Loading machine

[DEADLINE222]

Currently fascinated with loading machines, 5-inch gun in particular.

Any pictures, videos or TMs I can see information about the utilization of loading machines would keep me busy for hours!

Acquired a 5 Inch MK2 Drill projectile, and spoke to a veteran. I had no idea.......

 

[weberoed]

you talking about loading the projectile with HE or loading the projectile into the gun

 

[DEADLINE222]

Loading machines were used by gun crews to conduct gun drills. From what I understand, they are the rear end of the gun, minus the barrel. When the projectile and casing are rammed into the breech, the projectile falls into a pan and is collected by a loader and reloaded. The casing is ejected as usual.

I spoke with a Korean War verteran who was a 5 inch 25 Caliber gun commander in the 1950's. He spoke of the loading machine on his ship, and another at his naval reserve training center.

 

[HAZORD]

The 5 inch 25 is a fixed round gun, mostly used on Submarines.

 

[DEADLINE222]

My bad. They were 5 Inch 38 Caliber guns. The veteran was the gun commander on turret number 1, USS Epperson DD 719. He said that they never practiced drill on the live guns, but rather on the loading machine located near the middle of the ship. Later in his career he was the "chief?" at the South Charleston Naval Reserve Training Center (1949-1992) where once a week he and fellow service men would conduct drill on the loading machine located at the aforementioned center. Here is a newspaper article I found from 1956; the loading machine is pictured to the left of the Hedgehogs, I assume. http://newspaperarchive.com/charleston-gazette/1956-05-14/page-17

 

[HAZORD]

I have two of the Bronze projectiles that they would have used with the machine. All bronze, and hollow to match the weight of a real projectile, with no rotating band, so they push through the machine.

 

[DEADLINE222]

As do I, with the opportunity to acquire 3 more. I sure would like to see some images of those machines.