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Obukhovskii 12-inch/52-caliber Pattern 1907 gun

January 01, 1970

The Obukhovskii 12"/52 Pattern 1907 gun was a 12-inch (305 mm), 52-caliber naval gun. It was the most powerful gun to be mounted aboard battleships of the Imperial Russian Navy and later the Soviet Navy during both world wars. It was later modified by the Soviets and employed as coastal artillery and as a railway gun during World War II.

Obukhovskii 12"/52 Pattern 1907 gun
"MK-3-12" turrets aboard the Soviet battleship Parizhskaya Kommuna (formerly and later Sevastopol), 1925
TypeNaval gun
Coastal artillery
Railway gun
Place of originRussian Empire
Service history
In service1914–1999
Used byRussian Empire
Soviet Union
Finland
Estonia
Nazi Germany
WarsWorld War I
Russian Civil War
World War II
Production history
DesignerObukhov State Plant
Designed1907
ManufacturerLeningradsky Metallichesky Zavod
Produced1910
No. builtBetween 126-144
Specifications
Mass51 t (56 short tons)
Length15.8 m (52 ft)
Barrel length14.4 m (47 ft)
ShellAverage: 444 kg (979 lb)
Caliber12 inches (305 mm) 52 caliber
BreechWelin breech block
ElevationOriginal: -5° to +25°
Rate of fire1-2 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocityAverage: 815 m/s (2,670 ft/s)
Maximum firing rangeAverage: 31 km (19 mi)[1]

History edit

The Obukhovskii 12"/52 Pattern 1907 was designed to reflect lessons learned from the Russo-Japanese War and despite changes in specifications while the guns were being manufactured they were considered excellent pieces. In April 1906 a conference of twenty admirals and specialists in ship and ordnance design met to determine what the specifications of the new fleet being built to replace the losses suffered during the Russo-Japanese War would be. The consensus of the meeting was that the new battleships would be armed with no less than twelve 12in guns mounted on the ships centerline and capable of delivering a twelve gun broadside. This would be superior to any foreign ships then in service or under construction. Four triple turrets were chosen for the new guns, because six double turrets would have made the ships too long for existing slipways. Design sketches in early 1907 showed that triple turrets would save 15 per cent in weight over double turrets. These triple gun turrets were designated "MK-3-12", and were deployed aboard the Gangut-class and Imperatritsa Mariya-class and they were placed on the Imperator Nikolai I (although her propulsion was never installed and she was never completed) dreadnoughts in mountings constructed by the Metallicheskii Works.[2]

The gun originally envisioned was 12in/50 caliber, weighing 47.3 t (52.1 short tons), with a 331 kg (730 lb) shell, at a muzzle velocity of 914 m/s (3,000 ft/s). These new guns were to be based on the 12in/40 Pattern 1895 guns as used on the Andrei Pervozvanny-class battleships. Since the requirement for new battleships was so urgent, work began before range testing could determine the appropriate shell weight, muzzle velocity or chamber pressure for the new guns. In July 1906 the Obukhovskii Works began production on the now 12in/52 caliber guns, with the inner tubes of the first guns being completed by the end of 1906. Between the project approval in 1906 and the final approval of ordnance specifications in 1911 the weight of shell, muzzle velocity and chamber pressure had changed multiple times. Since the inner tubes had already been built it was impossible to lengthen the guns to suit the new specifications. After the specified changes were implemented a 471 kg (1,038 lb) shell with a muzzle velocity of 762 m/s (2,500 ft/s) and a weight of 51 t (56 short tons) was settled upon (muzzle velocity being traded for increased shell weight). The Naval Ministry ordered 198 guns and somewhere between 126-144 had been produced by the end of 1916. Another twelve of the forty two scheduled were delivered in 1917. Fourteen incomplete guns were finished in 1921 and a few others were later completed.[3]

Construction edit

The Obukhovskii 12"/52 Pattern 1907 was constructed of A tube, two B tubes to the muzzle, two C tubes, two D tubes and jacket. The breech bush screwed into the jacket, locking the parts together, and a collar was shrunk on the breech bush and the end of the collar covered by a small ring with a shoulder. Both collar and ring were placed in position when hot. A Welin breech block was used.[4] Allowable barrel life for pieces mounted aboard Black Sea Fleet units was 400 rounds per gun.

