381mm / 50 Model 1934 naval gun

Cannone da 381/50 Ansaldo M1934

381 mm/50 caliber guns firing during the Battle of Cape Spartivento.
Type Naval gun
Place of origin Italy
Service history
In service 1940 – 1943[1]
Used by  Regia Marina
Wars Second World War
Production history
Manufacturer Gio. Ansaldo & C.
Specifications
Weight 102 tonnes[2]
Barrel length 19 meters (62 ft 6 in)[2]
Shell 885 kilograms (1,950 lb)[2]
Caliber 381-millimetre (15 in)[2]
Muzzle velocity 850 meters per second (2800 ft/sec)[2]
Maximum range 42 kilometres (26 mi)[2]

The 381 mm/50 Ansaldo was the main battery gun of Italy's most modern battleships: Vittorio Veneto, Littorio, and Roma. These built-up guns consisted of a liner, a cylinder over the chamber and part of the rifle bore, a full length cylinder, and a 3/4 length jacket with a hydro-pneumatically operated side-swinging Welin breech block. Each battleship carried nine guns mounted in three 1595-tonne triple turrets with maximum elevation of 35° . Time between salvos was approximately 45 seconds.[2]

Contents

Ammunition

The charge was contained in six cloth bags. Each bag contained 45 kg (100 lb) of smokeless powder. High explosive (HE) shells weighed only 774 kilograms (1,710 lb). Anticipated useful barrel life was approximately 120 effective full charges (EFC).[2]

Shell trajectory

Range[2] Elevation Descent Impact velocity
10 km (6.2 mi) 4° 24′ 5°  687 m/s (2250 ft/s)
15 km (9.3 mi) 7° 12′ 8° 39′ 620 m/s (2030 ft/s)
20 km (12 mi) 10° 36′ 13° 24′ 563 m/s (1850 ft/s)
25 km (16 mi) 14° 27′ 19° 18′ 524 m/s (1720 ft/s)
30 km (19 mi) 19° 12′ 26° 6′ 498 m/s (1630 ft/s)
35 km (22 mi) 24° 39′ 37° 36′ 483 m/s (1590 ft/s)

References

  1. ^ Breyer 1973, p. 383.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Campbell 1985, pp. 320–321.
Bibliography