Cannone da 381/50 Ansaldo M1934

Cannone da 381/50 Ansaldo M1934

381/50 guns firing during the Battle of Cape Spartivento.
Type Naval gun
Place of origin Italy
Service history
In service 1940–1948[1]
Used by  Regia Marina
Wars Second World War
Production history
Manufacturer Gio. Ansaldo & C., OTO
Specifications
Weight 102.4 metric tons (101 long tons)[2]
Barrel length 19.05 meters (62 ft 6 in)[2]
Shell AP: 885 kilograms (1,950 lb)[2]
HE: 774 kilograms (1,710 lb)
Caliber 381 millimeters (15.0 in)[2]
Breech Welin breech block
Muzzle velocity 850–870 meters per second (2,800–2,900 ft/s)[2]
Maximum firing range 42,260 meters (46,220 yd)[2]

The Cannone da 381/50 Ansaldo M1934 was a 381-millimeter (15.0 in), 50-caliber naval gun designed and built for the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) by Gio. Ansaldo & C. in the 1930s. The gun served as the main armament of Italy's last battleships, the Littorio class. 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 triple turrets with maximum elevation of 35°. Time between salvos was approximately 45 seconds.[2]

Ammunition

The charge was contained in six cloth bags. Each bag contained 45 kilograms (99 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)

Performance

While considered very powerful guns (their theoretical maximum range was comparable to that of the much bigger 40 cm/45 Type 94 guns of the Yamato-class battleships), their high muzzle velocity is considered a disadvantage, as it reduced barrel life and worsened the dispersion.[3]

See also

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

Notes

  1. ↑ Breyer 1973, p. 383.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Campbell 1985, pp. 320–21.
  3. ↑ Campbell, p. 321

Bibliography

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