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Armstrong Whitworth 12-inch 40-calibre naval gun

January 07, 2023

The Armstrong Whitworth 12-inch naval gun of 40 calibres length was designed by and manufactured mainly by Armstrong's ordnance branch, Elswick Ordnance Company. It was intended for the Royal Navy's Royal Sovereign-class battleships, but budgetary constraints delayed their introduction. The first units were instead supplied to Japan. As the Type 41 12-inch (305 mm) 40-calibre naval gun it was the standard main battery on several early United Kingdom-built pre-dreadnought battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Type 41 12-inch 40-calibre
BL 12-inch Mk IX gun
Forward guns of Fuji
TypeNaval gun
Place of originUnited Kingdom, later licence-produced in Japan
Service history
In service1900–1945
Used byRoyal Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
Regia Marina
WarsRusso-Japanese War
World War I
Production history
DesignerElswick Ordnance Company
Designed1898
ManufacturerElswick Ordnance Company
Vickers
Woolwich Arsenal
Specifications
Mass49 long tons (50 t)
Barrel length40-foot-5-inch (12.32 m) bore (40 calibres)
Shell850 pounds (390 kg) separate charges and shell
Calibre12 inches (305 mm)
BreechWelin interrupted screw
Elevation−5/+15 degrees
Traverse+150/−150 degrees
Rate of fire1 round per minute
Muzzle velocityJapanese service : 2,400 ft/s (732 m/s)
UK service: 2,481 ft/s (756 m/s),[1] 2,612 ft/s (796 m/s) ( King Edward VII class)
Effective firing range15,000 yards (14 km); 15° elevation

It later entered service with the RN as the 12-inch Mark IX, being fitted to warships of three pre-dreadnought classes prior to World War I. Also, during the war several guns were converted for use as railway guns, and, towards the end of the conflict, for use on the M-class submarine monitors.

The gun also saw service with the Italian Regia Marina, in two classes of pre-dreadnought battleships.

Design and development

The Type 41 12-inch naval gun was produced by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, as a slightly modified version of the "EOC G pattern" 12-inch guns used on contemporary Royal Navy battleships.

Japanese service

Japan purchased a total of 44 of these weapons for use on the four ships of the Fuji and Shikishima class, and the battleships Asahi and Mikasa. Each ship carried four guns in twin turrets.

In combat at the Battle of the Yellow Sea in the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese battleships Asahi, Shikishima and Mikasa all had one of their main guns taken out of action due to premature bore detonations.[2] The cause was traced to faulty fuses, and the problem was rectified prior to the Battle of Tsushima.

The gun was officially designated as "Type 41" from the 41st year of the reign of Emperor Meiji on 25 December 1908. It was further re-designated in centimetres on 5 October 1917 as part of the standardization process for the Imperial Japanese Navy to the metric system.

The Type 41 12-inch gun fired an 850-pound (390 kg) shell, with either an armour-piercing, high-explosive or general-purpose warhead.

United Kingdom service

Royal Navy service

 
Forward guns of HMS Queen

The gun entered service with the Royal Navy as "BL 12 inch gun Mark IX"[note 1] on the following ships :

M-class submarine mounting

 
Sectioned model showing mounting on submarine HMS M1

The gun was in service mounted on the three M-class submarines. HMS M2 and M3 had their guns removed in 1927–28.

Railway gun

Main article: BL 12-inch railway gun

Four guns were mounted on railway carriages and used by the British army in World War I on the Western Front.

United Kingdom ammunition

Italian service

 
Fitted to Vittorio Emanuele

Armstrongs also sold versions of their 12-inch 40-calibre gun to Italy to arm the two Regina Margherita-class (commissioned 1905) and the four Regina Elena-class battleships (commissioned 1908). The version for the Regina Elena class fired a heavier 417 kg (919 lb) shell. The Regina Margheritas were lost during the war, the Regina Elenas scrapped after the war.

See also

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

Notes

  1. ^ I.e. Mark 9 : Britain used Roman numerals to identify Marks (models) of its ordnance – this was the 9th 12-inch breech-loading naval gun in service with the Royal Navy

References

  1. ^ 2,481-foot-per-second (756 m/s), 850-pound (390 kg) projectile, with 211 lb (96 kg) cordite Mk I size 50 & 3¾. Text Book of Gunnery, 1902.
  2. ^ Corbett, Julian Stafford (1994). Maritime Operations in the Russo-Japanese War 1904–05. Naval Institute Press. pp. 391–392. ISBN 1-55750-129-7.