General characteristics edit

  • Barrel length: 52 calibers
  • Maximum laying speed: vertical - 4 degrees per second, horizontal - 3.2 degrees per second
  • Shell weight:
    • Naval 1911 : 471 kg (1,038 lb)
    • Coastal defense : 446 kg (984 lb)
    • German coastal HE : 405 kg (893 lb)
  • Initial velocity of the shell:
    • Naval 1911 471 kg shell : 762 meters/second (2,500 feet/second)
    • Coastal defense 446 kg shell : 853 meters/second (2,800 feet/second)
  • Range:
    • With 471 kg shell : 29,340 meters (32,080 yards)

Coastal artillery edit

In addition to being deployed aboard the Gangut-class and Imperatritsa Mariya-class battleships, the guns were also emplaced as coastal artillery in the Peter the Great Naval Fortress along the Tallinn-Porkkala defensive line in 1917, as well as being mounted as railway guns.

Between the wars, Soviet forces placed four four-gun batteries around the Baltic Sea, two four-gun batteries in Sevastopol and two six-gun batteries in Vladivostok. Some guns from the Imperator Aleksandr III were later captured by the Germans in World War II and used in the Batterie Mirus in Guernsey during the German occupation of the Channel Islands. During the Second World War, the Soviet Separate Coastal Army maintained four of the guns in the Maxim Gorky Fortresses in Crimea. When an advancing German Army laid siege to Sevastopol, the coastal batteries were used extensively in the defense of the city. Both batteries were eventually knocked out of action.[5]

1938 Railway gun TM-3-12 edit

Three railway guns were built, using guns from the sunken battleship Imperatritsa Mariya, which had been lost to a magazine explosion in Sevastopol harbor in October 1916. They were used in the Soviet-Finnish war in 1939-1940. In June–December 1941 they took part in the defense of the Soviet naval base on Finland's Hanko Peninsula (Rus. Gangut/ Гангут). They were disabled by Soviet seamen when the base was evacuated, and were later restored by Finnish specialists using guns from the withdrawn Russian battleship Imperator Aleksandr III. After the war these were handed over to the Soviet Union, which were maintained in operational condition until 1991. Withdrawn from service in 1999, they were the last Obukhov pieces still operational in the world.

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era edit

Photo gallery edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ DiGiulian, Tony. "Russia / USSR 14"/52 (35.6 cm) Pattern 1913 - NavWeaps". www.navweaps.com. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  2. ^ Friedman, Norman (2011-01-01). Naval weapons of World War One. Seaforth. ISBN 9781848321007. OCLC 786178793.
  3. ^ Friedman, Norman (2011-01-01). Naval weapons of World War One. Seaforth. ISBN 9781848321007. OCLC 786178793.
  4. ^ Campbell, John (2002-01-01). Naval weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870214594. OCLC 51995246.
  5. ^ "The History of Maxim Gorky-I Naval Battery, Sevastopol". www.allworldwars.com. Retrieved 2017-01-25.

References edit

  • Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
  • Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One: Guns, Torpedoes, Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations; An Illustrated Directory. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.
  • DiGiulian, Tony. "12 inch mod 1907 gun". Navweapons.com.
  • Kosar, Franz (1998). "Re: New Information on Russian Naval Guns". Warship International. XXXV (2): 224. ISSN 0043-0374.
  • Ley, Michael P. (1998). "Re: New Information on Russian Naval Guns". Warship International. XXXV (1): 10–14. ISSN 0043-0374.
  • Vinogradov, Sergei (2023). "The Strange Fate of the General Alekseev's Guns". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2023. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. pp. 128–141. ISBN 978-1-4728-5713-2.
  • Volz, Arthur G. (1998). "Re: New Information on Russian Naval Guns". Warship International. XXXV (2): 223–224. ISSN 0043-0374.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Obukhovskii 12-inch Pattern 1907 gun.
  • MK-3-12 history (in Russian)

