| Ordnance BL 12 inch gun Mk I - VII | |
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On HMS Conqueror |
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| Type | Naval gun Coast defence gun |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1882 - 1920 |
| Used by | Royal Navy |
| Production history | |
| Variants | Mks I - VII[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | Mk I : 47 tons barrel & breech Mk II - V 45 tons[2] Mk VI, VII : 46 tons |
| Barrel length | Mk I & II : 301.7 inches (7.663 m) bore (25.14 calibres) Mk III - VII 303 inches (7.696 m) bore (25.25 calibres)[3] |
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| Shell | 714 pounds (324 kg)[2] |
| Calibre | 12-inch (304.8 mm) |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,910 feet per second (582 m/s)[4] |
| Effective range | 8,000 yards (7,300 m) at 9° 57'[5] |
The BL 12 inch naval gun Mk I was Britain's first attempt to match the large breech-loading naval guns being installed in rival European navies, particularly France. Mks I - VII[1] all had a barrel of approximately 303 inches bore (25.25 calibres) and similar performance.
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Mk II was installed on battleships HMS Colossus from 1882, HMS Collingwood and the coastal service ironclad HMS Conqueror. Mk II guns failed in service and were quickly replaced by Mks III. IV and V, with many changes and improvements. The later Marks were also mounted on HMS Hero, sistership of Conqueror, and on HMS Edinburgh, sistership of Colossus.
Mks I, VI and VII were coast defence versions with trunnions for mounting on recoil slides. They were installed in forts in England at Spitbank Fort, No Man's Land Fort and Horse Sand Fort from 1884 onward and were in active service during World War I.[6]
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