Military Machines Thread (No 56k)

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as just one little picture on HAMFIST's thread of the USS Missouri created a huge discussion, I figure its about time we had a military machines thread

Be it ships, submarines, tanks, armoured vehicles past or present


Here's some of my pictures of the USS Missouri from when I went to Pearl Harbour back in may last year

A little bit of background info on the Iowa-Class battleships.
there were originally 6 of them ordered by the USN in 1939 to escort carriers. they only completed 4 of them. the 6 ships were the Iowa, New jersey, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky and Illinois. Illinois and Kentucky were never completed due to the end of WWII. both were parted out and later sold for scrap.

They are oil burning and despite the fact that fully laiden they are 58,000 tonnes, they can manage 33 knots in the water.

all 4 of the Iowa class ships still exist in various locations around the US.

USS Missouri is special as it was the Ship where the treaty with Japan was signed thus ending WWII, It has seen service in every major conflict from WWII to Desert Storm and was only struck off the USN register in 1998 then moved to Pearl Harbour. She sits facing the USS Arizona "watching over the souls of the lost men".

here are some of my pictures from the when I saw it. If you go to Hawaii, be sure to do the "battle stations tour" of the ship as it is very much worth it and takes you to places normal people don't get to see.



Here is Missouri watching over the 1200+ souls lost when the Arizona was bombed


here is a shot of the forward facing 16 inch guns. each gun weighs 119 and half tonnes and can fire a 16 inch projectile weighing 1250 kgs over 35 miles


here is a shot from inside the turret, this is the breach of one of the 16 inch guns. when it fired, the gun would recoil 46 inches, and 4 men would be in the breach compartment at the time with nothing to protect their hearing but maybe some cotton balls


this is the trigger for one of the guns. they could be fired from the turret or independently from fire control near the aft of the ship


here's my old man with one of the 16 inch projectiles. it weighs 1250kgs and is trown up to 35 miles from the guns


here is the bridge citadel which houses all of the ships vital control systems such as steering and throttles, it can withstand a hit from a 16 inch projectile and still protect the crew


this is broadway deep within the ship, the yellow beam runs the full length of the ship and means that shells can be transfered from the fore to aft or vice versa or any other items can be manouvered to the machine shop as well.


and this is the spot where WWII ended