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Written by David Boyd
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Thursday, 01 January 2009 14:35 |
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The 5.5" Medium Gun 
In 1939 a requirement was issued for a gun that was capable of firing a 90lb shell 16,000 yards and that weighed less than 5 tons, the result was the 5.5" medium gun. The weapon was to be as up to date and as advanced as possible but this lead to some teething problems which resulted in simpler more effective solutions being used. The carriage was of two wheeled, split trail type and a quick loading gear was fitted so that when the gun was fired at high elevation a lever was pressed which swung the cradle down. It was not until 1942 that the first guns were in action and initially they lacked range but this was solved by the introduction of an 80lb shell, the weapons were highly successful and were used throughout the rest of the war. 5.5" Medium Gun Data | Weight of gun and breech | 4,120lb | | Total length | 171.6" | | Length of bore | 164" | | Rifling | 36 groves, 1/25 | | Elevation | -5 +45 degrees | | Traverse | 30 degrees left/right | | Weight in Action | 13,646lb | 5.5" Medium Gun Ammunition Data | Type | HE | HE | | Weight | 100lb | 80lb | | Muzzle Velocity | 1,655fps | 1,950fps | | Maximum range | 16,200 yards | 18,100 yards | Production of 5.5" medium guns by year (UK only) | | Pre-War | Sep-Dec 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | | 5.5" Guns | 3 | 2 | - | 177 | 221 | 908 | 295 | 73 | | 4.5"/5.5" Carriages | - | 2 | - | 213 | 590 | 801 | 754 | 131 | Production of 5.5" medium gun ammunition by year (UK only, filled only) | | Pre-War | Sep-Dec 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | | 100lb HE | - | - | 560 | 146,100 | 1,240,000 | 1,636,000 | 566,000 | 159,000 | | 80lb HE | - | - | - | - | - | -- | 443,400 | 720,000 | Sources - British & American Artillery of WWII, AVIA 22 456 - 514
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Last Updated on Thursday, 01 January 2009 15:01 |
