QF 4-inch naval gun Mk I – III

The QF 4-inch gun Mks I, II, IIII.e. Mark 1, 2 and 3. Britain used Roman numerals to denote Marks (models) of ordnance until after World War 2. Hence this article describes the first three models of British QF 4-inch guns. were early British QF (quick-firing) naval guns originating in 1895. They all had barrels of 40 calibres length.

Naval service The gun was intended to be a more powerful alternative to the quick-firing 3-inch QF 12-pounder gun, and a faster-firing replacement for the BL 4-inch gun.

It was mounted on the following ships: third-class protected cruisers of 1896 s of 1898 s of 1900 third-class cruisers, launched in 1903 s of 1906

Its shell proved insufficiently powerful to make it much of an improvement on the 12-pounder. From 1907 onwards, it was succeeded in its class on new warships by the BL 4 inch gun Mk VIII, which fired a shell.

Coast Defence gun From 1906, a number of Mk III guns were transferred from the Royal Navy for use as coast defence guns around the United Kingdom, and remained until 1939.Hogg & Thurston 1972, page 96

In 1918, three guns were in service at Dover Garrison and eight at Forth Garrison.Farndale 1988, pages 398 - 404

World War I land service On 20 September 1914, the British cruiser was sunk by in Zanzibar harbour. Her eight QF 4-inch Mk III guns were recovered and used ashore in the East African campaign. Some were used as coast defence guns at Zanzibar and Mombasa. Two guns - three from 11 February 1916 - were used by 10th Heavy Battery manned by the Royal Marines, mounted on improvised field carriages and towed by Packard lorries, supported by six REO lorries carrying ammunition.Farndale 1988, page 316

Surviving guns

A gun from HMS Pegasus used in the WWI land campaign stands outside Fort Jesus on Mombasa Island, Kenya, next to one of the 10.5-cm guns from .Kevin Patience, Konigsberg: A German East African Raider A gun from is on display at the National Military Vehicle Museum in Edinburgh, South Australia. A gun was installed in 1918 on the island of Hirta in the St Kilda archipelago, northwest Scotland, after a German submarine attack there, by the German submarine SM U-90.

QF 4-inch naval gun Mk I – III

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