Germany
28 cm/40 (11") MRK L/40
Updated 15 December 2013
Used on pre-dreadnoughts of the Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm class.  The mixture of both L/35 and L/40 guns on these ships shows how centralized fire control was not yet available for these ships, even though they had a "uniform" main battery.

These guns were built from hoops and used a horizontal wedge breech mechanism.

These mountings used hydraulic power with steam pumps as prime movers.  The breech mechanisms were hand-worked as was the ramming.

All German 28 cm guns had an actual bore diameter of 28.3 cm (11.1").
WNGER_11-40_skc90_Kurfurst_Friedrich_Wilhelm_pic.jpg

Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm at Helgoland, Germany
28 cm/40 guns are in bow and stern mountings
Midships turret carried 28 cm/35 guns
Detroit Publishing Company Collection Photograph
Library of Congress Photograph ID LC-DIG-ppmsca-00589
WNGER_11-40_skc90_Weissenburg_pic.jpg

Pre-dreadnought Weissenberg
Note that the name is mis-spelled on the photograph
IWM photograph Q 41287
.
Gun Characteristics
.
Designation 28 cm/40 (11") MRK L/40
Ship Class Used On Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm class
Date Of Design 1890
Date In Service 1893
Gun Weight 97,000 lbs. (44,000 kg) including BM
Gun Length oa 440.9 in (11.200 m)
Bore Length 409.5 in (10.401 m)
Rifling Length N/A
Grooves N/A
Lands N/A
Twist N/A
Chamber Volume 8,723 in3 (142.9 dm3)
Rate Of Fire about 0.5 rounds per minute
.
Ammunition
.
Type Bag
Projectile Types and Weights AP L/2,6 - 529 lbs. (240 kg)
HE L/2,9 base fuze - 529 lbs. (240 kg)
Bursting Charge N/A
Projectile Length AP L/2,6 - 29.0 in (73.6 cm)
HE L/2,9 base fuze - 32.3 in (82.1 cm)
Propellant Charge
(see Note 3)		 World War I:  About 161 lbs. (73 kg) RPC 12
Muzzle Velocity 2,690 fps (820 mps)
Working Pressure N/A
Approximate Barrel Life N/A
Ammunition stowage per gun Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm:  60 rounds
Notes:

1) The AP L/2,6 was about 2crh.

2) Actual Projectile designations were as follows:

   AP L/2,6 - Psgr. L/2,6
   HE L/2,9 base fuze - Spr.gr. L/2,9 Bdz

3) As originally introduced, these guns used brown powder.
.
Range Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm 1894
.
Elevation With 529 lbs. (240 kg) Shell (type not known)
Range @ 25 degrees
(Max elevation of turret)		 17,400 yards (15,900 m)
Note:  "Die Geschichte der deutschen Schiffsartillerie" says that the effective range of this gun when introduced was 12,030 yards (11,000 m).
.
Range World War I
.
Elevation With 529 lbs. (240 kg) AP L2,6
Range @ 30 degrees
(Max elevation of turret)		 20,590 yards (18,830 m)
.
Armor Penetration with 529 lbs. (240 kg) AP L2,6 Shell
.
Range
Side Armor
Deck Armor
13,120 yards (12,000 m)
6.3 in (160 mm)
---
Note:  Data from "Die Geschichte der deutschen Schiffsartillerie."
.
Mount / Turret Data
.
Designation Two-gun barbette/turrets
   Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm (2):  Drh.L. C/92
Weight  N/A
Elevation -5 / +25 degrees
Elevation Rate N/A
Train about +150 / -150 degrees
Train Rate N/A
Gun recoil N/A
Loading Angle N/A
Note:  C/92 turret needed to train to 0 degrees in order to load. 
.
Data from
"Naval Weapons of World War One" by Norman Friedman
"Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships:  1906-1922" by Randal Gray and Robert Gardiner (Editor)
"German Warships 1815-1945" by Erich Gröner
"The Big Gun:  Battleship Main Armament 1860-1945" by Peter Hodges
"Die Geschichte der deutschen Schiffsartillerie" by Paul Schmalenbach
Page History

21 November 2012 - New datapage
15 December 2013 - Added photograph of Weissenburg