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{{Short description|Large-caliber naval gun}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox weapon
{{Infobox weapon
|name= 14"/45 caliber gun
|name= 14-inch/45-caliber gun
| image= USS Texas (BB-35) 1918.JPEG
| image= USS Texas (BB-35) 1918.JPEG
| image_size = 300
| image_size = 300
|caption= Crewmen aboard {{USS|Texas|BB-35|6}} pause to have their picture taken on top of one of the twin 14"/45 [[caliber#Caliber as measurement of length|caliber]] gun turrets, 1918.
|caption= Crewmen aboard {{USS|Texas|BB-35|6}} pause to have their picture taken on top of one of the twin 14-inch/45-[[caliber#Caliber as measurement of length|caliber]] gun turrets, 1918.
|origin= United States
|origin= United States
|type=
|type=
Line 50: Line 51:
* AP Mark 16: {{cvt|1500|lb}} AP
* AP Mark 16: {{cvt|1500|lb}} AP
* HC Mark 19: {{cvt|1125|lb}} [[Shell (projectile)#High-explosive shells|High explosive (HC)]]
* HC Mark 19: {{cvt|1125|lb}} [[Shell (projectile)#High-explosive shells|High explosive (HC)]]
|caliber= {{cvt|14|in|0}}
|caliber= {{cvt|14|in|mm}}
|action=
|action=
|rate= 1.25–1.75 rounds per minute
|rate= 1.25–1.75 rounds per minute
Line 75: Line 76:
}}
}}


The '''14"/45 caliber gun''', (spoken "fourteen-inch-forty-five-caliber"), whose variations were known initially as the Mark 1, 2, 3, and 5, and, when upgraded in the 1930s, were redesignated as the Mark 8, 9, 10, and 12. They were the first {{convert|14|in|0|adj=on|abbr=out}} guns to be employed with the [[United States Navy]] and were, for over a year, the most powerful naval ordnance afloat. The 14-inch/45 caliber guns were installed as the primary armament aboard all of the United States Navy's {{sclass-|New York|battleship|0}}, {{sclass-|Nevada|battleship|0}}, and {{sclass-|Pennsylvania|battleship}}s. The gun also saw service in the British [[Royal Navy]], where it was designated the '''BL 14 inch gun Mk II'''.
The '''14-inch/45-caliber gun''', (spoken "fourteen-inch-forty-five-caliber"{{Cn|date=December 2023}}), whose variations were known initially as the Mark 1, 2, 3, and 5, and, when upgraded in the 1930s, were redesignated as the Mark 8, 9, 10, and 12. They were the first {{convert|14|in|0|adj=on|abbr=out}} guns to be employed by the [[United States Navy]]. The 14-inch/45-caliber guns were installed as the primary armament aboard all of the United States Navy's {{sclass|New York|battleship|0}}, {{sclass|Nevada|battleship|0}}, and {{sclass|Pennsylvania|battleship}}s. The gun also saw service in the British [[Royal Navy]], where it was designated '''BL 14-inch gun Mk II'''.


==History==
== History ==
The design of the 14-inch/45 caliber dates to about 1910. They entered service in 1914 aboard {{USS|Texas|BB-35|2}} and her [[sister ship]] {{USS|New York|BB-34|2}} shortly after. At the time of their introduction they were intended to fire {{cvt|1400|lb}} [[armor-piercing]] (AP) projectiles containing a bursting charge of [[Dunnite|explosive D]].<ref name="fairfield">Fairfield, A.P. ''Naval Ordnance'' Lord Baltimore Press (1921) p.&nbsp;560</ref> Propellant charge was four silk bags of [[smokeless powder]], each of which weighed {{cvt|105|lb}}.<ref name="campbell">Campbell, John ''Naval Weapons of World War Two'' Naval Institute Press (1985) {{ISBN|0-87021-459-4}} p.&nbsp;121</ref> At a 15 degree angle, the guns could fire a shell out to {{cvt|23000|yd}}. Each individual gun weighed {{cvt|142492|lb}} with the breech and measured {{cvt|53|ft|6.5|in|m|2}} in length.<ref name="14/45 I">{{cite web | last = DiGiulian | first = Tony | title = 14"/45 (35.6 cm) Marks 1, 2, 3 and 5 | url = http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_14-45_mk1.php | publisher = Navweaps.com | date = 11 July 2016 | accessdate = 19 October 2016}}</ref>
The design of the 14-inch/45-caliber dates to about 1910. They entered service in 1914 aboard {{USS|Texas|BB-35|2}} and her [[sister ship]] {{USS|New York|BB-34|2}} shortly after. At the time of their introduction they were intended to fire {{cvt|1400|lb}} [[armor-piercing]] (AP) projectiles containing a bursting charge of [[Dunnite|explosive D]].<ref name="fairfield">Fairfield, A.P. ''Naval Ordnance'' Lord Baltimore Press (1921) p.&nbsp;560</ref> Propellant charge was four silk bags of [[smokeless powder]], each of which weighed {{cvt|105|lb}}.<ref name="campbell">Campbell, John ''Naval Weapons of World War Two'' Naval Institute Press (1985) {{ISBN|0-87021-459-4}} p.&nbsp;121</ref> At a 15-degree angle, the guns could fire a shell out to {{cvt|23000|yd}}. Each individual gun weighed {{cvt|142492|lb}} with the breech and measured {{cvt|53|ft|6.5|in|m|2}} in length.<ref name="14/45 I">{{cite web | last = DiGiulian | first = Tony | title = 14"/45 (35.6&nbsp;cm) Marks 1, 2, 3 and 5 | url = http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_14-45_mk1.php | publisher = Navweaps.com | date = 11 July 2016 | access-date = 19 October 2016}}</ref>


