View source for 20.3 cm SK C/34 naval gun

{{Infobox Weapon
|name= 20 cm SK C/34 naval gun
|image=[[Image:Bundesarchiv DVM 10 Bild-23-63-24, Schwerer Kreuzer "Admiral Hipper".jpg|300px]]
|caption=Four turrets seen aboard ''Admiral Hipper'' was the standard mounting of 20 cm SK C/34 guns.
|origin= [[Germany]]
|type= [[Naval gun]]<br>Coast defence gun
<!-- Type selection -->
|is_ranged=YES
|is_bladed=
|is_explosive=
|is_artillery=YES
|is_vehicle=
|is_UK=
<!-- Service history -->
|service=1939 - 1945<ref name="Whitley">Whitley 1995 p.57</ref>
|used_by={{navy|Nazi Germany}}
|wars=[[Second World War]]
<!-- Production history -->
|designer=
|design_date=
|manufacturer=
|production_date=
|number=
|unit_cost=
|variants=
<!-- General specifications -->
|weight=20.7 tonnes<ref name="Campbell">Campbell 1985 pp.235-237</ref>
|length=12 meters (40 feet)<ref name="Campbell"/>
|part_length=
|width=
|height=
|crew=
<!-- Ranged weapon specifications --> 
|cartridge={{convert|122|kg|lb|sigfig=3}}<ref name="Campbell"/>
|caliber={{convert|8|in|cm|sing=on|sigfig=1}}<ref name="Campbell"/>
|action= 
|rate=
|velocity=925 meters per second (3000 ft/sec)<ref name="Campbell"/>
|range= 
|max_range=33 km (21 miles)<ref name="Campbell"/>
|feed= 
|sights= 
<!-- Artillery specifications -->
|breech=
|recoil=
|carriage=
|elevation=
|traverse=
}}
The '''20 cm SK C/34 naval gun''' was the main battery gun used on all [[Germany|German]] [[World War II]] [[heavy cruiser]]s.

==Description==
These [[built-up gun]]s consisted of a rifled tube encased within an inner and outer jacket with a horizontal sliding breech block.  The breech was sealed with an 18 kg (40 lb) brass case containing 30 kg (66 lb) of [[smokeless powder]] with a 160 gram (5.6 oz) [[gunpowder]] igniter.  A cloth bag containing an additional 21 kg (40 lb) of smokeless powder and 380 grams (13 oz) of gunpowder was loaded between the projectile and the brass case.  Each gun could fire approximately five rounds per minute.  Useful life expectancy was 510 effective full charges (EFC) per barrel.<ref name="Campbell"/>

==Naval service==
[[German cruiser Admiral Hipper|''Admiral Hipper'']], [[German cruiser Blücher|''Blücher'']], and [[German cruiser Prinz Eugen|''Prinz Eugen'']] each mounted eight of these guns in 248-tonne Drh LC/34 twin turrets with a maximum elevation of 37 degrees.<ref name="Campbell"/>
  
==Coast defence guns==
Two turrets intended for the incomplete cruiser [[German cruiser Seydlitz|''Seydlitz'']] were installed as [[coastal artillery]] on Ile de Croix.<ref name="Campbell"/>

==Shell trajectory==
{|class="wikitable"
!Range<ref name="Campbell"/>
!Elevation
!Time of flight
!Descent
!Impact velocity
|-
|5 km (3 miles)
|1°&nbsp;54&prime;
|6 sec
|2°&nbsp;6&prime;
|744 m/s (2440 ft/s)
|-
|10 km (6 miles)
|4°&nbsp;24&prime;
|14 sec
|6°&nbsp;6&prime;
|587 m/s (1930 ft/s)
|-
|15 km (9 miles)
|8°&nbsp;6&prime;
|23 sec
|12°&nbsp;48&prime;
|463 m/s (1520 ft/s)
|-
|20 km (12 miles)
|13°&nbsp;18&prime;
|36 sec
|23°&nbsp;36&prime;
|382 m/s (1250 ft/s)
|-
|25 km (15 miles)
|20°&nbsp;18&prime;
|51 sec
|36°&nbsp;48&prime;
|353 m/s (1160 ft/s)
|-
|30 km (18 miles)
|29°&nbsp;6&prime;
|69 sec
|48°&nbsp;48&prime;
|363 m/s (1190 ft/s)
|}

==See also==
*[[203mm/50 Modèle 1924 gun]] French equivalent
*[[203 mm /53 Italian naval gun]] Italian equivalent
*[[20 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval gun]] Japanese equivalent
*[[BL 8 inch Mk VIII naval gun]] UK equivalent
*[[8"/55 caliber gun]] US equivalent

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book| title=Naval Weapons of World War Two |author=Campbell, John |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1985 |id=ISBN 0-87021-459-4}}
* {{cite book| title=Cruisers of World War Two |author=Whitley, M.J. |publisher=Brockhampton Press |year=1995 |id=ISBN 1-86019-8740}}

==External links==

[[Category:Naval guns of Germany]]
[[Category:203 mm artillery]]
[[Category:World War II naval weapons]]
[[Category:Coastal artillery]]
[[Category:2Fix]]