EOC 14-inch 45-calibre naval gun

Elswick 14 inch 45-calibre naval gun
Elswick 14 inch 45-calibre naval gun
	Forward guns of Almirante Latorre
Type	Naval gun
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1915–1958
Used by	United Kingdom ; Chile
Wars	World War I
Production history
Designer	Elswick Ordnance Company
Specifications
Barrel length	Bore 52 ft 6 in (16.002 m) (45 cal)
Shell	HE 1,586 lb (719.40 kg) 4 c.r.h. (later 1,400 lb (635.03 kg) 8 c.r.h.)
Calibre	14-inch (355.6 mm)
Elevation	Naval: 0° - 20°; Railway: 0 - 40°
Muzzle velocity	2,450 ft/s (747 m/s) (1,586 lb shell);; 2,600 ft/s (792 m/s) (1,400 lb shell)

The BL 14 inch 45 calibre gun were various similar naval guns designed and manufactured by Elswick Ordnance Company to equip ships that Armstrong-Whitworth built and/or armed for several countries before World War I.

History[edit]

When World War I began, Armstrong-Whitworth were building the battleship Almirante Latorre for Chile, armed with 10 of its 14-inch guns. The battleship was acquired by the British government and completed as HMS Canada and served in the Royal Navy in World War I, with its guns designated BL 14 inch Mk I.

After World War I the battleship was sold to Chile as Almirante Latorre as originally intended.

Railway guns[edit]

Elswick built several guns for Japan which went into British service as railway guns in World War I under the designation BL 14 inch Mk III. They were similar to but lighter than Mk I, and were modified to give similar performance as Mk I.

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era[edit]

14"/45 caliber gun US equivalent
Vickers 14 inch/45 naval gun Vickers/Japanese equivalent

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

Tony DiGiulian, British 14"/45 (35.6 cm) Marks I and III
I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914-1918. London: Ian Allan, 1972.

v t e British Empire naval weapons of the First World War
Monitor guns	BL 9.2-inch Mk VI BL 9.2-inch Mk VIII BL 9.2-inch Mk X BL 9.2-inch Mk XII BL 12-inch Mk VIII BL 14-inch Mk II (US built) BL 15-inch Mk I BL 18-inch Mk I
Capital ship main armament	Vickers 10-inch 45 cal. EOC 10-inch 45 cal. BL 12-inch Mk VIII BL 12-inch Mk IX BL 12-inch Mk X BL 12-inch Mk XI & XII EOC 12-inch 45 cal. Mk XIII BL 13.5-inch Mk I – IV BL 13.5-inch Mk V BL 13.5-inch Mk VI EOC 14-inch 45 cal. Mk I BL 15-inch Mk I
Armoured cruiser main armament	BL 7.5-inch Mk I BL 9.2-inch Mk X BL 9.2-inch Mk XI
Secondary armament and light cruiser main armament	QF 12-pounder 18 cwt QF 14-pounder Maxim-Nordenfelt QF 14-pounder Mk I & II QF 4-inch Mk III BL 4-inch Mk VII QF 4-inch Mk V BL 4-inch Mk IX BL 5.5-inch Mk I QF 6-inch Mk I – III BL 6-inch Mk VII BL 6-inch Mk XI BL 6-inch Mk XII BL 6-inch Mk XIII-XVIII BL 7.5-inch Mk II – Mk V
Destroyer and small cruiser armament	QF 12-pounder 12 cwt Mk II QF 4-inch Mk III BL 4-inch Mk VIII QF 4-inch Mk IV BL 4.7-inch Mk I
Merchant ship armament	QF 4.7-inch Mk I – IV QF 4.7-inch Mk V*
Submarine guns	BL 4-inch Mk XI QF 4-inch Mk XII
Anti-aircraft guns	QF 2-pounder "pom-pom" Mk II QF 3-inch 20 cwt QF 4-inch Mk V
Light weapons	.303 Vickers machine gun QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss QF 3-pounder Vickers QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss
Torpedoes	18-inch Mk V – VIII 21-inch Mk II 21-inch Mk IV
Mines	Spherical Mk I, II and III Vickers Elia mine Type H mine
Anti-submarine weapons	Type A Depth charge Type B Depth charge Type C Depth charge Type D Depth charge Type E Depth charge Type F Depth charge Type G Depth charge Cruiser Mine 7.5-inch howitzer
Landing guns	QF 12-pounder 8 cwt