Each of the original Mark 1 [[built-up gun]]s consisted of a tube without liner, jacket, eight [[hoop gun|hoops]] and a screw box liner. To compensate for the problem of gun drooping, four hoop-locking rings were added to the guns. The Mark 3 added three hoop locking rings and contained a longer slide, while the Mark 5 had five hoops total. Owing to the interchangeability of the guns, the battleships fitted with the 14-inch/45 caliber guns often had guns of various Marks installed on each turret.<ref name="14/45 I"/>
Each of the original Mark 1 [[built-up gun]]s consisted of a tube without liner, jacket, eight [[hoop gun|hoops]] and a screw box liner. To compensate for the problem of gun drooping, four hoop-locking rings were added to the guns. The Mark 3 added three hoop locking rings and contained a longer slide, while the Mark 5 had five hoops total. Owing to the interchangeability of the guns, the battleships fitted with the 14-inch/45-caliber guns often had guns of various Marks installed on each turret.<ref name="14/45 I"/>


In the 1930s, the Mark 1, 2, 3, and 5 were upgraded to allow for increased charges and muzzle velocities, resulting in the Mark 8, 9, 10, and 12, respectively. All guns employed a [[Welin breech block]] and used a Smith-[[Asbury mechanism]], and in the case of the Mark 12 chromium plating was introduced to prolong barrel life. These improvements enabled the guns to fire heavier {{cvt|1500|lb}} shells, and increasing the gun mount elevation to 30 degrees<ref name="campbell"/> extended the range of the guns to {{cvt|36000|yd}}. The ''New York''-class did not have their turrets modernized because their shell hoists could not accommodate the longer AP and HC shells, instead, a shorter version of shells with windshields were produced for them.<ref name="14/45 II">{{cite web | last = DiGiulian | first = Tony | title = 14"/45 (35.6 cm) Marks 8, 9, 10 and 12 | url = http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_14-45_mk10.php | publisher = Navweaps.com | date = 15 July 2016 | accessdate = 19 October 2016}}</ref>
In the 1930s, the Mark 1, 2, 3, and 5 were upgraded to allow for increased charges and muzzle velocities, resulting in the Mark 8, 9, 10, and 12, respectively. All guns employed a [[Welin breech block]] and used a Smith-[[Asbury mechanism]], and, in the case of the Mark 12, chromium plating was introduced to prolong barrel life. These improvements enabled the guns to fire heavier {{cvt|1500|lb}} shells, and increasing the gun mount elevation to 30 degrees<ref name="campbell"/> extended the range of the guns to {{cvt|36000|yd}}. The ''New York''-class did not have their turrets modernized because their shell hoists could not accommodate the longer AP and HC shells; instead, a shorter version of shells with windshields were produced for them.<ref name="14/45 II">{{cite web | last = DiGiulian | first = Tony | title = 14"/45 (35.6&nbsp;cm) Marks 8, 9, 10 and 12 | url = http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_14-45_mk10.php | publisher = Navweaps.com | date = 15 July 2016 | access-date = 19 October 2016}}</ref>


