Written by David Boyd
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Thursday, 01 January 2009 14:50 |
The 3" Anti-Aircraft Gun The 3 inch Anti-Aircraft dates back to the First World War and was still in service at the beginning of the Second World War. While the 3.7" was superior in performance to the 3" anti-aircraft gun the 3.7" was not yet available in sufficient numbers and the 3" was much lighter which meant it had greater mobility, it also had a high rate of fire and a good transverse speed. Production of the guns had ceased in Britain well before the war but a number were still undergoing conversion and mobile platforms were still being built at the beginning of the war. It's interesting to note that some guns were still being built in India up until 1943. 3" Anti-Aircraft Gun Data Weight of gun and breech | 2,250lb | Total length | 140" | Length of bore | 45 cal | Rifling | 20 grooves, 1/30 | Elevation | -10, +90 degrees | Traverse | 360 degrees | Weight in Action | 6,000lb | Rate of fire | 20-25 | Projectile weight | 16.5lb/12.5lb | Muzzle velocity | 2,000/2,500fps | Max horizontal range | 12,400/10,900 yards | Max Ceiling | 15,700/23,500 feet | Armour Piercing ammunition Ammunition | Weight | Angle | Plate | 500 | 1000 | 1500 | 2000 | AP Mk II? | 12.5lb | 30 | IT.80. | 88 | 76 | 65 | 55 | Production of 3" Anti-Aircraft guns by year (UK only) | Pre-War | Sep-Oct 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 3" Gun Conversions | 431 | 27 | 3 | - | 4 wheel platform | 36 | - | 53 | 184 | 2 wheel platform | 155 | - | 33 | - | HE | 1,223,038 | 152,324 | 344,937 | - | Shrapnel | 141,959 | 8,064 | 8,263 | - | Sources - British & American Artillery of WWII, AVIA 22 456 - 514, WO 185/178
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