Fire-control system: Encyclopedia II - Fire-control system - Naval Fire control

Fire-control system - Naval Fire control

The situation for naval fire control was more complex because of the need to control the firing of several guns at once. In naval engagments both the firing guns and target are moving, and the variables are compounded by the greater distances and times involved. Corrections are made for temperature, rate of change of range with additional modifications to the firing solution based upon the observation of preceeding shots.

Rudimentary naval fire control systems were first developed around the time of World War I. For a description of one, see US Naval Fire Control, 1918.

For the UK, their first system was built before the Great War. At the heart was an analogue computer designed by Frederic Charles Dreyer (to retire later as Admiral Dreyer) that calculated rate of change of range. The Dreyer Table was to be improved and served into the interwar period at which point it was replaced by the Admiralty Fire Control Table, the AFCT described in action here [1]

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Naval Fire control", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki