Editing Queen Elizabeth-class battleship (section)

===Armament and fire control===
The ''Queen Elizabeth'' class was equipped with eight [[List of British ordnance terms#BL|breech-loading (BL)]] 15-inch Mk I guns in four twin-gun turrets, in two [[superfire|superfiring pairs]] fore and aft of the superstructure, designated 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y' from front to rear. The guns were initially supplied with 80 shells per gun, but the [[magazine (artillery)|magazine]]s were later modified to allow for up to one hundred shells per gun.<ref name=b4/> The ships carried the guns in Mk&nbsp;I mounts that allowed for [[elevation (ballistics)|elevation]] to 20&nbsp;degrees and depression to -5&nbsp;degrees. The mounts had a weight of 782 t and a train of- 150 to + 150 degrees. The guns themselves had a weight of 101 t.<ref> {{cite web |url= http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_15-42_mk1.php#mountnote7.1back  |title=15-inch (38.1 cm) Mark I |access-date=July 22, 2022}}</ref> They could be loaded at any angle, but the crews typically returned to +5&nbsp;degrees, since the guns could be cleared faster that way. They fired {{convert|1929|lb|kg|adj=on|0}} projectiles at a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|2450|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} to a range of {{convert|24423|yd}}. Their designed [[rate of fire]] was one shot every 36&nbsp;seconds.<ref>Friedman 2011, pp. 43–47</ref>

The gun even remained competitive in the [[World War II|Second World War]] after receiving further shell upgrades and mountings with greater elevation, and HMS ''Warspite'' would eventually record a hit during the [[Battle of Calabria]] which to this day is one of the longest-range naval gunnery hits in history - 24,000 metres (26,000 yd).

The guns could elevate to 20° and depress to −5°, but the turret sights could only elevate 15°, effectively limiting the range that could be achieved unless firing under director control.  The sights were equipped to permit the guns to fire at full charge or with {{fraction|3|4}} charge.<ref>ADM 186/216 ''The Sight Manual, 1916'', pp. 20–22, 108</ref>

[[File:HMS Queen Elizabeth aft port casemates 1918.jpg|thumb|''Queen Elizabeth'' c. 1918 showing the two aft port secondary casemates plated over]]
[[File:HMS Warspite No 7 6 inch gun after Jutland.jpg|thumb|[[Forecastle]] deck gun as added to all ships in 1915–1916, here seen on {{HMS|Warspite|03|2}} after [[Battle of Jutland|Jutland]]]]

The ships' [[secondary armament|secondary battery]] consisted of sixteen 45-calibre [[BL 6 inch Mk XII naval gun|BL {{convert|6|in|adj=on|0}} Mk XII]] guns.<ref name=b4/> The guns had a muzzle velocity of {{cvt|2825|ft/s}} from their {{convert|100|lb|kg|adj=on|0}} projectiles. At their maximum elevation of 15&nbsp;degrees, they had a range of {{cvt|13600|yd}}.<ref>Friedman 2011, p. 84</ref> As designed twelve of these were mounted in [[Casemate#Single casemates (1889 onwards)|casemates]] on the [[Deck (ship)#Upper deck|upper deck]], six of each on the [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]] of the vessel [[amidships]]; the remaining four guns were on the [[Deck (ship)#Main deck|main deck]] aft abreast 'Y' turret. In an effort to ameliorate the flooding problems that the casemated guns in the ''Iron Duke''-class ships had in heavy seas, the guns in the ''Queen Elizabeth''s were moved back from abreast 'A' turret to 'B' turret, but this made little difference in service. The aft guns were more prone to flood and were virtually useless even in moderate seas. Only ''Queen Elizabeth'' was completed with them; one pair was removed and the other was repositioned on the [[forecastle]] and protected by [[gun shield]]s in May 1915. The casemates were plated over to improve their seaworthiness. The other ships were similarly modified while [[fitting-out]].<ref>Burt 2012b, p. 281</ref>

Each gun was provided with 130 [[Cartridge (firearms)|rounds]]. Stowage was provided for 30 rounds at each gun as the only ammunition hoists for them were located at the forward end of the battery. [[Captain (Royal Navy)|Captain]] [[Morgan Singer]], commander of the RN's gunnery school [[HMS Excellent (shore establishment)|HMS ''Excellent'']], criticized this arrangement, saying that it had been proven inefficient in the pre-dreadnought battleships and he recommended using [[Dredging#Bucket dredgers|dredger]] [[hoist (device)|hoist]]s as they were much faster. His comments were rejected as the Admiralty believed that the guns would only intermittently be in use as destroyers attempted to close to torpedo range and they desired to maintain a break in the [[cordite]] supply between the magazines and the battery. In service this led to the gun crews keeping additional rounds immediately available at the guns in case they were needed.<ref>Raven & Roberts, pp. 20, 26</ref> This resulted in an ammunition fire aboard ''Malaya'' during the [[Battle of Jutland]] that nearly resulted in the loss of the ship.<ref>Campbell 1998, p. 132</ref>

The ships also mounted four [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder]] ({{convert|47|mm|in|adj=on}}) [[Salute#Heavy arms: gun salutes|saluting guns]]. Their [[anti-aircraft gun|anti-aircraft]] (AA) armament consisted of two [[quick-firing gun|quick-firing (QF)]] [[QF 3 inch 20 cwt|{{convert|3|in|adj=on|0}} 20&nbsp;cwt Mk I]]{{efn-lr|"Cwt" is the abbreviation for [[hundredweight]], 20 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.}} guns. They were fitted with four submerged {{convert|21|in|adj=on|0}} [[torpedo tube]]s, two on each broadside. Each ship was supplied with a total of 20 [[British 21-inch torpedo|Mk II or Mk IV torpedoes]].<ref name=b4/>

The ''Queen Elizabeth''-class ships were completed with two [[Fire-control system#Naval fire control|fire-control directors]]. The one that was mounted above the [[conning tower]] was protected by an armoured hood and was fitted with a {{convert|15|ft|1|adj=on}} [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]]. The other director was on top of the [[tripod mast]] and was equipped with a {{convert|9|ft|1|adj=on}}. The main armament could be controlled by 'X' turret as well and each turret was fitted with a 15-foot rangefinder. A torpedo-control director with a 9-foot rangefinder was mounted at the aft end of the superstructure.{{Cn|date=January 2024}} The secondary armament was primarily controlled by directors mounted on each side of the compass platform on the foremast once they began to be fitted in March 1917. The rangefinders in 'B' and 'X' turrets were replaced by {{convert|30|ft|adj=on|1}} models between 1919 and 1922.<ref>Raven & Roberts, pp. 20–21, 30</ref>

[[Flight deck#Early|Flying-off platforms]] were fitted on all the ships on the roofs of 'B' and 'X' turrets in 1918. Between them the ships carried three fighters and seven [[reconnaissance aircraft]].<ref>Raven & Roberts, p. 30</ref>