4-inch/50-caliber gun: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Added WWII US naval weapons template
No edit summary
(42 intermediate revisions by 29 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox Weapon
{{Infobox weapon
|name= 4"/50 caliber gun Marks 7, 8, 9, and 10
|name= 4″/50 caliber gun Marks 7, 8, 9, and 10
|image= [[File:USS Ward 4 inch gun Minnesota Capitol.jpg|300px]]
|image=USS Ward 4 inch gun Minnesota Capitol.jpg
|image_size=300px
|caption=The gun from {{USS|Ward|DD-139|6}} which fired the [[first American shots fired in World War II|first American shot of World War II]] at [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor]] on 7 December 1941
|caption=The gun from {{USS|Ward|DD-139|6}} which fired the first American shot of World War II at [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor]] on 7 December 1941 at the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul, Minnesota.
|origin={{flag|United States|1897}}
|origin= United States
|type= [[Naval gun]]
|type= [[Naval gun]]
<!-- Type selection -->
<!-- Type selection -->
Line 11: Line 12:
|is_UK=yes
|is_UK=yes
<!-- Service history -->
<!-- Service history -->
|service=1898 - 1945
|service=1898–1945
|used_by=*{{Flag|United States Navy}}
|used_by=
* [[United States Navy]]
* [[Royal Navy]]
*{{navy|United Kingdom}}
* [[Royal Canadian Navy]]
*{{navy|Canada|1911}}
* [[Soviet Navy]]
*{{navy|USSR}}
|wars=* [[World War I]]
|wars=
* [[World War I]]
* [[World War II]]
* [[World War II]]
<!-- Production history -->
<!-- Production history -->
|designer=[[Bureau of Ordnance]]
|designer=[[Bureau of Ordnance]]
|design_date=* Mark 7: 1898
|design_date=
* Mark 7: 1898
* Mark 8: 1905
* Mark 8: 1905
* Mark 9: 1914
* Mark 9: 1914
* Mark 10: 1914 (Did not enter service)
* Mark 10: 1914 (Did not enter service)
|manufacturer=*[[Washington Navy Yard|U.S. Naval Gun Factory]]
|manufacturer=
*[[Washington Navy Yard|U.S. Naval Gun Factory]]
*[[Bethlehem Steel]]
*[[Bethlehem Steel]]
*[[Midvale Steel]]
*[[Midvale Steel]]
Line 33: Line 38:
*[[Poole Engineering]]
*[[Poole Engineering]]
|production_date=
|production_date=
|number=*Mark 7: 89
|number=
*Mark 7: 89
*Mark 8: 12
*Mark 8: 12
*Mark 9: 2,988
*Mark 9: 2,988
*Mark 10:
*Mark 10: 1
|variants=Mark 7, 8, 9 and 10
|variants=Mark 7, 8, 9 and 10
<!-- General specifications -->
<!-- General specifications -->
|weight=* Mark 7: {{convert|5808|lb|kg}} (with breech)
|weight=
* Mark 7: {{cvt|5808|lb}} (with breech)
* Mark 8: {{convert|6440|lb|kg}} (with breech)
* Mark 8: {{cvt|6440|lb}} (with breech)
* Mark 9: {{convert|5900|lb|kg}} (with breech)
* Mark 9: {{cvt|5900|lb}} (with breech)
* Mark 10: {{convert|6860|lb|kg}} (with breech)
* Mark 10: {{cvt|6860|lb}} (with breech)
|length=* Mark 7: {{convert|204.5|in|m}}
|length=
* Mark 7: {{cvt|204.5|in}}
* Mark 8 and 9: {{convert|206.53|in|m}}
* Mark 8 and 9: {{cvt|206.53|in}}
* Mark 10: {{convert|211|in|m}}
* Mark 10: {{cvt|211|in}}
|part_length=All: {{convert|200|in|m|sigfig=1}} bore (50 [[Caliber#Caliber as measurement of length|calibres]])
|part_length=All: {{cvt|200|in|0}} bore (50 [[Caliber#Caliber as measurement of length|calibres]])
|width=
|width=
|height=
|height=
|crew=
|crew=
<!-- Ranged weapon specifications -->
<!-- Ranged weapon specifications -->
|cartridge=*{{convert|33|lb|kg|sigfig=2}} (projectile)<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143">Campbell 1985 p.143</ref>
|cartridge=*Fixed ammunition
*{{cvt|33|lb}} (projectile)<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143">Campbell 1985 p.143</ref>
*{{convert|62.4|–|64.75|lb|kg|sigfig=2}} (complete round)
*{{cvt|62.4|–|64.75|lb}} (complete round)
|caliber={{convert|4|in|mm|sigfig=1}}
|caliber={{cvt|4|in|0}}
|action=
|action=
|rate=8-9 rounds per minute
|rate=8-9 rounds per minute
|velocity=*Mark 7: {{convert|2500|ft/s|m/s}}<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143"/>
|velocity=
*Mark 7: {{cvt|2500|ft/s}}<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143"/>
*Mark 8: {{convert|2800|ft/s|m/s}}
*Mark 8: {{cvt|2800|ft/s}}
*Mark 9 and 10: {{convert|2900|ft/s|m/s}}
*Mark 9 and 10: {{cvt|2900|ft/s}}
|range=Mark 7: {{convert|9000|yd|m}} at 13° elevation
|range=Mark 7: {{cvt|9000|yd}} at 13° elevation
|max_range=Mark 9: {{convert|15920|yd|m}} at 20° elevation<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143"/>
|max_range=Mark 9: {{cvt|15920|yd}} at 20° elevation<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143"/>
|sights=
|sights=
<!-- Artillery specifications -->
<!-- Artillery specifications -->
Line 66: Line 76:
|recoil=
|recoil=
|carriage=
|carriage=
|elevation=-15° to +20°
|elevation= -15° to +20°
|traverse=-150° to 150°
|traverse= -150° to 150°
}}
}}

