EOC 10-inch 45-calibre naval gun

EOC 10 inch 45-calibre naval gun
EOC 10 inch 45-calibre naval gun
	Forward 10-inch turret of HMS Swiftsure
Type	Naval gun
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1904–45
Used by	Italy ; Japan ; United Kingdom
Wars	World War I ; World War II
Production history
Designer	Elswick Ordnance Company
Specifications
Mass	34.5 tons
Barrel length	37 ft 6 in (11.430 m) (45 cal)
Shell	500 pounds (227 kg)
Calibre	10 inches (254 mm)
Elevation	-5° to +25°
Muzzle velocity	UK : 2,625 ft/s (800 m/s); Italy: 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	UK : 18,850 yd (17,240 m); Italy : 25,000 m (27,000 yd) @ 25°

Last updated June 16, 2025

The EOC 10-inch 45 calibre gun were various similar 10-inch naval guns designed and manufactured by Elswick Ordnance Company to equip ships they built and/or armed for several countries before World War I.

History

Italian service

Elswick supplied later, more powerful "Pattern W" models of its 10 inch 45-calibre guns for the San Giorgio-class armoured cruisers. In Italian service these were known as the Cannone da 254/45 A Modello 1906.^[6]

Japanese service

The Katori-class battleship Kashima had a secondary armament of four single-gun turrets positioned on each side of the ships superstructure. In Japanese service these guns were known as 10-inch/45 Type 41 naval guns.

UK service

Elswick supplied 5 of their 10-inch 45-calibre guns for use on the battleship Constitución that they were building for Chile. Britain took the ship over in 1903 as HMS Swiftsure, and the guns were designated BL 10 inch Mk VI in UK service. These guns fired a 500-pound (227 kg) projectile using 146 pounds 12 ounces (66.6 kg) of cordite MD propellant.^[7]^{[ page needed ]}

Notes

↑ Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.324.
↑ "The Dreadnought Project". dreadnoughtproject.org. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
1 2 "Gun Model: IT 10in 25cm 45cal Model 1906 1907" . Retrieved 8 July 2023.
↑ UK mountings limited to 13.5°
↑ DiGiulian
↑ Friedman, p. 238
↑ Treatise on Ammunition 10th edition 1915

References

Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.
Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.

External links

Tony DiGiulian, British 10"/45 (25.4 cm) Marks VI and VII
Tony DiGiulian, Italy 10"/45 (25.4 cm) Model 1908

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[1] Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.324.

[2] "The Dreadnought Project". dreadnoughtproject.org. Retrieved 8 July 2023.

[auto-3] 1 2 "Gun Model: IT 10in 25cm 45cal Model 1906 1907" . Retrieved 8 July 2023.

[4] UK mountings limited to 13.5°

[5] DiGiulian

[6] Friedman, p. 238

[7] Treatise on Ammunition 10th edition 1915

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v t e 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 BL 14-inch Mk II (US built) 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

v t e Italian artillery of World War I
Anti-aircraft guns	Cannone da 76/45 S 1911 Cannone da 75/27 A.V.
Field, Medium and Heavy guns	Cannone da 75/27 modello 06 Cannone da 75/27 modello 12 Cannone da 75/27 modello 11 8 cm FK M. 5 Obice da 100/17 modello 14 Obice da 105/14 Cannone da 105/28 Cannone da 105/32 Obice da 149/12 Obice da 149/13 Cannone da 149/23 Cannone da 149/35 A Cannone da 152/45
Mortars	Bombarda da 58 A Bombarda da 58 B 15 cm Mörser M1881 Bombarda da 240 mm
Infantry and Mountain guns	Cannon 37F Cannone da 65/17 modello 13 Cannone da 76/17 S modello 12 Cannone da 70/15
Naval and coastal defense guns	Cannon 76/40 Model 1916 Cannone da 76/45 S 1911 Cannon 102/35 Model 1914 Cannon 102/45 Cannon 152/32 Model 1887 Cannone da 190/45 EOC 8 inch 45 calibre EOC 10 inch 40 caliber EOC 10-inch 45-calibre Obice da 280 305 mm /46 Model 1909 100-ton gun BL 13.5-inch Mk I – IV naval gun Cannone navale da 381/40
Railroad artillery	Cannone da 381/40 AVS
Superheavy and Siege artillery	Mortaio da 210/8 D.S. Mortaio da 210/9 modello 14 Mortaio da 260/9 Modello 16 Obice da 280 Obice da 305/17