Germany
8.8 cm/78 (3.46") SK C/31
Updated 05 June 2011
Used on Panzerschiffes when commissioned, but replaced with 10.5 cm (4.1") SK C/33 before the start of World War II.  This weapon had a very high muzzle velocity and thus a short barrel life.

A loose-barrel type with a vertical sliding semi-automatic breech-block that fired fixed ammunition.
WNGER_88mm-78_skc31_Lutzow_pic.jpg

Lützow (ex-Deutschland)
The 8.8 cm guns are amidships alongside the stack
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Gun Characteristics
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Designation 8.8 cm/78 (3.46") SK C/31
Ship Class Used On Lützow (ex-Deutschland) Class
Date Of Design 1931
Date In Service 1933
Gun Weight 9,380 lbs. (4,255 kg)
Gun Length oa 270.5 in. (6.870 m)
Bore Length 249.6 in (6.341 m)
Rifling Length 213.4 in. (5.422 m)
Number Of Grooves (28) 0.047 in deep x 0.235 in (1.2 mm x 5.97 mm)
Lands 0.154 in (3.9 mm)
Twist Increasing RH 1 in 55 to 1 in 35
Chamber Volume 391 in3 (6.4 dm3)
Rate Of Fire 15 - 20 rounds per minute
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Ammunition
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Type Fixed
Weight of Complete Round HE - 40.8 lbs. (18.5 kg)
ILLUM - N/A
Projectile Types and Weights HE - 19.8 lbs. (9.0 kg)
ILLUM - 20.7 lbs. (9.4 kg)
Bursting Charge N/A
Projectile Length N/A
Complete Round 48.3 in (1.228 m)
Propellant Charge 9.99 lbs. (4.53 kg) RPC/32 (5.5/2)
Muzzle Velocity HE - 3,117 fps (950 mps)
ILLUM - 2,133 fps (650 mps)
Working Pressure 19.7 tons/in2 (3,100 kg/cm2)
Approximate Barrel Life about 1,500 rounds
Ammunition stowage per gun 500 rounds
Notes:  Outfit for Panzerschiffes was nose-fuzed HE with and without tracer and illumination rounds.
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Range
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Elevation With 19.8 lbs. (9.0 kg) Shell
Range @ 45 degrees 19,470 yards (17,800 m)
AA Ceiling @ 80 degrees 43,640 feet (13,300 m)
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Mount / Turret Data
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Designation Twin Mount:
   Deutschland (3):  Dopp LC/31
Weight  60,185 lbs.  (27,300 kg)
Elevation -10 / +80 degrees
Elevation Rate 10 degrees per second
Train 360 degrees
Train Rate 10 degrees per second
Gun recoil N/A
Note:  This mounting was triaxially stabilized which could compensate for pitch and yaw up to 17 degrees in each direction.
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Data from
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"German Warships 1815-1945" by Erich Gröner
"German Cruisers of World War Two" by M.J. Whitley
Page History

10 May 2006 - Benchmark
05 June 2011 - Added triaxial mounting note