The '''4"/50 caliber gun''' (spoken "four-inch-fifty-caliber") was the standard low-angle, [[quick-firing gun]] for [[United States]], first appearing on the [[monitor (warship)|monitor]] {{USS|Arkansas|BM-7|2}} and then used on "Flush Deck" [[destroyers]] through [[World War I]] and the 1920s. It was also the standard [[deck gun]] on [[United States S-class submarine|S-class]] submarines, and was used to rearm numerous submarines built with 3" guns early in [[World War II]]. United States naval gun terminology indicates the gun fired a projectile {{convert|4|in|cm}} in diameter, and the barrel was 50 [[Caliber (artillery)|caliber]]s long (barrel length is 4&nbsp;inch x 50 = 200&nbsp;inches or 5 meters).<ref>Fairfield 1921 p.156</ref><ref name="friedman">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yh3OAwAAQBAJ&pg | title=Naval Weapons of World War One | publisher=Seaforth Publishing | author=Friedman, Norman | year=2011 | pages=188–191 | isbn=978 1 84832 100 7}}</ref>
The '''4″/50 caliber gun''' (spoken "four-inch-fifty-caliber") was the standard low-angle, [[quick-firing gun]] for United States, first appearing on the [[monitor (warship)|monitor]] {{USS|Arkansas|BM-7|2}} and then used on "Flush Deck" [[destroyers]] through [[World War I]] and the 1920s. It was also the standard [[deck gun]] on [[United States S-class submarine|S-class]] submarines, and was used to rearm numerous submarines built with {{convert|3|in|0|adj=on|abbr=out}} guns early in [[World War II]]. United States naval gun terminology indicates the gun fired a projectile 4 inches (10 centimeters) in diameter, and the barrel was 50 caliber. 4x50 meant that the barrel was 200 inches long, or 16 feet long .<ref>Fairfield 1921 p.156</ref><ref name="friedman">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yh3OAwAAQBAJ | title=Naval Weapons of World War One | publisher=Seaforth Publishing | author=Friedman, Norman | year=2011 | pages=188–191 | isbn=978-1-84832-100-7}}</ref>


