navalgun

Interesting text and great photo - thanks! Looking back, it's tempting to say that countries are better off when they're the workshops of the world than under post-industrial economies.

Could be a turret for the battleship HMS Monarch as that was under construction at Elswick in 1911.

Oh wow this is a fantastic photo! Very atmospheric! I kinda forgot these things are assembled 'dirty' and then dismantled, painted and placed onto a ship..

13.5 inch calibre Paul. Monarch mounted 10 of these guns in 5 turrets. As a footnote the Japanese battleships Yamato & Musashi mounted the largest guns in history at 18 inch calibre. The armoured plates on the turret faces were 25 inches thick.

That's madness Billy. Mind saying that, it's how warfare was carried out on the seas then. Now it's missiles and aircraft..

see

A similar photo is in The Guthrie daily leader., June 10, 1920, HOME, Image 1 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86063952/1920-06-10/ed-... and in The Sun and the New York herald., June 13, 1920, Section 5 Rotographic Section, Image 60 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030273/1920-06-13/ed-...

Both photos were likely taken at New York Navy Yard on the day of the battleship's commissioning, 3 June 1920. The deck view is taken from the ship's fantail looking forward. Note numerous visitors on deck, including women in formal attire, as well as photographers with tripods, indicating a festive occasion, yet a great number of shipyard workers dressed for work occupy most of the topside spaces above the main deck. The ship is incomplete -- scaffolding surrounds the main top, and calibration equipment is attached to the 14-inch guns of No.4 main batter turret. TENNESSEE was officially completed and delivered to the Navy on 16 September 1920.

Christopher Cavas follow photo link for article about commissioning ceremony.

USS Wright (AV-1)