| 305 mm /46 Model 1909 | |
|---|---|
 A gun from the Leonardo da Vinci being recovered. | |
| Type | Naval gun Coastal artillery |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1913–1937 |
| Used by | Italy |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Elswick Vickers |
| Designed | 1909 |
| Manufacturer | Armstrong Whitworth Vickers |
| Produced | 1913 |
| Variants | Elswick Pattern "T" Vickers Mk "G" |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Elswick Pattern "T": 69.3 tonnes (68.2 LT) Vickers Mk "G" 63.5 tonnes (62.5 LT) |
| Length | 14.5 meters (48 ft) |
| Barrel length | 14.02 meters (46.0 ft) 46 caliber |
| Shell | Separate loading ammunition |
| Shell weight | AP: 417.7 kilograms (921 lb) HE: 401.2 kilograms (884 lb) |
| Caliber | 302 millimeters (11.9 in) |
| Breech | Welin breech block |
| Elevation | -5° to +20° |
| Traverse | Dependent on ship and position |
| Rate of fire | 2 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 840 meters per second (2,800 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 24 kilometers (15 mi) at +20° |
The 305 mm /46 Model 1909 was a naval gun that was the main armament of two classes of Italian dreadnought battleships and one unique dreadnought of the Regia Marina built at the beginning of World War I. Many of these guns were later modified to 320 mm Model 1934 and 320 mm Model 1936 naval guns by boring out their barrels, adding new liners and developing new ammunition. A number of unconverted guns including those from the scrapped Dante Alighieri and the salvaged Leonardo da Vinci were also used as coastal artillery during World War II.[1]
- ^ Campbell, N. J. M. (2002-01-01). Naval weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870214594. OCLC 51995246.