| 15 cm SK L/40 | |
|---|---|
 A 15 cm SK L/40 gun aboard the German auxiliary cruiser SMS Wolf circa. 1916–18 | |
| Type | Naval gun Coast-defence gun |
| Place of origin | German Empire |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1898—1945 |
| Used by | German Empire Austria-Hungary The Netherlands Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War I World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Krupp |
| Designed | 1897 |
| Manufacturer | Krupp |
| Variants | No.2, No.3, No.4, No.5 Krupp 15 cm L/40 K94 Škoda 15 cm L/40 K96 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4,460 kg (9,830 lb) |
| Length | 6 m (19 ft 8 in) |
| Barrel length | 5.4 m (17 ft 9 in) |
| Shell | Separate-loading, cased charge |
| Caliber | 149.1 millimeters (5.87 in) |
| Breech | horizontal sliding breech block |
| Elevation | -7° to +20° |
| Traverse | -150° to +150° |
| Rate of fire | 4-5 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 800 m/s (2,600 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 13.7 km (8.5 mi) at 20°. |
The 15 cm SK L/40[Note 1] was a German naval gun that was used as secondary armament on pre-dreadnought battleships, protected cruisers and armored cruisers of the Imperial German Navy in World War I. It was also used as a coast-defence gun during World Wars I and II.
Construction
The 15 cm SK L/40 gun was constructed of A tube, two layers of hoops and used a Krupp horizontal sliding-wedge breech block. It used separate loading metallic cased propellant charges and projectiles. Unlike other large naval guns of the time which used separate loading bagged charges and projectiles, this gun used charges inside of a brass cartridge case to provide obturation. The guns were often mounted in single casemates or single turrets amidships. In addition to guns produced for the Imperial German Navy comparable export models were produced for the Royal Netherlands Navy and produced under license by Škoda for the Austro-Hungarian Navy.
| Export Models | No.2 | No.3 | No.4 | No.5 | Krupp 15 cm L/40 K94 | Škoda 15 cm L/40 K96 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Users | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Austria-Hungary | Austria-Hungary |
| Weight | 4,420 kg (9,740 lb) | 4,850 kg (10,690 lb) | 5,200 kg (11,500 lb) | 4,880 kg (10,760 lb) | 4,500 kg (9,900 lb) | 4,500 kg (9,900 lb) |
| Rifling Length | 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in) | 4.8 m (15 ft 9 in) | 5.5 m (18 ft 1 in) | 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in) | 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in) | 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in) |
| Muzzle Velocity | 680 m/s (2,200 ft/s) | 680 m/s (2,200 ft/s) | 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s) | 745 m/s (2,440 ft/s) | 690 m/s (2,300 ft/s) | 690 m/s (2,300 ft/s) |
Naval Use
Ship classes that carried the 15 cm SK L/40 include:
- German:
- Austrian:
- Dutch:
- Ottoman:
- China:
- Haiyung class protected cruiser
Ammunition
Ammunition was of separate loading quick fire type. The projectiles were 39–46.5 cm (1–2 ft) long with a cartridge case and bagged charge which weighed 10 kg (22 lb).
The gun was able to fire:
- Armor Piercing 51 kg (112 lb)
- High Explosive Base Fuzed 45 kg (99 lb)
- High Explosive Nose Fuzed 45 kg (99 lb)
- Common Shell Nose Fuzed 45 kg (99 lb)[Note 2]
See also
- List of naval guns
- Battery Lothringen
- 15 cm L/40 Feldkanone i.R.
- 15 cm K (E)
- QF 6 inch /40 naval gun British equivalent, firing slightly heavier shell
- 6"/40 caliber gun US equivalent, firing slightly heavier shell
Notes
- ↑ SK - Schnelladekanone (quick loading cannon); L - Länge in Kaliber (length in caliber)
- ↑ World War I Ammunition
Citations
References
- Reichs-Marine-Amt, ed. (1909). Bedienungsvorschrift für die 15 cm Schnellade-Kanone L/40 in 15 cm Mittel-Pivot-Lafette C/97 in Einzelkasematte. Berlin: E. S. Mittler. OCLC 252061246.
- Reichs-Marine-Amt, ed. (1909). Bedienungsvorschrift für die 15 cm Schnellade-Kanone L/40 Nr. 617,618 und 619 in 15 cm Minimalscharten-Lafette C/1902. Berlin: E. S. Mittler. OCLC 252061267.
- Campbell, John (2002). Naval Weapons of World War Two. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
- Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.
- Gander, Terry; Chamberlain, Peter (1979). Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939–1945. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-15090-3.
- Hogg, Ian V. (1997). German Artillery of World War Two (2nd corrected ed.). Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 1-85367-480-X.
- Rolf, Rudi (1998). Der Atlantikwall: Bauten der deutschen Küstenbefestigungen 1940-1945. Osnabrück: Biblio. ISBN 3-7648-2469-7.
- Rolf, Rudi (2004). A Dictionary on Modern Fortification: An Illustrated Lexicon on European Fortification in the Period 1800-1945. Middleburg, Netherlands: PRAK.
- Schmalenbach, Paul (1983). "German Navy Large Bore Guns Operational Ashore During World War I". Warship International. XX (2): 123–153. ISSN 0043-0374.
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