Canon de 155 mm Modèle 1920

Canon de 155 mm Modèle 1920
Canon de 155 mm Modèle 1920
Type	Naval gun
Place of origin	France
Service history
In service	1920–1966
Used by	France
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designed	1920
Specifications
Mass	8.87 tonnes (9.78 short tons; 8.73 long tons)
Barrel length	8.87 meters (29.1 ft) 50 caliber
Shell	separate-loading, bagged charge
Shell weight	56.5 kilograms (125 lb)
Caliber	155 millimeters (6.1 in)
Breech	Welin interrupted-screw breech
Elevation	-5° to +40°
Traverse	Model 1921: -140° to +140°
Rate of fire	3-5 rpm
Muzzle velocity	850 meters per second (2,800 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	26,100 meters (28,500 yd) at 40°

The Canon de 155 mm Modèle 1920 was a medium-caliber naval gun used as the primary armament on a number of French cruisers during World War II.

Description[edit]

The Canon de 155 mm Modèle 1920 was built with a liner, autofretted A tube, two part jacket and breech ring. There was a short collar at the breech end of the liner which screwed into the A tube and a Welin breech block which opened upwards. Useful life expectancy was 700 effective full charges (EFC) per barrel. These guns were carried both in twin turrets aboard cruisers and in single casemates aboard aircraft carriers. The twin turrets were slightly unusual in that each gun had its own cradle and they could be elevated or depressed independently.^[7]

Ammunition[edit]

Ammunition was of separate loading type with two powder charges and a projectile.

The gun was able to fire:

Semi Armour-Piercing - 56.5 kg (125 lb)
High Explosive Base Fuzed - 59 kg (130 lb)
High Explosive Nose Fuzed - 56.5 kg (125 lb)
Illumination - Unknown^[8]

Naval Service[edit]

Ship classes that carried the Canon de 155 mm Modèle 1920 include:

Notes[edit]

^ Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.
^ Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.
^ Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.
^ Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.
^ Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.
^ Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.
^ Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.
^ The 155 mm/50 (6.1") Model 1920 at Naval Weapons.Com

References[edit]

Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.

External links[edit]

navweaps.com

[1] Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.

[2] Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.

[3] Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.

[4] Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.

[5] Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.

[6] Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.

[7] Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.292.

[8] The 155 mm/50 (6.1") Model 1920 at Naval Weapons.Com

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v t e French naval weapons of the Second World War
Battleship main armament	305 mm/45 Modèle 1906 330 mm/50 Modèle 1931 340 mm/45 Modèle 1912 380 mm/45 Modèle 1935
Cruiser main armament	138 mm/40 Modèle 1923 152 mm/55 Modèle 1930 155 mm/50 Modèle 1920 203 mm/50 Modèle 1924 203 mm/55 Modèle 1931
Destroyer and Aviso main armament	65 mm Modèle 1891 90 mm/50 Modèle 1926 100 mm/45 Modèle 1891 100 mm/45 Modèle 1933 130 mm/40 Modèle 1919 130 mm/40 Modèle 1924 130 mm/45 Modèle 1935 138 mm/45 Modèle 1893 138 mm/40 Modèle 1927 138 mm/55 Modèle 1910 138 mm/50 Modèle 1929
Secondary armament	57 mm/40 Modèle 1885 90 mm/50 Modèle 1926 100 mm/45 Modèle 1930 100 mm/55 Modèle 1945 130 mm/45 Modèle 1932 138 mm/55 Modèle 1910 152 mm/55 Modèle 1930
Submarine guns	75 mm/35 Modèle 1924 75 mm/35 Modèle 1927 100 mm/45 Modèle 1917 100 mm/45 Modèle 1925 100 mm/34 Modèle 1936 203 mm/50 Modèle 1924
Anti-aircraft weapons	7.5 mm/80 Modèle 1931 8 mm/50 Modèle 1914 13.2 mm/76 Modèle 1929 25 mm/60 Modèle 1938 25 mm/60 Modèle 1940 37 mm/50 Modèle 1925 37 mm/70 Modèle 1935 57 mm/40 Modèle 1902 75 mm/35 Modèle 1924 75 mm/35 Modèle 1927 90 mm/50 Modèle 1926 100 mm/34 Modèle 1933
Torpedoes	400 mm Modèle 1926V 550 mm Modèle 1919D 550 mm Modèle 1923DT 550 mm Modèle 1924M 550 mm Modèle 1924V