942 -- REPORT-—1890. 
Of the eight new battle-ships now building, seven are to have their guns mounted 
en barbette, and one is to be provided with armoured turrets. In either case the 
guns and their machinery are carried on revolving turntables of practically the same 
form. These turntables are placed in an armoured redoubt, and the guns, when 
horizontal, are entirely above the armour ; but in the case of the ship provided with 
turrets the breech ends of the guns are covered in, with the turrets placed as an 
addition on the turntables. 
The extra weight required thus to protect the breech ends of the guns is for 
this ship about 550 tons. 
As the hydraulic machinery for these new ships differs but slightly from that 
fitted on ships of the Rodney and Nile classes, the same description will cover all 
these vessels. The armoured barbette battery at each end of the ship is made of a 
pear shape, as seen in plan, in order to provide for a pair of ammunition hoists 
and hydraulic rammers at its narrower end. 
These ammunition hoists come right up into the armoured barbette and 
descend to the shell-room and magazine decks, forming the channel by which the 
projectiles and charges are rapidly supplied to the guns; and it must be remem-~ 
bered that the weight to be lifted for a single round, including powder and projec- 
tile, with the necessary cases, considerably exceeds a ton. The cage in each hoist 
is worked by hydraulic cylinders with double wire-ropes, and in case of breakage, 
automatic safety gear is titted to arrest and lock the cage. 
While on the ammunition deck the cages are charged simultaneously from either 
side, and when hoisted to the battery-deck are automatically slowed, and then stopped 
at the proper position for loading the guns. Much depends upon the service of 
ammunition by these hoists being protected from interruption, and in the event of 
derangement of the cage, independent tackle, worked by an hydraulic capstan, is 
provided to take its place,and a few rounds can also be stowed within the 
battery. 
In intimate connection with the ammunition hoists are the hydraulic rammers on 
the ammunition deck for charging the cages, and in the battery for loading the guns. 
To reduce their length within reasonable limits they are made telescopic, and they 
are fitted with indicators to show when the charges are home. 
In the shell-rooms hydraulic cranes and traversing bogies are fitted to convey 
the shell to the base of the ammunition hoist, so that a projectile is transported 
from the place where it is stowed to the shot-chamber of the gun without manual 
labour of any sort except that of moving the various levers to set the hydraulic 
machinery in motion. In the magazines hydraulic bollards are provided for 
hoisting and transporting the powder-cases by means of overhead runners. Hand- 
gear is provided as an alternative in both magazine and shell-rooms. 
Each turntable carrying the guns and their fittings is rotated by a pair of 
entirely independent three-cylindered engines, each engine being of sufficient 
power to rotate the turntable at the speed of one revolution per minute. The gear 
for controlling them is worked from two or three look-out stations, at either or any 
of which the officer has to his hand the means of elevating, training, sighting, and 
firing either one or both guns. The turning-engines are fitted with a powerful 
spring break, which will hold in a seaway, but which is taken off automatically 
when the water is admitted to start the engines. Easy control is obtained by the 
use of seryo-motor valves, so that the handwheel is small and requires but little 
power to move it. It only remains to describe as shortly as possible the system of 
mounting the guns on the turntable. The guns are trunnionless, to allow them to 
be as close together as possible, with the view of reducing to the smallest possible 
size the diameter of the turntables. The carriages are cradles of steel grooved to 
correspond with rings turned on the guns, and with straps by which the guns are 
secured to the cradles. The carriages are mounted without rollers or wheels on slides 
formed of steel beams of great strength, pivoted at their front ends and supported 
on hydraulic presses by which they are bodily raised or lowered to give the guns 
elevation or depression. In the case of the turret this system gives the smallest 
possible port. The loading of the gun is effected while the gun is at extreme ele- 
Vation, a position which is easily determined by dropping the slide on to fixed stops, 
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