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The Ordnance QF 3-pounder Vickers (47 mm / L50) was a British artillery piece first tested in Britain in 1903. It was used on
By 1911 about 193 guns of this type were in service, and they became standard equipment in the Royal Navy until 1915. In that year, service during the
British_Vickers_3-pdr_(1.4_kg)_(1.85"/50_[47 mm
_QF_Marks_I_and_II.html" ;"title="7 mm">British Vickers 3-pdr (1.4 kg) (1.85"/50 [47 mm
QF Marks I and II">7 mm">British Vickers 3-pdr (1.4 kg) (1.85"/50 [47 mm
QF Marks I and II* Ian Buxton ''Big Gun Monitors: The History of the Design, Construction and Operation of the Royal Navy's Monitors''
British Vickers 3-pdr (1.4 kg) (1.85"/50 (47 mm)) QF Marks I and II
br /> {{DEFAULTSORT:QF 03-pounder Vickers 47 mm artillery World War I artillery of the United Kingdom Vickers Naval anti-aircraft guns Naval guns of the United Kingdom World War I naval weapons of the United Kingdom
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
warships. It was more powerful than and unrelated to the older QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss
The QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss or in French use Canon Hotchkiss à tir rapide de 47 mm were a family of long-lived light naval guns introduced in 1886 to defend against new, small and fast vessels such as torpedo boats and later submarines. T ...
, with a propellant charge approximately twice as large, but it initially fired the same Lyddite
Picric acid is an organic compound with the formula (O2N)3C6H2OH. Its IUPAC name is 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP). The name "picric" comes from el, πικρός (''pikros''), meaning "bitter", due to its bitter taste. It is one of the most acidic ...
and steel shells as the Hotchkiss.Treatise on ammunition 10th Edition 1915. War Office, UK. Page 404
Development
Starting in 1904, theRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
bought over 154 of these for use as anti-torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of se ...
weapons on capital ship
The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; they are generally the larger ships when compared to other warships in their respective fleet. A capital ship is generally a leading or a primary ship in a naval fleet.
Strategic im ...
s and to arm smaller ships. British production of these guns started in 1905 at Vickers
Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...
and by the time production stopped in 1936 a total of 600 weapons had been made.
Royal Navy use
By 1911 about 193 guns of this type were in service, and they became standard equipment in the Royal Navy until 1915. In that year, service during the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
proved these weapons to be ineffective and they were quickly removed from most of the larger ships, some were mounted in armoured lorries as the main armaments of the Pierce-Arrow
The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company was an American motor vehicle manufacturer based in Buffalo, New York, which was active from 1901 to 1938. Although best known for its expensive luxury cars, Pierce-Arrow also manufactured commercial trucks ...
and Seabrook armoured lorries. During the interwar years they were widely used to arm light ships and river craft. A number of them were converted into anti-aircraft guns and by 1927 at least 62 guns had been converted.
See also
*QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss
The QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss or in French use Canon Hotchkiss à tir rapide de 47 mm were a family of long-lived light naval guns introduced in 1886 to defend against new, small and fast vessels such as torpedo boats and later submarines. T ...
: this gun's predecessor
* OQF 3-pounder gun
The Ordnance QF 3 pounder 2 cwt gun was a 47 mm British tank gun based on the Ordnance QF 3 pounder Vickers naval gun, mounted on Vickers-built tanks in the 1920s and 1930s. The gun was produced in 31 calibre (59 inch) and 40 calibre (74 inc ...
: tank gun based on the Ordnance QF 3-pounder Vickers
* List of naval guns
List of Naval Guns by country of origin in decreasing caliber size
List of naval guns by caliber size, all countries
Naval anti-aircraft guns
See also
*List of artillery
*List of the largest cannon by caliber
*Glossary of British ordnance ...
References
;Notes ;BibliographyBritish_Vickers_3-pdr_(1.4_kg)_(1.85"/50_[47 mm
_QF_Marks_I_and_II.html" ;"title="7 mm">British Vickers 3-pdr (1.4 kg) (1.85"/50 [47 mm
QF Marks I and II">7 mm">British Vickers 3-pdr (1.4 kg) (1.85"/50 [47 mm
QF Marks I and II* Ian Buxton ''Big Gun Monitors: The History of the Design, Construction and Operation of the Royal Navy's Monitors''
External links
* Tony DiGiulianBritish Vickers 3-pdr (1.4 kg) (1.85"/50 (47 mm)) QF Marks I and II
br /> {{DEFAULTSORT:QF 03-pounder Vickers 47 mm artillery World War I artillery of the United Kingdom Vickers Naval anti-aircraft guns Naval guns of the United Kingdom World War I naval weapons of the United Kingdom