Wasp (CV 18) - Naval Cruise Book

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:ilL2BB.!iTl5Ei 535?VEE9lTE3QIQQEU?l9OHt-J The control of LOMM gud llvc lnch from the Same H ,n 1 Y, v. ndepen- a director was necessary to thc Success of this NI Q Hu J , H fi -D ' 1 'L' f1 1 A W ' , , dent i1on.' lt hcs been tne writer's experience that the ,g OCCUTCCY Of O 'QUiCK-firing' director's control of five' 2 W inch OHlY GHHHOU be judged or corrected. The addition of the LOVE gives a good indication of effectiveness of' j the firing to director and control personnel, and the ff? comparatively small difference of five inch and AOTK iii fd Q trajectories at short ranges only add to the hitting ide? possibilities by increasing the size of the cone of fire wig from one director. Each group was aligned to make the T OO to 3000 yards near the trajectories intersect at 25 center of the sector of responsibility. The effectiveness of hits from heavy AA in destroy- I ated. This system lv. ,if ,.l-4 ing Kamikaze aircraft cannot be underre has delivered those hits and is in large neasnre respon- sible for the fact that the TABP has never been hit by a fm? Kamikaze. R am LN The second problem was to keep all stations in as vt high a degree of lcitnes s oossible id to get m1Xl , mum number of guns Ol ny ttacler The fiist steo was to ieep a from Ol information goinQ to the entire battery ' '-e a well the best Q d fr1e'dl1cs s , OSltlOIl'3 Ol enemy WJ- lv I C -w 1 A . S -L , Q-A .2 Ll K no I is 1 ni -' ., .ii- '. Fi! 'w rw- rw f. f 15 4 'f 3. p. Lx L,. X 0 A, W .fn ' Vg. 0 4 , Z ' ' ,n , ',. ' I. 5-. , ff ' ... 'V 1 W - al - 1 -+f J - V is .-'-icy 4 q 'W . ,M A A 'N N . E ' rn' FJ- ' ,U PIE- LL kk 'Ac 'Lx' , -- M. 1 ' 1, A .Eff if - ,. -,iz 6 , ' . MA? ' iff W , 'fit if 2 tbl :iii - ? Sf me sh 1 u

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PART II - NARRATIVE 5 ' isolated stationg and Three, to retain sufficient control of fire to protect own ships and aircraft frqm the de- Aj StTuCtiVO effects of pOSSiblQ Wwild firing.n. . TDC Nerk 37 director - Mark l computer system Wasil admittedly too slow in reaching a solution to Cgnbgt surprise attacks close aboard. Therefore, the SH bat- 'Qi tory was broken down into units controlled as far as possible by Mark 5l directors land later by'Mark 57 and ' Mark 63 after yard overhaulb. indditional wiring and y t lled during in-port periods by the n switches were ins a ship's fire contrelmen to provide for control of two - ch and one fortylli quad in automatic from barrels of 5-in . c Q a Mark 5l director. Four such Hlndependent Pland stations' one in each sector were set up as time and materials H became availa e. 1 on the Mark 37 the computer bl The low twins were kept directors with short range barrage set and t one or at most two ranges would sufficet so arranged tha c for a solution on a near OO target angle attack. All if les. In addition? five inch fired lOOf influence projecti each of the controlling directors for five inch were t, placed on the 5J? circuit in direct communication with control, C.I.C. and Elot so as to receive ai' A gunnery maximum of ungarbled information.

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PJQRT ll Mg1,,Rn,,.r1vn SHEUEEEQllEQQiQI?HLi99ntii cstimrte of the general Situation thgtlcould be Obtaincd from all Sources' ffdio, TQQUT, general directives, orders from Tesk Groups Commander, etc. Every effsft was made to keep ell hGHds on the battery from ammunition pnssers to COHtTOl officers es well informed es the Centein or GUHHCTY OffiOer so tnet tney would be qnelified to make decisions necessfry to the effectiveness of the ized control. decentrels Telephones ere too slow for reporting contacts after o Kemikeze stcrts in. A mount opening fire on e recog- nized ettecker is 3 good warning end tne best way of directing ettention of other mounts. lf an enemy was outside of the effective range of n mount, that mount would fire o snort burst in the direction of the plone. This system gave very effective warning in two specific ' ntcd tv'2ONM gunners. One instances when on enemy was sign e- -J gun in each group under tne imnedie officer was outnorized to fire n snort burs 1' ge but within re Qnmny contact outside 2034 ren -, heavier Af. r mft over the forma To eretect our own GiTJTL stent pressure wie put on reCOQHitiOU tT3iUiHE thorouGnly effective with tne exceftion 0? two V Tl f-4 ' YW X . -LW instenees when presence oi enemy 9lsDQS ln D99 ot te eye of tne control t on e definite nge of tion, con- Tnis was unfortunate eree and