| BL 13.5 inch Mk V gun | |
|---|---|
 Rear turrets of HMS Thunderer | |
| Type | Naval gun |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1912 - 1940s (as railway gun) |
| Used by | United Kingdom |
| Wars | World War I World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Vickers |
| Designed | 1909 |
| Variants | Mk V(L) Mk V(H) |
| Specifications | |
| Barrel length | Bore 50 ft 6 in (15.392 m) (45 cal) |
| Shell | H: 1,400 lb (635.03 kg) L: 1,250 lb (566.99 kg) HE, AP[note 1] |
| Calibre | 13.5-inch (342.9 mm) |
| Elevation | Naval: 0° - 20° Railway: 0° - 40° |
| Muzzle velocity | H: 2,491 ft/s (759 m/s) L: 2,582 ft/s (787 m/s) |
| Maximum firing range | H: 23,740 yards (21,710 m) at 20° L: 23,820 yards (21,780 m) at 20° H: 40,600 yards (37,120 m) at 40° (World War II railway gun, with Super Charge) |
The BL 13.5 inch Mk V gun[note 2] was a British heavy naval gun, introduced in 1912 as the main armament for the new super-dreadnought battleships of the Orion class. The calibre was 13.5 inches (343 mm) and the barrels were 45 calibres long i.e. 607.5 inches (15.43 m). The guns were greatly superior to the unrelated earlier 13.5-inch (30-calibre) Mk I to Mk IV guns used on the Admiral, Trafalgar and Royal Sovereign classes completed between 1888 and 1896.
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