==Naval action==
== Service ==
===United States Navy===
=== United States Navy ===
[[File:USS Nevada (BB-36) fire on positions ashore.jpg|thumb|left|<center>14"/45 caliber guns aboard the battleship {{USS|Nevada|BB-36|2}} fire at [[Utah Beach]] during [[Operation Overlord]] in 1944.</center>]]
[[File:USS Nevada (BB-36) fire on positions ashore.jpg|thumb|left|<div style="text-align: center;">14-inch/45-caliber guns aboard the battleship {{USS|Nevada|BB-36|2}} fire at [[Utah Beach]] during [[Operation Overlord]] in 1944.</div>]]
The guns on the two battleships of the ''New York''-class, {{USS|New York|BB-34|2}} and {{USS|Texas|BB-35|2}}, the first ship of the ''Nevada''-class, {{USS|Nevada|BB-36|2}} and the first ship of the ''Pennsylvania''-class, {{USS|Pennsylvania|BB-38|2}}, saw service in World War II in the role of shore bombardment. ''New York'' bombarded North Africa during landings in 1942, ''Pennsylvania'' took part in the [[Aleutian Islands Campaign]] and ''Texas'' and ''Nevada'' shelled Normandy during [[Operation Overlord]] in 1944. Throughout 1944 and 1945, ''Pennsylvania'' hit many different Pacific islands during their invasions,<ref>{{cite DANFS | title = Pennsylvania II (Battleship No. 38) | url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/pennsylvania-ii.html | date=1 December 2015 | accessdate=15 September 2016}}</ref> while ''New York'', ''Texas'' and ''Nevada'' all took part in the [[invasion of Iwo Jima]] and the [[invasion of Okinawa]] in 1945.<ref>{{cite DANFS | title = New York V (Battleship No. 34) | url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/n/new-york-v.html | date=18 February 2016 | accessdate=15 September 2016|short=yes}}</ref><ref>{{cite DANFS | title = Texas II (Battleship No. 35)| url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/t/texas-ii.html | date=18 February 2016 | accessdate=15 September 2016|short=yes}}</ref><ref>{{cite DANFS | title = Nevada II (Battleship No. 36) | url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/n/nevada-ii.html| date=18 February 2016 |accessdate=15 September 2016|short=yes}}</ref>
The guns on the two battleships of the ''New York''-class, {{USS|New York|BB-34|2}} and {{USS|Texas|BB-35|2}}, the first ship of the ''Nevada''-class, {{USS|Nevada|BB-36|2}} and the first ship of the ''Pennsylvania''-class, {{USS|Pennsylvania|BB-38|2}}, saw service in World War II in the role of shore bombardment. ''New York'' and ''Texas'' bombarded North Africa during landings in 1942, ''Pennsylvania'' took part in the [[Aleutian Islands Campaign]] and ''Texas'' and ''Nevada'' shelled Normandy during [[Operation Overlord]] in 1944. Throughout 1944 and 1945, ''Pennsylvania'' hit many different Pacific islands during their invasions,<ref>{{cite DANFS | title = Pennsylvania II (Battleship No. 38) | url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/pennsylvania-ii.html | date=1 December 2015 | access-date=15 September 2016}}</ref> while ''New York'', ''Texas'' and ''Nevada'' all took part in the [[invasion of Iwo Jima]] and the [[invasion of Okinawa]] in 1945.<ref>{{cite DANFS | title = New York V (Battleship No. 34) | url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/n/new-york-v.html | date=18 February 2016 | access-date=15 September 2016|short=yes}}</ref><ref>{{cite DANFS | title = Texas II (Battleship No. 35)| url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/t/texas-ii.html | date=18 February 2016 | access-date=15 September 2016|short=yes}}</ref><ref>{{cite DANFS | title = Nevada II (Battleship No. 36) | url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/n/nevada-ii.html| date=18 February 2016 |access-date=15 September 2016|short=yes}}</ref>


