05/29/2026
🚢 How USS Missouri’s Giant Guns Actually Worked 😳💥
The massive 16-inch guns aboard the USS Missouri (BB-63) weren’t just “big cannons” — they were some of the most powerful naval weapons ever built. 👀
Here’s how a single shot worked:
⚙️ Crews loaded a massive armor-piercing shell weighing around 2,700 pounds
🧨 Multiple silk powder bags packed with propellant were loaded behind it
🔒 The breech was sealed shut
💥 A primer ignited the propellant, creating an enormous pressure wave inside the barrel
The result? 😨
🚀 The shell could travel more than 20 miles
🌊 The blast could shake the entire battleship
🔊 Firing noise levels reached extreme levels during combat operations
These guns were designed for:
⚓ Naval bombardment
🏝️ Shore attack support
🛡️ Long-range heavy firepower
Even decades later, the engineering behind these battleship guns remains astonishing.
👇 Could you imagine standing near this thing when it fired?