10"/31 caliber gun
| 10"/31 caliber Mark 1 Mod 1/ 10"/35 caliber Mark 1 Mod 2/ 10"/30 caliber Mark 2 Naval Gun | |
|---|---|
Fitting one of the 10-inch main guns to the front turret of USS Miantonomoh (BM-5) at the New York Navy Yard, circa 1890.
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| Type | Naval gun |
| Place of origin | |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1890 |
| Used by | |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Bureau of Ordnance |
| Designed | 1885 |
| Manufacturer | U.S. Naval Gun Factory |
| Unit cost | $38,566.58[1] |
| Variants | Mark 1 Mod 1, Mark 1 Mod 2 and Mark 2 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight |
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| Length |
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| Barrel length |
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| Shell | 510 lb (230 kg) armor-piercing |
| Caliber | 10 inches (254 mm) |
| Elevation |
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| Traverse | −150° to +150° |
| Rate of fire |
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| Muzzle velocity | 2,000 ft/s (610 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 20,000-yard (18,288 m) at 15° elevation |
The 10"/31 caliber gun Mark 1 Mod 1 (spoken "ten-inch-thirty-one--caliber") and the 10"/35 caliber gun Mark 1 Mod 2 were both used for the primary batteries of the United States Navy's Amphitrite-class monitor Miantonomoh. The 10"/30 caliber gun Mark 2 was used as main armament on the remaining Amphitrite-class monitors, the monitor Monterey, and the armored cruiser Maine.[2]
The Navy's Policy Board called for a variety of large caliber weapons in 1890, with ranges all the way up to 16 in (410 mm). This 10-inch gun had been in development since 1885. The Navy desired a light weight heavy weapon with a 10-inch bore to arm their coastal monitors and the armored cruiser Maine, which would later be classified a "Second Class Battleship." The 10-inch/31 caliber gun would be the first heavy breech loader (BL) gun in the "New Navy" and be the ancestor to all large caliber BL guns built in the United States.[2]
Mark 1[edit]
The 10-inch Mark 1 was a built-up gun constructed in a length of 31 caliber, Mod 0 and Mod 1, and also 35 caliber, Mod 2. These were both mounted in pairs on Mianonomoh and numbered 1–4 by the Navy. Both of the Mod 0 and Mod 1 guns had a tube, jacket, with the Mod 1 having a thicker jacket, and 15 hoops with a locking ring. The hoops started 5.91 in (150 mm) from the breech and extended to the muzzle. The Mod 2, was a 35 caliber gun of similar constructions but had only 14 hoops with a locking ring. [2] These were all constructed of gun steel.[3]
Mark 2[edit]
The Mark 2 was an even simpler construction with only 11 hoops, a different breech mechanism and reverting back to a shorter, 30 caliber length, barrel. Eighteen were built, Nos. 5–26. These would be the guns used on the remaining Amphitrite-class monitors, Monterey, and Maine.[2][3]
[edit]
| Ship | Gun Installed | Gun Mount |
|---|---|---|
| USS Miantonomoh (BM-5) |
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Mark 1: 2 × Twin Turrets |
| USS Amphitrite (BM-2) | Mark 2: 10"/30 caliber | Mark 2: 2 × twin turrets |
| USS Monadnock (BM-3) | Mark 2: 10"/30 caliber | Mark 2: 2 × twin turrets |
| USS Terror (BM-4) | Mark 2: 10"/30 caliber | Mark 4: 2 × twin turrets |
| USS Monterey (BM-6) | Mark 2: 10"/30 caliber | Mark 2: 1 × twin turret |
| USS Maine (ACR-1) | Mark 2: 10"/30 caliber | Mark 3: 2 × twin turrets |
References[edit]
- ^ Final Report of the Jamestown Ter-Centennial Commission. Washington Government Printing Office. 1909. p. 101.
- ^ a b Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Seaforth Publishing. p. 173. ISBN 978 1 84832 100 7.
External links[edit]
Bluejackets Manual, 1917, 4th revision: US Navy 14-inch Mark 1 gun
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