340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun

The 340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun (13.4 in) was a heavy naval gun of the French Navy. While the calibres of the naval guns of the French Navy were usually very close to those of their British counterparts, the calibre of 340 mm is specific to the French Navy.

340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun
The main guns of the battleship Provence
TypeNaval gun
Place of originFrance
Service history
Used byFrance
WarsFirst World War
Second World War
Production history
VariantsModel 1912M
Type C
Specifications
Mass66 t (65 long tons; 73 short tons)
Barrel length15.4 m (51 ft) L/45

ShellSeparate-loading, bagged charge and projectiles
Shell weight382–575 kg (842–1,268 lb)
Calibre340 mm (13.4 in)
BreechWelin breech block
ElevationNaval: -5° to +15°
Coastal: 0 to +50°
TraverseFore and aft: -150° to +150°
Q turret: +30 to +150 L/R
Rate of fire2 rpm
Muzzle velocity800 m/s (2,600 ft/s)
Maximum firing rangeNaval: 25–29 km (16–18 mi) at +23°
Coastal: 38.7 km (24 mi) at +45°

The built-up gun was designed to be carried by the Normandie and Lyon classes in quadruple gun turrets, but no ship of these types was completed as a battleship. They were carried by the Bretagne-class battleships in twin turrets. Some of these guns were used as railway guns and coastal artillery in World War I, also serving in World War II.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.