28 cm SK L/50 gun
The 28 cm SK L/50 was a German naval gun that was used in World War I and World War II.[Note 1] Originally a naval gun, it was adapted for land service after World War I.
| 28 cm SK L/50 | |
|---|---|
_28cm-Kanonenrohr.JPG.webp) Preserved barrel from SMS Seydlitz damaged during the Battle of Jutland in 1916 | |
| Type | Naval gun Coast-defence gun |
| Place of origin | German Empire |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1911—1945 |
| Used by | German Empire Nazi Germany Ottoman Empire Turkey |
| Wars | World War I World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Krupp |
| Designed | 1909—11 |
| Manufacturer | Krupp |
| Produced | 1911—1915? |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 41.5 metric tons (40.8 long tons; 45.7 short tons) |
| Length | 14.15 m (46 ft 5 in) |
| Barrel length | 13.421 m (44 ft 0.4 in) (bore length) |
| Shell | separate-loading, cased charge |
| Shell weight | 284–302 kg (626–666 lb) |
| Caliber | 283 millimeters (11.1 in) |
| Breech | horizontal sliding-wedge |
| Muzzle velocity | 880–895 m/s (2,890–2,940 ft/s) |
Description
The 28 cm SK L/50 gun weighed 41.5 tonnes (40.8 long tons; 45.7 short tons), had an overall length of 14.15 meters (46 ft 5 in) and its bore length was 13.421 meters (44.03 ft). Although called 28 centimeters (11 in), its actual caliber was 28.3 centimeters (11.1 in). It used the Krupp horizontal sliding-block, or "wedge", as it is sometimes referred to, breech design rather than the interrupted screw used commonly used in heavy guns of other nations. This required that the propellant charge be loaded in a metal, usually brass, case which provides obturation i.e. seals the breech to prevent escape of the expanding propellant gas.
Naval turrets
In shipboard use, these guns were mounted in twin turrets as the primary battery of three German battlecruisers: the two ships of the _Moltke_ class (SMS Moltke and SMS Goeben) plus SMS Seydlitz, each mounting five of these turrets for a total of ten guns.
Coast defense guns
A C/37 Coastal Mounting was utilised for coastal guns. Battery Coronel at Borkum, Germany mounted four guns and Battery Grosser Kurfürst at Framzelle, France mounted four.[1]
See also
Footnotes
- Notes
- SK - Schnelladekanone (quick loading cannon); L - Länge in Kaliber (length in caliber)
- Citations
References
- Campbell, John (2002). Naval Weapons of World War Two. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
- 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. OCLC 902142295.
