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HokieDan95
Joined: 11/07/1999
Posts: 129,353
Likes: 54,353
HokieDan95
Founder

Navy found digital was not an improvement over those 1930's gear box

analog computers. “At one time, my office was asked to do a study regarding upgrading the Iowa-class battleship fire control systems from analog to digital computers,” Boslaugh replied. “We found that digitizing the computer would improve neither the reliability nor the accuracy of the system and recommended, ‘Don't bother.’” Even without digital computers, the Iowa could fire 2,700-pound “dumb” shells nearly 30 miles inland with deadly accuracy, within a circle of probable error of around 80 meters. Some of its shells had circles of destruction larger than that. ** Edited by HokieDan95 at 8/15/2024, 9:04:16 AM
Link: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/05/gears-of-war-when-mechanical-analog-computers-ruled-the-waves/
Posted: 08/15/2024 at 09:02 AM ET
(In response to this post by astrohokiebob)

Thread Replies (29)

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A couple of battleships training with Brits, 1943ish. Live fire. 5 min
ColoVT82 • 08/15/24 07:24 AM ET
During the Gulf war, one of the BB CO's was asked what would they...
EDGEMAN • 08/15/24 08:39 AM ET
When doing shore bombardment off Korea, she got hit by one shell.
Atlee Hokie • 08/15/24 06:49 PM ET
Armor plate will get after ya**
ColoVT82 • 08/15/24 09:41 AM ET
And those BBs has a lot of it.**
EDGEMAN • 08/15/24 12:02 PM ET
What is amazing to me is that there were so many factors involved in
astrohokiebob • 08/15/24 07:42 AM ET
They had what amounted to an analog computer. **
Atlee Hokie • 08/15/24 06:52 PM ET
I'm still slightly confused why we retired all ships with 16-in guns
Tafkam Hokie • 08/15/24 10:23 AM ET
Costs and they are vulnerable
HokieDevil • 08/15/24 04:01 PM ET
When I was on the Wisconsin a few years ago...
Chris ColemanAdmin • 08/15/24 01:58 PM ET
...they are/were listed in the reserve+1 bottom state of readiness. They
bourbonstreet • 08/15/24 10:10 PM ET
I sailed on on the Wisconsin's last cruise.
Atlee Hokie • 08/15/24 06:30 PM ET
The key to this is the "20 miles away"...
Burruss Writer • 08/15/24 11:23 AM ET
Maybe the rounds fired are cheap
Vienna_Hokie • 08/15/24 11:23 AM ET
And...
MAHokie69 • 08/15/24 12:08 PM ET
Is firing 20 rounds and they all miss referring to a moving target
Tafkam Hokie • 08/15/24 02:24 PM ET
Pre invasion at Omaha Beach bombardment would indicate otherwise.
Atlee Hokie • 08/15/24 07:10 PM ET
That and manpower issues. The Iowa class had a crew of ~1,800 in the 80s.
Kudelski • 08/15/24 12:26 PM ET
Navy found digital was not an improvement over those 1930's gear box ◄
HokieDan95 • 08/15/24 09:02 AM ET
BTW, I sent that to my son who's NROTC. He should get a kick out of that.**
Burruss Writer • 08/15/24 11:25 AM ET
Tell him to go aviation. He'll thank me later...lol**
EDGEMAN • 08/15/24 11:44 AM ET
That was an awesome article! If anyone wants to know the importance of...
Burruss Writer • 08/15/24 10:17 AM ET
The Marines weren't happy when the Navy retired the BBs
EDGEMAN • 08/15/24 09:14 AM ET
Every battleship had one 5" gun mount manned by Marines.**
Atlee Hokie • 08/15/24 07:26 PM ET
According to USS NJ curator Ryan Szymanski battleships are not obsolete
HokieDan95 • 08/15/24 12:02 PM ET
For yall naval buffs, I just finished two awesome books...
Chris ColemanAdmin • 08/15/24 08:42 AM ET
Have you read, “A World Undone” by G J Meyer? I have read it twice and
kennedyvt • 08/15/24 01:41 PM ET
Nope, I'll check it out.**
Chris ColemanAdmin • 08/15/24 01:56 PM ET
The complexity developed the first computers (Dahlgren, VA) in the 50s**
UTPr0sim • 08/15/24 08:18 AM ET
Yup. And maintenance **
ColoVT82 • 08/15/24 07:58 AM ET