These were of the Elswick Pattern "I" and were used on Italy's equivalent to a battlecruiser. This Italian version allowed all-around loading and the mountings were electrically powered.
After these ships were scrapped, their guns were reused on floating batteries.
| Designation | 12"/40 (30.5 cm) |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | Benedetto Brin and Regina Elena Classes
Pontoons GM191 and 192 |
| Date Of Design | N/A |
| Date In Service | 1908 |
| Gun Weight | 50.8 tons (54.3 mt) |
| Gun Length oa | N/A |
| Bore Length | 480.0 in (12.192 m) |
| Rifling Length | N/A |
| Grooves | N/A |
| Lands | N/A |
| Twist | N/A |
| Chamber Volume | N/A |
| Rate Of Fire | about 1 round per minute |
| Type | Bag |
|---|---|
| Projectile Types and Weights | AP: 919 lbs. (417 kg) |
| Bursting Charge | N/A |
| Projectile Length | N/A |
| Propellant Charge | 194 lbs. (88 kg) |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,559 fps (780 mps) |
| Working Pressure | N/A |
| Approximate Barrel Life | N/A |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | N/A |
| Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|
| 20 degrees | about 21,870 yards (20,000 m) |
| Designation | Single Turrets: Regina Elena (2)
Twin Turrets: Benedetto Brin (2) |
|---|---|
| Weight | N/A |
| Elevation | about -5 / +20 degrees |
| Elevation Rate | N/A |
| Train | about +150 / -150 degrees |
| Train Rate | N/A |
| Gun recoil | N/A |
| Loading Angle | N/A |
These mountings were generally similar in design to the British 12" (30.5 cm) BVI mountings, although the Italian mountings allowed all-around loading and those for the Regina Elena class were electrically powered, used springs for the run out and elevation was by arc and pinion gear.
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"Italian Warships of World War II" by Aldo Fraccaroli
"The Big Gun: Battleship Main Armament 1860-1945" by Peter Hodges
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Special help by Cliff McMullen
14 April 2007 - Benchmark
26 May 2012 - Updated to latest template
19 November 2024 - Converted to HTML 5 format