EOC 8 inch 40 caliber

The EOC 8 inch 40 caliber were a family of related 8 in (200 mm) 40 caliber naval guns designed by the Elswick Ordnance Company and manufactured by Armstrong Whitworth for export customers before World War I. Users of this family of gun included the navies of Chile and Portugal.[1]

EOC 8 inch 40 caliber
TypeNaval gun
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1893-1945
Used byChile
Portugal
Production history
DesignerElswick Ordnance Company
Designed1893
ManufacturerArmstrong Whitworth
Produced1893
VariantsPatterns: P, R, T
Specifications
Mass15 t (17 short tons)
Length9.7 m (31 ft 10 in)
Barrel length8.2 m (26 ft 11 in)
ShellSeparate loading bagged charge and projectile
Shell weight95–113 kg (209–249 lb) projectile
32–44 kg (71–97 lb) charge
Calibre203 mm (8.0 in) 40 caliber
Rate of fire2 rpm
Muzzle velocity685 m/s (2,250 ft/s)[1]

History

The EOC 8 inch 40 caliber family of guns originated in 1893 from the Elswick Ordnance Company Pattern P gun which was first produced for export in 1893 and did not serve on board ships of the British Royal Navy.[1] At this time the Royal Navy had moved away from 8 inch guns to 7.5 in (190 mm) guns due to difficulties with ammunition handling. It was felt that the 7.5 inch guns 200 lb (91 kg) projectile was the limit of what a two-man crew could manage. It wasn't until 1923 after the Washington Naval Treaty that 8 inch guns began to reappear on British cruisers. In addition to the Pattern P there were R and T Pattern guns produced for export. Patterns P, R and T were all 8 inch 40 caliber guns, while the Pattern Q, S, U and W were all 8 inch 45 caliber guns. The weights and dimensions of the P, R and T Pattern guns were similar and their ammunition, bagged charges and their ballistic performance were also similar.[1]

Pattern P

Pattern T

  • Esmeralda - The primary armament of this Chilean armored cruiser consisted of one, shielded, 8 inch 40 caliber gun, on single mounts, fore and aft.[3]
  • O'Higgins - The primary armament of this Chilean armored cruiser consisted of four, 8 inch 40 calibre guns in single turrets, with two on the ship's centerline fore and aft and two port and starboard in line with the forward funnel.[4]
  • Vasco da Gama - The primary armament of this Portuguese ironclad consisted of two, shielded, 8 inch 40 caliber guns, mounted in forward sponsons after a 1901-1903 refit.[5]

Notes
  1. 1946-, Friedman, Norman (2011-01-01). Naval weapons of World War One. Seaforth. ISBN 9781848321007. OCLC 786178793.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. "Blanco Encalada protected cruiser (1894) - Chilean Navy (Chile)". www.navypedia.org. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  3. "Esmeralda armoured cruiser (1896) - Chilean Navy (Chile)". www.navypedia.org. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  4. "O'Higgins armoured cruiser (1898) - Chilean Navy (Chile)". www.navypedia.org. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  5. "Vasco da Gama coast defence battleship (1876) - Portuguese Navy (Portugal)". www.navypedia.org. Retrieved 2017-04-14.

References
  • Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
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