EOC 12-inch 45-calibre naval gun
| Industry | Naval artillery manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | 12-inch 45 calibre naval guns |
| Parent | Armstrong Whitworth |
The EOC 12 inch 45 calibre naval gun refers to a series of closely related 12-inch wire-wound naval artillery pieces developed and produced by the Elswick Ordnance Company. These weapons were intended for installation on warships constructed and/or armed by the parent firm, Armstrong Whitworth, for multiple nations prior to World War I.
Service in Brazil
Elswick provided its 12-inch 45-calibre naval guns for the Minas Geraes-class battleship class, which were completed in 1910 by Elswick and Vickers for the Brazilian Navy.
Service in the United Kingdom
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At the outbreak of World War I, Elswick was finalising construction of the battleship Sultân Osmân-ı Evvel for the Ottoman Empire. This vessel had originally been ordered by Brazil as Rio de Janeiro. It was equipped with fourteen units of a slightly updated version of Elswick’s 12-inch 45-calibre guns. Upon completion, the ship entered Royal Navy service as HMS Agincourt, where its armament was classified as BL 12 inch Mk XIII.[lower-roman 1] The ballistic characteristics of this gun closely matched those of the standard Royal Navy weapon, the BL 12 inch Mk X, designed by Vickers.
Service in Japan
Elswick also supplied its 12-inch 45-calibre guns to the Imperial Japanese Navy, which additionally produced them under licence domestically. Entering service in Japan from 1908, these weapons were designated 12"/45 41st Year Type, and following metrication in 1917, renamed 30 cm/45 41st Year Type. They were installed on several classes of Japanese warships, including:
- Katori-class battleship class, commissioned in 1906
- Ibuki-class battlecruiser class, commissioned between 1907 and 1911
- Tsukuba-class battlecruisers commissioned in 1908
- The pre-dreadnought Mikasa, rearmed in 1908
- Satsuma-class battleship class, commissioned in 1910 and 1912
- Kawachi-class battleship class, commissioned in 1912
Surviving examples
- Reproductions are installed on the preserved Japanese battleship Mikasa located in Yokosuka, Japan.[1]
See also
Comparable weapons in role, capability, and period
- 305mm/45 Modèle 1906 gun – French counterpart
- BL 12 inch Mk X naval gun – Vickers counterpart
- 12"/45 caliber Mark 5 gun – American counterpart
Notes
- ↑ The British military employed Roman numerals to identify ordnance Marks (models) until after World War II; this denoted the thirteenth model of BL 12-inch gun adopted by Britain.
References
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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External links
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- Naval guns of the United Kingdom
- Naval weapons of Brazil
- 305 mm artillery
- EOC naval guns
- Naval guns of Japan