EOC 12-inch 45-calibre naval gun

EOC 12 inch 45-calibre naval gun
12"/45 41st Year Type
EOC 12 inch 45-calibre naval gun; 12"/45 41st Year Type
	41st Year Type on Mikasa
Type	Naval gun
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1906-1952
Used by	United Kingdom ; Brazil ; Empire of Japan
Wars	World War I
Production history
Designer	Elswick Ordnance Company
Specifications
Barrel length	Bore 45 feet (13.716 m) (45 cal)
Shell	850 pounds (385.6 kg)
Calibre	12-inch (304.8 mm)
Muzzle velocity	2,700 feet per second (823 m/s) - 2,800 feet per second (853 m/s)
Maximum firing range	18,850 yards (17,240 m)

The EOC 12 inch 45 calibre gun were various similar 12-inch wire-wound naval guns designed and manufactured by Elswick Ordnance Company to equip ships that the parent company Armstrong Whitworth built and/or armed for several countries before World War I.

History

Brazil service

Brazilian battleship Minas Geraes's guns firing

Elswick supplied its 12-inch 45-calibre guns for the Minas Geraes-class battleships completed by itself and Vickers in 1910 for Brazil.

UK service

Section of barbette and gunhouse of HMS Agincourt

When World War I began, Elswick were completing the battleship Sultân Osmân-ı Evvel for the Ottoman Empire, originally begun as Rio de Janeiro for Brazil. It was armed with 14 of a slightly later version of Elswick's 12-inch 45-calibre guns. The battleship was completed as HMS Agincourt and served in the Royal Navy in World War I, with its guns designated BL 12 inch Mk XIII.^[1] The gun's performance was similar to the standard Royal Navy equivalent gun, the BL 12 inch Mk X designed by Vickers.

Japan service

Elswick supplied its 12-inch 45-calibre guns to the Imperial Japanese Navy, and they were also manufactured under licence in Japan. In Japanese service from 1908 they became 12"/45 41st Year Type and later after the navy metricised in 1917, 30 cm/45 41st Year Type. They equipped the following ship classes:

Katori-class battleships commissioned 1906
Ibuki-class battlecruiser commissioned in 1907 & 1911
Tsukuba-class battlecruisers commissioned 1908
Battleship Mikasa as re-gunned in 1908
Satsuma-class battleships commissioned 1910 & 1912
Kawachi-class battleships commissioned 1912

Surviving examples

On the Japanese battleship Mikasa, Yokosuka, Japan

Notes

↑ Britain used Roman numerals to denote Marks (models) of ordnance until after World War II. This was the thirteenth model of BL 12-inch gun in British service.

References

Tony DiGiulian, Brazil 12"/45 (30.5 cm) Elswick Pattern L
Tony DiGiulian, Britain 12"/45 (30.5 cm) Mark XIII
Japanese 12"/45 (30.5 cm) Armstrong 12"/45 (30.5 cm) 41st Year Type 30 cm/45 (12") 41st Year Type

External links

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[1] Britain used Roman numerals to denote Marks (models) of ordnance until after World War II. This was the thirteenth model of BL 12-inch gun in British service.

[1]

British Empire naval weapons of the First World War
Monitor guns	BL 9.2-inch Mk VI BL 9.2-inch Mk VIII BL 9.2-inch Mk X BL 9.2-inch Mk XII BL 12-inch Mk VIII US 14-inch 45 cal. BL 15-inch Mk I BL 18-inch Mk I
Capital ship main armament	Vickers 10-inch 45 cal. EOC 10-inch 45 cal. BL 12-inch Mk VIII BL 12-inch Mk IX BL 12-inch Mk X BL 12-inch Mk XI & XII EOC 12-inch 45 cal. Mk XIII BL 13.5-inch Mk I – IV BL 13.5-inch Mk V BL 13.5-inch Mk VI EOC 14-inch 45 cal. Mk I BL 15-inch Mk I
Armoured cruiser main armament	BL 7.5-inch Mk I BL 9.2-inch Mk X BL 9.2-inch Mk XI
Secondary armament and light cruiser main armament	QF 12-pounder 18 cwt QF 14-pounder Maxim-Nordenfelt QF 14-pounder Mk I & II QF 4-inch Mk III BL 4-inch Mk VII QF 4-inch Mk V BL 4-inch Mk IX BL 5.5-inch Mk I QF 6-inch Mk I – III BL 6-inch Mk VII BL 6-inch Mk XI BL 6-inch Mk XII BL 6-inch Mk XIII-XVIII BL 7.5-inch Mk II – Mk V
Destroyer and small cruiser armament	QF 12-pounder 12 cwt Mk II QF 4-inch Mk III BL 4-inch Mk VIII QF 4-inch Mk IV BL 4.7-inch Mk I
Merchant ship armament	QF 4.7-inch Mk I – IV QF 4.7-inch Mk V*
Submarine guns	BL 4-inch Mk XI QF 4-inch Mk XII
Anti-aircraft guns	QF 2-pounder "pom-pom" Mk II QF 3-inch 20 cwt QF 4-inch Mk V
Light weapons	.303 Vickers machine gun QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss QF 3-pounder Vickers QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss
Torpedoes	18-inch Mk V – VIII 21-inch Mk II 21-inch Mk IV
Mines	Spherical Mk I, II and III Vickers Elia mine Type H mine
Anti-submarine weapons	Type A Depth charge Type B Depth charge Type C Depth charge Type D Depth charge Type E Depth charge Type F Depth charge Type G Depth charge Cruiser Mine 7.5-inch howitzer
Landing guns	QF 12-pounder 8 cwt