8.8 cm SK C/30 naval gun
The 8.8 cm SK C/30[Note 1] was a German naval gun that was used in World War II. The SK C/30 guns were intended for smaller warships such as submarine chasers and corvettes.
| 8.8 cm SK C/30 | |
|---|---|
 A restored gun preserved at Fjell Fortress in Norway | |
| Type | Naval gun Anti-aircraft gun |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1933—1945 |
| Used by | Nazi Germany Republic of China |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1930–1933 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,230 kilograms (2,710 lb) |
| Length | 3.96 meters (13 ft 0 in) |
| Barrel length | 3.706 meters (12 ft 1.9 in) (bore length) |
| Shell | Fixed QF |
| Shell weight | 9–10 kilograms (20–22 lb) |
| Caliber | 88 millimeters (3.5 in) |
| Breech | Vertical sliding-block |
| Elevation | -10° to +80° |
| Traverse | 360° |
| Rate of fire | 15 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 790 m/s (2,600 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | Horizontal: 14,175 metres (15,502 yd) at +43.5° Vertical: 9,700 metres (10,600 yd) at +80°[1] |
Description
The SK C/30 had a barrel and breech end-piece with a half-length loose liner and a vertical sliding breech block. The SK C/30 guns were mounted on a hand-operated MPLC/30 mounting that had a total weight of 5,760 kilograms (12,700 lb) including a 15–10 millimetres (0.59–0.39 in) shield and a fuze-setting machine. However they were significantly lighter than the older 8.8 cm SK L/45 naval guns.[2] Captured guns from the Chinese National Revolutionary Army was reverse engineered in 1938 by the Imperial Japanese Army and introduced as Type 99 88 mm AA gun.
Ammunition
Fixed type ammunition with and without tracer, which weighed 15 kg (33 lb), with a projectile length of 385.5 mm (15.18 in) was fired. Ammunition Types Available:
- Armor Piercing (AP) - 10 kg (22 lb)
- High Explosive (HE) - 9 kg (20 lb)
- High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) - 9.5 kg (21 lb)
- Illumination (ILLUM) - 9.4 kg (21 lb)
See also
SK abrivated Schiffs Kanone. After 1918, the termologie of German naval guns changed.
The SK abrivation used before WW1 ended, meant Schnellade Kanone.
After WW1 SK abrivation would mean Schiffs Kanone.
Both where used alongside each other, during i.e. WW2.
Example. 15 cm SK L/40, translated into plain text as 15 cm Schnellade Kanone with a barrel of 40 calibrelenght. Giving: 0,15 X 40 = 6 meter long barrel. This gun, where constructed before WW1.
15 cm SK C/28, translated, 15 cm Schiffs Kanone Constuktion 28, constructed in 1928.
Notes
- SK - Schnelladekanone (quick loading cannon); C - Construktionsjahr (year of design)
Citations
- Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.251.
- Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.251.
References
- Campbell, John (2002). Naval Weapons of World War Two. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
- Gander, Terry; Chamberlain, Peter (1979). Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939–1945. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-15090-3.
- Hogg, Ian V. (1997). German Artillery of World War Two (2nd corrected ed.). Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 1-85367-480-X.
- Rolf, Rudi (1998). Der Atlantikwall: Bauten der deutschen Küstenbefestigungen 1940-1945. Osnabrück: Biblio. ISBN 3-7648-2469-7.
- Rolf, Rudi (2004). A Dictionary on Modern Fortification: An Illustrated Lexicon on European Fortification in the Period 1800-1945. Middleburg, Netherlands: PRAK.
