15 cm SK L/40 naval gun

The 15 cm SK L/40 was a German naval gun that was used as secondary armament on pre-dreadnought battleships, protected cruisers and armored cruisers of the Imperial German Navy in World War I. It was also used as a coast-defence gun during World Wars I and II.

15 cm SK L/40
A 15 cm SK L/40 gun aboard the German auxiliary cruiser SMS Wolf circa. 1916–18
Type	Naval gun Coast-defence gun
Place of origin	German Empire
Service history
In service	1898—1945
Used by	German Empire Austria-Hungary The Netherlands Nazi Germany
Wars	World War I World War II
Production history
Designer	Krupp
Designed	1897
Manufacturer	Krupp
Variants	No.2, No.3, No.4, No.5 Krupp 15 cm L/40 K94 Škoda 15 cm L/40 K96
Specifications
Mass	4,460 kg (9,830 lb)
Length	6 m (19 ft 8 in)
Barrel length	5.4 m (17 ft 9 in)
Shell	Separate-loading, cased charge
Caliber	149.1 millimeters (5.87 in)
Breech	horizontal sliding breech block
Elevation	-7° to +20°
Traverse	-150° to +150°
Rate of fire	4-5 rpm
Muzzle velocity	800 m/s (2,600 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	13.7 km (8.5 mi) at 20°.

Construction

The 15 cm SK L/40 gun was constructed of A tube, two layers of hoops and used a Krupp horizontal sliding-wedge breech block. It used separate loading metallic cased propellant charges and projectiles. Unlike other large naval guns of the time which used separate loading bagged charges and projectiles, this gun used charges inside of a brass cartridge case to provide obturation. The guns were often mounted in single casemates or single turrets amidships. In addition to guns produced for the Imperial German Navy comparable export models were produced for the Royal Netherlands Navy and produced under license by Škoda for the Austro-Hungarian Navy.

Export Models	No.2	No.3	No.4	No.5	Krupp 15 cm L/40 K94	Škoda 15 cm L/40 K96
Users	Netherlands	Netherlands	Netherlands	Netherlands	Austria-Hungary	Austria-Hungary
Weight	4,420 kg (9,740 lb)	4,850 kg (10,690 lb)	5,200 kg (11,500 lb)	4,880 kg (10,760 lb)	4,500 kg (9,900 lb)	4,500 kg (9,900 lb)
Rifling Length	4.4 m (14 ft 5 in)	4.8 m (15 ft 9 in)	5.5 m (18 ft 1 in)	4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)	4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)	4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)
Muzzle Velocity	680 m/s (2,200 ft/s)	680 m/s (2,200 ft/s)	850 m/s (2,800 ft/s)	745 m/s (2,440 ft/s)	690 m/s (2,300 ft/s)	690 m/s (2,300 ft/s)

Naval Use

Ship classes that carried the 15 cm SK L/40 include:

• German:
  • Kaiser Friedrich III-class battleship
  • Prinz Adalbert-class cruiser
  • Roon-class cruiser
  • Scharnhorst-class cruiser
  • Victoria Louise-class cruiser
  • Wittelsbach-class battleship
  • SMS Kaiserin Augusta
  • SMS Greif
  • SMS Möwe
  • SMS Wolf
  • Deutschland
• Austrian:
  • Habsburg-class battleship
  • Monarch-class coastal defense ship
  • SMS Kaiser Karl VI
  • SMS Sankt Georg
• Dutch:
  • Holland-class cruiser No. 2 and No. 3
  • Koningin Regentes-class coastal defense ship No. 4
  • HNLMS Marten Harpertszoon Tromp No. 5
  • HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck No. 5
  • HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën No. 5
• Ottoman:
  • Avnillah-class ironclad
  • Asar-i Tevfik
  • Feth-i Bülend

China:

• Haiyung class protected cruiser

Ammunition

Ammunition was of separate loading quick fire type. The projectiles were 39–46.5 cm (1–2 ft) long with a cartridge case and bagged charge which weighed 10 kg (22 lb).

The gun was able to fire:

• Armor Piercing 51 kg (112 lb)
• High Explosive Base Fuzed 45 kg (99 lb)
• High Explosive Nose Fuzed 45 kg (99 lb)
• Common Shell Nose Fuzed 45 kg (99 lb)

See also

Gun plan for a field mounting

• List of naval guns
• Battery Lothringen
• 15 cm L/40 Feldkanone i.R.
• 15 cm K (E)
• QF 6 inch /40 naval gun British equivalent, firing slightly heavier shell
• 6"/40 caliber gun US equivalent, firing slightly heavier shell

References

• Reichs-Marine-Amt, ed. (1909). Bedienungsvorschrift für die 15 cm Schnellade-Kanone L/40 in 15 cm Mittel-Pivot-Lafette C/97 in Einzelkasematte. Berlin: E. S. Mittler. OCLC 252061246.
• Reichs-Marine-Amt, ed. (1909). Bedienungsvorschrift für die 15 cm Schnellade-Kanone L/40 Nr. 617,618 und 619 in 15 cm Minimalscharten-Lafette C/1902. Berlin: E. S. Mittler. OCLC 252061267.
• Campbell, John (2002). Naval Weapons of World War Two. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
• Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.
• Gander, Terry; Chamberlain, Peter (1979). Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939–1945. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-15090-3.
• Hogg, Ian V. (1997). German Artillery of World War Two (2nd corrected ed.). Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 1-85367-480-X.
• "Algemeen Overzicht der Schepen en Vaartuigen van Oorlog". Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Marine: 465–489. 1915.
• Rolf, Rudi (1998). Der Atlantikwall: Bauten der deutschen Küstenbefestigungen 1940-1945. Osnabrück: Biblio. ISBN 3-7648-2469-7.
• Rolf, Rudi (2004). A Dictionary on Modern Fortification: An Illustrated Lexicon on European Fortification in the Period 1800-1945. Middleburg, Netherlands: PRAK.
• Schmalenbach, Paul (1983). "German Navy Large Bore Guns Operational Ashore During World War I". Warship International. XX (2): 123–153. ISSN 0043-0374.

External links

• 15 cm SK L/40 at Navweaps.com