| GENE SLOVERS US NAVY PAGES USN FIRE CONTROL EQUIPMENT |
| OP 460 FORD RANGEKEEPER MARK II, 1917 OP 460 FORD RANGE KEEPER MARK II, 1922 OP 460A DEFLECTION CONVERTER, MARK I AND MARK I, MOD. I, 1922 BB35 the Battleship Texas got the first Mark 1 Ford computer. This computer was the first aboard a USN ship that could compute high values of range and range rate changes. The initial Mark I Ford went aboard Texas on 19 July 1916, Serial No.1. Serial No.4 (a Mark I Mod.1 machine) went aboard in early 1918. No.1 was replaced by Mark I Mod.1 Serial No.16 at the end of Jan.1918 (prior to departure for Europe). No.4 was replaced by Mark I Mod.3 machine No.54 in late June 1919 (prior to departure for the Pacific). Texas also got Mark II Ford machines for control of secondary battery. (Mark II is what they called the "Baby Ford", only one integrator). As of May 1918, there are four Mark II listed for Texas: Serial Nos.87, 90, 95, and 101. |