ARMAMENT OF LIGHT-DRAUGHT SHIPS.
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Armament of Light-Draught Ships (Figs. 764 and 765,
Plate CXXXII.).—The arming of very light-draught ships
with a medium-calibre quick-firing gun is a problem which
has often been under considération. We give below the
description of a type of Schneider-Canet armament, which
has been designed and tried with good results for this
special use.
The gun is a 14-centimetre (5.511 in.), 45 calibres in
length, with one-motion breech mechanism, firing being
effected by percussion. The mounting has horizontal
slides, with compressed-air or spring- recuperator. The
gun is carried in a housing, which contains the two recoil
cylinders with central counter-rod, and the recuperator
placecl between the brackets. The housing is provided at
its lower part with. two slioes, which slide on the paths of j
the traversing platform. The carriage support consists of :
a circular platform, on the top of which are two parallel
brackets, the upper one forming the horizontal-slide paths.
Rollers may also be used for facilitatino- recoil and return.
The whole system is bolted on deck. The gun is trained
by displacing the ship in the required direction.
The design followed for the mounting, and especially the
use of horizontal slides, cause the efforts of percussion on
the firing platform to be reduced to a marked degree ; the
efforts of traction on the piston-rods can also be reduced at
will by alterations in the interior design of the hydraulic
brake.
It may be mentioned, in this respect, that the circular
slide mounting, already described, is also very suitable for
this special use. Messes. Schneider and Co. have built one
y, for firing trials on board ship
for the French Nav
against moving targets.