320 mm Model 1934 naval gun
The 320 mm naval gun was the main battery gun used to modernize Italy's World War I battleships for service during World War II. The guns were manufactured by boring out and relining the battleships' original 12"/46 (30 cm) built-up guns and modifying the turrets to increase elevation above the original 20° maximum. Each ship carried two 548-tonne twin turrets and two 745-tonne triple turrets. All guns used pneumatically operated side-swing Welin breech blocks. Each barrel could fire two rounds per minute.
| Cannone navale da 320 | |
|---|---|
This photo shows the typical fore-and-aft installation of a twin turret superfiring over a triple turret. | |
| Type | Naval gun |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1937 – 1956 |
| Used by |
|
| Wars | Second World War |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 64 tonnes |
| Barrel length | 14 meters (550 inches) |
| Shell | 525 kilograms (1,160 lb) |
| Caliber | 320 mm (12.6 in) |
| Muzzle velocity | 830 meters per second (2,700 ft/sec) |
| Maximum firing range | 30 kilometres (19 mi) |
In service these guns chronically suffered of great horizontal dispersion, both from the worsened thermodynamic performance of the guns themselves and from the unequal quality of the shells fired.
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