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In an effort to reduce dispersion, turrets 3 and 4 on the Mogami class "were integrated with the superstructure deck. This arrangement subjected the barbettes to powerful internal stresses, which at times caused the turrets to jam. For example, during the official gun trials of Mogami, turrets [3] and [4] could not be trained. It eventually proved possible to solve this problem by simply improving the method of fixing the barbette structure to the ship's hull." - Hans Lengerer in "Warship Volume VII" article. A triple turret was mounted at Kure and another at Sasebo for AA purposes and two guns on single mountings were used for coast defense in the Tokyo area. Construction was of the monobloc type with autofretting and used a Welin breech-block mechanism which could be operated either hydraulically or by hand. A total of approximately 80 guns were manufactured at Kure. |
IJN Mogami in 1939 prior to reconstruction |
IJN Yamato under construction in September
1941
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Sketch from "US Naval Technical Mission to Japan report O-47(N)-1: Japanese Naval Guns and Mounts-Article 1, Mounts Under 18" |
| Designation | 15.5 cm/60 (6.1") 3rd Year Type (Model 1914) |
| Ship Class Used On | Mogami class (replaced 1939 to 1940)
Planned for the Tone class Reused on the Yamato and Oyodo classes |
| Date Of Design | 1930 (breech design dated from 1914) |
| Date In Service | 1935 |
| Gun Weight | 12.5 tons (12.7 mt) |
| Gun Length oa | 378.5 in (9.615 m) |
| Bore Length | 366.1 in (9.300 m) |
| Rifling Length | 315.9 in (8.025 m) |
| Grooves | (40) 0.710 in deep x 0.296 in (1.80 mm x 7.514 mm) |
| Lands | 0.183 in (4.66 mm) |
| Twist | Uniform RH 1 in 28 |
| Chamber Volume | 2,319 in3 (38.0 dm3) |
| Rate Of Fire | 5 - 6 rounds per minute |
| Note: The shell hoists could supply a maximum of six rounds per minute but the powder hoists could supply no more than five bags per minute. "Naval Weapons of World War Two" says that "the rate of fire did not exceed five rounds a minute." | |
| Type | Bag |
| Projectile Types and Weights | AP Type 91 - 123.2 lbs. (55.87 kg)
Common Type 0 HE - 123.2 lbs. (55.87 kg) Illum - 123.2 lbs. (55.87 kg) |
| Bursting Charge | AP Type 91 - 2.5 lbs. (1.15 kg)
Common Type 0 HE - 6.8 lbs. (3.1 kg) |
| Projectile Length | AP Type 91 - 26.7 in (67.8 cm)
Common Type 0 HE - 25.6 in (65.0 cm) Illum - 25.6 in (65 cm) |
| Propellant Charge | 43.0 lbs. (19.5 kg) 36 DC2 |
| Muzzle Velocity | AP and HE: 3,018 - 3,035 fps (920
- 925 mps)
Illum: 2,461 fps (750 mps) |
| Working Pressure | 21.5 tons/in2 (3,400 kg/cm2) |
| Approximate Barrel Life | 250 - 300 Rounds |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | 150 rounds |
| Notes:
1) The propellant charge was in one bag with a 2.6 oz (75 gm) black powder igniter. 2) The muzzle velocity is occasionally quoted as high as 3,215 fps (980 mps), but Japanese sources give the lower values used above. Even at these lower values, the barrel life was quite short. 3) A reduced charge of 27.1 lbs. (12.3 kg) 50 DC2 was also provided. 4) During maneuvers in August 1938 Mikuma fired several salvos at about 21,870 yards (20,000 m) and achieved a mean dispersion of about 304 yards (278 m), much tighter than the patterns achieved by the "A" cruisers armed with 20 cm/50 (8") Type No. 2 guns. 5) Illumination rounds were rated at 950,000 candle power and had a maximum range of 23,600 yards (21,580 m). 6) Type 91 shells were all 6 / [infinity] crh with boat tail and two copper driving bands. The diameter of the bourrelet was 6.07 in (15.418 cm). These 15.5 cm (6.1") Type 91 shells were not true "APC" projectiles as they lacked a cap, having only a cap head and windshield. Weight of cap head and windshield is not available. There were true APC projectiles, designated as Type 91 Mod 1, but these were used only for armor penetration experiments and were not in service. 7) It is reported in US Naval Technical Mission to Japan report O-19 that Type 91 AP projectiles for these guns had not been in production since about 1935 as the conversion of the Mogami class cruisers had left large stocks on hand. Apparently only the cruisers carried AP. |
