The 15 cm SK L/40 was a German naval gun that was used as secondary armament on pre-dreadnought battleships, protected cruisers and armored cruisers of the Imperial German Navy in World War I. It was also used as a coast-defence gun during World Wars I and II.
== Construction == The 15 cm SK L/40 gun was constructed of A tube, two layers of hoops and used a Krupp horizontal sliding-wedge breech block. It used separate loading metallic cased propellant charges and projectiles. Unlike other large naval guns of the time which used separate loading bagged charges and projectiles, this gun used charges inside of a brass cartridge case to provide obturation. The guns were often mounted in single casemates or single turrets amidships. In addition to guns produced for the Imperial German Navy comparable export models were produced for the Royal Netherlands Navy and produced under license by Škoda for the Austro-Hungarian Navy.
== Naval Use == Ship classes that carried the 15 cm SK L/40 include:
China: Haiyung class protected cruiser
== Ammunition == Ammunition was of separate loading quick fire type. The projectiles were 39–46.5 cm (1–2 ft) long with a cartridge case and bagged charge which weighed 10 kg (22 lb). The gun was able to fire:
Armor Piercing 51 kg (112 lb) High Explosive Base Fuzed 45 kg (99 lb) High Explosive Nose Fuzed 45 kg (99 lb) Common Shell Nose Fuzed 45 kg (99 lb)
See also
List of naval guns Battery Lothringen 15 cm L/40 Feldkanone i.R. 15 cm K (E) QF 6 inch /40 naval gun British equivalent, firing slightly heavier shell 6"/40 caliber gun US equivalent, firing slightly heavier shell
Notes
Citations
== References == Reichs-Marine-Amt, ed. (1909). Bedienungsvorschrift für die 15 cm Schnellade-Kanone L/40 in 15 cm Mittel-Pivot-Lafette C/97 in Einzelkasematte. Berlin: E. S. Mittler. OCLC 252061246. Reichs-Marine-Amt, ed. (1909). Bedienungsvorschrift für die 15 cm Schnellade-Kanone L/40 Nr. 617,618 und 619 in 15 cm Minimalscharten-Lafette C/1902. Berlin: E. S. Mittler. OCLC 252061267. Campbell, John (2002). Naval Weapons of World War Two. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4. Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7. Gander, Terry; Chamberlain, Peter (1979). Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939–1945. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-15090-3. Hogg, Ian V. (1997). German Artillery of World War Two (2nd corrected ed.). Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 1-85367-480-X. "Algemeen Overzicht der Schepen en Vaartuigen van Oorlog". Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Marine: 465–489. 1915. Rolf, Rudi (1998). Der Atlantikwall: Bauten der deutschen Küstenbefestigungen 1940-1945. Osnabrück: Biblio. ISBN 3-7648-2469-7. Rolf, Rudi (2004). A Dictionary on Modern Fortification: An Illustrated Lexicon on European Fortification in the Period 1800-1945. Middleburg, Netherlands: PRAK. Schmalenbach, Paul (1983). "German Navy Large Bore Guns Operational Ashore During World War I". Warship International. XX (2): 123–153. ISSN 0043-0374.
== External links == 15 cm SK L/40 at Navweaps.com
