This weapon was similar to the British 4.7"/45 (12 cm) Mark IX but differed in that the Vickers "E" guns were wire wound for part of their length, had slightly different chamber dimensions and in having an inner A tube with only 28 rifling grooves. These "E" guns were built solely for export and were not used on British warships.
| Designation | 4.7"/45 (12 cm) Vickers "E" |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | Argentina
Cervantes, Corrientes and Mendoza classes Chile
|
| Date Of Design | about 1927 |
| Date In Service | 1928 |
| Gun Weight | about 2.963 tons (3,011 kg) |
| Gun Length oa | N/A |
| Bore Length | 212.6 in (5.400 m) |
| Rifling Length | N/A |
| Grooves | (28) N/A x N/A |
| Lands | N/A |
| Twist | N/A |
| Chamber Volume | N/A |
| Rate Of Fire | 7 - 10 rounds per minute |
| Type | Separate |
|---|---|
| Projectile Types and Weights | HE: 48.5 lbs. (22 kg)
SAP: 48.5 lbs. (22 kg) |
| Bursting Charge | N/A (possibly TNT) |
| Projectile Length | N/A |
| Cartridge Case Type, Size and Empty Weight | Brass, N/A |
| Propellant Charge | Argentina: 13.5 lbs. (6.12 kg) CSP2
Chile: 11.75 lbs. (5.33 kg) MD 19 |
| Muzzle Velocity | Argentina: 2,789 fps (850 mps)
Chile: 2,658 fps (810 mps) |
| Working Pressure | 20 tons/in2 (2,150 kg/cm2) |
| Approximate Barrel Life | 1,400 rounds |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | N/A |
| Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|
| Range @ 30 degrees | about 15,800 yards (14,450 m) |
| Designation | Single Mountings
Argentina: Mendoza (5) and Cervantes 1 (5): Destroyer Mounting Chile
|
|---|---|
| Weight | About 8.8 tons (8.9 mt) |
| Elevation | about -10 / +45 degrees |
| Elevation Rate | Manually operated, only |
| Train | about +150 / -150 degrees |
| Train Rate | Manually operated, only |
| Gun recoil | N/A |
- ^The Cervantes class lost their midships 4.7" (12 cm) gun after World War II and this was replaced with two twin 40mm/60 mountings.
- Gun shields on the Vickers 'E' guns were pedestal types with abbreviated shields very similar to those used for the British 4.7"/45 (12 cm) BL Mark I mountings.
4.7"/45 (12 cm) Mark E: Single Mark IX Chilean and 4.7 Field Gun
Some of these photographs show weapons with abbreviated shields and have a "1929" date. Although these are identified as Mark IX guns, I believe that they are actually Vickers "E" type 4.7" (12 cm) guns. Note in these photographs that although this gun had high-angle capability, doing so meant that the loading apparatus was below the gun deck level. This means that either these guns could not actually be used at high elevations or that there needed to be a gun well around the mounting.
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" and "British Naval Guns 1880-1945 No 15" article in "Warship Volume IX" both by John Campbell
"Destroyers of World War Two" by M.J. Whitley
14 March 2016 - Created new page from British 4.7"/45 (12 cm) Marks 9 and 12 datapage
03 November 2021 - Converted to HTML 5 format