BL 13.5-inch Mk V naval gun

The BL 13.5 inch Mk V gun was a British heavy naval gun, introduced in 1912 as the main armament for the new super-dreadnought battleships of the Orion class. The calibre was 13.5 inches (343 mm) and the barrels were 45 calibres long i.e. 607.5 inches (15.43 m). The guns were greatly superior to the unrelated earlier 13.5-inch (30-calibre) Mk I to Mk IV guns used on the Admiral, Trafalgar and Royal Sovereign classes completed between 1888 and 1896.

BL 13.5 inch Mk V gun
Rear turrets of HMS Thunderer
TypeNaval gun
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1912 - 1940s (as railway gun)
Used byUnited Kingdom
WarsWorld War I
World War II
Production history
DesignerVickers
Designed1909
VariantsMk V(L)
Mk V(H)
Specifications
Barrel lengthBore 50 ft 6 in (15.392 m) (45 cal)

ShellH: 1,400 lb (635.03 kg)
L: 1,250 lb (566.99 kg) HE, AP
Calibre13.5-inch (342.9 mm)
ElevationNaval: 0° - 20°
Railway: 0° - 40°
Muzzle velocityH: 2,491 ft/s (759 m/s)
L: 2,582 ft/s (787 m/s)
Maximum firing rangeH: 23,740 yards (21,710 m) at 20°
L: 23,820 yards (21,780 m) at 20°
H: 40,600 yards (37,120 m) at 40° (World War II railway gun, with Super Charge)
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