BL 4-inch Mk IX naval gun
Ordnance BL 4-inch Mk IX gun | |
---|---|
![]() On Flower-class corvette HMCS Calgary in World War II | |
Type | Naval gun |
Service history | |
In service | 1917–1945 |
Used by | ![]() ![]()
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Wars | World War I World War II |
Production history | |
No. built | 2,382[1] |
Specifications | |
Mass | 2 tons barrel & breech[2] |
Barrel length | 180 inches (4.572 m) bore (45 calibres) |
Shell | 31 pounds (14.1 kg) |
Calibre | 4 inches (101.6 mm) |
Breech | Welin interrupted screw |
Elevation | -10 degrees to +30 degrees[3] |
Rate of fire | 10-12 rpm[3] |
Muzzle velocity | 800 metres per second (2,600 ft/s)[2] |
Maximum firing range | 12,660 metres (13,850 yd)[2] |
The BL 4-inch Mk IX naval gun[note 1] was a British medium-velocity naval gun introduced in 1917 as secondary armament on the Renown-class battlecruisers and Glorious-class "large light cruisers", but which served most notably as the main armament on Flower-class corvettes throughout World War II.
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History
World War I

The gun was based on the barrel of the QF 4-inch Mk V and the breech mechanism of the BL 4-inch Mk VIII[4] and was first introduced in World War I on capital ships as secondary armament in triple-gun mountings, intended to provide rapid concentrated fire. This turned out to be unworkable in practice. Jane's Fighting Ships of 1919 commented, "4-inch triples are clumsy and not liked. They are not mounted in one sleeve; have separate breech mechanism, a gun crew of 23 to each triple".[5] Guns were thereafter used in single-gun mountings, typically on smaller ships as the main armament.
World War II

In World War II the gun was employed on many small warships such as Flower-class corvettes and minesweepers, primarily for action against surfaced submarines.
This was the last BL 4 inch gun in British service: all subsequent guns have used charges in metal cartridges "QF". It was succeeded on new small warships built in World War II by the QF 4-inch Mk XIX gun which fired a slightly heavier shell at much lower velocity and had a high-angle mounting which added anti-aircraft capability.
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Surviving examples
- On board HMCS Sackville, the last surviving Flower-class corvette, at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- A gun at the entrance to the marina in Hull, UK
- A gun at Port Isaac, Cornwall, UK
- Leith Harbour In South Georgia
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Source: "BL 4-inch Mk IX naval gun", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2022, August 14th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BL_4-inch_Mk_IX_naval_gun.
Further Reading

QF 2-pounder naval gun

BL 16-inch Mk I naval gun

BL 14-inch Mk VII naval gun

QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun

QF 4-inch naval gun Mk V

QF 4-inch naval gun Mk XVI
BL 6-inch Mk II – VI naval gun

QF 4-inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII

BL 4-inch Mk VII naval gun

BL 5.5-inch Mk I naval gun
BL 5-inch gun Mk I – V

BL 6-inch Mk XI naval gun

BL 6-inch Mk XII naval gun

BL 4.7-inch 45-calibre naval gun

BL 6-inch Mk XXIII naval gun

QF 4.7-inch Mk IX & XII naval gun

QF 4-inch naval gun Mk XIX

BL 6-inch Mk XXII naval gun
See also
Notes
- ^ Mk IX = Mark 9. Britain used Roman numerals to denote Marks (models) of ordnance until after World War II. Mark IX indicates this was the ninth model of BL 4-inch gun.
References
- ^ Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, pp.42-43.
- ^ a b Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII, p.38.
- ^ DiGiulian
- ^ "Jane's Fighting Ships 1919, page 62". Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
Bibliography
- Tony DiGiulian, British 4"/45 (10.2 cm) BL Marks IX and X
- Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
External links

Categories
- 100 mm artillery
- All articles with dead external links
- Articles with dead external links from August 2022
- Articles with short description
- Commons category link from Wikidata
- Naval guns of the United Kingdom
- Short description is different from Wikidata
- Use British English from January 2017
- Use dmy dates from January 2017
- World War II naval weapons of the United Kingdom
- World War I naval weapons of the United Kingdom
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