Description

An OTO-Melara design, this automatic gun was used on Italian warships during the 1960s. The barrel used a water-spray system for cooling. The mounting is electrically powered and has a water-tight, splinter-proof shield.

This weapon has been replaced by the 76 mm/62 Compact and SR on modern ships.

Actual bore diameter was 76.2 mm (3.00").

Gun Characteristics

Designation 76 mm/62 (3") M.M.I.
Ship Class Used On Cruisers: Giuseppe Garibaldi (as rearmed), Andrea Doria and Vittorio Veneto classes
Destroyers: Impavido
Frigates: Centauro, Bergamini, Alpino classes
Corvettes: Pietro De Cristofaro class
Patrol Boats: Cassiopea class
Date Of Design About 1960
Date In Service 1963
Gun Weight (tube and liner) 1,686 lbs. (765 kg)
Gun Length oa N/A
Bore Length 186 in (4.724 m)
Rifling Length 158 in (4.012 m)
Grooves N/A
Lands N/A
Twist N/A
Chamber Volume N/A
Rate Of Fire 60 rounds per minute

Ammunition

Type Fixed
Weight of Complete Round 27.2 lbs. (12.34 kg)
Projectile Types and Weights HE: 13.88 lbs. (6.296 kg)
Bursting Charge N/A
Projectile Length N/A
Complete Round: 35.45 in (90.04 cm)
Propellant Charge 7.85 lbs. (3.56 kg)
Cartridge 76.2 mm x 635.5 mm
Muzzle Velocity 2,789 fps (850 mps)
Working Pressure N/A
Approximate Barrel Life N/A
Ammunition stowage per gun N/A

Range

Range with 13.88 lbs. (6.296 kg) HE
Elevation Distance
45 degrees 20,122 yards (18,400 m)
Effective Range 8,700 yards (8,000 m)
AA @ 85 degrees 13,200 feet (4,000 m)

Mount/Turret Data

Designation Single Mounting
Giuseppe Garibaldi (8), Andrea Doria (8), Vittorio Veneto (8), Impavido (4), Bergamini (2), Alpino (6) and Cassiopea (1)

Twin Mounting
Centauro (2)

Weight Single Mounting: 12 tons (12.1 mt)
Twin Mounting: N/A
Elevation -15 / +85 degrees
Elevation Rate 40 degrees per second
Train 360 degrees
Train Rate 70 degrees per second
Gun recoil N/A
  • Elevation and traverse are electrically and hydraulically controlled with an emergency manual operation system. A single crewman is in the gunhouse with three men required to reload the ammunition system.

Additional Pictures

Sources

"Jane's Pocket Book 9: Naval Armament" edited by Denis Archer
"The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems 1991/92" by Norman Friedman
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Marina Militare

Page History

26 May 2012 - Benchmark
16 December 2021 - Converted to HTML 5
13 June 2024 - Added Menon Mortar to photograph caption