QF 4 inch Mk XIX naval gun

Last updated
Ordnance QF 4 inch gun Mk XIX
HMAS Cowra gun crew (109986).jpg
Crew of HMAS Cowra at gun drill, Tarakan Island, June 1945
Type Dual-purpose gun
Service history
Used byNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Canadian Navy
Naval Ensign of Australia.svg Royal Australian Navy
Wars World War II
Production history
No. built2,023 [1]
Specifications
Barrel  length160 inches (4.064 m) bore (40 calibres)

Shell Fixed QF HE, Starshell
Shell weight35 pounds (16 kg)
Calibre 4-inch (101.6 mm)
Breech horizontal sliding-block
Elevation -10° to +60° [1]
Muzzle velocity 396 metres per second (1,300 ft/s) [1]
Maximum firing range8,870 metres (9,700 yd) at +40° [1]

The QF 4-inch Mk XIX gun [note 1] was a British low-velocity 4-inch 40-calibre naval gun used to arm small warships such as Bathurst and Castle-class corvette and some River-class frigate in World War II, mainly against submarines. [2]

Caliber (artillery) unit of length used in measuring bore length of a gun

In artillery, caliber or calibre is the internal diameter of a gun barrel, or by extension a relative measure of the length.

<i>Bathurst</i>-class corvette general purpose corvette produced for the Royal Australian Navy

The Bathurst-class corvettes were a class of general purpose vessels produced in Australia during World War II. Originally classified as minesweepers, but widely referred to as corvettes, the Bathurst-class vessels fulfilled a broad anti-submarine, anti-mine, and convoy escort role.

Castle-class corvette

The Castle-class corvettes were an updated version of the much more numerous Flower-class corvettes of the Royal Navy, and started appearing during late 1943. They were equipped with radar as well as asdic.

Contents

Description

It succeeded the higher-velocity World War I-era BL 4-inch Mk IX (typically deployed on Flower-class corvettes in the escort role). The Mk XIX fired fixed ammunition which was 38.5 inches (0.98 m) long and weighed 50 pounds (23 kg). [2] The weight of the projectile was increased from 31 pounds (14 kg) for the Mk IX to 35 pounds (16 kg) for the Mk XIX. The high-angle mounting used for the XIX added some anti-aircraft capability and allowed it to fire starshells to illuminate the battle area at night. [1]

Flower-class corvette British and Canadian class of 267 corvettes used during World War II

The Flower-class corvette was a British class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic. Royal Navy ships of this class were named after flowers, hence the name of the class.

Ammunition

Surviving examples

HMAS <i>Castlemaine</i> museum ship

HMAS Castlemaine (J244/M244/A248), named for the city of Castlemaine, Victoria, was one of 60 Bathurst-class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Haulbowline island in Ireland

Haulbowline, is the name of an island in Cork Harbour off the coast of Ireland. The world's first yacht club was founded on Haulbowline in 1720. The western side of the island is the main naval base and headquarters for the Irish Naval Service, with the eastern side previously used for heavy industry. Since 1966 the island has been connected to the mainland by a roadbridge.

Notes

  1. Mk XIX = Mark 19. Britain used Roman numerals to denote Marks (models) of ordnance until after World War II. This was the nineteenth model of British QF 4-inch gun

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 http://navalhistory.flixco.info/H/119171x53535/8330/a0.htm  : quotes from John Campbell, "Naval Weapons Of World War Two", Annapolis : Naval Institute Press, 1985, ISBN   0-87021-459-4
  2. 1 2 DiGiulian

Bibliography

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