10.5 cm SK L/45 naval gun

The 10.5 cm SK L/45 (Schnelladekanone Länge 45, quick-loading cannon with a barrel length of 45 calibers) was a German naval gun that was used in World War I and World War II and was the successor of the older 10.5 cm SK L/40 naval gun.

10.5 cm SK L/45
The gun from the submarine SM UB-91, displayed as a memorial at Chepstow in Wales
Type	Naval gun
Place of origin	German Empire
Service history
In service	1907–1945
Used by	German Empire Nazi Germany
Wars	World War I World War II
Production history
Designed	About 1906–1907
Manufacturer	Peddinghaus
Specifications
Mass	1,450 kg (3,200 lb)
Length	4.725 m (15 ft 6.0 in)
Width	6.8 mm (0.27 in)
Shell	Fixed Brass Casing: 25.5 kg (56 lb)
Shell weight	17.4 kg (38 lb)
Caliber	10.5 cm (4.1 in)
Breech	Horizontal sliding-block
Elevation	Dependent on mounting: MPL C/06: -10° to +30° Tbts LC/16: -10° to +50° Ubts LC/16: -10° to +50° Flak 45: -5° to +70° MPLC/30: -9° to +80°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	15 RPM
Muzzle velocity	710 m/s (2,300 ft/s)
Effective firing range	12,700 m (41,700 ft)
Maximum firing range	Horizontal: 12,700 m (13,900 yd) at 30° Vertical: 8,230 m (27,000 ft) at 80°

Description

The 10.5 cm SK L/45 gun weighed 1,450 kilograms (3,200 lb), had an overall length of 472.5 cm (15 ft 6 in). It used a horizontal sliding-block breech design. Cradle is usually mounted on a conical pedestal mount, bolted to the submarine deck.

The guns were carefully designed according to the requirements of submarine operations and was therefore streamlined in design. Many items manufactured from brass to resist corrosion.

It was used on many German and foreign ships like SMS Mowe and Ottomon cruiser Midilli.

Naval use

• B 97-class
• Galeb-class
• Graudenz-class
• Karlsruhe-class
• Kolberg-class
• Magdeburg-class
• Pillau-class
• Type 35
• Type U 66
• Type U 87
• Type UB III
• Type UE II
• V25-class

Gallery

• 
  Gun, partly obscured, from submarine SM U-98, at Imperial War Museum, London
• 
  Gun breech, in Malta
• 
  Gun from SM U-19 in Bangor

See also

• List of naval guns

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

• QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun Approximate British equivalent firing slightly lighter shell
• 4"/50 caliber gun Approximate US equivalent, firing slightly lighter shell at higher velocity

Bibliography

• Campbell, John (2002). Naval Weapons of World War Two. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
• 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.
• 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.

External links

• SK L/45 at Navweaps.com