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| Elevation |
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| 2.3 degrees |
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| 5.4 degrees |
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| 11.2 degrees |
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| 20 degrees |
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| 35 degrees |
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| 45 degrees |
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| 55 degrees |
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| AA Ceiling
45 degrees |
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| AA Ceiling
55 degrees |
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| AA Ceiling
75 degrees |
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| Notes:
1) The illumination round had a maximum range of 23,600 yards (21,600 m). 2) The AA Ceiling figure for 75 degrees quoted above is a theoretical value based upon the original mounting design. |
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| Range |
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| 16,400 yards (15,000 m) |
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| 21,870 yards (20,000 m) |
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| Note: This data is from "Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War" and refers to NVNC plate. | ||||
| Designation | Three-gun turrets
Mogami (5), Tone (4), Yamato (4) and Oyodo (2) |
| Weight
(see Note 6) |
About 177 tons (180 mt) |
| Elevation | Naval Turrets: -7 / +55 degrees
Coast Defense Single Mountings: -5 (?) / +60 degrees |
| Elevation Rate | 10 degrees per second |
| Train | About +150 / -150 degrees |
| Train Rate | 5 - 6 degrees per second |
| Gun recoil | N/A |
| Loading Angle | +7 degrees |
| Notes:
1) These mountings generally resembled the 20 cm (8") twin mount adapted for holding three guns. To reduce lateral spacing, the breech for the center gun opened upwards at a 45 degree angle, the weight being balanced by springs. These mountings were originally intended to have a +75 degree maximum elevation for AA fire, but analysis showed that their slow elevation and depression speeds with a fixed angle loading system coupled with the inefficient hoist supply would have meant that the firing rate would be too low to be effective. In addition, this high an elevation would have resulted in somewhat delicate recoil and elevating mechanisms, similar to the problems found with the 20 cm (8") mountings. For these reasons, the final design limited elevation to +55 degrees. 2) These mountings were operated by electro-hydraulic pressure with mineral oil used as the pressure medium. Each mounting had two 100 hp electric motors, each driving a hydraulic pump located outside of the turret in order to reduce noise. Normally, one motor was in use while the other was in standby. Pusher shell hoists delivered the projectiles to the right of the left gun breech and to the left of the other two guns. Projectiles were hydraulically rammed first, and then the powder bags were manually loaded into the breech and then rammed. Ready-use AA shells were stowed in the rear of the gunhouse. 3) Guns were individually sleeved. 4) Complement per mounting was twenty-four officers and men in the gun crew, seven men in the shell room and ten men in the powder room. 5) The Yamato and Musashi had their two amidships mounts removed in 1944. Yamato had these replaced with twelve additional 12.7 cm/40 (5") AA guns. It had been planned for Musashi to receive additional mountings, but they were not available prior to her loss. 6) The weight figure above is for mountings without rangefinders. Weight with rangefinders is not available, but I would estimate that these would have added about 5 tons (5.1 mt) to the mounting. 7) Thin steel lagging used around most of the gunhouse provided about a 10 cm (3.9 in) air space which shaded the mount for tropical service. 8) The gun axes were 61 in (155 cm) apart. 9) The turrets removed from Mogami were found after the war in a warehouse on Eta Jima. |
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