Used on cruisers and gunboats of the early 1900s. Some of these guns still served during World War II in coastal batteries and on small combatants. Used a horizontally sliding breech mechanism.
| Designation | 10.5 cm (4.1") SK L/40 |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | Grazelle, Bremen (1904), Königsberg (1907), Dresden and Tiger (Iltis) classes |
| Date Of Design | about 1898 |
| Date In Service | 1900 |
| Gun Weight | 3,428 lbs. (1,555 kg) |
| Gun Length oa | 176 in (4.475 m) |
| Bore Length | N/A |
| Rifling Length | N/A |
| Grooves | N/A |
| Lands | N/A |
| Twist | N/A |
| Chamber Volume | N/A |
| Rate Of Fire | 15 rounds per minute |
| Type | Fixed |
|---|---|
| Complete Round Weight | about 56.05 lbs. (25.448 kg) 1: N/A |
| Projectile Types and Weights 2 | SAP L/3,8 3: 35.3 lbs. (16.0 kg)
HE L/3,4 nose fuze: 38.55 lbs. (17.5 kg) Illum L/3,3: 27.1 lbs. (12.3 kg) |
| Bursting Charge 4 | SAP L/3,8: 2.57 lbs. (1.17 kg) TNT
HE L/3,4 nose fuze: 1.7 lbs. (0.774 kg) TNT |
| Projectile Length | SAP L/3,8: 15.95 in (40.51 cm)
HE L/3,4 nose fuze: 15.605 in (37.96 cm) Illum L/3,3: about 13.64 in (34.7 cm) |
| Propellant Charge | World War I
7.0 lbs. (3.175 kg) RP C/12 World War II
|
| Cartridge Case Type, Size and Empty Weight | Brass, 105 x 656 mm, N/A |
| Muzzle Velocity | SAP & HE: 2,264 fps (690 mps)
Illum: 1,480 fps. (450 mps) |
| Working Pressure | N/A |
| Approximate Barrel Life | N/A |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | Early Gazelle class: 100 rounds
Later Gazelle class, Bremen, Königsberg and Dresden: 150 rounds Tiger: 241 rounds |
- ^The weight of the complete round varied with the projectile weight.
- ^
Actual designations for Projectiles SAP L/3,8 10.5 cm Spgr. L/3,8 Iz HE L/3,4 nose fuze 10.5 cm Spgr. L/3,4 Kz Illum L/3,3 10.5 cm Lg L/3,3 - ^The SAP L/3,8 was an interesting design in that it had a large steel nose with the fuze behind it. See sketch below.
- ^Burster weights (reiner Sprengstoff) from "Diagrams of Great War."
| Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|
| 30 degrees | 13,340 yards (12,200 m) |
| Designation | Single Mounts
Grazelle (10): MPL C/97 Bremen (10) and Tiger (2): MPL C/00 Königsberg (12) and Dresden (12): MPL C/0 |
|---|---|
| Weight | N/A |
| Elevation | MPL C/97: -10 / +10 (?) degrees
MPL C/00: -10 / +30 degrees MPL C/04: -6 / +30 degrees |
| Elevation Rate | Hand operated, only |
| Train | 360 degrees |
| Train Rate | Hand operated, only |
| Gun recoil | 7.5 in (19 cm) |
- During World War I many of the older ships were disarmed and their guns then used for coastal defense. A few ships were rearmed with the more powerful 10.5 cm/45 gun during and after the war.
- Hilfskreuzer Prinz Eitel Friedrich carried four of these guns.
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"German Warships 1815-1945" by Erich Gröner
"Die Geschichte der deutschen Schiffsartillerie" by Paul Schmalenbach
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"Diagrams of Great War - German Naval Guns; Shells & Explosives; Fuses & Exploders" by The Royal Laboratory Woolwich 1921-22
"Marine Rundschau, 1907," official statement of the RMA (Reichsmarineamt, Dept. W)
"Übersicht über die für die Marinegeschütze und deren Abk K zu verwendende Munition und ihre Einzelteile einschließlich Salut-
und Manöverladungen" M.Dv. Nr. 198 by Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine
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Special Help from Peter Lienau
24 May 2008 - Benchmark
30 January 2009 - Added picture of Bremen and deleted picture of Undine
08 April 2012 - Added cartridge case size. Added pictures of casing from Königsberg
16 December 2013 - Added photograph of projectile from Leipzig
05 October 2020 - Updated to HTML 5 format, reorganized notes
28 August 2024 - Added ammunition details and sketches of Spgr. L/3,4 Kz and Spgr. L/3,8 Kz projectiles