Slitherine

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ORIGINAL: che200

IIRC in Hammels Guadalcanal the sea battles the San Francisco's Armoured Conning tower was penetrated only once and it wiped out most of the officers on the bridge. The XO was heavily wounded the day beforeb by a kamikaze Betty which wiped out the secondry bridge. After the hit on the bridge the ship finished conned by an officer who had just been promoted.  Does anybody know what kind of shells the japanese where firing in first Gudalcanal AP or HE ? 

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ORIGINAL: Local Yokel

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ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

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ORIGINAL: RevRick

The first thing I thought was "What did it sound like inside that barbette?" Then, "WHAT???" A 14" anything hitting the barbette of a CA and then bouncing off amazes me.

You aren't the only one who wondered about that.

From the report (barbette had 5 in armor):

63. The nature of the fourteen inch projectiles which struck the SAN FRANCISCO is of interest in connection with the fires. Reference (c) reports that fragments recovered from hits five and six indicated projectiles slightly larger than fourteen inches. They were of incendiary type with a heavy base and thin (3/8") walls. The cavity was apparently filled with an explosive charge and a large number of small (3" x 1") safety-fused incendiary cylinders filled with powdered aluminum and magnesium. Apparently the explosive charge detonates, sets safety fuses afire, and scatters incendiary cylinders over a wide area. This started fires in many inaccessible places. There was no evidence of a base plug, and tt is probable that the projectile had a nose fuse with a fuse adapter for nose loading. The 5" S.T.S. barbette armor defeated them easily. It was fortunate for SAN FRANCISCO that neither of these shells was armor piercing.

It's my understanding that these were the san-shiki (Type 3) incendiary rounds developed by the Japanese for all their main battery weapons from 18 inch down to 8 inch calibre. There seems to be some doubt as to whether they were intended primarily for bombardment or for anti-aircraft use.

What is interesting is that evidence from the damage to San Francisco that she was hit by these rounds directly contradicts Hara Tameichi's account of First Guadalcanal. In this he states that the Japanese, surprised by the appearance of Callaghan's ships, made frantic but ultimately successful efforts to strike all this bombardment ammunition below. It appears that in reality the Kongos were left with no option but to rid themselves of some at least of these vulnerable rounds by firing them at the American ships.