QF 4-inch naval gun Mk V

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The QF 4 inch Mk V gun[note 1] was a Royal Navy gun of World War I which was adapted on HA (i.e. high-angle) mountings to the heavy anti-aircraft role both at sea and on land, and was also used as a coast defence gun.

Ordnance QF 4 inch gun Mk V
QF 4 inch HA guns aboard the cruiser HMAS Sydney, 1939–1940
TypeNaval gun
Anti-aircraft gun
Coastal defence gun
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1914–1945
Used byBritish Empire
WarsWorld War I
World War II
Production history
No. built944[1]
Specifications
MassBarrel & breech: 4,890 lb (2,220 kg)[2]
Barrel lengthBore: 15 ft (4.6 m)
(45 cal)
Total: 15 ft 8 in (4.8 m)[2]

Shell31 lb (14.1 kg) fixed QF or Separate-loading QF
Calibre4-inch (101.6 mm)
Breechhorizontal sliding-block
Recoilhydro-pneumatic or hydro-spring 15 inches (380 mm)
Elevationmounting dependent
Traversemounting dependent
Muzzle velocity2,350 ft/s (716 m/s)[2]
Maximum firing rangeSurface: 16,300 yd (15,000 m)[3]
AA: 28,750 ft (8,800 m)[2]
FillingLyddite, Amatol
Filling weight5 pounds (2.27 kg)

Service

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LA (Low Angle) gun and crew on HMS Galatea, February 1917
 
LA (Low Angle) gun on HMAS Vampire firing circa 1938

This QF gun was introduced to provide a higher rate of fire than the BL 4 inch Mk VII. It first appeared in 1914 as secondary armament on Arethusa-class cruisers, was soon adapted to a high-angle anti-aircraft role. It was typically used on cruisers and heavier ships, although V and W-class destroyers of 1917 also mounted the gun.

Mk V was superseded by the QF 4 inch Mk XVI as the HA (i.e. anti-aircraft) gun on new warships in the 1930s, but it continued to serve on many ships such as destroyers, light and heavy cruisers in World War II.[4]

Army anti-aircraft gun

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Early in World War I several guns were supplied by the Navy for evaluation as anti-aircraft guns for the home defence of key installations in Britain. They were mounted on static platforms and proved fairly successful after a fixed round was developed to replace the original separate round, and more followed. The AA mounting allowed elevation to 80° but loading was not possible above 62°, which slowed the maximum rate of fire.[5] At the Armistice, a total of 24 guns were employed in AA defences in Britain and 2 in France.[6] After World War I, the guns were returned to the Navy.

Coast Defence gun

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From 1915 to 1928, several guns were mounted in forts to guard the estuary of the River Humber.[7]

Anti-aircraft performance

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Comparison with the other British World War I anti-aircraft guns[8]
Gun muzzle
velocity
Shell (lb) Time to 5,000 ft
(1,500 m)
at 25° (seconds)
Time to 10,000 ft
(3,000 m)
at 40° (seconds)
Time to 15,000 ft
(4,600 m)
at 55° (seconds)
Max. height[9]
QF 13 pdr 9 cwt 1,990 ft/s
(610 m/s)
12.5 10.1 15.5 22.1 19,000 ft
(5,800 m)
QF 12 pdr 12 cwt 2,200 ft/s
(670 m/s)
12.5 9.1 14.1 19.1 20,000 ft
(6,100 m)
QF 3 inch 20 cwt 1914 2,500 ft/s
(760 m/s)
12.5 8.3 12.6 16.3 23,500 ft
(7,200 m)
QF 3 inch 20 cwt 1916 2,000 ft/s
(610 m/s)
16 9.2 13.7 18.8 22,000 ft
(6,700 m)[10]
QF 4 inch Mk V World War I 2,350 ft/s
(720 m/s)
31 (3 c.r.h.) 9.6 12.3 28,750 ft
(8,760 m)
QF 4 inch Mk V World War II [11] 2,350 ft/s
(720 m/s)
31 (4.38/6 c.r.h.) 31,000 ft
(9,400 m)

Ammunition

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Ammunition for the original low-angle guns introduced in World War I was Separate QF i.e. the shell and cartridge were separate items, but in World War II most guns used Fixed QF ammunition i.e. a single unit. The fixed Mk V ammunition was 44.3 inches (1.13 m) long and weighed 56 pounds (25 kg), while the projectile was 31 pounds (14 kg).[12]

See also

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Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

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Surviving examples

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Notes

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  1. ^ Mk V = Mark 5. Britain used Roman numerals to denote Marks (models) of ordnance until after World War II. Mark V indicates this was the fifth model of QF 4-inch gun.

References

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  1. ^ Tony DiGiulian quotes 283 Mk VC built for the navy during WWII; 554 earlier types built for the navy; about 107 earlier types built for the Army in WWI.
  2. ^ a b c d Hogg & Thurston 1972, Page 101
  3. ^ WWI 3 c.r.h. HE shell. Tony DiGiulian, "British 4"/45 (10.2 cm) QF Mark V and Mark XV"
  4. ^ Tony DiGiulian's webpage provides comprehensive information on this gun's Naval service. Tony DiGiulian (January 13, 2008). "British 4"/45 (10.2 cm) QF Mark V and Mark XV". Retrieved 2008-03-29.
  5. ^ Hogg & Thurston 1972, Page 100
  6. ^ Routledge 1994, Page 27
  7. ^ Hogg & Thurston 1972, Page 98
  8. ^ Routledge 1994, Page 9
  9. ^ Hogg & Thurston 1972, Page 234-235
  10. ^ Routledge 1994, Page 13
  11. ^ WWII details from Tony DiGiulian's website
  12. ^ Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.58.

Bibliography

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