==Design==
==Design==
The original Mark 7, '''M1898''', guns No. 213–254, 257–281, 316–338, was of an entirely new high power designed [[built-up gun]] with a tube, jacket, [[Hoop gun|hoop]], locking ring and screw breech. Gun No. 213 had a liner. The gun was described as a 5-inch gun but with a 4-inch bore in the 1902 handbook, this indicated its higher power and also the fact the barrel was actually more the size of a 5"/40 caliber gun than a 4-inch gun. The ammunition was about {{convert|7|lbs}} heavier than a 4"/40 round. The Mod 1 was a Mod 0 that used a conical steel liner and the Mod 2 was either a Mod 0 or Mod 1 that was relined using a conical [[nickel-steel]] liner and a shoulder on the breech end.<ref name="friedman" />
The original 4-inch/50 caliber Mark 7 gun, '''M1898''', serial nos. 213–254, 257–281, 316–338, was an entirely new high-power design [[built-up gun]] with a tube, jacket, [[Hoop gun|hoop]], locking ring and screw breech. Gun No. 213 had a liner. The gun was described as a {{convert|5|in|0|adj=on|abbr=out}} gun but with a 4-inch bore in the 1902 handbook, this indicated its higher power and also the fact the barrel was actually more the size of a [[5"/40 caliber gun|5-inch/40 caliber gun]] than a 4-inch gun. The ammunition was about {{cvt|7|lbs}} heavier than a [[4"/40 caliber gun|4-inch/40 caliber]] round. The Mod 1 was a Mod 0 that used a conical steel liner and the Mod 2 was either a Mod 0 or Mod 1 that was relined using a conical [[nickel-steel]] liner and a shoulder on the breech end.<ref name="friedman" />


Gun No. 353 was the prototype of the Mark 8 and was test fired on 22 September 1910. This gun had been ordered 16 June 1907 and delivered in November 1907. The simplified design of the Mark 8, with just a gun tube and jacket. The jacket extended all the way to the muzzle and ended in a muzzle bell. The production run was small with only 12 guns being built, Nos. 353–364.<ref name="friedman" />
Gun No. 353 was the prototype of the Mark 8 and was test fired on 22 September 1910. This gun had been ordered 16 June 1907 and delivered in November 1907. The simplified design of the Mark 8 had just a gun tube and jacket. The jacket extended all the way to the muzzle and ended in a muzzle bell. The production run was small with only 12 guns built, Nos. 353–364.<ref name="friedman" />


The Mark 9 was a direct design resulting from tests with gun No. 353. It was designed light weight and would go on to be the standard 4-inch gun used on destroyers and submarines during WW I. The gun would use an A tube, full-length jacket, a muzzle swell with a side swing [[Smith-Asbury mechanism|Smith-Asbury breech mechanism]] and [[Welin breech block]]. The gun weighed about {{convert|2.725|LT}}. Gun No. 365, the first Mark 9, was ordered from [[Midvale Steel]] 18 October 1911. Three-hundred, ninety Mark 9's would go on to built by four different manufactuers, before the US entered WW I, starting in 1911. During the war another 1,885 gun were produced, with [[Root & VanDervoort]], [[American Radiator Company]] and [[Poole Engineering]] joining with the other pre-war manufactuers. After the war another 713 guns were produced with orders for 3538 guns cancelled. It was decided after WW I that all destroyers would carry the 4"/50 caliber Mark 9 Mod 5 gun, the refits were complteted in autumn 1921.<ref name="friedman" />
The Mark 9 was a design directly resulting from tests with gun No. 353. It was designed to be light in weight, and would go on to be the standard 4-inch gun used on destroyers and submarines during WW I. The gun would use an A tube, full-length jacket, a muzzle swell with a side swing [[Smith-Asbury mechanism|Smith-Asbury breech mechanism]] and [[Welin breech block]]. The gun weighed about {{cvt|2.725|ST}}. Gun No. 365, the first Mark 9, was ordered from [[Midvale Steel]] on 18 October 1911. There were 390 Mark 9s built by four different manufacturers from 1911 until the US entered World War I in 1917. During the war another 1,885 guns were produced, with [[Root & VanDervoort]], [[American Radiator Company]] and [[Poole Engineering]] joining the pre-war manufacturers. After the Armistice another 713 guns were produced, with orders for 3538 guns cancelled. It was decided after World War I that all destroyers would carry the 4-inch/50 caliber Mark 9 Mod 5 gun; the refits were completed in autumn 1921.<ref name="friedman" />


The Mark 10, gun No. 365-A, was order in 1915 but does not appear to have been completed until after WW I. The initial drawings were for a 4-inch/50 caliber [[anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] dated January and February 1915. It was disigned with a vertically sliding breech block on a built-up gun with a tube, jacket, chase hoop and locking ring, all constructed of nickel-steel, but it does not appear that the Mark 10 was put into service.<ref name="friedman" />
The Mark 10, gun No. 365-A, was ordered in 1915 but does not appear to have been completed until after WW I. The initial drawings were for a 4-inch/50 caliber [[anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] gun dated January and February 1915. It was designed with a vertically sliding breech block on a built-up gun with a tube, jacket, chase hoop and locking ring, all constructed of nickel steel, but it does not appear that the Mark 10 was put into service.<ref name="friedman" />