Due to the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], both {{USS|Oklahoma|BB-37|2}} and {{USS|Arizona|BB-39|2}} never fired their main batteries in anger. However, three 14-inch/45 caliber guns formerly on ''Arizona'' and in the relining process at the time of Pearl Harbor were installed aboard ''Nevada'' in the fall of 1944 and were used in several shore bombardments in the Pacific.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/11973 | title = Phoenix, Arizona – USS Arizona Anchor and Mast | date = 15 July 2011 | publisher = Roadside America.com | accessdate = 16 July 2011 }}</ref> The aft turrets from ''Arizona'' (numbers 3 and 4) were moved to become [[United States Army]] [[Coast Artillery Corps]] Battery Arizona on the west coast of [[Oahu]] and Battery Pennsylvania on [[Mokapu Point]].<ref name="lewis">Lewis, Emanuel Raymond. ''Seacoast Fortifications of the United States: An introductory history''. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press (1979). {{ISBN|978-1-55750-502-6}} p.&nbsp;123</ref><ref>[http://www.fortwiki.com/Category:Hawaii_Turret_Battery FortWiki article on Hawaii turret batteries]</ref>
As they were sunk in the Japanese [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], both {{USS|Oklahoma|BB-37|2}} and {{USS|Arizona|BB-39|2}} never fired their main batteries in combat. Three guns removed from ''Arizona'' that in the relining process at the time of Pearl Harbor were installed aboard ''Nevada'' in fall 1944 and were used in several shore bombardments in the Pacific.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/11973 | title = Phoenix, Arizona – USS Arizona Anchor and Mast | date = 15 July 2011 | publisher = Roadside America.com | access-date = 16 July 2011 }}</ref> The aft turrets from ''Arizona'' (numbers 3 and 4) were salvaged from the wreck and used for [[United States Army]] [[Coast Artillery Corps]] Battery Arizona on the west coast of [[Oahu]] and Battery Pennsylvania on [[Mokapu Point]].<ref name="lewis">Lewis, Emanuel Raymond. ''Seacoast Fortifications of the United States: An introductory history''. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press (1979). {{ISBN|978-1-55750-502-6}} p.&nbsp;123</ref><ref>[http://www.fortwiki.com/Category:Hawaii_Turret_Battery FortWiki article on Hawaii turret batteries]</ref>


===Royal Navy===
=== Royal Navy ===
[[File:Abercrombie class monitor 14-inch turret.jpg|left|thumb|<center>{{convert|14|in|mm|0|adj=on}} gun turret of a British {{sclass-|Abercrombie|monitor|0}} [[Monitor (ship)|monitor]] during [[World War I]]. It mounted two guns, designated BL 14-inch Mark II guns in [[Royal Navy]] service.</center>]]
[[File:Abercrombie class monitor 14-inch turret.jpg|left|thumb|<div style="text-align: center;">The single 14-inch gun turret of a British {{sclass|Abercrombie|monitor|0}} [[Monitor (ship)|monitor]] during [[World War I]].</div>]]
Eight US Navy standard 14-inch/45 caliber guns, complete with mountings, built by Bethlehem Steel, were supplied to the United Kingdom in [[World War I]]. They were mounted on {{sclass-|Abercrombie|monitor|0}} [[Monitor (ship)|monitors]] under the British service designation '''BL 14&nbsp;inch gun Mk II'''.<ref>Tony DiGiulian, [http://navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_14-45_mk2.php British 14"/45 (35.6 cm) Marks II, IV and V]</ref>
Eight US Navy standard 14-inch/45-caliber guns, complete with mountings, were built by Bethlehem Steel for the [[Greek battleship Salamis|Greek battleship ''Salamis'']] under construction in Germany. When [[World War I]] started, Bethlemen Steel cancelled the sale and offered the guns for purchase by the United Kingdom. The UK agreed to buy them and drew up a design for four [[Monitor (warship)|monitors]]. These ships were to have been named after American military leaders but, as the United States was neutral, entered service as the {{sclass|Abercrombie|monitor|0}} with the British service designation "BL 14-inch gun Mk II". Under the British bore-measuring scheme, they were recorded as 44.5 calibers long.<ref name=British14>{{Cite web |last=DiGiulian |first=Tony |date=18 March 2023 |title=14"/45 (35.6 cm) Marks II, IV and V |url=http://navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_14-45_mk2.php |access-date=28 December 2023 |website=navweaps.com}}</ref>


Woolwich Arsenal built two more guns after the same pattern but using wire-wound techniques. Two ex-USN guns were supplied as spares and designated BL 14-inch gun Mk IV due to the different tube makeup, and two US guns with Asbury roller cams were designated Mark V.<ref name=British14/>
⚫
==Naval service==

In British service it was noted that it took a few shots before the guns warmed up and barrels straightened as the tubes locked together.

