Long Beach (CGN 9) - Naval Cruise Book

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'- V, W-.--- , ,. - , ,,71T -i ......- -- i H E E I In I l Weapons Department 'iThere is no subject more intimately connected with the history of the world, from the remotest period, than the history of arms, the fate of na- tions having always depended either on the su- periority ofthe arms employed, or on the supe- rior discipline and dexterity of those who used them, wholly independent of the numbers by which they were opposed. These words, written by Henry Wilkinson in 1841 in his book, Engine of War, have been reproven many times in the intervening decades. The weapons aboard Long Beach, from the conventional 5 guns to the Talos and Terrier missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, promote confidence in ship's offensive and de- fensive capabilities. The research and develop- ment which is continuously taking place world- wide to create more efficient and potent vehicles of destruction makes many of today's weapons obsolete almost before they can be installed upon the ships for which they have been designed. This desire for better engines of warn' has raged since the dawn of pre-history, resulting in a fascinating evolution. One of the earliest weapons adaptable for nau- tical employment was the sling. This invention, tracing back to biblical days, is credited by various sources to the inhabitants of the Balearic Islands Qin which Majorca liesj or to thegreat empire of Phoenicia, whose powerful naviescon- trolled the Mediterranean so long ago. -If' the latter civilization didn't actually invent the sling, they certainly used it effectively as a weapon in their naval battles. In later centuries the bow and finally the cross- bow were developed, and while suited particular- ly well for land operations, they also proved effective as one sailing vessel closed another for boarding and capture. An interesting sidelight in the history of naval weaponry, although out of the field of ordnance, was a kind of crane described by Plutarch, which Hhoisted Roman vessels by the prow, and plunged them to the bottom of the sea. The crane on the fantail of Long Beach has never, at least intentionally, so dispatched any craft, be 14 . .ihilw ZLv.f'A4-x vl ' .. ...-.ma they foes or liberty boats. A unique piece of naval ordnance was reported- ly used by Richard I for when he H. . .set out against the Holy Land, he had in his barges and galleys mills turned by the wind, which, by the force of the sails, threw fire and stones. Gunpowder, as it was introduced into one civili- zation after another, provided a revolution in weaponry. According to the Encyclolbedia Bri- tannica, gunpowder is HA mechanical mixture of saltpetre, charcoal and sulphur. Prepared in the correct proportions it will, when ignited, burn with great rapidity, evolving large quantities of gas. Inflamed in a confined space, the expansile force of the pent-up gases so produced can be used for the propulsion of missiles. There is no certainty as to the actual date of the invention of gunpowder, which was probably somewhat related to the history of the Greek fire. There is evidence that the Chinese knew of the effects of gunpowder several centuries before our era. The common assumption that one Berthold Schwartz invented gunpowder cannot be sub- stantially substantiated. Roger Bacon, who is also frequently mentioned in this connection, was apparently unaware of the propellent qualities of the powder which he described. In fact, saltpetre, the most important ingredient of gunpowder, was not available in refined form Qand the crude vari- ety is useless for military purposesj prior to Bacon's time. It seems, however, that since the second half of the 13th century' gunpowder was employed to expel missiles from projectile weapons. The evolution of weapons during the iweniieth century has been remarkable. Long Beachis Terrier missile system is the shzjnis primary defense against air- borne attack. In the background is the worldfs first nuclear-powered jrzgate USS Bainbridge. . . .. . .W - ....

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, . ,. .Qu-v V: .. ,.,.- -rr ,,,, 4.1: - 4. - -.- . - , . V V - - - - . - rfsfvcfrr-'r 1'f wr f.2sz,,qT?,,'L'c::15575-'rrzzszziiriii213377171 154192 43293-Er. ..Ag:1g:.2gg5,a,...-PL4- ,.,, .. ' 4,,,ff1 -'5 With the introduction of gunpowder tO U16 Western World came the cannon. Introduced into northern Europe in the mid-Fourteenth cen- tury, such early fire-arms probably were more potent for their psychological effect than for the damage they actually caused. These early guns threw stones, individually or in masses. In the Middle Ages there seemed to be an arms race for the development of the largest cannons, although the speed with which they could cast their missiles decreased with size. At the siege of Constantinople both large and small weapons came into play, the Christians used small arms casting five or ten stones at a time, while the Turks had one cannon capable of firing a 600 pounds bullet, although only seven times a day. Another cannon employed there by Mahomed I-I couldihurl a 1,200 pound stone three or four times a day. ' As knowledge increased, improvements were made, the size of cannons were reduced, they were cast in iron and bronze, and fired projectiles of iron. Such weapons were of great importance to land forces, but their adoption by naval units was fairly rapid. At the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 Cduring which a massive Turkish Fleet was overpowered by the forces of Don John of Austria, representing Spain, Venice, Genoa, Mal- ta and the Papal Statesj the Venetian galleasses were fitted with swivel guns, the forerunner of the modern turret. In this battle the heavier allied guns were effective at along range fup to ap- proximately 1,800 yardsj sinking several of the Turkish ships before they could sail close enough to attack. The concepts of both ancient and modern sea warfare was demonstrated when the Venitian Admiral, his own guns having been very effective, was killed by an arrow from one of the enemy's ships. Every schoolboy knows of the Defeat of the Spanish Armada, one of the most famous sea battles of all times. Here, in 1588 it was fire- ships, rather than conventional naval weapons, which resulted in Sir Francis Drakels victory over the Spanish, whose Philip II had vowed to invade England. The range of naval guns increased with the years, Dutch cannon in the 17th century had an 16 -4- V----L-... . A '-1 .L'L1.t. ' : w-4---. approximate range of 2,000 yards, French can- nons of the next century could shoot only 300 yards further, and the best eighteenth century cannons had a range of 3,000 yards, while Monitor and M errimac fought their famous bat- tle at Hampton Roads in 1862 boasting guns which could fire 4,000 yards, according to Cliver Warner's Great Sea Battles. Since exactly a century has elapsed since the Civil War, it is particularly interesting to review the state of naval ordnance in that era. Naval weapons were as varied as the ships themselves. The standard broadside gun in the Federal Navy was the 9-inch Dahlgren. It was supplemented by heavier guns mounted on pivots which could be brought to bear on either beam and which, if located on poop or forecastle, gave a wide arc of fire. Smaller vessels often carried the 32-pounders, 6.4-inch, in various weights, as a broadside gun. New Iromides mounted 11- inch guns on the broadside. The heaviest gun in use was the 15-inch, mount- ed in some of the monitors while the smallest was the 12-pounder boat howitzer. While rifles had more range and accuracy than smoothbores, much of the advantage was lost because of the difficulty of aiming from a heaving, rolling deck. The crude elevating mechanisms did not permit the gun captain to keep the target always in his sight, regardless of the vessel's motion, and the gun was fired at the instant the roll of the ship brought the target into line. Consequently, ranges were kept as short as possible, with con- siderable reliance placed on ricochet fire fthe same as skimming a stone across waterj. Water caps over the fuses helped prevent the extinguish- ing of the fuse as the shell skipped along the surface. Ricochet firing was quite accurate up to about a mile in smooth water, but a rough sea made it virtually impossible. Many rifled guns were used, however. Most of those in the Federal service were Parrotts, ranging from the 8-inch, 150-pounder down to 20-pounders. The Con- federates used many Brooke rifles, which were generally heavier than the Parrotts of corres- ponding caliber.