QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun
Encyclopedia
The QF 4 inch Mk V gun was a Royal Navy gun of World War I which was adapted on HA mountings to the heavy anti-aircraft role both at sea and on land, and was also used as a coast defence gun.
This QF gun was introduced to provide a higher rate of fire than the BL 4 inch Mk VII
. It first appeared in 1914 as secondary armament on Arethusa class cruisers
, was soon adapted to a high-angle anti-aircraft role. It was typically used on cruisers and heavier ships, although V and W class destroyer
s of 1917 also mounted the gun.
Mk V was superseded by the QF 4 inch Mk XVI
as the HA (i.e. anti-aircraft) gun on new warships in the 1930s, but it served on many ships such as destroyer
s and light cruiser
s in World War II
.
Naval service
BL 4 inch naval gun Mk VII
The BL 4-inch gun Mk VII was a British high-velocity naval gun introduced in 1908 as an anti-torpedo boat gun in large ships, and in the main armament of smaller ships...
. It first appeared in 1914 as secondary armament on Arethusa class cruisers
Arethusa class cruiser (1913)
The Arethusa-class cruisers were a class of eight oil-fired light cruisers of the Royal Navy all ordered in September 1912, primarily for service in the North Sea. They had three funnels with the middle one somewhat larger in diameter than the others. All served in World War I...
, was soon adapted to a high-angle anti-aircraft role. It was typically used on cruisers and heavier ships, although V and W class destroyer
V and W class destroyer
The V and W class was an amalgam of six similar classes of destroyer built for the Royal Navy under the War Emergency Programme of the First World War and generally treated as one class...
s of 1917 also mounted the gun.
Mk V was superseded by the QF 4 inch Mk XVI
QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun
The QF 4 inch Mk XVI gun was the standard British Commonwealth naval anti-aircraft and dual-purpose gun of World War II.-Service:The Mk XVI superseded the earlier QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun on many Royal Naval ships during the late 1930s and early 1940s...
as the HA (i.e. anti-aircraft) gun on new warships in the 1930s, but it served on many ships such as destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s and light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Army anti-aircraft gun
Early in World War I several guns were supplied by the Navy for evaluation as anti-aircraft guns for the home defence of key installations in Britain. They were mounted on static platforms and proved fairly successful after a fixed round was developed to replace the original separate round, and more followed. The AA mounting allowed elevation to 80° but loading was not possible above 62°, which slowed the maximum rate of fire. At the Armistice a total of 24 guns were employed in AA defences in Britain and 2 in France. After World War I the guns were returned to the Navy.Coast Defence gun
From 1915 to 1928 several guns were mounted in forts to guard the estuary of the River Humber.Anti-aircraft performance
The following table compares the gun's performance with the other British World War I anti-aircraft guns:-| Gun | m/v ft/s | Shell (lb) | Time to 5000 ft (1,524 m) at 25° (seconds) | Time to 10000 ft (3,048 m) at 40° (seconds) | Time to 15000 ft (4,572 m) at 55° (seconds) | Max. height (ft) |
| QF 13 pdr 9 cwt QF 13 pounder 9 cwt The 13 pounder 9 cwt anti-aircraft gun became the standard mobile British anti-aircraft gun of the World War I era, especially in theatres outside Britain... |
1990 | 12.5 | 10.1 | 15.5 | 22.1 | 19,000 |
| QF 12 pdr 12 cwt QF 12 pounder 12 cwt AA gun The 12 pounder 12 cwt anti-aircraft gun was borrowed for AA use from the QF 12 pounder 12 cwt coast defence gun with the addition of a modified cradle for higher elevation, a retaining catch for the cartridge, and an additional spring recuperator above the barrel and high-angle sights. Writers... |
2200 | 12.5 | 9.1 | 14.1 | 19.1 | 20,000 |
| QF 3 inch 20 cwt QF 3 inch 20 cwt The QF 3 inch 20 cwt anti-aircraft gun became the standard anti-aircraft gun used in the home defence of the United Kingdom against German airships and bombers and on the Western Front in World War I. It was also common on British warships in World War I and submarines in World War II... 1914 |
2500 | 12.5 | 8.3 | 12.6 | 16.3 | 23,500 |
| QF 3 inch 20 cwt QF 3 inch 20 cwt The QF 3 inch 20 cwt anti-aircraft gun became the standard anti-aircraft gun used in the home defence of the United Kingdom against German airships and bombers and on the Western Front in World War I. It was also common on British warships in World War I and submarines in World War II... 1916 |
2000 | 16 | 9.2 | 13.7 | 18.8 | 22,000 |
| QF 4 inch Mk V World War I | 2350 | 31 (3 c.r.h.) | 4.4?? | 9.6 | 12.3 | 28,750 |
| QF 4 inch Mk V World War II | 2350 | 31 (4.38/6 c.r.h.) | ? | ? | ? | 31,000 |
See also
- 10.5 cm SK L/45 naval gun10.5 cm SK L/45 naval gunThe 10.5 cm SK L/45 The 10.5 cm SK L/45 The 10.5 cm SK L/45 (SK - Schnelladekanone (quick-loading cannon) L - Länge (with a 45-caliber barrel) was a German naval gun that was used in World War I and World War II.-Description:...
Approximate German equivalent firing slightly heavier shell - List of anti-aircraft guns
- List of naval guns
- List of naval anti-aircraft guns
Surviving examples
- A gun from HMNZS Tutira in front of the Devonport Naval BaseDevonport Naval BaseDevonport Naval Base is the home of the Royal New Zealand Navy, located at Devonport, New Zealand on Auckland's North Shore. It is currently the only base of the navy that operates ships, and was a navy base from as far back as 1841...
, Auckland, New Zealand