Bofors 120 mm m/50 gun

• Name — Bofors 120 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/50 • Type — Naval gun • Origin — Sweden • Is Ranged — Yes • Is Artillery — Yes • Service — 1954 – 2001 • Used By — Netherlands Sweden Colombia • Designer — AB Bofors • Design Date — 1950 • Manufacturer — AB Bofors • Number — 54 • Part Length — L/50 (including breach) • Cartridge — 120 × 835 mm R • Cartridge Weight — 23.35 – 23.5 kg • Caliber — 120 mm • Barrels — 2 × • Action — Automatic extraction with integrated autoloader • Rate — 2 × 42 rounds/min • Elevation — -9°/+85°, 25°/s • Traverse — 360°, 22°/s • Ref — Bofors 1958, AMKAT Marinen, 1977

The Dutch were the initial users of the Bofors 120 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/50. As part of rebuilding the Dutch Navy post WWII, the Dutch Navy had requested several naval gun systems to be developed by Bofors for their next generation of naval-vessels, one being a twin-barreled 120 mm dual-purpose gun for the then planned Holland-class destroyers. This request led to the creation of the Bofors 120 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/50. • Illustration — Bofors 120 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/50 from the back onboard the stern of the Holland-class destroyer HNLMS Holland (D808). • Illustration — Bofors 120 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/50 from the back left onboard the stern of the Holland-class destroyer HNLMS Noord-Brabant (D810). • Illustration — Bofors 120 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/50 from the front left onboard the stern of the Holland-class destroyer HNLMS Gelderland (D811). The gun entered active service with the Dutch Navy in 1954 mounted on the Holland-class destroyers. Even before the first Holland-class destroyer had been completed the Dutch Navy decided to order yet another class of destroyer armed with the Bofors 120 mm L/50, the Friesland-class destroyer. The Dutch really liked the design and decided in the mid 1970s to save two turrets from the Holland-class destroyer HNLMS Gelderland (D811) when she was decommissioned in 1973, and then fit them to the new Tromp-class frigates under construction.

• Illustration — HSwMS Halland (J18) aiming both of her 12 cm akan M/50 turrets (bow & stern), 1972. Following the Dutch example, the Swedish Navy decided to acquire the new 120 mm system being developed for them and fit it to a new generation of destroyers in 1950. In Swedish service the weapon was fitted to the Halland-class destroyers HSwMS Halland (J18) and HSwMS Småland (J19), both of which entered service in 1956. The weapon was initially designated 12 cm automatkanon M/50 (12 cm akan M/50), lit. "12 cm autocannon M/50", but around 1970 the weapon was redesignated to 12 cm torndubbelautomatpjäs M/50 (12 cm tdblapjäs M/50), lit. "12 cm turret double automatic (artillery)piece M/50". The gun was in use until the Halland-class destroyers were taken out of service. • Illustration — Swedish 12 cm akan m/50 stern-turret on Destroyer HSwMS Halland (J18) 1960's. • Illustration — Swedish 12 cm akan m/50 bow-turret on Destroyer HSwMS Småland (J19) 1960's. • Illustration — Swedish 12 cm akan m/50 bow-turret on Destroyer HSwMS Småland (J19) 2010.

• Illustration — Swedish built Colombian Halland-class destroyer ARC 20 de Julio (D-05) fitted with three Bofors 120 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/50 turrets. In Colombian service the Bofors 120 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/50 was fitted to the destroyers 7 de Agosto and 20 de Julio, both of which were Swedish built Halland-class destroyers. Unlike the Swedish Halland-class destroyers, the Colombian version carried three Bofors 120 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/50 turrets instead of two.