The ships were built quickly enough that they could sail to the Eastern Mediterranean in 1915 and participate in the [[Gallipoli campaign]] bombarding Ottoman positions.
{{clear}}

⚫
== Naval service ==
{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
!Ship
!Ship
!Gun Installed
!Gun mounting
!Gun Mount
|-
|-
|{{USS|New York|BB-34}}
|{{USS|New York|BB-34}}
⚫
| 5 × twin-gun turrets
|Guns: 14"/45 caliber
⚫
|Turrets: 5 × twin-gun turrets
|-
|-
|{{USS|Texas|BB-35}}
|{{USS|Texas|BB-35}}
⚫
| 5 × twin-gun turrets
|Guns: 14"/45 caliber
⚫
|Turrets: 5 × twin-gun turrets
|-
|-
|{{USS|Nevada|BB-36}}
|{{USS|Nevada|BB-36}}
⚫
|2 × twin-gun turrets<br> 2 × triple-gun turrets
|Guns: 14"/45 caliber
|
⚫
*Turrets: 2 × twin-gun turrets
⚫
*Turrets: 2 × triple-gun turrets
|-
|-
|{{USS|Oklahoma|BB-37}}
|{{USS|Oklahoma|BB-37}}
⚫
| 2 × twin-gun turrets<br> 2 × triple-gun turrets
|Guns: 14"/45 caliber
|
⚫
*Turrets: 2 × twin-gun turrets
⚫
*Turrets: 2 × triple-gun turrets
|-
|-
|{{USS|Pennsylvania|BB-38}}
|{{USS|Pennsylvania|BB-38}}
⚫
| 4 × triple-gun turrets
|Guns: 14"/45 caliber
|Turrets: 4 × triple-gun turrets
|-
|-
|{{USS|Arizona|BB-39}}
|{{USS|Arizona|BB-39}}
⚫
| 4 × triple-gun turrets
|Guns: 14"/45 caliber
|Turrets: 4 × triple-gun turrets
|-
|-
|{{HMS|Abercrombie|1915|3}}
|{{HMS|Abercrombie|1915|6}}
⚫
| 1 × twin-gun turret
|Guns: 14"/45 caliber
⚫
|Turrets: 1 × twin-gun turrets
|-
|-
|{{HMS|Havelock|1915|3}}
|{{HMS|Havelock|1915|6}}
⚫
| 1 × twin-gun turret
|Guns: 14"/45 caliber
⚫
|Turrets: 1 × twin-gun turrets
|-
|-
|{{HMS|Raglan||2}}
|{{HMS|Raglan||6}}
⚫
| 1 × twin-gun turret
|Guns: 14"/45 caliber
⚫
|Turrets: 1 × twin-gun turrets
|-
|-
|{{HMS|Roberts|1915|3}}
|{{HMS|Roberts|1915|6}}
⚫
| 1 × twin-gun turret
|Guns: 14"/45 caliber
⚫
|Turrets: 1 × twin-gun turrets
|-
|''[[Chilean battleship Almirante Latorre|Almirante Latorre]]''
|Guns:
14"/45 caliber
|Turrets: 5 x twin-gun turrets
|}
|}


⚫
==See also ==
⚫
*[[14"/50 caliber gun]] - later 14" gun (American)
⚫
*[[BL 14 inch Mk VII naval gun]] - for British Royal Navy [[King George V-class battleship (1939)|King George V-class battleship]]s (1939)
⚫
* [[Greek battleship Salamis]]

⚫
===Weapons of comparable role, performance and era===
⚫
*[[14-inch gun M1910]] US Army coast defense equivalent
⚫
*[[EOC 14 inch /45 naval gun]] contemporary British equivalent
⚫
*[[Vickers 14 inch/45 naval gun]] contemporary Vickers-designed Japanese equivalent
⚫
*[[340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun]] contemporary French naval gun