Fixed ammunition (case and projectile handled as a single assembled unit) with a {{convert|14.5|lb|adj=on}} charge of [[smokeless powder]] gave a {{convert|33|lb|adj=on}} projectile a velocity of {{convert|2900|ft/s}}. Range was {{convert|9|mi}} at the maximum elevation of 20 degrees. Useful life expectancy was 400–500 [[List of British ordnance terms#Effective Full Charge | effective full charge]]s (EFC) for a non-chrome plated barrel, while a chrome plated barrel was listed at 600 rounds.<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143"/><ref name="friedman" />
The gun was rapid firing (US term) or quick firing (British term). Fixed ammunition (case and projectile handled as a single assembled unit) with a {{convert|14.5|lb|adj=on}} charge of [[smokeless powder]] gave a {{convert|33|lb|adj=on}} projectile a velocity of {{cvt|2900|ft/s}}. Range was {{cvt|9|mi}} at the maximum elevation of 20 degrees. Useful life expectancy was 400–500 [[List of British ordnance terms#Effective Full Charge|effective full charge]]s (EFC) for a non-chrome plated barrel, while a chrome plated barrel was listed at 600 rounds.<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143"/><ref name="friedman" />


Increasing awareness of the need for improved [[anti-aircraft]] protection encouraged mounting of [[dual purpose gun]]s on destroyers beginning in the 1930s. The dual-purpose [[5"/38 caliber gun]] became standard for United States destroyers constructed from the 1930s through [[World War II]]. United States destroyers built with 4"/50 caliber low-angle guns were rearmed with dual-purpose [[3"/50 caliber gun]]s. The 4"/50 caliber guns removed from destroyers were mounted on [[Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships]] of the [[Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)|British Merchant Navy]] and [[United States Merchant Marine]] like {{SS|Stephen Hopkins}}.<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143"/> As [[United States S-class submarine|S-boats]] were transferred from combat patrols to training duties from mid-1942 through 1943, their 4-inch guns were removed and used to re-equip front-line submarines built with [[3"/50 caliber gun]]s.
Increasing awareness of the need for improved [[anti-aircraft]] protection resulted in the mounting of [[dual purpose gun]]s on destroyers beginning in the 1930s. The dual-purpose [[5"/38 caliber gun|5-inch/38 caliber gun]] became standard for United States destroyers constructed from the 1930s through [[World War II]]. United States destroyers built with 4-inch/50 caliber low-angle guns were mostly rearmed with dual-purpose [[3"/50 caliber gun|3-inch/50 caliber gun]]s during the war. The 4-inch/50 caliber guns removed from destroyers were mounted on [[Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships]] of the [[Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)|British Merchant Navy]] and [[United States Merchant Marine]] like {{SS|Stephen Hopkins}}.<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143"/> As [[United States S-class submarine|S-boats]] were transferred from combat patrols to training duties from mid-1942 through 1943, their 4-inch guns were removed and used to re-equip front-line submarines built with 3-inch/50 caliber guns.


==Manufacuer list Mark 9 gun==
==Manufacturer list Mark 9 gun==
{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
!Manufacturer
!Manufactuer
!Date ordered
!Date ordered
!Gun Nos.
!Gun Nos.
Line 182: Line 193:
|
|
|}
|}
The unassigned numbers mostly corresponed to gun orders that were cancelled with the signing of the Armistice.<ref name="friedman" />
The unassigned numbers mostly corresponded to gun orders that were cancelled with the signing of the Armistice.<ref name="friedman" />


