williamgeorgearmstrong

This must be for a King George V-class battleship, the only British battleships in World War II to mount quadruple turrets.

Thanks Iain. Strangely enough my colleague, Colin, said exactly the same thing just moments before your comment arrived.

It's massive - look where the barrel fits in and a man is stood there..

Its one of King George V's turrets which was lead ship of the class that was built at Walker Naval yard (below). Mounting 10 of these 14 inch guns. These quadruple mounts were very complex.

These very guns contributed to the sinking of the KMS Bismark in May 1941.

Fantastic historical photo.

what does 'man cages' mean?

Hi, Man cages such as these were used to transport miners underground and raise them back up again. It's essentially serving as a lift.

Yes. They made them in columns to move men more quickly in bigger groups - some mines employed over a thousand men below ground in any one working shift. The same would be done for transporting lots tubs full of coal to the surface.

Still waiting for your write up as I say this but.. were the guns 'proven' on Tyneside or taken elsewhere for testing? I can't imagine huge bangs along the river! Mind, stranger things happened..

Hi [https://www.flickr.com/photos/flyeye] this one was taken at Silloth-on-Solway, although Ridsdale in Northumberland was also frequently used.

I remember when I played Silloth Golf Club somebody told me that their was a firing range

Another great industrial image. Some of the worlds greatest battleships were built at Elswick.

Your wonderful capture was seen in Black & White Photos
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