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.
| 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) |
History
editBrazil service
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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
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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
editElswick 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
edit- On the Japanese battleship Mikasa, Yokosuka, Japan
See also
editWeapons of comparable role, performance and era
edit- 305mm/45 Modèle 1906 gun French equivalent
- BL 12 inch Mk X naval gun Vickers equivalent
- 12"/45 caliber Mark 5 gun US equivalent
Notes
edit- ^ 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
editExternal links
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