Breech of the 13 Inch
Gun
Courtesy: The Library of Congress, Detroit
Publishing
Inside the thirteen inch turret. Shown here are the
gun and related mechanisms. The gun on the right has the breech
open. The conditions in the turrets were also hazardous as they
were in the engineering spaces. The men stationed here and in
the handling rooms would move high explosive shells about that
could crush a man, and during gun stations, if the gun developed
a firing problems and the problem was not handled correctly, a
massive explosion could result, killing the entire crew.
Courtesy: U.S. Naval Institute
Above: A Gunner's Mate stands next to one of the 13"
guns. The gunner holds a cleaning sponge used for cleaning the
barrel and breech of powder residue.
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Cutaway drawing courtesy of the American Society
of Naval Engineers
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