January 01, 1970
obukhovskii, inch, caliber, pattern, 1907, obukhovskii, pattern, 1907, inch, caliber, naval, most, powerful, mounted, aboard, battleships, imperial, russian, navy, later, soviet, navy, during, both, world, wars, later, modified, soviets, employed, coastal, art. The Obukhovskii 12 52 Pattern 1907 gun was a 12 inch 305 mm 52 caliber naval gun It was the most powerful gun to be mounted aboard battleships of the Imperial Russian Navy and later the Soviet Navy during both world wars It was later modified by the Soviets and employed as coastal artillery and as a railway gun during World War II Obukhovskii 12 52 Pattern 1907 gun MK 3 12 turrets aboard the Soviet battleship Parizhskaya Kommuna formerly and later Sevastopol 1925TypeNaval gunCoastal artilleryRailway gunPlace of originRussian EmpireService historyIn service1914 1999Used byRussian EmpireSoviet UnionFinlandEstoniaNazi GermanyWarsWorld War IRussian Civil WarWorld War IIProduction historyDesignerObukhov State PlantDesigned1907ManufacturerLeningradsky Metallichesky ZavodProduced1910No builtBetween 126 144SpecificationsMass51 t 56 short tons Length15 8 m 52 ft Barrel length14 4 m 47 ft ShellAverage 444 kg 979 lb Caliber12 inches 305 mm 52 caliberBreechWelin breech blockElevationOriginal 5 to 25 Rate of fire1 2 rounds per minuteMuzzle velocityAverage 815 m s 2 670 ft s Maximum firing rangeAverage 31 km 19 mi 1 Contents 1 History 2 Construction 3 General characteristics 4 Coastal artillery 5 1938 Railway gun TM 3 12 5 1 Weapons of comparable role performance and era 6 Photo gallery 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksHistory editThe Obukhovskii 12 52 Pattern 1907 was designed to reflect lessons learned from the Russo Japanese War and despite changes in specifications while the guns were being manufactured they were considered excellent pieces In April 1906 a conference of twenty admirals and specialists in ship and ordnance design met to determine what the specifications of the new fleet being built to replace the losses suffered during the Russo Japanese War would be The consensus of the meeting was that the new battleships would be armed with no less than twelve 12in guns mounted on the ships centerline and capable of delivering a twelve gun broadside This would be superior to any foreign ships then in service or under construction Four triple turrets were chosen for the new guns because six double turrets would have made the ships too long for existing slipways Design sketches in early 1907 showed that triple turrets would save 15 per cent in weight over double turrets These triple gun turrets were designated MK 3 12 and were deployed aboard the Gangut class and Imperatritsa Mariya class and they were placed on the Imperator Nikolai I although her propulsion was never installed and she was never completed dreadnoughts in mountings constructed by the Metallicheskii Works 2 The gun originally envisioned was 12in 50 caliber weighing 47 3 t 52 1 short tons with a 331 kg 730 lb shell at a muzzle velocity of 914 m s 3 000 ft s These new guns were to be based on the 12in 40 Pattern 1895 guns as used on the Andrei Pervozvanny class battleships Since the requirement for new battleships was so urgent work began before range testing could determine the appropriate shell weight muzzle velocity or chamber pressure for the new guns In July 1906 the Obukhovskii Works began production on the now 12in 52 caliber guns with the inner tubes of the first guns being completed by the end of 1906 Between the project approval in 1906 and the final approval of ordnance specifications in 1911 the weight of shell muzzle velocity and chamber pressure had changed multiple times Since the inner tubes had already been built it was impossible to lengthen the guns to suit the new specifications After the specified changes were implemented a 471 kg 1 038 lb shell with a muzzle velocity of 762 m s 2 500 ft s and a weight of 51 t 56 short tons was settled upon muzzle velocity being traded for increased shell weight The Naval Ministry ordered 198 guns and somewhere between 126 144 had been produced by the end of 1916 Another twelve of the forty two scheduled were delivered in 1917 Fourteen incomplete guns were finished in 1921 and a few others were later completed 3 Construction editThe Obukhovskii 12 52 Pattern 1907 was constructed of A tube two B tubes to the muzzle two C tubes two D tubes and jacket The breech bush screwed into the jacket locking the parts together and a collar was shrunk on the breech bush and the end of the collar covered by a small ring with a shoulder Both collar and