BL 13.5 inch naval gun Mk I – IV

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Ordnance BL 13.5 inch gun Mk I - IV
300px
Forward turret of HMS Hood
Type Naval gun
Place of origin United Kingdom
Service history
Used by  United Kingdom
23x15px Italy
Production history
Designer Elswick Ordnance Company
Designed 1880
Variants Mk I, II, III, IV
Specifications
Weight 67-69 tons barrel & breech[1]
Barrel length 405 inches (10.29 m) bore (30 calibres)
[1]

Shell 1,250 pounds (570 kg)[1]
Calibre 13.5-inch (342.9 mm)
Muzzle velocity 2,016 feet per second (614 m/s)[2]
Effective range 12,000 yards (11,000 m)[1]

The BL 13.5 inch naval gun Mk I ("67-ton gun") was Britain's first successful large breechloading naval gun. Mks I - IV were all of 30 calibres length and of similar construction and performance.

United Kingdom Service

Royal Navy service

The gun was designed to match the new large guns of the French Amiral Baudin class battleships. Development and manufacture occurred very slowly. It was originally intended to equip the Admiral class battleships,[citation needed] begun in 1880, but delays led to Collingwood being equipped with inferior 12 inch guns and Benbow with the subsequently unsuccessful 16.25 inch guns.

The remaining Admiral class ships Anson, Camperdown, Howe and Rodney were eventually completed in 1889 equipped with 4 13.5 inch guns each, in twin barbettes on the centreline at each end of the superstructure.

The guns also equipped the subsequent Trafalgar class laid down in 1886 and Royal Sovereign class battleships laid down in 1889.

Coast defence service

A single Mk III gun was mounted as a disappearing gun for coast defence at Penlee Battery, Plymouth.[3]

Italian Service

Guns were also sold to Italy to arm the Re Umberto class battleships Re Umberto, Sicilia and Sardegna, laid down in 1884 and finally commissioned in 1893 - 1895.

See also

Notes

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References

External links


Template:VictorianEraBritishNavalWeapons
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Text Book of Gunnery 1902, Table XII, Page 336
  2. 1,250 lb shell, with 630 lb Slow-burning Brown Prismatic powder or 187 lb cordite size 44. Text Book of Gunnery, 1902.
  3. Palmerston Forts Society