How many rounds?

[grrclark]

1 hour ago, henry d said:

Thanks for your appreciation, I will pass it on to the remaining guys of the Glasgow tomorrow.

Presently 1/4 of a bottle of pussers gunpowder proof down and still saluting each other via Facebook

Enjoy your tot, it is very much deserved.  Here's to you and your shippers.

[TRINITY]

As a matter of interest what was the magazine capacity

[henry d]

11 hours ago, islandgun said:

.....Woods navy  I hope..

No, pussers gunpowder strength

[The Heron]

Wow what a story you and your fellow crew members were so lucky that day with that 1000 lb bomb thanks to you and all your friends for what you did out there. 

[discobob]

22 hours ago, henry d said:

Appeciated, but I signed on the dotted 👍

A lot of people don't get that, I was Army for 4 years and done a stint down the Falklands in 87. I then joined the RAF,  and when the gulf was kicking off (I was in trade training at the time) I was surprised how many of my fellow trainees didn't understand what signing the dotted line meant 😞

 

[henry d]

Tell me about it, never thought that I would have gone to war when I signed up, it was always a possibility but never at the forefront of the mind you think it will be a laugh, it was, and I would get a trade.

Although we lost contact over the years, I have to say that Facebook has been brilliant in opening up the mind and refreshing those old memories. Our stories are different from each others but still true as they were snapshots from differing perspectives and help us understand those difficult times better. I look forward to seeing them in the near future!

[henry d]

14 hours ago, TRINITY said:

As a matter of interest what was the magazine capacity

I asked and the reply was; "Can`t remember!" however we did RAS (Replenishment at sea) the day following the bombardments.

**Edit** Another gunner has said he kept details but he can`t access his records ATM

Frankly I`m not surprised, I was a marine enginee and I couldn`t tell you the tank capacities any more, but I did find them on the back of my old diary 🤣

Edited May 13, 2020 by henry d
Addendum

[Bobba]

"Refreshing those old memories" "from differing perspectives" How true.

I was never in HM Forces. But at that time I was project accountant in the MOD Director General Ships for Ships Taken Up a From Trade (STUFT).  Being so far out of theatre the RN did not have a battle damage ship and so the oil rig support vessel MV Stena Inspector was purchased and converted in to the Forward Repair Ship to be named RFA Wakeful. We chartered the Cunard Countess which served as the Roulement Vessel between the Falklands and the Ascension Island. This ship had conversion work done in Puerto Rico. There was the design and build contract for the Falkland Island Port and Storage System (FIPASS). The design and build of the Accomodation vessel. And, purchase of three North Sea oil rig supply vessels for conversion in to Falkland Island Patrol Vessels.A very busy time and probably the most interesting job of my career. 

38 years later, thank you Henry d for refreshing those memories.

[Mice!]

18 hours ago, henry d said:

Yeah I have one that I cut down on the lathe, removed the primer rod and cut a recess in the middle and, later that year, fitted a Falklands 50p into it.

I cut a load down for those who wanted one but if they wanted more than that it cost in tinnies. I found out today that a chief MEA still has his and used the rest of the case to make a sweetie jar. I still have to engrave mine with our story.

Just about to have a tot of rum and toast those who returned and those still on patrol, cheers!

Really interesting read, I'm surprised the shells weren't just dumped over board to clear the area.

I was only young when the Falklands war started, but I woke my parents up shouting we're at war! 

[henry d]

 

37 minutes ago, Bobba said:

38 years later, thank you Henry d for refreshing those memories.

My pleasure.

I remember the Inspector and sister ship Sea Spread, I can`t remember which it was but were getting some work done alongside her later in 1982 (we were patched up quick and had to take over from Exeter) we flew fom her flight deck which was on top of her bridge and my first flight which was "interesting". We had a few hours fishing and I managed to catch a seatrout of about 3lb or so, happy days!

6 minutes ago, Mice! said:

Really interesting read, I'm surprised the shells weren't just dumped over board to clear the area.

I was only young when the Falklands war started, but I woke my parents up shouting we're at war!  Did they give you a thick ear

We needed to clear from the area first as they had missile batteries that could be towed easily, the pic below was from later on in 1982 when we returned to take over from Exeter, they were disabled but we got to scramble all over them like big kids in a play park.

[henry d]

21 hours ago, mr smith said:

I assume a lot of those cases made it home as souvenirs. 

Just been looking out some pics for the guys and thought this may interest you, this is the shell case and a piece of the bomb, I have a few smaller pieces as well but the best part found by another stoker was the priming propellor which had "Made In Great Britain" stamped on it!

 

And finally....

