15 cm SK L/40 gun

• Name — 15 cm SK L/40 • Origin — German Empire • Type — Naval gun Coast-defence gun • Is Ranged — y • Is Explosive — yes • Is Artillery — yes • Service — 1898—1945 • Used By — German Empire Austria-Hungary The Netherlands Nazi Germany Portugal • Wars — World War I World War II • Designer — Krupp • Design Date — 1897 • Manufacturer — Krupp • Variants — No.2, No.3, No.4, No.5 Krupp 15 cm L/40 K94 Škoda 15 cm L/40 K96 • Weight — 4460 kg • Length — 6 m • Part Length — 5.4 m • Cartridge — Separate-loading, cased charge • Caliber — 149.1 mm • Rate — 4-5 rpm • Velocity — 800 m/s • Max Range — 13.7 km at 20°. • Breech — horizontal sliding breech block • Elevation — -7° to +20° • Traverse — -150° to +150°

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. • Export Models — No.2 — No.3 — No.4 — No.5 — Krupp 15 cm L/40 K94 — Škoda 15 cm L/40 K96 • Users — Netherlands — Netherlands — Netherlands — Netherlands — Austria-Hungary — Austria-Hungary • Weight — 4420 kg — 4850 kg — 5200 kg — 4880 kg — 4500 kg — 4500 kg • Rifling Length — 4.4 m — 4.8 m — 5.5 m — 4.6 m — 4.6 m — 4.6 m • Muzzle Velocity — 680 m/s — 680 m/s — 850 m/s — 745 m/s — 690 m/s — 690 m/s

Ship classes that carried the 15 cm SK L/40 include: • China: • Haiyung class protected cruiser

Ammunition was of separate loading quick fire type. The projectiles were 39-46.5 cm long with a cartridge case and bagged charge which weighed 10 kg. The gun was able to fire: • Armor Piercing 51 kg • High Explosive Base Fuzed 45 kg • High Explosive Nose Fuzed 45 kg • Common Shell Nose Fuzed 45 kg