ring were placed in position when hot A Welin breech block was used 4 Allowable barrel life for pieces mounted aboard Black Sea Fleet units was 400 rounds per gun General characteristics editBarrel length 52 calibers Maximum laying speed vertical 4 degrees per second horizontal 3 2 degrees per second Shell weight Naval 1911 471 kg 1 038 lb Coastal defense 446 kg 984 lb German coastal HE 405 kg 893 lb Initial velocity of the shell Naval 1911 471 kg shell 762 meters second 2 500 feet second Coastal defense 446 kg shell 853 meters second 2 800 feet second Range With 471 kg shell 29 340 meters 32 080 yards Coastal artillery editIn addition to being deployed aboard the Gangut class and Imperatritsa Mariya class battleships the guns were also emplaced as coastal artillery in the Peter the Great Naval Fortress along the Tallinn Porkkala defensive line in 1917 as well as being mounted as railway guns Between the wars Soviet forces placed four four gun batteries around the Baltic Sea two four gun batteries in Sevastopol and two six gun batteries in Vladivostok Some guns from the Imperator Aleksandr III were later captured by the Germans in World War II and used in the Batterie Mirus in Guernsey during the German occupation of the Channel Islands During the Second World War the Soviet Separate Coastal Army maintained four of the guns in the Maxim Gorky Fortresses in Crimea When an advancing German Army laid siege to Sevastopol the coastal batteries were used extensively in the defense of the city Both batteries were eventually knocked out of action 5 1938 Railway gun TM 3 12 editThree railway guns were built using guns from the sunken battleship Imperatritsa Mariya which had been lost to a magazine explosion in Sevastopol harbor in October 1916 They were used in the Soviet Finnish war in 1939 1940 In June December 1941 they took part in the defense of the Soviet naval base on Finland s Hanko Peninsula Rus Gangut Gangut They were disabled by Soviet seamen when the base was evacuated and were later restored by Finnish specialists using guns from the withdrawn Russian battleship Imperator Aleksandr III After the war these were handed over to the Soviet Union which were maintained in operational condition until 1991 Withdrawn from service in 1999 they were the last Obukhov pieces still operational in the world Weapons of comparable role performance and era edit BL 12 inch Mk XI XII naval gun Vickers British equivalent 30 5 cm SK L 50 gun German equivalentPhoto gallery edit nbsp Triple gun turrets aboard Imperatritsa Ekaterina Velikaya nbsp Coastal defense turret at Kuivasaari Finland nbsp Turret interior at Kuivasaari Note the Welin breech block nbsp One of two Maxim Gorki batteries destroyed during the Siege of Sevastopol nbsp TM 3 12 at Varshavsky Rail Terminal St Petersburg nbsp Railway gun TMK 3 12 at the Moscow Victory parkNotes edit DiGiulian Tony Russia USSR 14 52 35 6 cm Pattern 1913 NavWeaps www navweaps com Retrieved 2017 03 15 Friedman Norman 2011 01 01 Naval weapons of World War One Seaforth ISBN 9781848321007 OCLC 786178793 Friedman Norman 2011 01 01 Naval weapons of World War One Seaforth ISBN 9781848321007 OCLC 786178793 Campbell John 2002 01 01 Naval weapons of World War Two Naval Institute Press ISBN 0870214594 OCLC 51995246 The History of Maxim Gorky I Naval Battery Sevastopol www allworldwars com Retrieved 2017 01 25 References editCampbell John 1985 Naval Weapons of World War Two Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 87021 459 4 Friedman Norman 2011 Naval Weapons of World War One Guns Torpedoes Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations An Illustrated Directory Barnsley UK Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 84832 100 7 DiGiulian Tony 12 inch mod 1907 gun Navweapons com Kosar Franz 1998 Re New Information on Russian Naval Guns Warship International XXXV 2 224 ISSN 0043 0374 Ley Michael P 1998 Re New Information on Russian Naval Guns Warship International XXXV 1 10 14 ISSN 0043 0374 Vinogradov Sergei 2023 The Strange Fate of the General Alekseev s Guns In Jordan John ed Warship 2023 Oxford Osprey Publishing pp 128 141 ISBN 978 1 4728 5713 2 Volz Arthur G 1998 Re New Information on Russian Naval Guns Warship International XXXV 2 223 224 ISSN 0043 0374 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Obukhovskii 12 inch Pattern 1907 gun MK 3 12 history in Russian Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Obukhovskii 12 inch 52 caliber Pattern 1907 gun amp oldid 1223342383, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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