==US Navy service==
==US Navy service==
The 4"/50 caliber gun was mounted on:
The 4″/50 caliber gun was mounted on:
* {{sclass-|Arkansas|monitor|1}}s (Mark 7)
* {{sclass|Arkansas|monitor|1}}s (Mark 7)
* {{sclass-|Cassin|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="GardinerWWIUSDD">Gardiner and Gray pp. 122-123</ref>
* {{sclass|Cassin|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="GardinerWWIUSDD">Gardiner and Gray pp. 122-123</ref>
* {{sclass-|Aylwin|destroyer|1}}s
* {{sclass|Aylwin|destroyer|1}}s
* {{sclass-|O'Brien|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="GardinerWWIUSDD"/>
* {{sclass|O'Brien|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="GardinerWWIUSDD"/>
* {{sclass-|Tucker|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="GardinerWWIUSDD"/>
* {{sclass|Tucker|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="GardinerWWIUSDD"/>
* {{sclass-|Sampson|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="GardinerWWIUSDD"/>
* {{sclass|Sampson|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="GardinerWWIUSDD"/>
* {{sclass-|Caldwell|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="Fahey 1939 p.14">Fahey 1939 p.14</ref>
* {{sclass|Caldwell|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="Fahey 1939 p.14">Fahey 1939 p.14</ref>
* {{sclass-|Wickes|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="Fahey 1939 p.14"/>
* {{sclass|Wickes|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="Fahey 1939 p.14"/>
* {{sclass-|Clemson|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="Fahey 1939 p.14"/>
* {{sclass|Clemson|destroyer|1}}s<ref name="Fahey 1939 p.14"/>
* [[United States S-class submarine]]s<ref name="Fahey 1939 p.18">Fahey 1939 p.18</ref>
* {{sclass2|United States S|submarine|1}}s<ref name="Fahey 1939 p.18">Fahey 1939 p.18</ref>
* the first seven {{sclass-|Balao|submarine|1}}s<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143"/>
* The first seven {{sclass|Balao|submarine|1}}s<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143"/>
* {{USS|Dolphin|SS-169}}<ref name="Fahey 1939 p.18"/>
* {{USS|Dolphin|SS-169|6}}<ref name="Fahey 1939 p.18"/>
* numerous rearmed submarines including {{USS|Salmon|SS-182}}, {{USS|Seadragon|SS-194}}, {{USS|Gato|SS-212}}, {{USS|Silversides|SS-236}} and {{USS|Robalo|SS-273}}<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143"/>
* Numerous rearmed submarines including {{USS|Salmon|SS-182|6}}, {{USS|Seadragon|SS-194|6}}, {{USS|Gato|SS-212|6}}, {{USS|Silversides|SS-236|6}} and {{USS|Robalo|SS-273|6}}<ref name="Campbell 1985 p.143"/>
* [[Eagle-class patrol craft]]
* {{sclass2|Eagle|patrol craft|1}}
* Some minesweepers - Q-ships like {{USS|Eagle|AM-132|6}}
⚫
* armed yachts, patrol gunboats
* Some minelayers like {{USS|Miantonomah|CMc-5|6}}
* Some patrol gunboats like {{USS|Sacramento|PG-19|6}}, {{sclass|Asheville|gunboat|1||1917}}, {{USS|Plymouth|PG-57|6}}
⚫
* armed yachts,

==United States Merchant Marine==
* Most [[Liberty ship]]s
* World War I [[Underway replenishment|underway replenishment oilers]] like {{USS|Maumee|AO-2|6}}
* Some World War II oilers like {{USS|Big Horn|AO-45|6}}, {{USS|Victoria|AO-46|6}} and {{USS|Pasig|AO-89|6}}

==Coast defense use==
Four two-gun batteries of 4″/50 caliber ex-Navy guns were emplaced on the North Shore of Oahu in 1942. They seem to have been withdrawn in 1943 as other defenses were constructed. It is not clear who operated these guns; likely possibilities include the [[United States Army Coast Artillery Corps]], [[Marine defense battalions]], or naval personnel. The batteries were at Kaena, Kalihi (Mokuoeo Island), Battery Dillingham at Mokuleia, and Kaneohe Bay.<ref>Berhow, p. 221</ref>


==UK service==
==UK service==
Many Mark 9 guns were supplied to the United Kingdom during [[World War II]] as part of [[Lend-lease]], both individually and on naval and merchant ships.<ref>Di Giulian</ref> ''Caldwell'', ''Wickes'', and ''Clemson''-class destroyers transferred under the [[Destroyers for Bases Agreement]] became British and Canadian {{sclass2-|Town|destroyer|1}}s.<ref>Lenton and Colledge 1968 pp.90-92</ref>
Many Mark 9 guns were supplied to the United Kingdom during [[World War II]] as part of [[Lend-lease]], both individually and on naval and merchant ships.<ref>Di Giulian</ref> ''Caldwell'', ''Wickes'', and ''Clemson''-class destroyers transferred under the [[Destroyers for Bases Agreement]] became British and Canadian {{sclass2|Town|destroyer|1}}s.<ref>Lenton and Colledge 1968 pp.90-92</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
*[[List of naval guns]]
*[[List of naval guns]]
*[[Deck gun]]


