The BL 4-inch Mark VIII naval gun was a British medium-velocity wire-wound naval gun introduced in 1908 as an anti-torpedo boat gun in smaller ships whose decks could not support the strain of the heavier and more powerful Mk VII gun.
Mk VIII history
The gun succeeded the QF 4-inch Mk III, whose 25-pound (11 kg) shell had been considered insufficiently powerful for its intended role. The BL Mk VIII fired a 31-pound (14 kg) shell. It armed the following warships :
HMS Swift laid down 1905 Tribal-class destroyers from HMS Saracen (1908) onwards. Beagle-class destroyer of 1909 Acorn-class destroyers of 1910 Acheron-class destroyers of 1910 River-class torpedo-boat destroyers (Australia) of 1910. The gun was succeeded in its class from 1911 by the QF 4-inch Mk IV. In World War II many guns were used to arm merchant ships.
Mk XI submarine gun
A Mark XI-variant was adapted to arm the K-class submarines laid down 1915.
== See also == List of naval guns German 10.5 cm SK L/40 naval gun – firing slightly heavier shell
Notes
References
== Sources == Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One: Guns, Torpedoes, Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations; An Illustrated Directory. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7. Handbook for the 4" Mark VII. and VIII. B.L. Guns 1913 (Corrected to September 1913.) Admiralty Gunnery Branch, G.8652/13
External links
Tony DiGiulian, British 4"/40 (10.2 cm) BL Mark VIII and Mark XI