Proposal to Improve Historical Accuracy of Gun Reloading Technologies

[BattleshipOfDestruction]

This topic is to discuss an improvement to the historical information on the topic of Gun Reloading System Technology. More topics will be coming about other modules and discussions on their accuracy and possible improvements that can be made. As previously mentioned, if you see 1950 as an ending year it signifies the end of the campaign so these components would be available until the end of the campaign.

 

Unlike the turret traverse systems, the devs got the details wrong here. They used generic descriptions and generic names for these options with the most egregiously anachronistic or generic options being the "Standard" Option, the "Enhanced" Option and the "Auto II" Option. There was no mention of the technology or history here and I felt it was a disservice to leave the options as they are in-game, the following are the options I would replace them all with.

 

At Tier I we have the Steam Powered "Cage" Hoist and Manual Ramming. This was available in 1890 and was not available past 1900 in game. In these early years, the Cannons were reloaded with a cage based steam powered combination shell and powder hoist which would then allow the loaders to roll the shell and powder bags onto the loading tray. Human rammers with an externally placed ram (when not in use), manually rammed the shell and powder into the breach. It has the standard reloading rate.

Preliminary Values:

(Values same as vanilla which is all 0% boosts and have no downsides)

 

At Tier II we have the British Hydraulic "Cage" Hoist and Ramming System. This was available starting in 1895 and not available past 1910 in game. By this time, the cannons were reloaded using a hydraulic cage-based system to transport the shell and powder from the magazines to the guns, with a hydraulically operated rammer. Originally devised by the British, these hydraulic systems matched or surpassed steam systems in power. Though less capable of granular control compared to electric and electro-hydraulic systems, they were still more precise than steam-powered systems. Hydraulic systems were more durable and easier to maintain than electric systems due to their simpler nature. However, the high-pressure mineral oils used were highly flammable and the early actuators were prone to leaks, leading to flash fire risks. The limited elevation by which the guns could be reloaded also lowered aiming speed.

Preliminary Values:

Main/Secondary/Casemate Guns Weight: -10%

Main/Secondary/Casemate Guns Cost: 10%

Gun Reload Time: 5%

Gun Aiming Speed: -15%

Turret Traverse Speed: -10%

Flash Fire Spreading Chance: 10%

Ship Flaws: 1%

 

At Tier III we have the British 2-Stage Hydraulic Hoist and Ramming System. This was available starting in 1910 and not available past 1930 in game. At around this time, The British devised an improved hydraulic system for reloading cannons, featuring miniaturized mechanisms that reduced fluid volume, thus lowering the risk of flash fires while providing more power. Reloading was enhanced with a two-stage hoist system, using separate hoists from the magazines to the handling rooms and from there to the guns, marginally increasing reload speed.

Preliminary Values:

Main/Secondary/Casemate Guns Weight: -2.5%

Main/Secondary/Casemate Guns Cost: 5%

Gun Reload Time: 10%

Gun Aiming Speed: -10%

Turret Traverse Speed: -5%

Flash Fire Spreading Chance: 5%

Ship Flaws: 2%

 

At Tier IV we have the American Electro-Hydraulic Split Hoist Semi-Auto Loading System. This was devised for use in 1930 and available past 1950 in game. At this point, the cannons were reloaded with an electric and hydraulically operated semi-automatic gun reloading system, similar to that used on Iowa Class Battleships. Since 1908, the Americans employed an electric motor-operated chain rammer for shells and powder, while still using cage-based hydraulic designs for hoists. The modern system uses separate hydraulically operated hoists for powder and shell, leading to faster and safer reload times. Water-glycol solutions, now used instead of mineral oils, were the first inert hydraulic fluid and did not contribute to spreading flash fire anymore. By the 1930s, PVC (polyvinylchloride) insulation provided greater wear resistance and reduced fire risks since it was no longer flammable. The loading process was button-operated from the gun captain's point of view, making it easier and faster to reload, albeit with a slightly heavier weight than early hydraulic systems due to the extra hoists.

Preliminary Values:

Main/Secondary/Casemate Guns Weight: -7.5%

Main/Secondary/Casemate Guns Cost: 10%

Gun Reload Time: 25%

Gun Aiming Speed: -10%

Turret Traverse Speed: -10%

Flash Fire Spreading Chance: 0%

Ship Flaws: 3%

 

At Tier V we have The American Automatic Loading System. This was devised for use in 1945 and available past 1950 in game. Once the war ended, the Cannons were reloaded with a Fully Automatic Loading System similar to how the Des-Moines Class Cruisers Operated. Humans load the powder and projectiles into the hoists, but the automated system takes care of the rest on the order of the gun and turret captains. In the case of a separate case and projectile system, the case is ejected underneath the gun after it is ejected from the back of the gun after firing. In the case of powder bag and projectile system, no ejection is needed. Since the process is completely automated, it greatly improves the loading time of the guns. When compared to previous reloading systems, this system is around 85% faster. The weight of the system was only slightly more than the Semi-Automatic Reloader.

Preliminary Values:

Main/Secondary/Casemate Guns Weight: -5%

Main/Secondary/Casemate Guns Cost: 15%

Gun Reload Time: 110%

Gun Aiming Speed: -5%

Turret Traverse Speed: -20%

Flash Fire Spreading Chance: 0%

Ship Flaws: 5%