The BL 8 inch guns Mark I to Mark VII[note 2] were the first generations of British rifled breechloaders of medium-heavy calibre. They were initially designed for gunpowder propellants and were of both 25.5 and 30 calibres lengths.
Mks I and II were several early proof guns that did not enter British service and Mk V was not made. Limited numbers of 25.5 and 30 calibres guns were produced.
By 1885 the Royal Navy abandoned the 8-inch gun in favour of the 9.2 inch and later the 7.5 inch gun for cruisers, until 1923 when the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty led Britain to develop the Mk VIII 8-inch gun in order to arm heavy cruisers with the largest gun allowed by the Treaty.
In the interim Elswick Ordnance continued to develop 8-inch guns in 40 calibre and 45-calibre lengths for export, mainly to Japan.
Mark III
Mk III were low-powered 25-calibres guns mounted on :
Mk VII were lighter 25-calibres low-powered guns firing a lighter 180-pound projectile used to equip Australian colonial navies and Australian and New Zealand coastal defences in response to expected Russian expansionism in the Pacific (The "Russian scares" of the 1880s).
Mk VII guns were installed on disappearing mountings in Australia and New Zealand as coast-defence guns during the "Russian scares" of the 1880s. In the event, no Russian invasion occurred and the guns were rarely if ever fired.
Four Mk VII coast defence guns were installed at Singapore in the 1880s-1890s : two atop Mount Serapong and two at Fort Tanjong Katong.[8]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2008)
^Different types of shell had different weights : figures are for the gun's heaviest shell. Hence for the Mk VII gun the Victorian Navy Manual of 1895 quotes Common 168 lb, Segment 177 lb, Palliser, Case & Shrapnel 180 lb
^Mark I to Mark VII = Mark 1 to Mark 7. Britain used Roman numerals to denote marks (models) of ordnance until after World War II. Hence these were the first 7 models of BL 8-inch naval gun.
References
^Unit price for 10 Mk VII guns on hydro-pneumatic carriages, with 50 rounds per gun, delivered in London, as purchased by New Zealand in 1885. 1885 New Zealand Harbour defences (Table showing amount required for) Laid on the Table by the Hon. Mr Ballance, with the Leave of the House. 15 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
^ abcText Book of Gunnery 1902, Table XII Page 336
^Mk III : 1953 ft/s firing 210-pound projectile using 104 lb Prismatic Brown powder or 28 lb 12 oz cordite Mk I size 20. Text Book of Gunnery 1902.
^Mks IV & VI : 2150 ft/s firing 210-pound projectile using 118 lb Prismatic brown powder or 32 lb 10 oz cordite Mk I size 20. Text Book of Gunnery 1902.
^Mk VII : 2,000 ft/s firing a 180 lb projectile, with 90 lb black prism powder (gunpowder); or 22 lb cordite MK I propellant size 20. Text Book of Gunnery, 1902
^Mk VII : Victorian Navy Manuals 1887 and 1895 quote 100 lb Black powder for "battering charge" and 90 lb for regular charge. Muzzle Velocity of 2027 ft/s is quoted with 180 lb projectile and 90 lb charge in the Victorian Navy Manual of 1895
^12000 yards is quoted for Mk VII gun in the Victorian Navy Manual of 1895
^"Fort Siloso. The Gun Museum. 8-inch BL gun". Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
^Northcote's cannons - defending the neighbourhood 2 July 2018 at the Wayback MachineDarebin Heritage
Bibliography
Additions to 1890 Manual for Victorian naval forces circa. 1895. HMVS Cerberus website
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
Tony DiGiulian, 8"/26 (20.3 cm) Mark VII
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to BL 8 inch Mk I - VII naval gun.
Handbook for the 8-inch b.l. gun marks VII and VIIa Land service 1899 From State Library of Victoria.
Instructions for 8 inch Rifled Breech Loading Armstrong Gun and Hydro-Pneumatic Disappearing Carriage Describes Mk VII gun. From Australian National Archives
Instructions for 8 inch Rifled Breech Loading Armstrong Gun and Naval Carriage and Slide Describes Mk VII gun. From Australian National Archives
January 08, 2023
inch, naval, inch, guns, mark, mark, note, were, first, generations, british, rifled, breechloaders, medium, heavy, calibre, they, were, initially, designed, gunpowder, propellants, were, both, calibres, lengths, ordnance, inch, viimk, disappearing, carriage, . The BL 8 inch guns Mark I to Mark VII note 2 were the first generations of British rifled breechloaders of medium heavy calibre They were initially designed for gunpowder propellants and were of both 25 5 and 30 calibres lengths Ordnance BL 8 inch gun Mks I VIIMk VII on disappearing carriage at North Head Devonport New ZealandTypeNaval gunCoast defence gunPlace of originUnited KingdomService historyIn service1884 190 Used by United KingdomColonial navies of Australia New Zealand SingaporeProduction historyDesignerMk I VI RGFMk VII EOCManufacturerMk I III IV RGFMk III IV VI VII EOCUnit cost 6 015 1 VariantsMks III IV VI VII VIIASpecificationsMassMk III amp VI 14 tonsMk IV 15 tonsMk VII 12 tonsMk VIIA 13 tons barrel amp breech 2 Barrel lengthMk III 201 inches 5 105 mm Mk VII 204 inches 5 182 mm Mk IV amp VI 237 inches 6 020 mm bore 2 ShellMks III IV VI 210 pounds 95 25 kg Mk VII 180 pounds 81 65 kg note 1 Calibre8 inch 203 2 mm Muzzle velocityMk III 1 953 feet per second 595 m s 3 Mk IV amp VI 2 150 feet per second 655 m s 4 Mk VII 2 000 feet per second 610 m s 5 6 Maximum firing range8 