Marine firing weapon for fighting airborne targets, especially in zenith

A marine firing weapon for combating airborne targets at a marine vessel, especially in zenith, comprising:

• means defining an azimuth alignment axis;
• means defining an elevation alignment axis;
• means for infeeding belted ammunition to the firing weapon;
• said azimuth alignment axis being inclined in relation to a horizontal;
• ammunition magazine means arranged below a deck of the marine vessel;
• ammunition belt channel means leading from the ammunition magazine means to the firing weapon;
• a substantially wedge-shaped socket member secured to the deck of the marine vessel;
• means for pivotably mounting the firing weapon about the inclined azimuth axis out of a starting position in two rotational directions through a respective angle which is smaller than 270.degree.;
• four weapon barrels of said firing weapon are arranged upon an elevational mount;
• each weapon barrel having operatively associated therewith a stationary drum magazine of said ammunition magazine means;
• a respective ammunition belt channel of said ammunition belt channel means leading from each drum magazine to a related one of said weapon barrels;
• each drum magazine is rotatably mounted about a substantially vertical axis;
• each drum magazine possessing a number of sector-shaped compartments;
• an ammunition belt loop being arranged in each compartment and operatively connected with a belt loop of the neighboring compartment;
• an auxiliary drive arranged above each drum magazine for pulling out the belt loops out of the compartments of the drum magazine;
• means provided for each auxiliary drive for continuously rotating the drum magazine about a vertical axis during the removal of the ammunition belt;
• a central column member about which there are arranged said four drum magazines;
• each of the belt channels being guided along said central column member for each drum magazine;
• said central column member defining a vertical column having an upper end containing a bent portion;
• and
• said upper end of said column having a column axis which is arranged substantially coaxially with respect to the azimuth axis of the firing weapon.