# WWII destroyer question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-destroyer-question/940341>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 20, 2021, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-destroyer-question/940341 "2021-04-20T01:05:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-destroyer-question/940341/1 "2021-04-20T01:05:52Z")

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I am reading “Tin Can Titans”.  
USS Radford, coming to the aid of another destroyer damaged by a mine, hit another mine. To lighten ship, anchors and “spare gun barrels” were thrown overboard.  
Were these BAR barrels, or barrels of the ship’s guns?

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**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-destroyer-question/940341/2 "2021-04-20T01:17:25Z")

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The .50 cal and 20mm AA guns used at the time would have crews swapping gun barrels before they’d overheat too much in battle [Cite](https://ussslater.org/20-mm). So they’d carry a goodly supply of spare barrels and those would be quite heavy so they’d be among the candidates for lightening the load.

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-destroyer-question/940341/3 "2021-04-20T01:18:21Z")

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Of course, thanks!