Germany
28 cm/40 (11") SK L/40
Updated 25 March 2009
This weapon armed all of the German pre-deadnought classes.  Two ships of the Deutschland Class (not to be confused with the famous "Panzerschiffes" of World War II) were still in service with this gun during World War II.  These guns were also used as Coastal Artillery during World War II in the Graf Spee battery located at Wangerooge and later at Brest.

Older guns were built from hoops while the later ones were of stronger design.

These were the last large-caliber German guns not to use separate main and fore charges, all propellant was in a single cartridge case.  They were the first ones to use a sliding "wedge" style breech as opposed to the more typical screw breech block.

These mountings used hydraulic power with steam pumps as prime movers.  The breech mechanisms were hand-worked as was the ramming.

All German 28 cm guns had an actual bore diameter of 28.3 cm (11.1").
WNGER_11-40_skc04_Hannover_pic.jpg

Sailors of SMS Hannover cleaning the deck
Note the 8.8 cm L/45 guns on the upper deck
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Click here for additional pictures
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Gun Characteristics
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Designation 28 cm/40 (11") SK L/40
Ship Class Used On Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm, Braunschweig and Deutschland (1904) Classes
Date Of Design 1890
Date In Service 1893
Gun Weight 99,870 lbs. (45,300 kg)
Gun Length oa 440.9 in (11.200 m)
Bore Length 409.5 in (10.401 m)
Rifling Length N/A
Grooves N/A
Lands N/A
Twist N/A
Chamber Volume 7,512 in3 (614,700 cm3)
Rate Of Fire about 2 rounds per minute
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Ammunition
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Type Separate
Projectile Types and Weights World War I
   AP L/2,6 - 529 lbs. (240 kg)
   HE L/2,9 base fuze - 529 lbs. (240 kg)

World War II
   HE L/4,3 base fuze - 529 lbs. (240 kg)
   HE L/4,1 nose fuze - 529 lbs. (240 kg)
   HE L/4,4 base and nose fuze - 626 lbs. (284 kg)
Bursting Charge N/A
Projectile Length AP L/2,6 - 29.0 in (73.6 cm)
HE L/2,9 base fuze - 32.3 in (82.1 cm)

HE L/4,3 base fuze - 47.4 in (120 cm)
HE L/4,1 nose fuze - 45.2 in (115 cm)
HE L/4,4 base and nose fuze - 49.0 in (124.5 cm)
Propellant Charge World War I:  About 161 lbs. (73 kg) RPC 12
World War II:  154.3 lbs. (70 kg) RPC 38
Muzzle Velocity AP L/2,6 - 2,690 fps (820 mps)
HE L/4,3 - 2,690 fps (820 mps)
HE L/4,1 - 2,690 fps (820 mps)

HE L/4,4 - 2,428 fps (740 mps)
Working Pressure 20.3 tons/in2  (3,200 kg/cm2)
Approximate Barrel Life N/A
Ammunition stowage per gun Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm:  60 rounds
Braunschweig and Deutschland:  85 rounds
Notes:

1) The AP L/2,6 was about 2crh.

2) Actual Projectile designations were as follows:

   AP L/2,6 - Psgr. L/2,6
   HE L/2,9 base fuze - Spr.gr. L/2,9 Bdz
   HE L/4,3 base fuze - Spr.gr. L/4,3 Bdz (mhb)
   HE L/4,1 nose fuze - Spr.gr. L/4,1 Kz (mhb)
   HE L/4,4 base and nose fuze - Spr.gr. L/4,4 Bdz u. Kz (mhb)
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Range Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm 1894
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Elevation With 529 lbs. (240 kg) Shell (type not known)
Range @ 25 degrees
(Max elevation of turret)		 17,400 yards (15,900 m)
Note:  "Die Geschichte der deutschen Schiffsartillerie" says that the effective range of this gun when introduced was 12,030 yards (11,000 m).
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Range World War I
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Elevation With 529 lbs. (240 kg) AP L2,6
Range @ 30 degrees
(Max elevation of turret)		 20,590 yards (18,830 m)
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Range World War II
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Elevation With 626 lbs. (284 kg) HE L4,4
Range @ 30 degrees
(Max elevation of turret)		 28,040 yards (25,640 m)
Coast Defense Gun
Range @ 45 degrees		 30,350 yards (27,750 m)
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Armor Penetration with 529 lbs. (240 kg) AP L2,6 Shell
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Range
Side Armor
Deck Armor
13,120 yards (12,000 m)
6.3 in (160 mm)
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Note:  Data from "Die Geschichte der deutschen Schiffsartillerie."
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Mount / Turret Data
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Designation Two-gun turrets
   Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm (2):  Drh.L. C/92
   Braunschweig (2) and Deutschland (2):  Drh.L. C/01
Weight  N/A
Elevation Drh.L. C/92:  -5 / +25 degrees
Drh.L. C/01:  -4 / +30 degrees
Elevation Rate N/A
Train about +150 / -150 degrees
Train Rate N/A
Gun recoil N/A
Loading Angle N/A
Note:  C/92 turret may have been required to train to 0 degrees in order to load. 
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Data from
"Jutland:  An Analysis of the Fighting" and "Naval Weapons of World War Two" both by John Campbell
"German Warships 1815-1945" by Erich Gröner
"The Big Gun:  Battleship Main Armament 1860-1945" by Peter Hodges
"Die Geschichte der deutschen Schiffsartillerie" by Paul Schmalenbach
"German Capital Ships of World War Two" by M.J. Whitley
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Special help from Richard Worth and Bernard Sage
Page History

13 October 2006 - Benchmark
25 March 2009 - Added Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm class