RE: King Tiger turret speed
Jerry, I'd like to see the source for that data. George Forty's German Tanks of WW II gives the following data;
Gun could elevate +15 or depress -8, gunner having to turn the handwheel 13 times for every 10 degrees of el or depression.
Traverse was either hand or power using a similar power traverse system as Tiger 1. All around traverse was 19 seconds at high ratio= 2000 rpm, and 77 seconds in low ratio 1000 rpm. Gunner had to turn the handwheel 700 times for 360 degree traverse. There was a suplimentary handwheel for the loader which was marginally faster.
Wiki's data is mostly not verified and I doubt whether that high speed data is correct. I was working on M-47s in 1956 and with the new hydraulic traverse motor, it was reported to be the fastest turret in the world at the time. Never timed it, but it was very fast but certainly no where near 10 seconds.
Bill