Description

This weapon was used on Type VII U-boats and later on some Type 40 minesweepers and submarine chasers. Used a vertically sliding breech block.

Many U-boats had these guns removed after 1942 and then replaced with 2 cm and 3.7 cm AA guns.

Gun Characteristics

Designation 8.8 cm/45 (3.46") SK C/35
Ship Class Used On Type VII U-boats and smaller vessels
Date Of Design 1935
Date In Service 1938
Gun Weight 1,711 lbs. (776 kg)
Gun Length oa 157.0 in. (3.985 m)
Bore length 146.9 in (3.731 m)
Rifling Length 147 in. (3.731 m)
Number Of Grooves (32) 0.041 in deep x 0.213 in (1.05 mm x 5.4 mm)
Lands 0.126 in (3.2 mm)
Twist Increasing RH 1 in 45 to 1 in 30
Chamber Volume 152 in3 (2.49 dm3)
Rate Of Fire 15 rounds per minute

Ammunition

Type Fixed
Complete Round Weight 33 lbs. (15 kg)
Projectile Types and Weights 1 AP 39: 22.5 lbs. (10.2 kg)
HE L/4,5: 19.8 lbs. (9.0 kg)
Incendiary L/4,5: 20.9 lbs. (9.5 kg)
ILLUM L/4,4: 20.7 lbs. (9.4 kg)
Bursting Charge AP 39: 0.14 lbs. (0.064 kg) TNT or Hexanite(?)
HE L/4,5: 1.54 lbs. (0.698 kg) TNT
Incendiary L/4,5: 1.23 lbs. (0.560 kg) TNT/Incendiary mix
Projectile Length about 14.0 in (385.5 mm)
Propellant Charge 4.63 lbs. (2.1 kg) RPC/40N (3.6/1.07)
Muzzle Velocity HE - 2,300 fps (700 mps)
Illumination: 1,970 fps (600 mps)
Others: N/A
Working Pressure 17.5 tons/in2 (2,750 kg/cm2)
Approximate Barrel Life 12,000 rounds
Ammunition stowage per gun 2 Type VII: 220 rounds
  • ^
    Actual German designations
    AP 39 8,8 cm Pzgr. 39
    HE L/4,5 8,8 cm Spgr. L/4,5
    Incendiary L/4,5 8,8 cm Spgr. L/4,5 Br
    Illumination L/4,4 8,8 cm Lg L/4,4
  • ^Outfits for minesweepers and subchasers included nose-fuzed HE and HE incendiary both with and without tracers, AP and illuminating shell.

Range

Range with 19.84 lbs. (9.0 kg) Shell
Elevation Distance
30 degrees 13,070 yards (11,950 m)

Mount / Turret Data

Designation U-boats (1): Ubts LC/35
Others: N/A
Weight 5,346 lbs. (2,425 kg)
Elevation -10 / +30 degrees
Elevation Rate Hand operated, only
Train 360 degrees
Train Rate Hand operated, only
Gun recoil N/A

Additional Pictures

External Pictures

The Vickers Photographic Archive
0199, 0201 and 0202

Sources

"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"German Warships 1815-1945" by Erich Gröner
"Una nueva visión del hundimiento del submarino C 3" [A new vision of the sinking of Submarine C 3] by Jose Luis Martín
"The Royal Oak Disaster" by Gerald S. Snyder
"Air Power at Sea: 1939-45" by John Winton
"German Capital Ships of World War Two" by M.J. Whitley
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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

Page History

22 September 2006 - Benchmark
16 January 2010 - Fixed typographical error
02 December 2015 - Changed Vickers Photographic Archive links to point at Wayback Archive
27 December 2022 - Added photograph of early Type VII U-boats
19 August 2024 - Added burster information