Bibliography

  • Text Book of Gunnery, 1902. London: Printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office, by Harrison and Sons, St. Martin's Lane Archived 12 July 2012 at archive.today
  • Brown, D. K. (2003). Warrior to Dreadnought: Warship Development, 1860–1905. Book Sales. ISBN 1-84067-529-2.
  • Brown, D. K. (2003). The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development, 1906–1922. Caxton Editions. ISBN 978-1-84067-531-3.
  • Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One: Guns, Torpedoes, Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations; An Illustrated Directory. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Lambert, Andrew, eds. (2001). Steam, Steel and Shellfire: The Steam Warship, 1815–1905. Conway's History of the Ship. Book Sales. ISBN 978-0-7858-1413-9.
  • Hodges, Peter (1981). The Big Gun: Battleship Main Armament, 1860–1945. United States Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-917-0.
  • Parkes, Oscar (1990) [1957]. British Battleships. United States Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-075-4.
  • DiGiulian, Tony. "Britain 12"/40 (30.5 cm) Mark IX". NavWeaps.com.

Further reading

  • Anderson, Richard M.; Brescia, Maurizio & Del Prete, Maurizio (1989). "Question 53/87". Warship International. XXVI (2): 198–200. ISSN 0043-0374.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Elswick BL 12 inch 40 calibres naval gun.
  • DiGiulian, Tony. "Japanese 30.5 cm/40 (12") Type 41". NavWeaps.com.

