Barr and Stroud Mark III Fire Control Instruments

Barr and Stroud manufactured a large and evolving family of Step-by-Step Fire Control Instruments to convey ranges, deflections, orders and similar information throughout a ship. By 1909, 2 main generations and one minor generation had been introduced. By 1914, another 2 main generations and a minor generation had been introduced.

Mark III Instruments

With the sole exception of the Single Range Receiver, the Mark III. instruments differed from their Mark II. and Mark II.* equivalents only in their wiring interface. Whereas the Mark II. housings each required 2 or 3 individual cables to enter, the Mark III. devices each consolidated their wiring to receive just a single multi-core cable through a gland. I presume that the outward appearance and function was otherwise identical to the earlier instruments. The Single Range Receiver, however, had other features to improve its function as a reporter of discrete range estimates sent down from a rangefinder. As there is no mention of these in the 1909 handbook, we can infer that these were all introduced in 1910 or later.

Mark III Combined Range Defelection and Order Instruments

The Pattern 3141 Combined Receiver The Pattern 3140 Combined Transmitter

Mark III Single Range Instruments

The Pattern 3142 Single Range Receiver The Pattern 3132 Single Range Transmitter

Mark III Single Order Instruments

The Pattern 2604 Single Order Receiver The Pattern 2605 Single Order Transmitter

Mark III Rate Instruments

The Pattern 2960 Rate Receiver The Pattern 2961 Rate Transmitter

Mark III Bearing Instruments

The Pattern 2606 Bearing Receiver The Pattern 2607 bearing Transmitter

See Also

• Barr and Stroud Mark II* Fire Control Instruments
• Barr and Stroud Mark III* Fire Control Instruments

Bibliography

• Template:BibUKARTS1903
• Template:BibUKTorpedoDrillBook1905
• Template:BibUKTorpedoDrillBook1908
• Template:BibUKTorpedoDrillBook1912
• Template:BibUKTorpedoDrillBook1914
• Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1910). Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909. Copy No. 173 is Ja 345a at Admiralty Library, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
• Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1914). Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. G. 01627/14. C.B. 1030. Copy 1235 at The National Archives. ADM 186/191.