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AZIMUTH RINGS
Shown here are azimuth rings, part of the equipment on the bridge. USS BARRY was strafed and then struck by a kamikaze plane in May of 1945, off Okinawa. Badly damaged, she was ordered to be stripped of all usuable gear, then towed out as a decoy for more attackers to waste themselves upon. These brass azimuth rings were part of the salvage, and just recently surfaced in an auction.
Two azimuth rings are needed for navigation - one for the northern hemisphere, the other for the southern, as they are used to take celestial, as well as land, sightings. Here is the southern ring - it is in near-new condition, as it was only used once, and then only for a few days in transit from the Panama Canal and northward into the Pacific. The rest of the time it remained protected in its oak-wood box, including during the kamikaze attack.
Here is the southern ring placed atop the custom-made protective wooden box. Notice the dovetailed corner joints. This is the original box issued to USS BARRY in 1943.
Here are both rings together. You can see that the Northern hemisphere ring is much more worn, having been exposed to the elements for two years straight. It was in use on the bridge during the attack, at a time when nearly everyone on the bridge sustained shrapnel wounds from the strafing and impact of the plane.