24 cm K L/35

In 1888 Krupp designed the 24 cm K L/35 and started production to arm two classes of the Imperial German Navy's coastal defense ships. Krupp also produced guns for export that armed one class of coastal defense ships for Argentina and one class of protected cruisers and one unique armored cruiser for Austria-Hungary. The Ottoman Osmaniye-class ironclads were rearmed with these guns in the early 1890s.[2]

The 24 cm K L/35 was the primary armament of the Siegfried-class and Odin-class coastal defense ships of the Imperial German Navy.[3]

German ship details:

• Siegfried-class - The six ships of this class had a primary armament of three guns in an unusual arrangement. Two MPL C/88 single gun turrets were mounted side-by-side forward, while a third was mounted aft of the central superstructure in a single gun turret.
• Odin-class - The two ships of this class had a primary armament of three guns in an unusual arrangement. Two MPL C/93 single gun turrets were mounted side-by-side forward, while a third was mounted aft of the central superstructure in a single gun turret.

The 24 cm K L/35 was also the primary armament of the Argentine Navy's Independencia-class coastal defense ships.

Argentine ship details:

• Independencia-class – The two ships of this class had a primary armament of two guns, which were mounted in two single gun turrets, one fore and one aft of the central superstructure.

The 24 cm K L/35 was the primary armament of the Kaiser Franz Joseph I-class of protected cruisers and the unique armored cruiser SMS Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia.

Austro-Hungarian ship details:

• Kaiser Franz Joseph I-class - The two ships of this class had a primary armament of two guns, which were mounted in two single gun turrets, one fore and one aft of the central superstructure.

• SMS Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia - This ship had a primary armament of two guns, which were mounted in two single gun turrets, one fore and one aft of the central superstructure.

During 1916 the Odin-class ships were decommissioned and disarmed. The 24 cm K L/35 guns salvaged from these ships were converted to coastal artillery. Three guns were emplaced at Battery Bremen on Norderney and three guns were emplaced at Battery S1 on Sylt.[4] They remained there until the late 1930s.

There are currently four guns belonging to battery No4 at Puerto Belgrano, Argentina.[5]

Ottoman Empire purchased thirty 24 cm K L/35 guns during the 1880s and a number of these engaged the allied naval forces during the Gallipoli campaign.[5]

Beginning in 1937 the six guns at Norderny and Sylt were converted to railway artillery and were collectively known as 24 cm Theodor Bruno Kanone (E). During the Battle of France Theodor Brunos equipped three batteries of two guns each. Later one battery of four guns defended Cherbourg Naval Base from 1941 until June 1944 when they were destroyed during the Battle of Cherbourg.[6]

• 
  A 24 cm L/35 fortress gun in Dongguan China.
• 
  One of the four 24 cm L/35 guns of battery No4 at Puerto Belgrano.
• 
  A 24 cm L/35 fortress gun in the Military Museum in Beijing China.
• 
  One of the Ottoman guns which helped sink the French battleship Bouvet.
• 
  A 24 cm railroad gun captured by the Russians during the Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive.

• Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.
• 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.
• François, Guy (2006-01-01). Eisenbahnartillerie: Histoire de l'artillerie lourd sur voie ferrée allemande des origines à 1945. Paris: Editions Histoire et Fortifications. ISBN 2915767084.

• http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_945-35_skc88.php
• http://navalhistory.flixco.info/H/229314x54503/8330/a0.htm