Converting Naval Weapons for use on land?

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Far better to leave them where they are and if possible shift the badly damaged hulk with tugs to where it can be sunk in shallow water.

You beat me to it. I've been meaning to post a similar comment since this thread started. I think that for coastal (and possibly riverine/lake) applications it would be most sensible ground the ship with the weapons in place. Or if the vessel is still marginally seaworthy just anchor (or otherwise secure) it in place. Then you can tow it to another location if operational requirements change. The vessel wouldn't need to be able to move under its own power but it would be very helpful if it still had its generators working to provide electrical and hydraulic power for turret traverse and elevation, heating, maybe even radio and radar. Just look at the situation of the USS Virginia in Satellite Down. It will probably never move again but it utterly dominates that small section of coastline (and provides electrical power for its little shore community).

[headquarters]

everyone has their own take on the scope of the game I guess.

Converting naval guns to land based systems can be done - although it is demanding in terms of resources ,personell and expertise.

The German railcar guns of huge caliber during WWII had a crew of 1300 personell all told .(Cooks,mechanicstrain engineers,guards,spotterplane,spotterplane airfield personell etc etc )

Imagine setting up 20 companies of 30-50 men instead and having them dominate an area on foot or truck or horseback.
I agree that this would take you further than one railway gun in terms of controlling the land in a "survive in the ruins " game .But in a "warlord vs warlord scrap over who owns the ruins and the villages " the railway gun would be the bang to end the squabble .So different scopes .

It might not be efficient -thats very well.
But improvising such guns to be used on land could happen .

Us Norgies did it in 1940 at Hegra fort in Mid Norway -it wasnt a 8 inch battleship naval gun though . Smaller .It did help ,but sighting and firing the thing at the unholy agressors was a pain and not very effective.

Using AA guns or smaller shipboard guns to make emplacements or "technicals" would be highly cost effective on the other hand ( imho )

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

I'm with Stainless and Avantman. Some of the smaller weapon systems might be dismountable and used on land, but the bigger guns and missiles are going to have to stay where they are.

The other point I tried to make is that the original post was specifically asking about the South of England, and the Royal Navy doesn't have any big guns on it's ships. The biggest is about 4.5"

It might be feasible to dismount a 4.5" gun, but I'd be surprised if it was worth the effort, especially when there are lots of land-based guns of at least that calibre.

Originally Posted by Targan

You beat me to it. I've been meaning to post a similar comment since this thread started. I think that for coastal (and possibly riverine/lake) applications it would be most sensible ground the ship with the weapons in place. Or if the vessel is still marginally seaworthy just anchor (or otherwise secure) it in place.

Agreed.

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by Targan

You beat me to it. I've been meaning to post a similar comment since this thread started. I think that for coastal (and possibly riverine/lake) applications it would be most sensible ground the ship with the weapons in place. Or if the vessel is still marginally seaworthy just anchor (or otherwise secure) it in place.

That's more or less what I plan to do - anchor the ships (a Type 22 Frigate and a Type 42 Destroyer), with their 4.5 inch guns still in place, but strip off any GPMG's, M2 HMG's and 20mm oerlikon cannons and mount them on improvised gun trucks.

The gun trucks are a combination of Bedford 4 tonners, Stalwarts, and Land Rovers, all of which I've named (inspired by the gun trucks in Graebarde's 5th Dvn reorganistion document). They're being operated by the Navy, so I'm keeping with Royal Navy tradition to name everything HMS something.

So far I have three Bedfords - HMS Baldrick, HMS Bedfordshire, and USS Enterprise (latter commanded by a US Navy officer); two Stalwarts - HMS Unsinkable and HMS Stalwart; and two Land Rovers - HMS Kylie and HMS Danni. I may add one or two more (at most).

[kato13]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

and two Land Rovers - HMS Kylie and HMS Danni

Cute. Are land rovers known for their "legs"?

edit: I was thinking legs as in distance able to be traveled, but apparently
land-rover-engine-&-gearbox-specialists = l.e.g.s.

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by kato13

Cute. Are land rovers known for their "legs"?

edit: I was thinking legs as in distance able to be traveled, but apparently
land-rover-engine-&-gearbox-specialists = l.e.g.s.

When I named the trucks I was just looking for something that was humourous in a tongue in cheek way (to me at least )

I settled on the name HMS Kylie because Kylie Minogue was a popular figure in UK culture in the 1990's, and I figured the name was something that might appeal to the average sailor stuck in the Plymouth enclave. I decided to assign it to one of the Land Rovers because the Land Rovers are the smallest of the gun trucks and Kylie Minogue is only five feet tall...

Once I'd settled on HMS Kylie, HMS Danni after Kylie's sister, just seemed kinda logical...

(I think most of the other names are fairly obvious - for those unfamiliar with British TV / culture, Baldrick was a character in the Blackadder TV series that ran in the 1980's)

[kato13]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

When I named the trucks I was just looking for something that was humourous in a tongue in cheek way (to me at least )

I like it. If I was in the unit staff I would have likely been the one to have painted their figures of each of them onto the vehicles. My art skills are always enhanced when painting the female form. Bomber nose art was an early inspiration for me.

One note I think Danni has two 'i's. Dannii Minogue

Baldrick was a nice one as well.

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

(I think most of the other names are fairly obvious - for those unfamiliar with British TV / culture, Baldrick was a character in the Blackadder TV series that ran in the 1980's)

You have to wonder if the crew of HMS Baldrick are known for their "cunning plans"

[WallShadow]

Originally Posted by avantman42

You have to wonder if the crew of HMS Baldrick are known for their "cunning plans"

So, when given orders to secure the "Baldrick" in its garage, the appropriate order would be, "Shut up Baldrick"?

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Rainbow Six, do you know that the Bovington Tank Museum has a WW1 era Rolls Royce armoured car, one of the type as used by the Royal Navy Air Service (who were the pioneers of British armoured car use)? Bovington is a bit of a hike from Portsmouth but with a small landing craft the group could sail into Poole Harbour (all the way to Holton Heath) then follow the railway line to Wool (2km from Bovington)
While other groups would probably loot as many of the modern vehicles as they could, I'm thinking they might ignore a WW1 vehicle.

I'm thinking of the irony (and the potential morale points) of the Portsmouth garrison recovering the armoured car from the museum, repainting it in RN colours and putting it to work (as it is maintained by the museum in working order for parades and ceremonial duties). Although a bit slow by modern standards, it's a very rugged design and with modern tyres would probably be quite agile (it was apparently a good performer in it's day with the tyres of that era)