This was a Škoda gun used as secondary weapons on the last Austria-Hungary pre-dreadnoughts, the Radetzky class. Unusual in that there was apparently no date used in the official designation.
This weapon has been criticized on the basis that the shell splashes were nearly the same as those from the 30.5 cm (12") main guns thus making it hard to spot correctly. However, they did perform good work during the shore bombardment missions during World War I.
Actual bore diameter of all guns was 23.8 cm (9.37").
| Designation | 24 cm (9.4") L/45 |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | Radetzky class |
| Date Of Design | 1907 |
| Date In Service | 1909 |
| Gun Weight | 26.5 tons (26.9 mt) w/o breech
Breech 1,766 lbs. (801 kg) |
| Gun Length oa | 425.2 in (10.800 m) |
| Bore Length | N/A |
| Rifling Length | 323.1 in (8.207 m) |
| Grooves | (72) 0.094 in D x 0.272 in W (2.375 mm D x 6.9 mm W) |
| Lands | 0.138 in (3.5 mm) |
| Twist | RH increasing 0 to 1 in 25 |
| Chamber Volume | N/A |
| Rate Of Fire | 2.5 rounds per minute |
| Type | Separate |
|---|---|
| Projectile Types and Weights | APC M08 L/3.5 1: 474.0 lbs. (215 kg)
Common L/4.1: 468.9 lbs. (215 kg) |
| Bursting Charge | APC M08 L/3.5: 5.3 lbs. (2.4 kg)
Common L/4.1: 38.4 lbs. (17.4 kg) |
| Projectile Length | APC M08 L/3.5: about 33.0 in (84 cm)
Common L/4.1: about 38.7 in (98.4 cm) |
| Propellant Charge | 154.3 lbs. (70.0 kg) 21/580 M97a RP |
| Cartridge Case Type, Size and Empty Weight 2 | Brass, N/A, 228.4 lbs. (103.6 kg) |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,625 fps (800 mps) |
| Working Pressure | N/A |
| Approximate Barrel Life | N/A |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | 100 rounds 3 |
- ^The 24 cm APC M08 (Model 1908) was a new design used exclusively on the Raderzky class. This had both a ballistic and an AP cap and was produced under licenses purchased from the British firm Firth and Sons, Limited. This new 24 cm M08 was more expensive than the older 24 cm/40 APC L/3.5 (512 vs. 471 Kronen). The Navy continued purchasing the older APC L/3.5 and Common L/4.4 shells and used them to supply the L/40 guns until the end of the war.
- ^Propellant was in two silk bags inside the casing, each bag holding 77.1 lbs. (35.0 kg) of propellant.
- ^Outfit per gun was 20 APC and 80 Common.
| Elevation | Range |
|---|---|
| 3.91 degrees | 6,560 yards (6000 m) |
| 8.83 degrees | 10,940 yards (10,000 m) |
| 12.18 degrees | 13,120 yards (12,000 m) |
| 20 degrees | N/A |
Range table went only to 12.18 degrees. It should be understood that the maximum range of these guns could not be used at the time of their construction.
| Designation | Two-gun Turret: Radetzky (4) |
|---|---|
| Weight | 235 tons (239 mt) |
| Elevation | -4 / +20 degrees |
| Elevation Rate | Coarse Setting: 6 degrees per second
Fine Setting: 1 degree per minute |
| Train | +130 / -130 degrees |
| Train Rate | Coarse Setting: 6 degrees per second
Fine Setting: 0.2 degrees per second |
| Gun recoil | N/A |
| Loading Angle | +2.5 degrees |
Turrets were electrically powered.
"Naval Weapons of World War One" by Norman Friedman
"Austro-Hungarian Battleships 1914-18" by Ryan Noppen
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Special help from Mihály Krámli
12 October 2013 - New datapage
19 March 2019 - Converted to HTML 5 format, added photograph of Radetzky turret
23 July 2020 - Added APC and propellant information
28 June 2023 - Added photograph of Zündergranate (SAPC) projectile