000 yards 7 300 m 2 7 Contents 1 History 1 1 Mark III 1 2 Mark IV 1 3 Mark VI 1 4 Mark VII 1 4 1 Naval service 1 4 2 Coast defence gun 2 Ammunition 3 Surviving examples 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 Bibliography 8 External linksHistory EditMks I and II were several early proof guns that did not enter British service and Mk V was not made Limited numbers of 25 5 and 30 calibres guns were produced By 1885 the Royal Navy abandoned the 8 inch gun in favour of the 9 2 inch and later the 7 5 inch gun for cruisers until 1923 when the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty led Britain to develop the Mk VIII 8 inch gun in order to arm heavy cruisers with the largest gun allowed by the Treaty In the interim Elswick Ordnance continued to develop 8 inch guns in 40 calibre and 45 calibre lengths for export mainly to Japan Mark III Edit Mk III were low powered 25 calibres guns mounted on HMS Bellerophon as re gunned in 1885Mark IV Edit Mk IV were 30 calibres guns mounted in Mersey class cruisers of 1885Mark VI Edit Mk VI were 30 calibres guns mounted in Indian monitors Abyssinia and Magdala as re gunned in 1892Mark VII Edit Mk VII were lighter 25 calibres low powered guns firing a lighter 180 pound projectile used to equip Australian colonial navies and Australian and New Zealand coastal defences in response to expected Russian expansionism in the Pacific The Russian scares of the 1880s Naval service Edit As mounted in bow of Gayundah 1903 Mk VII guns armed the following Australian colonial gun vessels HMQS Gayundah of 1884 HMCS Protector of 1884 HMVS Albert of 1884 HMVS Victoria of 1884 Coast defence gun Edit At Fort Queenscliff Victoria Australia Mk VII guns were installed on disappearing mountings in Australia and New Zealand as coast defence guns during the Russian scares of the 1880s In the event no Russian invasion occurred and the guns were rarely if ever fired Four Mk VII coast defence guns were installed at Singapore in the 1880s 1890s two atop Mount Serapong and two at Fort Tanjong Katong 8 This section needs expansion You can help by adding to it October 2008 Ammunition Edit 210 pound Mk I common shellSurviving examples EditMk VII at North Head Devonport New Zealand Mk VII at summit of Mount Victoria Auckland New Zealand An unrestored Mk VII disappearing gun at Fort Jervois Ripapa Island New Zealand Mk VII at Fort Siloso Sentosa Island Singapore See also Photograph at Flickr Mk VII at Royal Artillery Museum Woolwich London A Mk VII gun from 1885 on hydro pneumatic mounting at Fort Queenscliff Victoria Australia A pair of Mk VII guns at High Street in Westgarth Northcote Victoria Australia 9 A pair of Mk VII guns at Kangaroo Battery Rosny Tasmania AustraliaSee also EditList of naval guns List of coastal artilleryNotes Edit Different types of shell had different weights figures are for the gun s heaviest shell Hence for the Mk VII gun the Victorian Navy Manual of 1895 quotes Common 168 lb Segment 177 lb Palliser Case amp Shrapnel 180 lb Mark I to Mark VII Mark 1 to Mark 7 Britain used Roman numerals to denote marks models of ordnance until after World War II Hence these were the first 7 models of BL 8 inch naval gun References Edit Unit price for 10 Mk VII guns on hydro pneumatic carriages with 50 rounds per gun delivered in London as purchased by New Zealand in 1885 1885 New Zealand Harbour defences Table showing amount required for Laid on the Table by the Hon Mr Ballance with the Leave of the House Archived 15 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine a b c Text Book of Gunnery 1902 Table XII Page 336 Mk III 1953 ft s firing 210 pound projectile using 104 lb Prismatic Brown powder or 28 lb 12 oz cordite Mk I size 20 Text Book of Gunnery 1902 Mks IV amp VI 2150 ft s firing 210 pound projectile using 118 lb Prismatic brown powder or 32 lb 10 oz cordite Mk I size 20 Text Book of Gunnery 1902 Mk VII 2 000 ft s firing a 180 lb projectile with 90 lb black prism powder gunpowder or 22 lb cordite MK I propellant size 20 Text Book of Gunnery 1902 Mk VII Victorian Navy Manuals 1887 and 1895 quote 100 lb Black powder for battering charge and 90 lb for regular charge Muzzle Velocity of 2027 ft s is quoted with 180 lb projectile and 90 lb charge in the Victorian Navy Manual of 1895 12000 yards is quoted for Mk VII gun in the Victorian Navy Manual of 1895 Fort Siloso The Gun Museum 8 inch BL gun Archived from the original on 11 January 2010 Retrieved 15 July 2010 Northcote s cannons defending the neighbourhood Archived 2 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine Darebin HeritageBibliography EditAdditions to 1890 Manual for Victorian naval forces circa 1895 HMVS Cerberus website 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 Tony DiGiulian 8 26 20 3 cm Mark VIIExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to BL 8 inch Mk I VII naval gun Handbook for the 8 inch b l gun marks VII and VIIa Land service 1899 From State Library of Victoria Instructions for 8 inch Rifled Breech Loading Armstrong Gun and Hydro Pneumatic Disappearing Carriage Describes Mk VII gun From Australian National Archives Instructions for 8 inch Rifled Breech Loading Armstrong Gun and Naval Carriage and Slide Describes Mk VII gun From Australian National Archives Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title BL 8 inch Mk I VII naval gun amp oldid 1097215714, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
