The two Colt machine guns were mounted forward on C-deck gallery, abaft No. 3 and No. 4 guns, and the Lewis machine gun aft by the depth charge station. The primary object of the machine guns was for sinking floating mines. The crews were kept in practice by firing at driftwood, floating boxes, fish, etc. The 1-pdr. crews also engaged in this kind of practice.
Range Finders
The range finders were mounted on the forward superstructure just abaft and above the signal bridge. The large range finder being mounted on a specially constructed stand amidships between the port and starboard fire control stations, and at a height of 124 feet above the water-line. Both control stations were always within easy means of communication with this range finder by means of voice tubes. The two small range-finders were mounted on platforms—one on the outside of each fire control station.
It is difficult to use the range finder against a periscope for the simple reason that the periscope is visible for only a short length of time, and is hard to get a quick reading on. The range will have been obtained by spotting the shots before the range finder can be brought into play. However, the range finder would have been invaluable had we been attacked by a raider, or a submarine on the surface.
Ammunition
The ammunition allowance for the ship was:
- 1,200—6-inch shells, long point.
- 1,200—6-inch 50-cal. powder charges.
- 80—6-inch flat nose shells. (Non-ricocheting, for submarines when submerged.)
- 480—1-pdr. cartridges.
- 89,000—Cartridges, for .30-cal. rifle.
- 10,000—Cartridges, for .45-cal. automatic pistol.
In addition to the above, blank ammunition for rifles was carried for training with ex-caliber.
Forty shells were carried in shell racks at the guns at all times, and twenty rounds of powder at each gun while at sea. The rest of the ammunition was carried in the magazines forward and aft (seven decks below) and supplied to the guns by means of elevators and ammunition parties.