January 07, 2023
armstrong, whitworth, inch, calibre, naval, armstrong, whitworth, inch, naval, calibres, length, designed, manufactured, mainly, armstrong, ordnance, branch, elswick, ordnance, company, intended, royal, navy, royal, sovereign, class, battleships, budgetary, co. The Armstrong Whitworth 12 inch naval gun of 40 calibres length was designed by and manufactured mainly by Armstrong s ordnance branch Elswick Ordnance Company It was intended for the Royal Navy s Royal Sovereign class battleships but budgetary constraints delayed their introduction The first units were instead supplied to Japan As the Type 41 12 inch 305 mm 40 calibre naval gun it was the standard main battery on several early United Kingdom built pre dreadnought battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy Type 41 12 inch 40 calibre BL 12 inch Mk IX gunForward guns of FujiTypeNaval gunPlace of originUnited Kingdom later licence produced in JapanService historyIn service1900 1945Used byRoyal NavyImperial Japanese NavyRegia MarinaWarsRusso Japanese WarWorld War IProduction historyDesignerElswick Ordnance CompanyDesigned1898ManufacturerElswick Ordnance CompanyVickersWoolwich ArsenalSpecificationsMass49 long tons 50 t Barrel length40 foot 5 inch 12 32 m bore 40 calibres Shell850 pounds 390 kg separate charges and shellCalibre12 inches 305 mm BreechWelin interrupted screwElevation 5 15 degreesTraverse 150 150 degreesRate of fire1 round per minuteMuzzle velocityJapanese service 2 400 ft s 732 m s UK service 2 481 ft s 756 m s 1 2 612 ft s 796 m s King Edward VII class Effective firing range15 000 yards 14 km 15 elevationIt later entered service with the RN as the 12 inch Mark IX being fitted to warships of three pre dreadnought classes prior to World War I Also during the war several guns were converted for use as railway guns and towards the end of the conflict for use on the M class submarine monitors The gun also saw service with the Italian Regia Marina in two classes of pre dreadnought battleships Contents 1 Design and development 2 Japanese service 3 United Kingdom service 3 1 Royal Navy service 3 1 1 M class submarine mounting 3 2 Railway gun 3 3 United Kingdom ammunition 4 Italian service 5 See also 5 1 Weapons of comparable role performance and era 6 Notes 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 Further reading 10 External linksDesign and development EditThe Type 41 12 inch naval gun was produced by Armstrong Whitworth Elswick Newcastle upon Tyne as a slightly modified version of the EOC G pattern 12 inch guns used on contemporary Royal Navy battleships Japanese service EditJapan purchased a total of 44 of these weapons for use on the four ships of the Fuji and Shikishima class and the battleships Asahi and Mikasa Each ship carried four guns in twin turrets In combat at the Battle of the Yellow Sea in the Russo Japanese War the Japanese battleships Asahi Shikishima and Mikasa all had one of their main guns taken out of action due to premature bore detonations 2 The cause was traced to faulty fuses and the problem was rectified prior to the Battle of Tsushima The gun was officially designated as Type 41 from the 41st year of the reign of Emperor Meiji on 25 December 1908 It was further re designated in centimetres on 5 October 1917 as part of the standardization process for the Imperial Japanese Navy to the metric system The Type 41 12 inch gun fired an 850 pound 390 kg shell with either an armour piercing high explosive or general purpose warhead United Kingdom service EditRoyal Navy service Edit Forward guns of HMS Queen The gun entered service with the Royal Navy as BL 12 inch gun Mark IX note 1 on the following ships Formidable class battleships Three ships laid down 1898 and mounting four guns each London class battleships Five ships laid down in 1898 1901 and mounting four guns each Duncan class battleships Six ships laid down 1899 each mounting four guns King Edward VII class battleships of 1904 Five of the eight ships of this class HMS King Edward VII HMS Commonwealth HMS Hindustan HMS Dominion and HMS New Zealand carried the Mark IX gun M class submarine mounting Edit Sectioned model showing mounting on submarine HMS M1 The gun was in service mounted on the three M class submarines HMS M2 and M3 had their guns removed in 1927 28 Railway gun Edit Main article BL 12 inch railway gun Four guns were mounted on railway carriages and used by the British army in World War I on the Western Front United Kingdom ammunition Edit Cartridge 63 lb charge Cordite M D used on King Edward VII class battleship Common pointed capped shell 1912Italian service Edit Fitted to Vittorio Emanuele Armstrongs also sold versions of their 12 inch 40 calibre gun to Italy to arm the two Regina Margherita class commissioned 1905 and the four Regina Elena class battleships commissioned 1908 The version for the Regina Elena class fired a heavier 417 kg 919 lb shell The Regina Margheritas were lost during the war the Regina Elenas scrapped after the war See also EditList of naval gunsWeapons of comparable role performance and era Edit 305 mm 40 Modele 1893 1896 French equivalent Russian 12 inch 40 caliber naval gun Russian equivalentNotes Edit I e Mark 9 Britain used Roman numerals to identify Marks models of its ordnance this was the 9th 12 inch breech loading naval gun in service with the Royal NavyReferences Edit 2 481 foot per second 756 m s 850 pound 390 kg projectile with 211 lb 96 kg cordite Mk I size 50 amp 3 Text Book of Gunnery 1902 Corbett Julian Stafford 1994 Maritime Operations in the Russo Japanese War 1904 05 Naval Institute Press pp 391 392 ISBN 1 55750 129 7 Bibliography EditText Book of Gunnery 1902 London Printed for His Majesty s Stationery Office by Harrison and Sons St Martin s Lane Archived 12 July 2012 at archive today Brown D K 2003 Warrior to Dreadnought Warship Development 1860 1905 Book Sales ISBN 1 84067 529 2 Brown D K 2003 The Grand Fleet Warship Design and Development 1906 1922 Caxton Editions ISBN 978 1 84067 531 3 Friedman Norman 2011 Naval Weapons of World War One Guns Torpedoes Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations An Illustrated Directory Barnsley Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 84832 100 7 Gardiner Robert Lambert Andrew eds 2001 Steam Steel and Shellfire The Steam Warship 1815 1905 Conway s History of the Ship Book Sales ISBN 978 0 7858 1413 9 Hodges Peter 1981 The Big Gun Battleship Main Armament 1860 1945 United States Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 87021 917 0 Parkes Oscar 1990 1957 British Battleships United States Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 55750 075 4 DiGiulian Tony Britain 12 40 30 5 cm Mark IX NavWeaps com Further reading EditAnderson Richard M Brescia Maurizio amp Del Prete Maurizio 1989 Question 53 87 Warship International XXVI 2 198 200 ISSN 0043 0374 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Elswick BL 12 inch 40 calibres naval gun DiGiulian Tony Japanese 30 5 cm 40 12 Type 41 NavWeaps com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Armstrong Whitworth 12 inch 40 calibre naval gun amp oldid 1129047789, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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