{{clear}}
{{clear}}

==Surviving examples==
== Surviving examples ==
[[File:AZStateHouseAZGun01.jpg|thumb|right|14-inch gun formerly on USS ''Arizona'', displayed near the Arizona State House, Phoenix, Arizona]]
[[File:AZStateHouseAZGun01.jpg|thumb|right|14-inch gun formerly on USS ''Arizona'', displayed near the Arizona State House, Phoenix, Arizona]]
[[File:AZStateHouseAZGunBreech01.jpg|thumb|right|The breech of the restored USS ''Arizona'' gun barrel in Phoenix, Arizona.]]
[[File:AZStateHouseAZGunBreech01.jpg|thumb|right|The breech of the restored USS ''Arizona'' gun barrel in Phoenix, Arizona.]]
* On {{USS|Texas|BB-35}}, as of 2024 in drydock in [[Galveston]], [[Texas]]. ''Texas'' has 9 out of 10 of her original 14-inch gun barrels that served on her from 1914 to 1923. These nine guns served with {{USS|Pennsylvania|BB-38|2}} from 1925 to 1940. They were refurbished, relined, and reinstalled on ''Texas'' in late 1944. The serial numbers for these 10 guns on ''Texas'' are 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 25. ''Texas'' was the first ever battleship to be outfitted with 14-inch guns.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tom, The Older One |first=Scott |date=Sep 23, 2022 |title=Battleship Texas, Getting 3,500 Shots Out Of A 250 Shot Barrel! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXLueUOnJN8 |website=YouTube|access-date=13 March 2023}} Go to 0:55.</ref>
* On {{USS|Texas|BB-35}} at San Jacinto Battleground, near Houston
* [[Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza]], memorial to USS ''Arizona'' and World War II, Phoenix, Arizona; one of three previously on ''Arizona'' that served on ''Nevada'' in World War II
* [[Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza]], memorial to USS ''Arizona'' and World War II, Phoenix, Arizona; one of three previously on ''Arizona'' that served on ''Nevada'' in World War II.
* [[Pennsylvania Military Museum]], Boalsburg, Pennsylvania
* [[Pennsylvania Military Museum]], Boalsburg, Pennsylvania.

⚫
== See also ==
⚫
* [[14-inch/50-caliber gun]] – later 14-inch gun (American)
⚫
* [[BL 14 inch Mk VII naval gun|BL 14-inch Mk VII naval gun]] – for British Royal Navy [[King George V-class battleship (1939)|''King George V''-class battleships]] (1939)
⚫
* [[Greek battleship Salamis|Greek battleship ''Salamis'']]

⚫
=== Weapons of comparable role, performance and era ===
⚫
* [[14-inch gun M1910]] US Army coast defense equivalent
⚫
* [[EOC 14 inch /45 naval gun|EOC 14-inch /45 naval gun]] contemporary British equivalent
⚫
* [[Vickers 14 inch/45 naval gun|Vickers 14-inch/45 naval gun]] contemporary Vickers-designed Japanese equivalent
⚫
* [[340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun]] contemporary French naval gun



== Notes ==
== Notes ==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{notelist}}
{{Reflist}}


==Bibliography==
== Bibliography ==
*{{cite journal |last1=Lewis |first1=E. R. |last2=Kirchner |first2=D. P. |title=The Oahu Turrets |journal=Warship International |date=1992 |volume=XXIX |issue=3 |pages=273–301 |issn=0043-0374|lastauthoramp=y}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Lewis |first1=E. R. |last2=Kirchner |first2=D. P. |title=The Oahu Turrets |journal=Warship International |date=1992 |volume=XXIX |issue=3 |pages=273–301 |issn=0043-0374|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book |last1=Crossley |first1=Jim |title=Monitors of the Royal Navy; How the Fleet Brought the Great Guns to Bear |location=Barnsley, UK |publisher=Pen & Sword |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-78383-004-6 }}


==External links==
== External links ==
{{Commons category|14"/45 caliber naval gun}}
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.gwpda.org/naval/usn14gun.htm Bluejackets Manual, 1917, 4th revision: US Navy 14-inch Mark 1 gun]
* [http://www.gwpda.org/naval/usn14gun.htm Bluejackets Manual, 1917, 4th revision: US Navy 14-inch Mark 1 gun]



{{portal bar|World War I|World War II}}


{{WWIUSNavalWeapons}}
{{WWIUSNavalWeapons}}
{{GreatWarBritishNavalWeapons}}
{{WWIIUSNavalWeapons}}
{{WWIIUSNavalWeapons}}


Latest revision as of 07:42, 1 July 2024

14-inch/45-caliber gun
Crewmen aboard USS Texas pause to have their picture taken on top of one of the twin 14-inch/45-caliber gun turrets, 1918.
Typ
Place of originVereinigte Staaten
Service history
In service1914–1946
Used by
Wars
Production history
DesignerBureau of Ordnance
Designed
  • Mark 1: 1910
  • Mark 8: 1928
Manufacturer
VariantsMarks 1–3, 5, 8–10, 12
Specifications
Mass
  • Mark 1: 140,670 lb (63,810 kg) (without breech)
  • Mark 1: 142,492 lb (64,633 kg) (with breech)
  • Mark 8: 124,000 lb (56,000 kg)
Length53 ft 6.5 in (16.32 m)
Barrel length52 ft 6 in (16.00 m) bore (45 calibers)
Shell
Caliber14 in (360 mm)
Recoil40 in (1,000 mm)
Elevation
  • Unmodernized turret: -5° to +15°
  • Modernized turret: -5° to +30°
Traverse-150° to 150°
Rate of fire1.25–1.75 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity
  • Original charge: 2,600 ft/s (790 m/s) AP
  • Enlarged charge: 2,700 ft/s (820 m/s) AP
  • Reduced charge: 1,935 ft/s (590 m/s) AP
  • Full charge: 2,735 ft/s (834 m/s) HC
  • Reduced charge: 2,065 ft/s (629 m/s) HC
Effective firing range13,000 yd (12,000 m) at 7.4° elevation
Maximum firing range
  • Unmodernized turret: 23,000 yd (21,000 m) at 15° elevation
  • Modernized turret: 34,300 yd (31,400 m) at 30° elevation

