340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun
< 340mm
| 340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun | |
|---|---|
The main guns of the battleship Provence | |
| Type | Naval gun |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1915 – 1953 |
| Used by | France Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War I World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1912 |
| Produced | 1912 – 1921 |
| Variants | Model 1912 Model 1912M Type C |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 66 t (65 long tons; 73 short tons) |
| Barrel length | 15.4 m (51 ft) L/45 |
| Shell | Separate-loading, bagged charge and projectiles |
| Shell weight | 382–575 kg (842–1,268 lb) |
| Calibre | 340 mm (13.4 in) |
| Breech | Welin breech block |
| Elevation | Naval: -5° to +15° Coastal: 0 to +50° |
| Traverse | Fore and aft: -150° to +150° Q turret: +30 to +150 L/R |
| Rate of fire | 2 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 800 m/s (2,600 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | Naval: 25–29 km (16–18 mi) at +23° Coastal: 38.7 km (24 mi) at +45° |
The 340mm/45 Modèle 1912 gun (13.4 in) was a heavy naval gun of the French Navy. While the calibres of the naval guns of the French Navy were usually very close to those of their British counterparts, the calibre of 340 mm is specific to the French Navy.
The built-up gun was designed to be carried by the Normandie and Lyon classes in quadruple gun turrets, but no ship of these types was completed as a battleship. They were carried by the Bretagne-class battleships in twin turrets. Some of these guns were used as railway guns and coastal artillery in World War I, also serving in World War II.