===Weapons of comparable role, performance and era===
===Weapons of comparable role, performance and era===
*[[BL 4 inch naval gun Mk VII]] British equivalent
* [[QF 4-inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII|QF 4-inch naval gun Mk IV]]: British equivalent
* [[10.5 cm SK L/45 naval gun]]: German equivalent


==Notes==
==Notes==
Line 216: Line 240:
==References==
==References==
{{Refbegin}}
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book | editor-last1 = Berhow | editor-first1 = Mark A. | title = American Seacoast Defenses, A Reference Guide |edition=Third | location = McLean, Virginia | publisher = CDSG Press | year = 2015 | isbn = 978-0-9748167-3-9}}
* {{Cite book| title=Naval Weapons of World War Two |author =Campbell, John |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1985 |isbn=0-87021-459-4}}
* {{Cite book| title=Naval Weapons of World War Two |author =Campbell, John |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1985 |isbn=0-87021-459-4}}
⚫
* DiGiulian, Tony, [http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_4-50_mk9.htm United States of America 4″/50 (10.2 cm) Marks 7, 8, 9 and 10] at Navweaps.com
* {{Cite book| title=The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, War Edition |author =Fahey, James C. |authorlink=James Charles Fahey |publisher=Ships and Aircraft |year=1939}}
* {{Cite book| title=The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, War Edition |author =Fahey, James C. |author-link=James Charles Fahey |publisher=Ships and Aircraft |year=1939}}
* {{Cite book| title=Naval Ordnance |author =Fairfield, A.P. |publisher=The Lord Baltimore Press |year=1921}}
* {{Cite book| title=Naval Ordnance |author =Fairfield, A.P. |publisher=The Lord Baltimore Press |year=1921}}
* Gardiner, Robert and Gray, Randal, ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921'' Conway Maritime Press, 1985. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
* Gardiner, Robert and Gray, Randal, ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921'' Conway Maritime Press, 1985. {{ISBN|0-85177-245-5}}.
* {{Cite book| title=British and Dominion Warships of World War II |author1=Lenton, H.T. |author2=Colledge, J.J. |publisher=Doubleday and Company |year=1968}}
* {{Cite book| title=British and Dominion Warships of World War II |author1=Lenton, H.T. |author2=Colledge, J.J. |publisher=Doubleday and Company |year=1968}}
{{Refend}}
{{Refend}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|4"/50 caliber gun}}
{{Commons category}}
* [http://cdsg.org/fort-and-battery-list/ List of all US coastal forts and batteries] at the Coast Defense Study Group, Inc. website
⚫
*DiGiulian, Tony, [http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_4-50_mk9.htm United States of America 4"/50 (10.2 cm) Marks 7, 8, 9 and 10] at Navweaps.com
* [http://www.fortwiki.com/Fort_Wiki FortWiki, lists most CONUS and Canadian forts]


{{WWIUSNavalWeapons}}
{{WWIIUSNavalWeapons}}
{{WWIIUSNavalWeapons}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:4 50 Caliber Gun}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:4 50 Caliber Gun}}
[[Category:World War II naval weapons]]
[[Category:World War II naval weapons]]

Revision as of 20:30, 27 February 2024

4″/50 caliber gun Marks 7, 8, 9, and 10
The gun from USS Ward which fired the first American shot of World War II at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 at the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul, Minnesota.
TypeNaval gun
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1898–1945
Used by
Wars
Production history
DesignerBureau of Ordnance
Designed
  • Mark 7: 1898
  • Mark 8: 1905
  • Mark 9: 1914
  • Mark 10: 1914 (Did not enter service)
Manufacturer
No. built
  • Mark 7: 89
  • Mark 8: 12
  • Mark 9: 2,988
  • Mark 10: 1
VariantsMark 7, 8, 9 and 10
Specifications
Mass
  • Mark 7: 5,808 lb (2,634 kg) (with breech)
  • Mark 8: 6,440 lb (2,920 kg) (with breech)
  • Mark 9: 5,900 lb (2,700 kg) (with breech)
  • Mark 10: 6,860 lb (3,110 kg) (with breech)
Length
  • Mark 7: 204.5 in (5,190 mm)
  • Mark 8 and 9: 206.53 in (5,246 mm)
  • Mark 10: 211 in (5,400 mm)
Barrel lengthAll: 200 in (5,080 mm) bore (50 calibres)
Shell
  • Fixed ammunition
  • 33 lb (15 kg) (projectile)[1]
  • 62.4–64.75 lb (28.30–29.37 kg) (complete round)
Calibre4 in (102 mm)
Elevation-15° to +20°
Traverse-150° to 150°
Rate of fire8-9 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity
  • Mark 7: 2,500 ft/s (760 m/s)[1]
  • Mark 8: 2,800 ft/s (850 m/s)
  • Mark 9 and 10: 2,900 ft/s (880 m/s)
Effective firing rangeMark 7: 9,000 yd (8,200 m) at 13° elevation
Maximum firing rangeMark 9: 15,920 yd (14,560 m) at 20° elevation[1]

