Used on Panzerschiffes when commissioned, but replaced with 10.5 cm (4.1") SK C/33 before the start of World War II. This weapon had a very high muzzle velocity and thus a short barrel life.
A loose-barrel type with a vertical sliding semi-automatic breech-block that fired fixed ammunition.
| Designation | 8.8 cm/78 (3.46") SK C/31 |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | Lützow (ex-Deutschland) Class |
| Date Of Design | 1931 |
| Date In Service | 1933 |
| Gun Weight | 9,380 lbs. (4,255 kg) |
| Gun Length oa | 270.5 in. (6.870 m) |
| Bore Length | 249.6 in (6.341 m) |
| Rifling Length | 213.4 in. (5.422 m) |
| Number Of Grooves | (28) 0.047 in deep x 0.235 in (1.2 mm x 5.97 mm) |
| Lands | 0.154 in (3.9 mm) |
| Twist | Increasing RH 1 in 55 to 1 in 35 |
| Chamber Volume | 391 in3 (6.4 dm3) |
| Rate Of Fire | 15 - 20 rounds per minute |
| Type | Fixed |
|---|---|
| Weight of Complete Round | HE: 49.6 lbs. (22.5 kg)
ILLUM: N/A |
| Projectile Types and Weights 1 | HE L/4,4: 19.8 lbs. (9.0 kg)
Illum L/4,5: 20.7 lbs. (9.4 kg) |
| Bursting Charge 2 | HE L/4,4: 1.42 lbs. (0.645 kg) TNT |
| Projectile Length | 15.2 in (38.55 cm) |
| Propellant Charge | 5.62 lbs. (2.55 kg) RP C/32 (800 x 7/5,25) or 5.95 lbs. (2.70 kg) RP C/38 (800 x 7/4,9)
Cartridge: 29.8 lbs. (13.5 kg) |
| Muzzle Velocity | HE L/4,4: 2,710 fps (825 mps)
ILLUM L/4,5: 2,133 fps (650 mps) |
| Working Pressure | 19.7 tons/in2 (3,100 kg/cm2) |
| Approximate Barrel Life | about 1,500 rounds |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | 500 rounds 3 |
| Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|
| 45 degrees | 19,470 yards (17,800 m) |
| AA Ceiling @ 80 degrees | 43,640 feet (13,300 m) |
| Designation | Twin Mounts
Deutschland (3): Dopp LC/31 1a |
|---|---|
| Weight | 60,185 lbs. (27,300 kg) |
| Elevation | -10 / +80 degrees |
| Elevation Rate | 10 degrees per second |
| Train | 360 degrees |
| Train Rate | 10 degrees per second |
| Gun recoil | N/A |
- ^This mounting was triaxially stabilized which could compensate for pitch and yaw up to 17 degrees in each direction.
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"German Warships 1815-1945" by Erich Gröner
"German Cruisers of World War Two" by M.J. Whitley
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"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
10 May 2006 - Benchmark
05 June 2011 - Added triaxial mounting
25 August 2024 - Converted to HTML 5 format and added ammunition information