QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun
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| Ordnance QF 4 inch gun Mk V | |
|---|---|
 ON Polish destroyer ORP Piorun, formerly HMS Nerissa, 1940 |
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| Type | Naval gun Heavy anti-aircraft gun Coast defence gun |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1914 - 1940s |
| Used by | Royal Navy |
| Wars | World War I World War II |
| Production history | |
| Number built | 944[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | Barrel & breech 4,890 lb (2,220 kg)[2] |
| Barrel length | Bore 180 inches (4.572 m) (45 cal) Total 187.8 inches (4.770 m)[2] |
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| Shell | Separate-loading or fixed QF 31 pounds (14.06 kg) |
| Calibre | 4-inch (101.6 mm) |
| Breech | horizontal sliding block |
| Recoil | hydro - pneumatic 15 inches (381.0 mm) |
| Elevation | mounting dependant |
| Traverse | mounting dependant |
| Muzzle velocity | 2,350 feet per second (716 m/s)[2] |
| Maximum range | 16,300 yards (14,900 m)[3] AA 28,750 feet (8,763 m)[2] |
| Filling | Lyddite, Amatol |
| Filling weight | 5 pounds (2.27 kg) |
The QF 4 inch Mk V gun was Royal Navy gun of World War I which was adapted on dual HA-LA mountings to the heavy anti-aircraft role both at sea and on land, and as a coast defence gun.
Contents |
[edit] Service
[edit] Royal Navy service
Mk V was superseded by the QF 4 inch Mk XVI as the HA (i.e. anti-aircraft) gun on new warships in the 1930s, but it served on many ships such as destroyers and light cruisers in World War II.[4]
[edit] Army anti-aircraft gun
Early in World War I several guns were supplied by the Navy for evaluation as anti-aircraft guns for the home defence of key installations in Britain. They were mounted on static platforms and proved fairly successful after a fixed round was developed to replace the original separate round, and more followed. The AA mounting allowed elevation to 80° but loading was not possible above 62°, which slowed the maximum rate of fire.[5] At the Armistice a total of 24 guns were employed in AA defences in Britain and 2 in France.[6] After World War I the guns were returned to the Navy.
The following table[7] compares the gun's performance with the other British WWI anti-aircraft guns:-
| Gun | m/v ft/s | Shell (lb) | Time to 5,000 ft (1,500 m) at 25° (seconds) | Time to 10,000 ft (3,000 m) at 40° (seconds) | Time to 15,000 ft (4,600 m) at 55° (seconds) | Max. height (ft)[8] |
| QF 13 pdr 9 cwt | 1990 | 12.5 | 10.1 | 15.5 | 22.1 | 19,000 |
| QF 12 pdr 12 cwt | 2200 | 12.5 | 9.1 | 14.1 | 19.1 | 20,000 |
| QF 3 inch 20 cwt 1914 | 2500 | 12.5 | 8.3 | 12.6 | 16.3 | 23,500 |
| QF 3 inch 20 cwt 1916 | 2000 | 16 | 9.2 | 13.7 | 18.8 | 22,000[9] |
| QF 4 inch Mk V WWI | 2350 | 31 (3 c.r.h.) | 4.4 | 9.6 | 12.3 | 28,750 |
| QF 4 inch Mk V WWII [10] | 2350 | 31 (4.38/6 c.r.h.) | ? | ? | ? | 31,000 |
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
[edit] Coast Defence gun
From 1915 to 1928 several guns were mounted in forts to guard the estuary of the River Humber.[11]
[edit] Ammunition
[edit] Surviving guns
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Tony DiGiulian quotes 283 Mk VC built for the navy during WWII; 554 earlier types built for the navy; about 107 earlier types built for the Army in WWI.
- ^ a b c d Hogg & Thurston 1972, Page 101
- ^ WWI 3 c.r.h. HE shell. Tony DiGiulian, "British 4"/45 (10.2 cm) QF Mark V and Mark XV"
- ^ Tony DiGiulian's webpage provides comprehensive information on this gun's Naval service. Tony DiGiulian (January 13, 2008). British 4"/45 (10.2 cm) QF Mark V and Mark XV. Retrieved on 2008-03-29.
- ^ Hogg & Thurston 1972, Page 100
- ^ Routledge 1994, Page 27
- ^ Routledge 1994, Page 9
- ^ Hogg & Thurston 1972, Page 234-235
- ^ Routledge 1994, Page 13
- ^ WWII details from Tony DiGiulian's website
- ^ Hogg & Thurston 1972, Page 98
[edit] References
- I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914-1918. London: Ian Allan, 1972.
- Brigadier N.W. Routledge, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. Anti-Aircraft Artillery, 1914-55. London: Brassey's, 1994
[edit] External links
- Tony DiGiulian, British 4"/45 (10.2 cm) QF Mark V and Mark XV
