The QF 4 inch Mk V gunMk V = Mark 5. Britain used Roman numerals to denote Marks (models) of ordnance until after World War II. Mark V indicates this was the fifth model of QF 4-inch gun. was a Royal Navy gun of World War I which was adapted on HA (i.e. high-angle) mountings to the heavy anti-aircraft role both at sea and on land, and was also used as a coast defence gun.
Service Naval service
This QF gun was introduced to provide a higher rate of fire than the BL 4 inch Mk VII. It first appeared in 1914 as secondary armament on s, was soon adapted to a high-angle anti-aircraft role. It was typically used on cruisers and heavier ships, although s of 1917 also mounted the gun.
Mk V was superseded by the QF 4 inch Mk XVI as the HA (i.e. anti-aircraft) gun on new warships in the 1930s, but it continued to serve on many ships such as destroyers, light and heavy cruisers in World War II.Tony DiGiulian's webpage provides comprehensive information on this gun's Naval service.
Army anti-aircraft gun Early in World War I several guns were supplied by the Navy for evaluation as anti-aircraft guns for the home defence of key installations in Britain. They were mounted on static platforms and proved fairly successful after a fixed round was developed to replace the original separate round, and more followed. The AA mounting allowed elevation to 80° but loading was not possible above 62°, which slowed the maximum rate of fire.Hogg & Thurston 1972, Page 100 At the Armistice, a total of 24 guns were employed in AA defences in Britain and 2 in France.Routledge 1994, Page 27 After World War I, the guns were returned to the Navy.
Coast Defence gun From 1915 to 1928, several guns were mounted in forts to guard the estuary of the River Humber.Hogg & Thurston 1972, Page 98
Anti-aircraft performance
+Comparison with the other British World War I anti-aircraft gunsRoutledge 1994, Page 9GunmuzzlevelocityShell (lb)Time to at 25° (seconds)Time to at 40° (seconds)Time to at 55° (seconds)Max. heightHogg & Thurston 1972, Page 234-235QF 13 pdr 9 cwt12.510.115.522.1QF 12 pdr 12 cwt12.59.114.119.1QF 3 inch 20 cwt 191412.58.312.616.3QF 3 inch 20 cwt 1916169.213.718.8Routledge 1994, Page 13QF 4 inch Mk V World War I31 (3 c.r.h.)9.612.3QF 4 inch Mk V World War II WWII details from Tony DiGiulian's website31 (4.38/6 c.r.h.)
Ammunition Ammunition for the original low-angle guns introduced in World War I was Separate QF i.e. the shell and cartridge were separate items, but in World War II most guns used Fixed QF ammunition i.e. a single unit. The fixed Mk V ammunition was 44.3 inches (1.13 m) long and weighed 56 pounds (25 kg), while the projectile was 31 pounds (14 kg).Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.58.
See also List of anti-aircraft guns List of naval guns List of naval anti-aircraft guns
Weapons of comparable role, performance and era Cannone da 102/45 S.A. Mod. 1917 Italian modified copy of the QF Mk V made under license 10.5 cm SK L/45 naval gun Approximate German equivalent firing slightly heavier shell
Surviving examples A gun from HMNZS Tutira in front of the Devonport Naval Base, Auckland, New Zealand
Notes
References
Bibliography Tony DiGiulian, British 4"/45 (10.2 cm) QF Mark V and Mark XV I.V. Hogg & L.F. Thurston, British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914–1918. London: Ian Allan, 1972. Brigadier N.W. Routledge, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. Anti-Aircraft Artillery, 1914–55. London: Brassey's, 1994.
External links
Gun drill for 4-inch Q.F. gun mark V (land Service) 1924 at State Library of Victoria