[elcid1970]

Great photo of that tragic ship.

Can anyone tell me the purpose of the clockface dial on the forward tower? I don’t think it was a timepiece.

[KC_Lion]

While I always thought they were Time Clocks.

But no, these large 'clocks' are what the British called concentration dials. Developed towards the end of WWI, they were part of a system to concentrate the fire of several ships onto the same target.

AKA a Range Clock.

[smokingfrog]

range clock

http://www.screanews.us/NewYorkUss/JpgUssNY34/UssNYhist16.jpg