Artillery (Main Gun)

Artillery is one category of Weapon Systems available in all Naval Ops series games and for most warships, is the main weapon system for engaging enemy ships and other primary targets. Artillery is a large caliber gun usually housed in turrets on the main deck of the ship, but the largest in-game examples can be found on open-mounts. In Naval Ops series games, they have a maximum range of about 16000m, but real life naval artillery could range as far as 42000 yards--or almost 25 miles. In gameplay, artillery guns are measured by diameter bore, expressed in cm; barrel length, expressed in calibers; and number of guns per mount--up to four for most gun calibers. Ingame, they range in size from 10.4cm bore to 100cm bore, but the largest naval artillery ever developed was 46cm bore guns on the Yamato class battleships that served the Imperial Japanese Navy during WWII.

Individual categories of warships are limited to certain size guns, loosely based on real-world historic maximums for their respective category. Destroyers and Frigates (WSG2 Only) can carry up to 15.1cm guns; Cruisers and Carriers can carry up to 25cm guns; Battleships and Battlecarriers have no gun-size restrictions.

The damage output and accuracy of artillery can be affected ingame through the use of Auxillary Systems, which can increase the firing rate (Automated Loading System) and precision (Firing Delay System) of artillery. All guns have 270' firing arcs when placed on the ship's centerline, or about 200' when placed on the sides, except for 100cm guns, which have about 30' regardless of placement

Artillery mounts vary in size and shape as bore diameter increases:

10.4cm and 12.7cm guns are mounted in small, rounded turrets that can house up to 3 barrels.

14cm to 20.3cm guns are in slightly larger, squared-off turrets that feature (non-functioning) optical sights on the upper-rear corners.

25cm guns are in a slightly increased-size variant of the above turret type.

28cm to 35.6cm guns are in traditional dreadnought battleship turrets, with jacketed barrels.

38.1cm to 43.2cm guns are in smooth-surfaced turrets modeled after the main-gun turrets of the US Navy's Iowa class battleships.

46cm and 50cm guns are in turtle-backed turrets modeled after the main-gun turrets of the IJN Yamato.

56cm and 61cm guns are in an enlarged version of the same turret model used for the 38.1cm to 43.2cm guns.

80cm guns are mounted in pairs in very large, turtle-backed turrets with double-jacketed barrels.

100cm guns are mounted in singly on open, un-covered mounts.