The 5 cm SK L/40 was developed for torpedo boats of the 1890s. The 5 cm Tbts KL/40 was an improved version that was used to replace some of the older guns and used on a few submarines built during World War I. Still in use during World War II on minor warships and auxiliaries.
| Designation | 5 cm/40 (1.97") SK L/40
5 cm/40 (1.97") Tbts KL/40 |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | Cruisers: Gefion and Hela classes
Torpedo Boats: S7, S66, S82, A1, D1, D7, D9, D10 and S90 classes U-boats: UB18 class |
| Date Of Design | 5 cm SK L/40: about 1892
5 cm Tbts KL/40: about 1913 |
| Date In Service | 5 cm SK L/40: about 1893
5 cm Tbts KL/40: 1914 |
| Gun Weight | 5 cm Tbts KL/40: 0.280 tons (0.284 mt) including BM
5 cm SK L/40: 0.236 tons (0.240 mt) including BM |
| Gun Length oa | about 78.7 in (2.000 m) |
| Bore length | about 72.0 in (1.830 m) |
| Rifling Length | N/A |
| Grooves | N/A |
| Lands | N/A |
| Twist | N/A |
| Chamber Volume | N/A |
| Rate Of Fire | 10 rounds per minute (?) |
| Type | Fixed |
|---|---|
| Complete Round Weight | N/A |
| Projectile Types and Weights | Spgr. Patr. L/3,3: 3.86 lbs. (1.75 kg) |
| Bursting Charge 1 | 1.63 lbs. (0.74 kg) TNT | 2
| Projectile Length | N/A |
| Propellant Charge | 0.86 lbs. (0.390 kg) RP C/12 (263 x 3,5/2)
0.88 lbs. (0.397 kg) RP C/32 (263 x 2,8/1,6) |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,152 fps (656 mps) |
| Working Pressure | N/A |
| Approximate Barrel Life | N/A |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | Gefion and Hela: 250 rounds
S7, S66 and S82: 156 rounds A1: 120 rounds D1, D7 and D10: 165 rounds S90: 84 rounds UB18: 200 rounds |
| Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|
| 12 degrees | 5,290 yards (4,840 m) |
| 20 degrees | 6,780 yards (6,200 m) |
| Designation | Single Mountings
Gefion (6) and Hela (6): N/A S7 (1), S66 (1), S82 (1) D1 (3), D7 (3), D9 (3), D10 (5), and S90 (3): Tbts C/93 (?) A1 (1): Tbts L C/14 UB18 (1): Tbts L C/14 |
|---|---|
| Weight | N/A |
| Elevation | -5 (?) / +20 degrees |
| Elevation Rate | Manual operation, only |
| Train | N/A |
| Train Rate | Manual operation, only |
| Gun recoil | N/A |
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1906-1922" by Randal Gray and Robert Gardiner (Editor)
"German Warships 1815-1945" by Erich Gröner
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"Übersicht über die für die Marinegeschütze und deren Abk K zu verwendende Munition und ihre Einzelteile einschließlich Salut-
und Manöverladungen" M.Dv. Nr. 198 by Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine
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Special help from Peter Lienau and Cliff McMullen
21 June 2008 - Benchmark
06 February 2011 - Added gun details
30 April 2017 - Converted to HTML 5 format
20 August 2024 - Added projectile information