No I didn`t bring any back...

Some of the grenades have the pins out and have tape around them, they used them as delayed mines sown across the island and when the tape gives up off they go!

Edited May 13, 2020 by henry d
spelling

[Mice!]

I don't remember getting a thick ear, just remember putting the telly on and finding we were at war! Imagine how exciting that was to a young lad.

I've watched 4.5 barrels being made and that's scary, I've no idea what there like when they are going boom.

[henry d]

 

24 minutes ago, Mice! said:

I've no idea what there like when they are going boom

The whole ship shakes, 3" rockets are in my opinion louder and may have burst my ear drum, but torpedoes are freaking loud and people end up on the floor due to water not being compressible!

[mr smith]

4 hours ago, henry d said:

Just been looking out some pics for the guys and thought this may interest you, this is the shell case and a piece of the bomb, I have a few smaller pieces as well but the best part found by another stoker was the priming propellor which had "Made In Great Britain" stamped on it!

 

And finally....

No I didn`t bring any back...

Some of the grenades have the pins out and have tape around them, they used them as delayed mines sown across the island and when the tape gives up off they go!

Thanks for that HD,would have a real waste just to lob them overboard. 

[henry d]

On 12/05/2020 at 21:43, TRINITY said:

As a matter of interest what was the magazine capacity

Best answer I could get was around 250/300.

One of the gunners had a really detailed diary including the shells fired each day, I was in the engine/auxilliary machinery spaces or in the aft fire and emergency post so didn`t keep a record as good as his. It still amazes me how we see the same story differently, certainly he would not have seen the canage down below just as we did not see the aircraft coming in or our sister ships on fire in the distance.

Totals; between 1st-25th May - RE = 41 (Chaff or Windfind) HE = 326 ( alternating the fuze setting between High/Low & DA during the NGS bombardments), 223 was the largest (10/5/82) and 2 the lowest (23/5/82).

[Zapp]

22 hours ago, henry d said:

 

The whole ship shakes, 3" rockets are in my opinion louder and may have burst my ear drum, but torpedoes are freaking loud and people end up on the floor due to water not being compressible!

I've been around a 155mm battery when it was firing and you could feel the pressure inside your teeth.  It made me glad I wasn't a gunner.

[TRINITY]

1 hour ago, henry d said:

Best answer I could get was around 250/300.

One of the gunners had a really detailed diary including the shells fired each day, I was in the engine/auxilliary machinery spaces or in the aft fire and emergency post so didn`t keep a record as good as his. It still amazes me how we see the same story differently, certainly he would not have seen the canage down below just as we did not see the aircraft coming in or our sister ships on fire in the distance.

Totals; between 1st-25th May - RE = 41 (Chaff or Windfind) HE = 326 ( alternating the fuze setting between High/Low & DA during the NGS bombardments), 223 was the largest (10/5/82) and 2 the lowest (23/5/82).

Thanks for the reply Henry 

Looking at the 4.5 gun do you know if it was altered or improved on later ships. The reason I ask is my son served on HMS Edinburgh during second gulf war and it looks identical to the one fitted to that ship. It also looks identical to ones on later destroyers and frigates.

He did say during the conflict a sister ship went in close to the shore to give fire support to land forces. The gun malfunctioned after a few minutes. The ship had to withdraw and a second sailed in to provide fire support. The gun on that second ship malfunctioned and had to withdraw. The edinborough then had to go in to complete the task and that gun remained functional.

[henry d]

Again I am not a gunner but I believe that there are several different "mark" or types of 4.5 used by different ships across the years. Glasgow was updated for close range guns while we were in Pompey getting fixed prior to returning later in '82. The two old 20mm oerlikon(sp?) Were replaced by two twin barreled 30mm and two single barreled 20mm guns and included deck and ship side modifications. The 4.5 probably had a new barrel and other mods to both gun and guidance systems. Most of the work was to the propulsion and hull (includes pipe work etc) systems and mods to missile systems as they were glitchy, some would not fire at a missile/aircraft that wasn't going towards the firing ship fortunately the Argentinian forces didn't cotton on to this or we could have lost our carriers.

[henry d]

Modified Glasgow HERE the smaller guns and deck mods can be seen in line with the funnel and aft radar dome (909?), in fact I just took another look at the picture in close up and the hull has been modified but the guns have not been fitted, so we were probably doing machinery sea trials before the guns getting fitted and then going to Portland for full sea trials.

Wikipedia says Mk8 4.5" and phalanx and oerlikon 20mm's but I thought we had 30's added? Like I said, not my part of ship.

Edited May 14, 2020 by henry d