The 5"/54 caliber Mark 16 gun (spoken "five-inch-fifty-four-caliber") was a late World War II–era naval gun mount used by the United States Navy, and later, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. These guns, designed originally for the s and then the abortive CL-154-class cruisers, were to be the replacement for the 5"/38 caliber secondary gun batteries then in widespread use with the US Navy.
Design The 5"/54 cal gun turrets were similar to the 5"/38 caliber gun mounts in that they were equally adept in an anti-aircraft role and for damaging smaller ships, but differed in that they weighed more, fired heavier rounds of ammunition, and resulted in faster crew fatigue than the 5"/38 cal. guns.
The ammunition storage for the 5"/54 cal. gun was 500 rounds per turret, and the guns could fire at targets nearly away at a 45° angle. At an 85° angle, the guns could hit an aerial target at over .
The cancellations of the Montana-class battleships in 1943 and then the CL-154 class cruisers in 1945 pushed back the first use of the 5"/54 cal guns to their installation aboard the US Navy's s. The guns proved adequate for the carrier's air defense, but were gradually phased out of use by the carrier fleet because of their weight (rather than having the carrier defend itself by gunnery the task would be assigned to other surrounding ships within a carrier battle group). These mounts were then installed in the Japanese and destroyers in 1958–59.
Usage ShipGun InstalledGun Mount (cancelled 1943)Mark 16: 20 × 5"/54 caliberMark 41: 10 × twin mount (cancelled 1943)Mark 16: 20 × 5"/54 caliberMark 41: 10 × twin mount (cancelled 1943)Mark 16: 20 × 5"/54 caliberMark 41: 10 × twin mount (cancelled 1943)Mark 16: 20 × 5"/54 caliberMark 41: 10 × twin mount (cancelled 1943)Mark 16: 20 × 5"/54 caliberMark 41: 10 × twin mountCL-154-class cruisers (six ships, cancelled 1945)Friedman, Cruisers, pp. 366-371Mark 16: 12 or 16 × 5"/54 caliberMark 41: 6 or 8 × twin mountMark 16: 18 × 5"/54 caliber (all removed by 1980)Mark 39: 18 × single mountMark 16: 18 × 5"/54 caliber (some guns removed before retirement in 1977)Mark 39: 18 × single mountMark 16: 14 × 5"/54 caliber (all removed by 1980)Mark 39: 18 × single mountMark 16: 2 x 5"/54 caliber Mark 39: 2 x single mount (DD-107) - Murasame-class destroyerMark 16: 3 × 5"/54 caliberMark 39: 3 × single mount (DD-108) - Murasame-class destroyerMark 16: 3 × 5"/54 caliberMark 39: 3 × single mount (DD-109) - Murasame-class destroyerMark 16: 3 × 5"/54 caliberMark 39: 3 × single mount - Akizuki-class destroyerMark 16: 3 × 5"/54 caliberMark 39: 3 × single mount - Akizuki-class destroyerMark 16: 3 × 5"/54 caliberMark 39: 3 × single mount
See also 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 gun 5"/54 caliber Mark 45 gun
References Notes
Sources
External links United States of America 5"/54 (12.7 cm) Mark 16