Summary
The 8.8 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 on a variety of mounts.
| 8.8 cm SK L/45 | |
|---|---|
 Anti-aircraft guns on light cruiser Königsberg, 1932 | |
| Type | Naval gun Anti-aircraft gun |
| Place of origin |  German Empire |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1905?–45 |
| Used by | German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War I World War II |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Krupp |
| Variants | 8.8 cm SK L/45 8.8 cm Flak L/45 8.8 cm TbtsK L/45 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | about 2.5 metric tons (2.5 long tons; 2.8 short tons) |
| Length | about 4 meters (13 ft 1 in) |
| Shell | Fixed |
| Shell weight | 9–10 kilograms (20–22 lb) |
| Caliber | 88 millimeters (3.5 in) |
| Breech | Vertical sliding-wedge |
| Elevation | MPL C/06 and TbtsL C/13: −10° to +25° MPL C/13: −10° to +70° |
| Rate of fire | 15 RPM |
| Muzzle velocity | 650 to 890 m/s (2,100 to 2,900 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | Horizontal: 10,694 metres (11,695 yd) at +25°[1] 14,100 metres (15,400 yd) at +43° Vertical: 9,150 metres (30,020 ft) at +70° |
Description edit
The 8.8 cm SK L/45 gun weighed 2.5 metric tons (2.5 long tons; 2.8 short tons) and had an overall length of about 4 meters (13 ft 1 in). It used a vertical sliding-block, or "wedge", as it is sometimes referred to, breech design.
History edit
During World War I, the SK L/45 was used as anti-torpedo boat guns on all Imperial German Navy dreadnoughts and as main guns on torpedo boats and destroyers. The SK L/45 was also used to replace some of the 8.8 cm SK L/35 anti-torpedo boat guns on pre-dreadnought battleships. During the 1920s SK L/45 guns were temporarily fitted to the Deutschland-class cruisers and on Königsberg-class cruisers until the new 8.8 cm SK C/32 naval gun was available, with most ships being refitted by 1939. During the 1930s surviving SK L/45 guns were modified to use the same ammunition as the 8.8 cm SK C/30 naval gun and had similar performance.[2]
Ammunition edit
Fixed type ammunition with and without tracer, which weighed 15 kg (33 lb), with a projectile length of 355 mm (14.0 in) was fired. Ammunition Types Available:
- Armor Piercing (AP) - 10 kg (22 lb)
- High Explosive (HE) - 9 kg (20 lb)
- High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) - 9.5 kg (21 lb)
- Illumination (ILLUM) - 9.4 kg (21 lb)
Versions edit
See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ Friedman 2011, p. 147.
- ^ a b c d Campbell 2002, p. 252.
- ^ a b c DiGiulian 2021.
- ^ a b M. Dv. Nr. 170,16 1941, p. 5.
References edit
- Die 8,8 cm Flugzeugabwehrkanone L/45 (8,8 cm Flak. L/45) in 8,8 cm Mittel-Pivot-Lafette C/1913 (8,8 cm M.P.L.C./1913). Berlin: E. S. Mittler. 1918. OCLC 635259544.
- Campbell, John (2002). Naval Weapons of World War Two. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
- DiGiulian, Tony (February 6, 2021). "8.8 cm/45 (3.46") SK L/45". NavWeaps. Naval Weapons, Naval Technology and Naval Reunions. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- 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.
- Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One: Guns, Torpedoes, Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations (An Illustrated Directory). Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.
- M. Dv. Nr. 170,16: Merkbuch über die Munition für die 8,8 cm SK L/45 (nachgebohrte Rohre), 8,8 cm Flak L/45 (nachgebohrte Rohre), 8,8 cm SK C/30, 8,8 cm SK C/30 U, 8,8 cm Flak 18 M, 8,8 cm Flak 36 M und 8,8 cm KM 41 der Schiffs- und Marine-Küstenartillerie (in German). Berlin: Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine. 1941.
