BL 6 inch Mk XXIII naval gun

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Ordnance BL 6 inch gun Mk XXIII
File:HMS Jamaica gunners.jpg
300px

Handling cordite charges inside a Mk XXIII turret aboard Jamaica.
Type Naval gun
Place of origin United Kingdom
Service history
In service 1931 - 1985
Used by 22x20px Royal Navy
22x20px Royal Australian Navy
22x20px Royal New Zealand Navy
22x20px Royal Canadian Navy
22x20px Indian Navy
22x20px Peruvian Navy
22x20px Republic of China Navy
22x20px People's Liberation Army Navy
Wars Second World War
Korean War
Production history
Number built 469[1]
Specifications
Weight 7 tonnes[1]
Barrel length 300 inches (7.6 meters)[1]
Calibre 6-inch (152.4 mm)[1]
Muzzle velocity 2760 feet per second (840 m/s)[1]
Maximum range 23 kilometres (14 mi)[1]

The 50 calibre BL 6 inch gun Mark XXIII was the main battery gun used on the Royal Navy's conventional (non-anti-aircraft) cruisers built from 1930 through the second world war. It replaced the BL 8 inch Mk VIII naval gun used on earlier Washington Naval Treaty cruisers. These built-up guns consisted of a tube and 4.5 meter jacket with a hand-operated Welin breech block. Cloth bags contained 14 kg (30 pound) charges of cordite or flashless (NQFP) powder for a 51-kg (112-pound) projectile. Useful life expectancy was 1100 effective full charges (EFC) of NQFP per barrel.[1] The typical maximum rate of fire was eight rounds per gun, per minute.[2]

Ships mounting BL 6 inch Mk XXIII guns

Ship Gun Installation[1]
HMNZS Achilles four 95-ton Mk XXI twin turrets
HMS Ajax four 95-ton Mk XXI twin turrets
HMS Arethusa three 95-ton Mk XXI twin turrets
HMS Aurora three 95-ton Mk XXI twin turrets
HMS Belfast four 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMS Bermuda four 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMS Birmingham four 150-ton Mk XXII triple turrets
HMS Ceylon three 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMS Edinburgh four 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMS Fiji four 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMS Galatea three 95-ton Mk XXI twin turrets
HMS Gambia four 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMS Glasgow four 150-ton Mk XXII triple turrets
HMS Gloucester four 150-ton Mk XXII triple turrets
HMAS Hobart four 95-ton Mk XXI twin turrets
HMS Jamaica four 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMS Kenya four 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMNZS Leander four 95-ton Mk XXI twin turrets
HMS Liverpool four 150-ton Mk XXII triple turrets
HMS Manchester four 150-ton Mk XXII triple turrets
HMS Mauritius four 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMS Neptune four 95-ton Mk XXI twin turrets
HMS Newcastle four 150-ton Mk XXII triple turrets
HMS Newfoundland three 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMS Nigeria four 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMCS Ontario three 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMS Orion four 95-ton Mk XXI twin turrets
HMS Penelope three 95-ton Mk XXI twin turrets
HMAS Perth four 95-ton Mk XXI twin turrets
HMS Sheffield four 150-ton Mk XXII triple turrets
HMS Southampton four 150-ton Mk XXII triple turrets
HMS Superb three 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMS Swiftsure three 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets
HMAS Sydney four 95-ton Mk XXI twin turrets
HMS Uganda three 175-ton Mk XXIII triple turrets


Shell trajectory

Range[1] Elevation Time of flight Descent Impact velocity
5000 yd (4.6 km) 2° 23′ 7 sec 3° 0′ 1939 ft/s (591 m/s)
10000 yd (9.1 km) 6° 15′ 16 sec 9° 57′ 1371 ft/s (418 m/s)
15000 yd (14 km) 13° 6′ 29 sec 23° 38′ 1098 ft/s (335 m/s)
20000 yd (18 km) 24° 7′ 47 sec 39° 52′ 1087 ft/s (331 m/s)
24500 yd (22.4 km) 41° 4′ 71 sec 56° 27′ 1159 ft/s (353 m/s)

See also

Notes

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References

  • Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4. 
  • Lenton, H.T. & Colledge, J.J (1968). British and Dominion Warships of World War Two. Doubleday and Company. 

External links

Template:WWIIBritishCommNavalWeapons
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Campbell 1985 pp.34-36
  2. ↑ O.U. 6359A, Handbook for 6-Inch, B.L., Mark XXIII Guns on Triple, Mark XXII Mounting, 1937,page 8.
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