QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun

QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun
Type 41 3-inch (7.62 cm) 40 calibre gun
Type 41 3-inch (7.62 cm) 40 calibre gun on the Japanese battleship Mikasa
TypeNaval gun
Coastal artillery
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1894–1945
Used byUnited Kingdom
Kingdom of Italy
Empire of Japan
WarsSecond Boer War
British colonial conflicts
Irish 1916 Easter Rising
Boxer Rebellion
Russo-Japanese War
World War I
World War II
Production history
Designed1893
ManufacturerElswick Ordnance Company,
Vickers,
Japan Steel Works
Canadian Pacific Railway
Gio. Ansaldo & C.
No. builtMk I, Mk II 4,737
Mk V 3,494
VariantsMk I, Mk II, Mk V[1]
Specifications
Mass12 cwt (0.6 tons, 510 kg)
Length10 ft 3 in (3.12 m)
Barrel length10 ft (3 m)

ShellUK & Japan : Separate-loading QF
Italy : Fixed QF
Calibre3-inch (7.62 cm)
Breechsingle-motion screw
Elevationmounting dependent
Traversemounting dependent
Rate of fire15 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity2,210 ft/s (670 m/s)[a]
Effective firing range11,750 yd (10,740 m) at 40° elevation
Feed systemBreech-loaded

The QF 12-pounder 12-cwt gun (Quick-Firing) (abbreviated as Q.F. 12-pdr. [12-cwt.]) was a common, versatile 3-inch (76.2 mm) calibre naval gun introduced in 1894 and used until the middle of the 20th century.[4] It was produced by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick and used on Royal Navy warships, exported to allied countries, and used for land service.[4] In British service "12-pounder" was the rounded value of the projectile weight, and "12 cwt (hundredweight)" was the weight of the barrel and breech, to differentiate it from other "12-pounder" guns.

As the Type 41 3-inch (7.62 cm)/40 it was used on most early battleships and cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, though it was commonly referred to by its UK designation as a "12-pounder" gun. Italy built guns under licence as the 76.2 mm/40 (3") by Ansaldo.

  1. ^ Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.62-63.
  2. ^ Text Book of Gunnery 1902
  3. ^ Hogg & Thurston 1972, p. 55.
  4. ^ a b Gun drill for Q.F. 12-pdr. (12-cwt.) gun (Land service) 1925, the War Office, 1925


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