5 inch (127 mm)/38 caliber gun

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5"/38 Caliber Gun

Type	Deck Gun
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1934
Used by	US Navy, Royal Navy, Danish Navy, Italian Navy
Production history
Designed	1932
Specifications
Weight	3,990 lbs
Length	223.8 in
Barrel length	157.2 in
Crew	13

Caliber	38
Recoil	15 inches
Elevation	-15 to +85
Traverse:	328.5 degrees
Rate of fire	15 rpm
Muzzle velocity	2500 feet/sec
Sights	Optical telescope

The 5"/38 caliber gun was mounted on a very large number of U.S. Navy ships in the World War II era. It continued to be used into the 1970's, but has disappeared from service today. The barrel of a 5"/38 caliber gun has a five inch (127 mm) bore and a length 38 times the bore diameter, or 190 inches (4.826 m) long.

1 Performance
2 Gun mounts
3 Gun crews
4 Notes
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Performance

The 5"/38 could project a 55 pound (25 kg) projectile for ranges up to 18,200 yards (16.6 km). It was known as a dual purpose gun, (often abbreviated "DP") because it was effective for both surface and antiaircraft use. In the antiaircraft role, it had a ceiling of 37,200 feet (11,300 m) at 85 degrees elevation.^[1] Millions of rounds of ammunition were produced for these guns, with over 720,000 rounds still remaining in Navy storage depots in the mid-1980s. The load consisted of a powder charge in a brass casing and a separate projectile. Many types of projectile were available.

[edit] Gun mounts

There were several models of the 5"/38, differentiated by the word Mark (or its abbreviation MK) and a number. The 5"/38 MK 12 was a single-barrel open unit widely used on amphibious ships, auxiliaries, and merchant ships. The 5"/38 MK 30 was a single-barrel enclosed unit widely used on destroyers. The 5"/38 MK 38 was a dual enclosed unit specifically designed for newer destroyers. All of these models were also used on aircraft carriers, battleships, and other large combatants.

**5 Inch/38 Caliber Gun Mounts**
Mark	Barrels	Design	Use
12	1	Open	Amphibious ships, Auxiliaries, Merchant Ships
28	2	Enclosed	Battleships
30	1	Enclosed	Destroyers
32	2	Enclosed	Cruisers
38	2	Enclosed	Destroyers

[edit] Gun crews

USMC crewed 5"/38 caliber dual gun mount aboard the USS New Jersey (BB-62), 1984.

Depending on the mount, a 5"/38 caliber gun could have a crew of up to 13 personnel. In US service, most gun crews were US Navy personnel. Even the civilian Merchant Marine ships had a small detachment of the Navy Armed Guard on board to operate the 5"/38 and other guns. One exception to this was on ships with a Marine Detachment, where the Marines manned one of the mounts, usually decorated with the Marine emblem.