The Cannon 102/45 was a naval gun of the Italian Navy in World War II, which was later modified for shore based anti-aircraft and coastal artillery roles.
Cannon 102/45 | |
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![]() The Cannon 102/45 was a licensed copy of the QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun shown here. | |
Type | Naval gun Anti-aircraft gun Coastal artillery |
Place of origin | United Kingdom |
Service history | |
In service | 1917-1945 |
Used by | Italy |
Wars | World War I World War II |
Production history | |
Designed | 1913 |
Manufacturer | Ansaldo |
Produced | 1917 |
Variants | Schneider-Armstrong Model 1917 Schneider-Armstrong Model 1919 Schneider-Canet Model 1917 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 2,327 kilograms (5,130 lb) |
Length | 4.7 meters (15 ft 5 in) |
Barrel length | 4.57 meters (15 ft 0 in) |
Shell weight | 13.7–16 kilograms (30–35 lb) |
Caliber | 102 millimeters (4.0 in) 45 Caliber |
Breech | Horizontal or vertical sliding breech block |
Elevation | See Table |
Traverse | -360° |
Rate of fire | 7 rpm |
Muzzle velocity | Schneider-Armstrong: 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s) Schneider-Canet: 888 m/s (2,910 ft/s)[1] |
Maximum firing range | Horizontal: 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) at +35° AA: 8,000 m (26,000 ft) |
During World War I the United Kingdom delivered a QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun, serial No.974 to Italy to act as a template for licensed production by the Ansaldo Company. The Mark V was constructed of a tapered inner A tube, A tube, taper wound wire, full-length jacket and breech ring.[2] It had either a horizontal or vertical sliding breech block, with semi-automatic action and used fixed quick-fire ammunition. There were three models produced: Schneider-Armstrong Model 1917, Schneider-Armstrong Model 1919, and Schneider-Canet Model 1917; each with differing mounts and elevations. Overall the 102/45 was considered a successful design and it was widely used on destroyers of the Italian Navy before and during World War II. The exception being the Schneider-Armstrong Model 1919 which was an unsatisfactory twin mount with both guns sharing a common cradle. The Model 1919 was later replaced by single mounts during the war.[3] The 102/45 was in the process of being replaced by the Cannon 120/45 and 120/50 when World War II began. Starting in 1937 guns that were removed from ships were mounted on new dual-purpose shore mounts and used as anti-aircraft guns and coastal artillery until retired in 1945.
Mounts | Model | Weight | Elevation | Naval Classes |
Single Open Mount | Schneider-Armstrong
Model 1917 |
4,600 kg | -5°/+35° | Generali-class,[6] Palestro-class,[7] La Masa class,[8] Giuseppe Sirtori[9] |
Schneider-Canet Model 1917 | -5°/+30° | Mirabello-class,[10] Alessandro Poerio class[11] | ||
Twin Mount | Schneider-Armstrong Model 1919 | 10,000 kg | -5°/+35° | Curtatone-class[12] |
Single Mount
Dual-purpose |
Model 1936 | -5°/+85° | Anti-aircraft and Coastal artillery |
Italian artillery of World War I | |
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Anti-aircraft guns | |
Field, Medium and Heavy guns |
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Mortars |
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Infantry and Mountain guns |
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Naval and coastal defense guns |
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Railroad artillery |
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Superheavy and Siege artillery |
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Italian artillery of World War II | |
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Tank guns |
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Anti-tank guns |
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Infantry and Mountain guns |
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Field, Medium and Heavy guns |
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Superheavy and Siege artillery |
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Railroad artillery |
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Anti-aircraft guns |