The 14-inch/45-caliber gun, (spoken "fourteen-inch-forty-five-caliber"[citation needed]), whose variations were known initially as the Mark 1, 2, 3, and 5, and, when upgraded in the 1930s, were redesignated as the Mark 8, 9, 10, and 12. They were the first 14-inch (356 mm) guns to be employed by the United States Navy. The 14-inch/45-caliber guns were installed as the primary armament aboard all of the United States Navy's New York-class, Nevada-class, and Pennsylvania-class battleships. The gun also saw service in the British Royal Navy, where it was designated BL 14-inch gun Mk II.

History

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The design of the 14-inch/45-caliber dates to about 1910. They entered service in 1914 aboard Texas and her sister ship New York shortly after. At the time of their introduction they were intended to fire 1,400 lb (640 kg) armor-piercing (AP) projectiles containing a bursting charge of explosive D.[1] Propellant charge was four silk bags of smokeless powder, each of which weighed 105 lb (48 kg).[2] At a 15-degree angle, the guns could fire a shell out to 23,000 yd (21,000 m). Each individual gun weighed 142,492 lb (64,633 kg) with the breech and measured 53 ft 6.5 in (16.32 m) in length.[3]

Each of the original Mark 1 built-up guns consisted of a tube without liner, jacket, eight hoops and a screw box liner. To compensate for the problem of gun drooping, four hoop-locking rings were added to the guns. The Mark 3 added three hoop locking rings and contained a longer slide, while the Mark 5 had five hoops total. Owing to the interchangeability of the guns, the battleships fitted with the 14-inch/45-caliber guns often had guns of various Marks installed on each turret.[3]

In the 1930s, the Mark 1, 2, 3, and 5 were upgraded to allow for increased charges and muzzle velocities, resulting in the Mark 8, 9, 10, and 12, respectively. All guns employed a Welin breech block and used a Smith-Asbury mechanism, and, in the case of the Mark 12, chromium plating was introduced to prolong barrel life. These improvements enabled the guns to fire heavier 1,500 lb (680 kg) shells, and increasing the gun mount elevation to 30 degrees[2] extended the range of the guns to 36,000 yd (33,000 m). The New York-class did not have their turrets modernized because their shell hoists could not accommodate the longer AP and HC shells; instead, a shorter version of shells with windshields were produced for them.[4]

Service

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United States Navy

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14-inch/45-caliber guns aboard the battleship Nevada fire at Utah Beach during Operation Overlord in 1944.

The guns on the two battleships of the New York-class, New York and Texas, the first ship of the Nevada-class, Nevada and the first ship of the Pennsylvania-class, Pennsylvania, saw service in World War II in the role of shore bombardment. New York and Texas bombarded North Africa during landings in 1942, Pennsylvania took part in the Aleutian Islands Campaign and Texas and Nevada shelled Normandy during Operation Overlord in 1944. Throughout 1944 and 1945, Pennsylvania hit many different Pacific islands during their invasions,[5] while New York, Texas and Nevada all took part in the invasion of Iwo Jima and the invasion of Okinawa in 1945.[6][7][8]

As they were sunk in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, both Oklahoma and Arizona never fired their main batteries in combat. Three guns removed from Arizona that in the relining process at the time of Pearl Harbor were installed aboard Nevada in fall 1944 and were used in several shore bombardments in the Pacific.[9] The aft turrets from Arizona (numbers 3 and 4) were salvaged from the wreck and used for United States Army Coast Artillery Corps Battery Arizona on the west coast of Oahu and Battery Pennsylvania on Mokapu Point.[10][11]

Royal Navy

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The single 14-inch gun turret of a British Abercrombie-class monitor during World War I.

