Hello,
I'd like to know the anti-aircraft weapons carried by Australian cruisers at the time of the battle of Coral sea in May 1942.
Lundstom's "Black shoe carrier Admiral" says on note page 551:
Chicago: 8 5"/25, 4x4 1.1", 8x 0.5" guns (while other US CAs had 12x20 instead of MGs).
Austalia: 4x2 4", 2x4 2pdr, 8x 0.5" guns (I guess 2x4)
Hobart: 4x2 4", 2x4 2pdr, 12x 0.5" guns (I guess 3x4)
Anyway I believe that Hobart received the quad 2pdr only later (refit at Sydney in october 1942), and Australia did not have the quads, but only singles and octuples.
Any photo of them during that timeframe?
Whitley in "Cruisers of WWII" says Australia had 4 twin 4" HA guns, and 4 single pom-pom.
When did she get the 2 octuple mounts?
I believe that she also had 2 quad 0.5" MG, but no 20mm Oerlikon.
"County class cruisers" by Raven and Roberts says:
AUSTRALIA
as of 1939 - 4x1 4 in, 2x8 2pdr, 2x4 0.5 inch
by late 1943 - 7x1 20mm fitted, 4x2 4 in. replaced 4x1 4 inch.
by early 1944 - single 20mm replaced by 7x2 20mm
by early 1945 - 8x1 40mm added
by late 1945 - 20mm removed
Canberra (not involved in battle) had 8 single 4" guns (instead of 4 twins), and she had 2 octuple pom-pom.
I believe that she also had 2 quad 0.5" MG, and possibly had 5 single 20mm Oerlikon.
"County class cruisers" by Raven and Roberts says:
CANBERRA
as of 1939 - 4x1 4 in., 4x1 2pdr, 2x4 0.5 in.
by early 1941 - 8x1 4 in. 2x8 2pdr, 2x4 0.5 in.
Some sources says that the 2 pdr. were fitted in early 1941 while others during the refit in Sydney in 1942.
Whitley in Cruisers of WW2 says 8 single 4".
It seems that other County class cruisers had 8 single 4" instead of 4 twins.
Anyway I'm not able to see if they were really there:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/imag ... 13454a.jpgand
https://kearns.fogbugz.com/default.asp?ahoy.2.1085.4says that only 4 were fitted.
---------------------------------------------------
HMAS Australia seems to have an american Mk4 fire control radar, probably fitted in mid-late war.
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/imag ... 291383.jpgI've never seen any reference of that.
----------------------------------------------------
There is much difference between different books for the 1942 timeframe weapons.
For example Australia has either 4 single 4" and 2 octuple 2 pdr OR 4 twin 4" and 4 singles 2 pdr OR 4x2 4" and 2x4 2pdr!!!
Thank you in advance for any answers.
Max