14 cm/40 11th Year Type naval gun
| 14 cm/40 11th Year Type naval gun | |
|---|---|
|
14 cm/40 11th Year Type naval gun aboard Japanese submarine I-400 being inspected by United States Navy personnel. | |
| Type | Naval gun |
| Place of origin | Empire of Japan |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1922–1945 |
| Used by |
 Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Wars | World War II |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3,900 kilograms (8,598 lb) |
| Length | 5.9 meters (19 ft 4 in) |
| Barrel length | 5.6 meters (18 ft 4 in) (bore length) |
|
| |
| Shell | separate-loading, brass case |
| Shell weight | 38 kilograms (84 lb) |
| Caliber | 14-centimeter (5.5 in) |
| Breech | Horizontal sliding breech block |
| Elevation | +30° to −5° |
| Rate of fire | 5 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 700 meters per second (2,300 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 16,000 meters (17,000 yd) |
The 14 cm/40 11th Year Type naval gun was the standard surface battery for Japanese submarine cruisers of World War II. Most carried single guns, but Junsen type submarines carried two. Japanese submarines I-7 and I-8 carried an unusual twin mounting capable of elevating to 40° . Eleventh year type refers to the horizontal sliding breech block on these guns. Breech block design began in 1922 CE, the eleventh year of the Taishō period.[1] The gun fired a projectile 14 centimeters (5.5 in) in diameter, and the barrel was 40 calibers long (barrel length is 14 cm x 40 = 560 centimeters or 220 inches).[2]
Coastal bombardment of North America
This gun was the weapon used by I-17 to sink SS Emidio and to later shell the Ellwood Oil Field near Santa Barbara, California. It was also used by I-25 for the Bombardment of Fort Stevens in Oregon near the mouth of the Columbia River and by I-26 to shell the Estevan Point lighthouse in British Columbia.[3]
Similar weapon
A longer-barreled 14 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval gun was used aboard surface ships and for coastal defense. The 40 caliber 11th Year Type guns were intended for use against destroyers, and fired base-fuzed projectiles with thinner shell walls allowing a larger bursting charge than the 50 caliber 3rd Year Type guns for potential use against armored ships. The lower velocity 40 caliber gun had a useful life expectancy of 800 to 1000 effective full charges (EFC) per barrel.[4]
Notes
References
- Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
- Fairfield, A.P. (1921). Naval Ordnance. The Lord Baltimore Press.
- Webber, Bert (1975). Retaliation: Japanese Attacks and Allied Countermeasures on the Pacific Coast in World War II. Oregon State University Press.
External links
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