The Canon de 155 mm Modèle 1920 was a medium-caliber
naval gun
Naval artillery is artillery mounted on a warship, originally used only for naval warfare and then subsequently used for naval gunfire support, shore bombardment and anti-aircraft roles. The term generally refers to tube-launched projectile-firi ...
used as the primary armament on a number of
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
cruisers during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Description
The Canon de 155 mm Modèle 1920 was built with a liner,
autofretted A tube, two part jacket and breech ring. There was a short collar at the breech end of the liner which screwed into the A tube and a
Welin breech block
The Welin breech block was a revolutionary stepped, interrupted thread design for locking artillery breeches, invented by Axel Welin in 1889 or 1890. Shortly after, Vickers acquired the British patents. Welin breech blocks provide obturation for ...
which opened upwards. Useful life expectancy was 700
effective full charges (EFC) per barrel. These guns were carried both in twin
turrets aboard cruisers and in single
casemates
A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary
When referring to antiquity, the term "casemate wall" mean ...
aboard aircraft carriers. The twin turrets were slightly unusual in that each gun had its own cradle and they could be elevated or depressed independently.
Ammunition
Ammunition was of separate loading type with two powder charges and a projectile.
The gun was able to fire:
*
Semi Armour-Piercing
Armour-piercing ammunition (AP) is a type of projectile designed to penetrate either body armour or vehicle armour.
From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armour-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armour carried on many warsh ...
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*
High Explosive Base Fuzed -
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High Explosive Nose Fuzed -
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Illumination - Unknown
The 155 mm/50 (6.1") Model 1920 at Naval Weapons.Com
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Naval Service
Ship classes that carried the Canon de 155 mm Modèle 1920 include:
* Aircraft carrier Béarn
* Cruiser Jeanne d'Arc
* Duguay-Trouin-class cruiser
The ''Duguay-Trouin''-class were the first major French warships built after World War I. They were excellent steamers and proved successful and seaworthy over a quarter century of service. All three achieved on trials and could easily maintain ...
s
Notes
References
*
External links
navweaps.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canon de 155 mm Modèle 1920
Naval guns of France
155 mm artillery