A 1900lb. HC projectile is brought up the hoist to the spanning tray of USS IOWA Center Gun Turret#2 (December 1986).  Note the folding action of the tray to bring the tray in alignment with the bore. 

When the spanning tray reaches the fixed loading angle of 5 degrees the projectile is rammed and seated in the bore. 2,700lb. AP round on USS IOWA, right gun Turret#3 in November 1987. 

A complex piece of equipment, the rammer requires 25 pages of coverage in the turret manual.  The head link (at bottom center of picture) is made of caste bronze and drives the shell and powder charges home by means of a 297-inch chain, four links of which are visible in the picture.   The rammer operator is seated with his left hand on the lever that controls the ram.  He also opens and closes the powder door.

Loading & Ramming Powder:

The gun captain (nearest the breech in lower left picture) and his cradle operator await the powder bags, three of which will roll down the open door serving as a shelf between the powder host trunk and the spanning tray(as seen in lower right picture).  The men will spread the bags apart (2 forward and 1 aft) to make space for the next batch of three.   The powder bags are dumped on the order of the gun captain by the hoist operator stationed six decks below.  In the picture at the very bottom, the powder bags are dressed in wear reducing polyurethane foam jackets.   Note the quilted ignition pad on the back of the last bag.