BL 4-inch Mk VIII naval gun
| Ordnance BL-4-inch Mk VIII naval gun | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | -10° to +20°[1] |
| Rate of fire | 6-8 RPM[1] |
| Muzzle velocity | 2,287 feet per second (697 m/s)[3] |
| Maximum firing range | 10,210 yards (9,340 m)[1] |
The wire-wound naval gun introduced in 1908 as an anti-torpedo boat gun in smaller ships whose decks could not support the strain of the heavier and more powerful Mk VII gun.[2]
Mk VIII history
Breech of gun on HMAS Huon in March 1919
The gun succeeded the QF 4-inch Mk III, whose 25-pound (11 kg) shell had been considered insufficiently powerful for its intended role. The BL Mk VIII fired a 31-pound (14 kg) shell. It armed the following warships :
- HMS Swift laid down 1905
- Tribal-class destroyers from HMS Saracen (1908) onwards.
- Beagle-class destroyer of 1909
- Acorn-class destroyers of 1910
- Acheron-class destroyers of 1910
- torpedo-boat destroyers(Australia) of 1910.
The gun was succeeded in its class from 1911 by the QF 4-inch Mk IV.
In World War II many guns were used to arm merchant ships.
Mk XI submarine gun
A Mark XI-variant was adapted to arm the K-class submarines laid down 1915.
See also
- List of naval guns
- German 10.5 cm SK L/40 naval gun – firing slightly heavier shell
Notes
- ^ Mark VIII = Mark 8. Mark XI = Mark 11. Britain used Roman numerals to denote marks (models) of ordnance until after World War II. This was the eighth model of British BL 4-inch gun.
References
Sources
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to BL 4 inch Mk VIII naval gun.
- Tony DiGiulian, British 4"/40 (10.2 cm) BL Mark VIII and Mark XI