Naval Warship Gunfire Photographs


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16 inch main battery gunfire, battleship USS Missouri, 1989. Photo by Peggy Jo Bourne-Goulette.

16 inch main battery salvo, battleship USS Missouri, 1989. Photo by Peggy Jo Bourne-Goulette.

The inherent dangers of large naval rifles: battleship USS Missouri firing her 16 inch guns during the Korean War. Note that one shell has prematurely burst practically at the end of the gun barrel. The other shells can be seen as a blur at the upper right (Official U.S. Navy photograph). Scanned and contributed by Mike Green.

U.S.S. Wisconsin firing a full broadside during Desert Storm. Photo courtesy of WO 1 Harold H. Harrell.

Battleship USS Washington firing her main battery at the Japanese battlecruiser Kirishima off Guadalcanal on November 14-15, 1942 (Official U.S. Navy photograph). Contributed by Mike Green and Glenn Winter (from the 1941-1946 U.S.S. Washington cruise book).

One of the American North Carolina class battleships fires her #1 turret directly over the bow at or near maximum elevation (Official U.S. Navy photograph). Scanned and contributed by Mike Green.

Battleship USS North Carolina test firing #3 turret (3-16"/ 45 caliber rifles) at or near maximum elevation (Official US Navy photograph). Scanned and contributed by Mike Green.

The German battleship Tirpitz firing her main battery on trials (photo courtesy of "Die Schlachtschiffe der Bismarck-Klasse", Copyright Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Bonn). Scanned and contributed by Peter Hunemeyer.

The Italian battleship Littorio conducting gunnery practice during the summer of 1940 (Italian Navy photograph). Scanned and contributed by Mike Green.

The Italian battleships Littorio and Vitorio Veneto conducting gunnery trials during the summer of 1940; Littorio is in the foreground (Italian Navy photograph). Scanned and contributed by Mike Green.

Battleship HMS Duke of York firing a ten gun salvo (14"/ 45 caliber) to starboard. 15,900 pounds of shells and expolsive are "on the way" (Royal Navy photograph). Scanned and contributed by Mike Green.

The heavy cruiser USS Wichita firing her main battery during the summer of 1945 (Official U.S. Navy photograph). Note the single 5in/38 secondary mounts; Wichita was to only U.S. heavy cruiser with this arrangement. Scanned and contributed by Mike Green.

D-day, June 6, 1944. Battleship USS Nevada fires her 14 inch guns at shore positions off Utah Beach, Normandy (Official U.S. Navy photograph). Nevada was a 10 gun ship, with twin turrets superimposed over triple turrets. Scanned and contributed by Mike Green.




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