BL 15 inch /42 naval gun

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BL 15 inch Mark I

An animation showing the loading cycle of the Mark I turret for the BL 15 inch Mark I.
Type naval gun
Place of origin UK
Service history
In service 1913-1959
Used by UK
Production history
Designed 1912
Manufacturer see text
Specifications
Weight 100.3 tons (102 tonnes)
Barrel length 52.5 ft (16.5 m)
Shell separate charges and shell
Calibre 15 in (381 mm)
Rate of fire 2 rounds per minute
Maximum range 32,000 yards (29,260 m): 30° elevation, streamlined shell

The BL 15 inch Mark I was the first British 15 inch (381 mm) gun design and the most widely used and longest lasting of any British designs. The barrel was 42 calibres long (i.e. 15 in x 42 = 630 in) and was referred to as "15 inch/42". The gun fired a 1920 lbs (871 kg) shell at a muzzle velocity of 2,575 fps (785 mps). Maximum range in shipboard mountings was 30,000 m (30 degrees elevation) but coastal artillery mounting with higher elevations could reach 40,000 m

[edit] Usage

These guns were used on several classes of battleships from 1915 until HMS Vanguard, the last battleship to be built for the Royal Navy, completed in 1946.

Warships with the BL 15 inch Mark I gun:

[edit] Production

184 guns were manufactured, these would be taken out from ships and refurbished and rotated back into ships over their lifetime.

Two guns, one formerly from HMS Ramillies and one from HMS Revenge, are mounted outside the Imperial War Museum in London.

[edit] External links

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