BL 4-inch Mk IX naval gun
| Ordnance BL 4-inch Mk IX gun | ||
|---|---|---|
Naval gun | ||
| Service history | ||
| In service | 1917–1945 | |
| Used by |  Royal Navy Royal Canadian Navy
Breech Welin interrupted screw | |
| Elevation | -10 degrees to +30 degrees[3] | |
| Rate of fire | 10-12 rpm[3] | |
| Muzzle velocity | 800 metres per second (2,600 ft/s)[2] | |
| Maximum firing range | 12,660 metres (13,850 yd)[2] | |
The Glorious-class "large light cruisers", but which served most notably as the main armament on Flower-class corvettes throughout World War II.
History
World War I
Original aft triple mounts on HMS Repulse c. 1916–1917
The gun was based on the barrel of the
Jane's Fighting Ships of 1919 commented, "4-inch triples are clumsy and not liked. They are not mounted in one sleeve; have separate breech mechanism, a gun crew of 23 to each triple".[5]
Guns were thereafter used in single-gun mountings, typically on smaller ships as the main armament.
World War II
Fort Crosby
near Liverpool, UK, August 1940
Cleaning the breech on transport St Essylt, Suez 1942
In World War II, the gun was employed on many small warships such as Flower-class corvettes and minesweepers, primarily for action against surfaced submarines.
This was the last
used charges in metal cartridges "QF". It was succeeded on new small warships built in World War II by the QF 4-inch Mk XIX gun
which fired a slightly heavier shell at much lower velocity and had a high-angle mounting which added anti-aircraft capability.
Surviving examples
- On board HMCS Sackville, the last surviving Flower-class corvette, at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- A gun at the entrance to the marina in Hull, UK
- A gun at Port Isaac, Cornwall, UK
- Leith Harbour, South Georgia.
See also
Notes
- ^ Mk IX = Mark 9. Britain used Roman numerals to denote Marks (models) of ordnance until after World War II. Mark IX indicates this was the ninth model of BL 4-inch gun.
References
- ^ Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, pp.42-43.
- ^ a b Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.38.
- ^ DiGiulian
- ^ "Jane's Fighting Ships 1919, page 62". Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
Bibliography
- Tony DiGiulian, British 4"/45 (10.2 cm) BL Marks IX and X
- Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to BL 4 inch Mk IX naval gun.