Eight US Navy standard 14-inch/45-caliber guns, complete with mountings, were built by Bethlehem Steel for the Greek battleship Salamis under construction in Germany. When World War I started, Bethlemen Steel cancelled the sale and offered the guns for purchase by the United Kingdom. The UK agreed to buy them and drew up a design for four monitors. These ships were to have been named after American military leaders but, as the United States was neutral, entered service as the Abercrombie-class with the British service designation "BL 14-inch gun Mk II". Under the British bore-measuring scheme, they were recorded as 44.5 calibers long.[12]

Woolwich Arsenal built two more guns after the same pattern but using wire-wound techniques. Two ex-USN guns were supplied as spares and designated BL 14-inch gun Mk IV due to the different tube makeup, and two US guns with Asbury roller cams were designated Mark V.[12]

In British service it was noted that it took a few shots before the guns warmed up and barrels straightened as the tubes locked together.

The ships were built quickly enough that they could sail to the Eastern Mediterranean in 1915 and participate in the Gallipoli campaign bombarding Ottoman positions.

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Ship Gun mounting
USS New York (BB-34) 5 × twin-gun turrets
USS Texas (BB-35) 5 × twin-gun turrets
USS Nevada (BB-36) 2 × twin-gun turrets
2 × triple-gun turrets
USS Oklahoma (BB-37) 2 × twin-gun turrets
2 × triple-gun turrets
USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) 4 × triple-gun turrets
USS Arizona (BB-39) 4 × triple-gun turrets
HMS Abercrombie 1 × twin-gun turret
HMS Havelock 1 × twin-gun turret
HMS Raglan 1 × twin-gun turret
HMS Roberts 1 × twin-gun turret


Surviving examples

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14-inch gun formerly on USS Arizona, displayed near the Arizona State House, Phoenix, Arizona
The breech of the restored USS Arizona gun barrel in Phoenix, Arizona.
  • On USS Texas (BB-35), as of 2024 in drydock in Galveston, Texas. Texas has 9 out of 10 of her original 14-inch gun barrels that served on her from 1914 to 1923. These nine guns served with Pennsylvania from 1925 to 1940. They were refurbished, relined, and reinstalled on Texas in late 1944. The serial numbers for these 10 guns on Texas are 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 25. Texas was the first ever battleship to be outfitted with 14-inch guns.[13]
  • Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, memorial to USS Arizona and World War II, Phoenix, Arizona; one of three previously on Arizona that served on Nevada in World War II.
  • Pennsylvania Military Museum, Boalsburg, Pennsylvania.

See also

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Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

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Notes

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  1. ^ Fairfield, A.P. Naval Ordnance Lord Baltimore Press (1921) p. 560
  2. ^ a b Campbell, John Naval Weapons of World War Two Naval Institute Press (1985) ISBN 0-87021-459-4 p. 121
  3. ^ a b DiGiulian, Tony (11 July 2016). "14"/45 (35.6 cm) Marks 1, 2, 3 and 5". Navweaps.com. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  4. ^ DiGiulian, Tony (15 July 2016). "14"/45 (35.6 cm) Marks 8, 9, 10 and 12". Navweaps.com. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Pennsylvania II (Battleship No. 38)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. 1 December 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  6. ^ "New York V (Battleship No. 34)". DANFS. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  7. ^ "Texas II (Battleship No. 35)". DANFS. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Nevada II (Battleship No. 36)". DANFS. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  9. ^ "Phoenix, Arizona – USS Arizona Anchor and Mast". Roadside America.com. 15 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  10. ^ Lewis, Emanuel Raymond. Seacoast Fortifications of the United States: An introductory history. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press (1979). ISBN 978-1-55750-502-6 p. 123
  11. ^ FortWiki article on Hawaii turret batteries
  12. ^ a b DiGiulian, Tony (18 March 2023). "14"/45 (35.6 cm) Marks II, IV and V". navweaps.com. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  13. ^ Tom, The Older One, Scott (23 September 2022). "Battleship Texas, Getting 3,500 Shots Out Of A 250 Shot Barrel!". YouTube. Retrieved 13 March 2023. Go to 0:55.

Bibliography

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  • Lewis, E. R. & Kirchner, D. P. (1992). "The Oahu Turrets". Warship International. XXIX (3): 273–301. ISSN 0043-0374.
  • Crossley, Jim (2013). Monitors of the Royal Navy; How the Fleet Brought the Great Guns to Bear. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword. ISBN 978-1-78383-004-6.
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