I'm currently reading The Iron Pirate by Douglas Reeman (excellent book so far) and have been inspired to use a big battleship. I've chosen the Iowa on page A-23 of H4.1. Some questions about her:

 

1) Weapons lists 2F/A(3)3 Mk7 406mm/50//2 Mk 13.

Does this mean there are two lots of 3 x 406mm guns both forward and aft (front and back)? So thats 6 guns forward and 6 aft.

I assume aft guns cannot fire forward and vice verca.

Why is Mk7 listed and then a Mk13?

 

2) 2P&B/PQ/2S&SB/S&SQ®6 Mk28 127mm/38//4 Mk 25

What does the PQ and SQ stand for? I assume ® is rear?

Can a port side gun fire to starboard? I dont mean that as a silly question, can the gun turrent (?) rotate and fire over the ships deck at a high enough angle that its practicle?

 

3) Mk143 ABL Tomahawk - i dont see it listed in Annex D. I can see Tomahawk I, II and III A&B's, but not a Mk 143 ABL. Which one do i use?

1) Weapons lists 2F/A(3)3 Mk7 406mm/50//2 Mk 13.

Does this mean there are two lots of 3 x 406mm guns both forward and aft (front and back)? So thats 6 guns forward and 6 aft.

 

2F/A(3)3 means 3x mounts with 3x barrels each, these mounts (or turrets) being arranged 2x forward and 1x aft.

 

As seen in this rather popular photo:

 

 

I assume aft guns cannot fire forward and vice verca.

 

Correct. The shipboard weapon firing arcs (as dictated by H4 rules) can be found on page 2-3.

 

Why is Mk7 listed and then a Mk13?

 

Mk 7 is the designation of the weapon itself. The Mk 13 is the associated fire control radar.

 

2) 2P&B/PQ/2S&SB/S&SQ®6 Mk28 127mm/38//4 Mk 25

What does the PQ and SQ stand for? I assume ® is rear?

 

Mine says "2P&PB/PQ/2S&SB/SQ (2)6 Mk28 5 in/38//4 Mk25"

 

where PQ means 'port quarter' and SQ means 'starboard quarter', again a reference to the mount's firing arc. Instead of 'R', I have '2', which in this case refers to the fact that the mount has two barrels. (Ordinarily, when you see 'R' it is a reference to a rotary barrel gun (e.g. a Gatling gun)).

 

Can a port side gun fire to starboard? I dont mean that as a silly question, can the gun turrent (?) rotate and fire over the ships deck at a high enough angle that its practicle?

 

Not unless it also has the appropriate arc listed in the mount description.

 

3) Mk143 ABL Tomahawk - i dont see it listed in Annex D. I can see Tomahawk I, II and III A&B's, but not a Mk 143 ABL. Which one do i use?

 

This is simply a reference to the Mk 143 Armored Box Launcher. If you look at the photo above, these are the eight rectangular shaped launchers that you can see amidships. They almost look like standard shipping containers.

Whooooa! Great picture. I love the shape of the blast on the water.

 

Port and Starboard ... how could i have not guessed that?

 

I wonder if the helepad is clear in the picture because they are firing?

I wonder if the helepad is clear in the picture because they are firing?

 

I don't expect you'd normally see helos on the Iowas in large part since there are no hangar facilities. The helo capability being more of a logistics feature allowing personnel and material transfers from ship to ship and ship to shore. Certainly you wouldn't be running ASW ops off of an Iowa fantail. You could however have some gunfire spotting from an assigned helo though in any 1990s or newer situation that role would be filled by UAVs.

 

http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Iow...hip#Helicopters

Re the picture again. Is that 3 to hit rolls, or 9? My guess is 3 (1 controller per turrent).

Re the picture again. Is that 3 to hit rolls, or 9? My guess is 3 (1 controller per turrent).

 

The Iowa had 2x Mk 13 directors, forward and aft. I believe this means (though I could be wrong) you can engage only two targets at a time if you are using gun fire control (i.e. you're not in local control) to spot your shell splashes.

 

In Command at Sea, you get a positive modifier for multiple barrels firing simultaneously, but I am not sure if the same is true in Harpoon4. (Haven't seen too many gun battles, sad to say).

Are the stats for the 403mm for a single turrent (ie 3 barrels combined)? Or for each gun in each turrent?

Are the stats for the 403mm for a single turrent (ie 3 barrels combined)? Or for each gun in each turrent?

 

The stats listed above are for the 'mount' (i.e. turret), but I don't think there is any reason why you could not fire one barrel at a time (in the Harpoon4 sense).

 

In other words, fire six shells at one target (from the forward two turrets) and three shells against another (from the aft turret).

Are the stats for the 403mm for a single turrent (ie 3 barrels combined)? Or for each gun in each turrent?

 

The stats listed above are for the 'mount' (i.e. turret), but I don't think there is any reason why you could not fire one barrel at a time (in the Harpoon4 sense).

 

In other words, fire six shells at one target (from the forward two turrets) and three shells against another (from the aft turret).

 

Yeah. If you get close enough to fire those guns at modern warships, it only takes one hit anyway, unless you're shooting at another Iowa. If a Kirov/Slava/Kiev lets an Iowa that close, he's in a world of hurt. Those guns were made to kill stuff when the opposition had armor plate and steel, not light steel and aluminum.