The 4″/50 caliber gun (spoken "four-inch-fifty-caliber") was the standard low-angle, quick-firing gun for United States, first appearing on the monitor Arkansas and then used on "Flush Deck" destroyers through World War I and the 1920s. It was also the standard deck gun on S-class submarines, and was used to rearm numerous submarines built with 3-inch (76 mm) guns early in World War II. United States naval gun terminology indicates the gun fired a projectile 4 inches (10 centimeters) in diameter, and the barrel was 50 caliber. 4x50 meant that the barrel was 200 inches long, or 16 feet long .[2][3]

Design

The original 4-inch/50 caliber Mark 7 gun, M1898, serial nos. 213–254, 257–281, 316–338, was an entirely new high-power design built-up gun with a tube, jacket, hoop, locking ring and screw breech. Gun No. 213 had a liner. The gun was described as a 5-inch (127 mm) gun but with a 4-inch bore in the 1902 handbook, this indicated its higher power and also the fact the barrel was actually more the size of a 5-inch/40 caliber gun than a 4-inch gun. The ammunition was about 7 lb (3.2 kg) heavier than a 4-inch/40 caliber round. The Mod 1 was a Mod 0 that used a conical steel liner and the Mod 2 was either a Mod 0 or Mod 1 that was relined using a conical nickel-steel liner and a shoulder on the breech end.[3]

Gun No. 353 was the prototype of the Mark 8 and was test fired on 22 September 1910. This gun had been ordered 16 June 1907 and delivered in November 1907. The simplified design of the Mark 8 had just a gun tube and jacket. The jacket extended all the way to the muzzle and ended in a muzzle bell. The production run was small with only 12 guns built, Nos. 353–364.[3]

The Mark 9 was a design directly resulting from tests with gun No. 353. It was designed to be light in weight, and would go on to be the standard 4-inch gun used on destroyers and submarines during WW I. The gun would use an A tube, full-length jacket, a muzzle swell with a side swing Smith-Asbury breech mechanism and Welin breech block. The gun weighed about 2.725 short tons (2.472 t). Gun No. 365, the first Mark 9, was ordered from Midvale Steel on 18 October 1911. There were 390 Mark 9s built by four different manufacturers from 1911 until the US entered World War I in 1917. During the war another 1,885 guns were produced, with Root & VanDervoort, American Radiator Company and Poole Engineering joining the pre-war manufacturers. After the Armistice another 713 guns were produced, with orders for 3538 guns cancelled. It was decided after World War I that all destroyers would carry the 4-inch/50 caliber Mark 9 Mod 5 gun; the refits were completed in autumn 1921.[3]

The Mark 10, gun No. 365-A, was ordered in 1915 but does not appear to have been completed until after WW I. The initial drawings were for a 4-inch/50 caliber anti-aircraft gun dated January and February 1915. It was designed with a vertically sliding breech block on a built-up gun with a tube, jacket, chase hoop and locking ring, all constructed of nickel steel, but it does not appear that the Mark 10 was put into service.[3]

The gun was rapid firing (US term) or quick firing (British term). Fixed ammunition (case and projectile handled as a single assembled unit) with a 14.5-pound (6.6 kg) charge of smokeless powder gave a 33-pound (15 kg) projectile a velocity of 2,900 ft/s (880 m/s). Range was 9 mi (14 km) at the maximum elevation of 20 degrees. Useful life expectancy was 400–500 effective full charges (EFC) for a non-chrome plated barrel, while a chrome plated barrel was listed at 600 rounds.[1][3]

