Cannon 76/40 Model 1916

Cannon 76/40 Model 1916
An Italian gun crew in Albania
TypeNaval gun
Anti-aircraft gun
Railway gun
Coastal artillery
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1894-1950
Used byKingdom of Italy
Spain
Romania
WarsWorld War I
World War II
Production history
DesignerElswick Ordnance Company
Designed1893
ManufacturerAnsaldo
Produced1916
Variants76/30 Model 1915
Cannone da 76/40 C.A.
Cannone da 76/40 modificata 35
Specifications
Mass510 kg (1,120 lb)
Length3.13 m (10 ft 3 in)
Barrel length3 m (9 ft 10 in) 40 caliber
Crew7

ShellFixed QF 76.2 x 420mm R[1]
Shell weight5.6–6.5 kg (12–14 lb)
Caliber76.2 millimeters (3.00 in)
ElevationCannone da 76/40 C.A.: -6° to +81°[2]
Traverse360°
Rate of fire12-15 rpm
Muzzle velocity680 m/s (2,200 ft/s)
Effective firing range10.7 km (6.6 mi) at +40°
5.8 km (19,000 ft) at +70°
4.8 km (16,000 ft) AA ceiling[3]

The Cannon 76/40 Model 1916 was a widely used naval gun on ships of the Royal Italian Navy during World War I and World War II. A very versatile weapon, it was used as primary, secondary and tertiary armament on a number of ship classes, while other ship classes had a shortened version of it, the Cannon 76/30 Model 1915. After being replaced aboard ships of the Royal Italian Navy it saw widespread use on land in a number of different roles such as coastal artillery, anti-aircraft gun and railroad gun during World War II.

  1. ^ "77-77 MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-01-17. Retrieved 2017-09-10.
  2. ^ Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Anti-aircraft guns. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 29. ISBN 0668038187. OCLC 2000222.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).