Absolutely, the lever controls the rotation of the turret from within the turret. The possibility we might consider is that the turret could
also be aimed by the captain from his vantage point, up high in the pilot house.
The first test of the idea would be to imagine yourself as the captain, standing next to your helmsman in the pilot house. You and the helmsman are the only two people aboard with an overview, through slits, of your own position, speed, direction -- and those of the enemy. It would seem the most natural thing in the world to turn a wheel and aim the guns.
The second test of the idea would be to ask if it is plausible mechanically. It does seem workable.
Attachment:
swash -- from below.jpg [ 52.66 KiB | Viewed 632 times ]
The control linkage inside the turret, like this one from the original Monitor, requires a "swash plate". In the Tecumseh, the central shaft is fixed but the turret-- and the linkage -- rotates around it. The linkage inside the turret acts through rollers to raise and lower the swash plate. The swash plate itself just slides up and down the central shaft -- it does not rotate. It would be a simple matter to connect the rack and pinion in the pilot house to this same swash plate, raising and lowering it from above. (The rack and pinion could also be connected at some point below the turret to the same effect.)
Below the turret there is additional linkage, not fully shown, which connects the up and down motion of the swash plate to the reversing gear of the turret engine. This part of the system would be common to either control input -- the lever inside the turret or the handwheel in the pilot house. Note that if a crewman pulled the lever, the handwheel in the pilothouse would turn. If the Captain turned the handwheel, the lever in the turret would move, traversing part of its range.
Why have dual controls? Redundancy. But also, from accounts of Hampton Roads, we know the men inside the turret were disoriented by its constant turning. They quickly lost their sense of how the turret was turned relative to the ship's centerline, and never had a good sense of the ship's direction.
Controlling the turret and thus aiming the guns from the relative calm of the pilothouse seems to be a cooler solution. The Captain's point of view is fixed, solid, not rotating. The view is much better -- slitted, but a full 360 degrees.
I still like the engine telegraph idea, or even a direct engine control. But this other possibility exists and I thought I would throw it out there.
It may be a question of what should be accomplished with shouting (e.g. "all ahead full!" Or "Fire!") and what should be accomplished with direct tactile control -- such as the rotation of the turret and the precise pointing of the guns.
The Captain would need a visual aiming reference, a gunsight essentially. Maybe a stanchion mounted above the muzzles. Michael
Absolutely, the lever controls the rotation of the turret from within the turret. The possibility we might consider is that the turret could [i]also[/i] be aimed by the captain from his vantage point, up high in the pilot house.
The first test of the idea would be to imagine yourself as the captain, standing next to your helmsman in the pilot house. You and the helmsman are the only two people aboard with an overview, through slits, of your own position, speed, direction -- and those of the enemy. It would seem the most natural thing in the world to turn a wheel and aim the guns.
The second test of the idea would be to ask if it is plausible mechanically. It does seem workable. [attachment=0]swash -- from below.jpg[/attachment]The control linkage inside the turret, like this one from the original Monitor, requires a "swash plate". In the Tecumseh, the central shaft is fixed but the turret-- and the linkage -- rotates around it. The linkage inside the turret acts through rollers to raise and lower the swash plate. The swash plate itself just slides up and down the central shaft -- it does not rotate. It would be a simple matter to connect the rack and pinion in the pilot house to this same swash plate, raising and lowering it from above. (The rack and pinion could also be connected at some point below the turret to the same effect.)
Below the turret there is additional linkage, not fully shown, which connects the up and down motion of the swash plate to the reversing gear of the turret engine. This part of the system would be common to either control input -- the lever inside the turret or the handwheel in the pilot house. Note that if a crewman pulled the lever, the handwheel in the pilothouse would turn. If the Captain turned the handwheel, the lever in the turret would move, traversing part of its range.
Why have dual controls? Redundancy. But also, from accounts of Hampton Roads, we know the men inside the turret were disoriented by its constant turning. They quickly lost their sense of how the turret was turned relative to the ship's centerline, and never had a good sense of the ship's direction.
Controlling the turret and thus aiming the guns from the relative calm of the pilothouse seems to be a cooler solution. The Captain's point of view is fixed, solid, not rotating. The view is much better -- slitted, but a full 360 degrees.
I still like the engine telegraph idea, or even a direct engine control. But this other possibility exists and I thought I would throw it out there.
It may be a question of what should be accomplished with shouting (e.g. "all ahead full!" Or "Fire!") and what should be accomplished with direct tactile control -- such as the rotation of the turret and the precise pointing of the guns.
The Captain would need a visual aiming reference, a gunsight essentially. Maybe a stanchion mounted above the muzzles. Michael
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