203 mm 50 caliber Pattern 1905 explained

Vickers 203 mm 50 caliber Pattern 1905
Origin:Great Britain
Type:Naval gun
Coastal artillery
Railway artillery
Is Ranged:yes
Is Explosive:yes
Is Artillery:yes
Is Uk:yes
Service:1905-1970
Used By:Russian Empire
Soviet Union
Wars:World War I
Russian Civil War
Winter War
World War II
Designer:Vickers
Design Date:1905
Manufacturer:Obukhov State Plant
Production Date:1905
Weight:14.4sp=usNaNsp=us
Length:10.16sp=usNaNsp=us 50 caliber
Part Length:9.95sp=usNaNsp=us
Cartridge:Separate loading bagged charge and projectile
Cartridge Weight:NaNsp=usNaNsp=us
Caliber:203sp=usNaNsp=us
Rate:3-4 rpm
Velocity:792sp=usNaNsp=us
Max Range:15.7sp=usNaNsp=us at +25°
Breech:Welin breech block
Elevation:Casemates: -5° to +25°
Turrets: -5° to +25°
Open mounts: -5° to +30°

The 203 mm 50 caliber Pattern 1905 was a Russian naval gun developed by Vickers for export in the years before World War I that armed a variety of warships of the Imperial Russian Navy. Guns salvaged from scrapped ships found a second life as coastal artillery, railway artillery and aboard river monitors during the Russian Civil War. By 1941 it was estimated there were 36 coastal defense guns and two railroad mounts remaining.[1] During the 1930s a number were relined down to 180sp=usNaNsp=us and re-designated the 180mm Pattern 1931-1933. These guns were used aboard Kirov-class cruisers or as coastal artillery and railway artillery.[2]

History

The Pattern 1905 began life as a Vickers design for export customers called the Mk B and Mk C. These guns did not serve aboard ships of the Royal Navy because they had standardized on 7.5sp=usNaNsp=us guns. The Pattern 1905 was also produced under license at the Obukhov State Plant in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Construction

The Pattern 1905 was similar in construction to the Vickers 10abbr=onNaNabbr=on 50 caliber guns produced by Vickers for the Imperial Russian Navy. The Pattern 1905 was a built-up gun which consisted of an A tube, two layers of reinforcing tubes and a Welin breech block. The initial order for eight Vickers Mk B guns served aboard the Russian cruiser Rurik in four twin turrets. Later another thirty-four Mk C guns were ordered from Vickers in 1914. A further nineteen were produced by Obhukov in 1914 to replace worn barrels with only minor differences between the series.

Naval use

The 203mm 50 caliber Pattern 1905 guns armed armored cruisers, river monitors and pre-dreadnought battleships of the Imperial Russian Navy and Soviet Navy built or refit between 1905-1930.

Pre-dreadnought battleships

Armored cruisers

Ammunition

Pattern 1905 ammunition consisted of two separate loading bagged charges and a projectile. The projectiles weighed between NaNsp=usNaNsp=us and the two charges weighed a combined 39sp=usNaNsp=us.

The gun was able to fire:

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Russia / USSR 8"/50 (20.3 cm) Pattern 1905 - NavWeaps. DiGiulian. Tony. www.navweaps.com. en. 2017-07-27.
  2. Book: Friedman, Norman. Naval weapons of World War One. 2011. Seaforth Pub. 9781848321007. S. Yorkshire. 751804655.