Increasing awareness of the need for improved anti-aircraft protection resulted in the mounting of dual purpose guns on destroyers beginning in the 1930s. The dual-purpose 5-inch/38 caliber gun became standard for United States destroyers constructed from the 1930s through World War II. United States destroyers built with 4-inch/50 caliber low-angle guns were mostly rearmed with dual-purpose 3-inch/50 caliber guns during the war. The 4-inch/50 caliber guns removed from destroyers were mounted on Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships of the British Merchant Navy and United States Merchant Marine like SS Stephen Hopkins.[1] As S-boats were transferred from combat patrols to training duties from mid-1942 through 1943, their 4-inch guns were removed and used to re-equip front-line submarines built with 3-inch/50 caliber guns.

Manufacturer list Mark 9 gun

Manufacturer Date ordered Gun Nos. Total built Notes
Midvale Steel 18 October 1911 365–389 25
Bethlehem Steel 7 November 1911 390–414 25
British and American Mfg. Co. 4 February 1913 415–444 30 Mod 4 No. 432 on
Watervliet Arsenal 19 April 1913 445–478 34 Mod 4
British and American Mfg. Co. 28 November 1914 479–508 30 Mod 2, Mod 5 No. 502 on
Watervliet Arsenal 8 June 1915 509–538 30 Mod 2, Mod 5 No. 516 on
Bethlehem Steel 31 October 1916 539–605 67 Mod 5
British and American Mfg. Co. 18 November 1916 606–705 100 Mod 5
Watervliet Arsenal 17 October 1916 706–755 50 Mod 5
Bethlehem Steel 4 April 1917 756–855 100 Mod 5
Root & VanDervoort 25 May 1917 876–1875 1000 Nos. 856-875 were not assigned
American Radiator Corp. 7 June 1917 1876–2380 505 Nos. 2381-2875 were not assigned
Poole Engineering 29 August 1917 2876–2994 119 Nos. 2995-3375 were not assigned
American and British Co. 24 September 1917 3376–3506 131 Nos. 3507-3575 were not assigned
Watervliet Arsenal 11 July 1918 3576–3605 30

The unassigned numbers mostly corresponded to gun orders that were cancelled with the signing of the Armistice.[3]

US Navy service

The 4″/50 caliber gun was mounted on:

United States Merchant Marine

Coast defense use

Four two-gun batteries of 4″/50 caliber ex-Navy guns were emplaced on the North Shore of Oahu in 1942. They seem to have been withdrawn in 1943 as other defenses were constructed. It is not clear who operated these guns; likely possibilities include the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps, Marine defense battalions, or naval personnel. The batteries were at Kaena, Kalihi (Mokuoeo Island), Battery Dillingham at Mokuleia, and Kaneohe Bay.[7]

UK service

Many Mark 9 guns were supplied to the United Kingdom during World War II as part of Lend-lease, both individually and on naval and merchant ships.[8] Caldwell, Wickes, and Clemson-class destroyers transferred under the Destroyers for Bases Agreement became British and Canadian Town-class destroyers.[9]

See also

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Campbell 1985 p.143
  2. ^ Fairfield 1921 p.156
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Seaforth Publishing. pp. 188–191. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.
  4. ^ a b c d Gardiner and Gray pp. 122-123
  5. ^ a b c Fahey 1939 p.14
  6. ^ a b Fahey 1939 p.18
  7. ^ Berhow, p. 221
  8. ^ Di Giulian
  9. ^ Lenton and Colledge 1968 pp.90-92

References

  • Berhow, Mark A., ed. (2015). American Seacoast Defenses, A Reference Guide (Third ed.). McLean, Virginia: CDSG Press. ISBN 978-0-9748167-3-9.
  • Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
  • DiGiulian, Tony, United States of America 4″/50 (10.2 cm) Marks 7, 8, 9 and 10 at Navweaps.com
  • Fahey, James C. (1939). The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, War Edition. Ships and Aircraft.
  • Fairfield, A.P. (1921). Naval Ordnance. The Lord Baltimore Press.
  • Gardiner, Robert and Gray, Randal, Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921 Conway Maritime Press, 1985. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
  • Lenton, H.T.; Colledge, J.J. (1968). British and Dominion Warships of World War II. Doubleday and Company.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 4"/50 caliber gun.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=4-inch/50-caliber_gun&oldid=1210675572"