Читать книгу Deeper into the Darkness онлайн

67 страница из 184

Audacious carried ten of the new Mk V 13.5-inch guns set in five twin turrets on her centre line: a super-firing forward pair called A and B turrets; a super-firing aft pair, X and Y turrets; and Q turret amidships. The staggered wing formation on earlier dreadnoughts, where P and Q turrets had been situated either side of the bridge superstructure allowing only 8 guns to fire in a broadside, had been abandoned – all turrets were now on the centre line and all 10 guns could now fire in a broadside. The new 13.5-inch gun could also fire an increased weight 1,400lb shell some 23,800 yards – about 13.5 miles. B turret was a super-firing turret, situated aft and above of A turret, whilst X turret was a super-firing turret forward and above the aftmost Y turret. The increased 1,400lb shell required four 106lb quarter charges of rod- based cordite. Each gun had its own magazine in the bowels of the ship that held 112 rounds per gun.

In addition to her main armament, Audacious was fitted with 16 breech-loading (BL) rapid fire Mark VII 4-inch secondary guns, set eight along either side in a mixture of casemate mounts and deckhouses, which were designed to target fast-moving torpedo boats that might close for a beam shot. These guns however proved to be ineffectual, being too light to deal with the newer and larger torpedo boats and destroyers and the increasing range of torpedoes. The casemates set in the forward superstructure were also found to be ineffectual in any kind of sea. The BL Mark VII 4-inch guns were removed in 1915 and substituted by 12 deck- mounted 4-inch guns. Three 21-inch submerged torpedo tubes were fitted, one in either beam and a third in the stern. She was protected by a 12-inch thick vertical waterline armour belt and an 8-inch upper belt.