Talk:Mark I Fire Control Computer

Use after 1969
The Mark 1 was used briefly during the 1991 Persian Gulf war during a USS Missouri 5" fire mission against Iraqis in northern Saudi Arabia. I do not recall the extent or duration of this mission, but I know it occurred because I was there. Therefore, the proposition that the use of the Mark 1 fire control computer ended in 1969 is incorrect. All four Iowa battleships used their Mk 1a's for training throughout the late 1980's and the Missouri briefly used hers in combat operations in 1991.

Also incorrect is the final statement "Digital fire control computers were not introduced until the age of minicomputers in the mid-1970s." The tartar guided missile systems used on 1960's era destroyers implemented digital fire control systems, complete with paper tape drives for loading the operational program.

Since I didn't personally work on either of these systems and my knowledge of them is very limited, I am choosing not to edit the main article. Perhaps someone with more knowledge of these systems would care to contribute? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Billgx (talk • contribs) 13:26, 22 November 2009 (UTC)


 * Very true, I was a Fire Controlman on the USS Meredith, DD-890 in the late '70s, and we were still using the Mk 1A. We decommissioned the ship in '79, and it was sold to Turkey, which kept it until '95.
 * Quite a number of the Gearing class destroyers (and, presumably, their fire control computers) were in use around the world up until the 90s. Bogolov. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bogolov (talk • contribs) 01:53, 19 April 2013 (UTC)


 * Just read these cemments! Will fix! Nikevich 06:12, 3 January 2022 (UTC)

More detail in other articles
Ship_gun_fire-control_system has more than this article. Sync ? - Rod57 (talk) 11:56, 21 October 2016 (UTC)

Article now hidden from online search!
Title was changed, which disabled locating it by informed online search! Was that intentional? It is not the Mark I, (letter, Roman numeral). It's the Mark 1, Hindu–Arabic numeral.

nikevich Nikevich 05:52, 3 January 2022 (UTC)

A much better image
Instead of the two single mounts, probably designed a century ago, go to the article about the 5'/38 caliber gun, scroll down about halfway, and look for the twin mount photo. Description begins "The 5-INCH .38-CALIBER dual gun mount on the starboard side of the USS NEW JERSEY (BB 62)..." That's a very good shot, taken perhaps from a helo. Sorry, but I'm overextended, and don't know how to move an image into an article.

Fwiw, I was aboard a Gearing class destroyer fer 3 years in the mid 1950s

nikevich Nikevich 11:12, 3 January 2022 (UTC)