 Mark V data page
for further details.
HMS Abercrombie in April 1943 following her completion
15"/42 gun barrel at the Coventry Ordinance
Works
Note that the breech has not yet been
engraved with identifying information
IWM Photograph Q 30139
15" (38.1 cm) Common Round on HMS Royal
Oak in 1917
Note the lifting clamp and the protective
cover on the driving bands
Model of Mark I Turret for HMS Queen Elizabeth
at the Imperial War Museum, London, UK
Note the overlapping turret top plates,
the turret race, the overhead "grab" used to transfer shells out of storage
to the stalk and the hopper used to move cartridge bags from the magazine
Also note that shells were stored horizontally
in bins. This meant that any significant change in shell length -
such as the change from 4crh to 6crh projectiles - required modifications
to the storage bins.
IWM Photograph
Typical 15" (38.1 cm) projectiles of World
War II
The left projectile is a Mark XXIIb APC
6crh while the right one is a Mark VIIIb HE 6crh
Sketch copyrighted by Ian Buxton and used
here by his kind permission
Standard Charge
Image courtesy of Steve Johnson of Cyberheritage