The 15 cm SK L/40SK - Schnelladekanone (quick loading cannon); L - Länge in Kaliber (length in caliber) 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.
Export ModelsNo.2No.3No.4No.5Krupp 15 cm L/40 K94Škoda 15 cm L/40 K96UsersNetherlandsNetherlandsNetherlandsNetherlandsAustria-HungaryAustria-HungaryWeightRifling LengthMuzzle Velocity
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 long with a cartridge case and bagged charge which weighed .
The gun was able to fire: Armor Piercing High Explosive Base Fuzed High Explosive Nose Fuzed Common Shell Nose Fuzed World War I Ammunition
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
External links 15 cm SK L/40 at Navweaps.com