This is an old revision of this page, as edited by BoyTheKingCanDance (talk | contribs) at 15:29, 29 November 2024 (→Notes). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 15:29, 29 November 2024 by BoyTheKingCanDance (talk | contribs) (→Notes)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Naval artillery| Canon de 24 C modèle 1870 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) A Canon de 24 C modèle 1870 in Vietnam | |
| Type | Naval artillery |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1870-1918 (at least) |
| Used by |  France |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1870? |
| Produced | 1870? |
| Variants | Railway gun |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 15,660 kg |
| Length | 4.940 m (16.21 ft) L/21 |
| Shell | Separate-loading, bagged charge and projectiles |
| Caliber | 240 mm (9.4 in) |
| Breech | screw |
| Elevation | -5° to +30° |
| Rate of fire | 1 round every two minutes |
| Muzzle velocity |
|
| Effective firing range | 10 km (6.2 mi)
10.8 km (6.7 mi) 1870 M |
The Canon de 24 C modèle 1870 was a rifled breech loader built-up gun used on board the French Navy. All units were later modified to use an increased charge, the so-called Canon de 24 C modèle 1870 M.
Development
The 1864 system
While France was quick to switch from muzzle loading to breech loading guns, it held on to using cast iron gun barrels for quite some time. It did so for reasons of cost, speed and facility of construction. In 1864 a new series of guns was designed. These guns were put into service in 1867.
These system 1864-1868 cast iron guns with steel hoops fired cylindrical projectiles that weighed thrice the weight of the round bullet of the same diameter and gave these an initial velocity of 334-345 m/s.
The 1870 system
In early 1870, French authorities decided to react to the ever increasing armor protection of ships by creating a new Modèle 1870 system. The guns of these system were also hooped. The essential innovation was a short steel inner tube which increased longitudinal strength. As regards rifling, these guns used many shallow grooves instead of a handful of deep grooves. It was estimated that these guns could endure peak pressures that were about 50% higher than those that the modèle 1864 could stand.
The obturator of these guns was formed by a ring of red copper. The ignition took place via the breech block, so that the ignition of the charge started in the center of the bottom part of the charge. This led to more regular velocities and less strain on the gun. The model 1870 guns also used less offensive gunpowder and longer projectiles with copper driving bands and a bourrelet.
Characteristics
.png)
The core of the barrel of the Canon de 24 C modèle 1870 was made of cast iron. Towards the breech, there were two layers of steel rings or hoops on the outside over a length of 2,125 mm. On the inside, a short steel tube ran from the breech till somewhat before the trunnions. The barrel was 4,940 mm long and weighed 15,660 kg.
The length of bore of the barrel was 4,545 mm. The rifled part of the gun was 3,792 mm long with a diameter of 240 mm. The original powder chamber was 713 mm long with a diameter of 246 mm. In between was the transitional cone of 40 mm. There were 36 grooves which were 14.44 mm wide and 1.5 mm deep. The twist was progressive, going from an initial 0° 30' to 4° at the muzzle.
The gun originally used a charge of 28 kg of Wetteren 20/25 gunpowder or a slightly larger charge of 30 kg of AS 26/34 gunpowder. This gave the 144 kg projectile a velocity of 440 m/s. It gave the 120 kg projectile a velocity of 474 m/s. In both cases, peak pressure was about 2,200 kg/cm.
Penetrative power at the muzzle was 28 cm of iron backed by 84 cm of wood. The range of the gun was 10,000 m.
Carriages
The batterie à châssis Modèle 64 or 67 was a carriage consisting of an upper carriage that slided over a lower frame (châssis). The recoil was caught by a compressor brake. These carriages weighed 6,650 and 6,200 kg.
The carriage de tour mobile pour garde-côtes was similar to the M 67 and weighed 6,208 kg. The M 76 'de teugue' carriage was a bit higher than the M 67 and had mechanical aiming aids. It weighed 8,440 kg.
The carriage à plate-forme tournante pour tourelle weighed 17,760 kg. The guns on the ironclad Océan (below) were said to have been in tourelles barbettes. They therefore might have been on this carriage. The carriage à pivot central et freins hydrauliques weighed 11,510 kg.
Projectiles
The gun fired an armor piercing shot of 144 kg. This came in a chilled cast iron and a steel model. The regular grenade weighed 120 kg. There were also two kinds of canister shot. The one with large balls weighed 96 kg, that with small balls weighed 100 kg.
Durability & price
When firing with the service charge, the M 1870 was expected to be able to endure 500 shots. This was significantly less than the all-steel Krupp guns.
The cost price of the 24 C M 1870 was 20,013 francs, significantly more than the 12,094 of the previous M 1864.
The modified 24 c 1870 M
After the 24 C modèle 1870 guns was put in production, less offensive kinds of gunpowder were invented. For France this was a kind of so-called Wetteren gunpowder, made in Belgium. It soon became apparent that with a higher charge of slower-burning gunpowder, higher velocities could be achieved without dangerous peak pressures occuring. To achieve this, the size of the powder chamber of the 24 C modèle 1870 was increased. This was not only necessary to hold the higher charge, but also to give it enough space to explode calmly. This change was applied to all the M 1870 guns.
The modèle 1870 M used a charge of 46 kg of Wetteren 25/30 gunpowder. This gave the AP shot an initial velocity of 495 m/s. For the regular grenade, this was 500 m/s. Respective peak pressures were 2,500 and 2,100 kg/cm.
The penetrative power of the 1870 M was significantly better. At the muzzle, it was 84 cm of wood covered by 34 cm or iron. At 10,800 m, the range of the modified gun was also better.
Use
In France
The French navy used the Canon de 24 C modèle 1870 as upper deck or chase on some of its biggest ships. The ironclad Richelieu had four Canon de 24 C modèle 1870 mounted en barbette and one mounted as a chase gun. This was alongside four heavier 27 c modèle 1870. The Colbert-class ironclads had one, later two 24 cm guns as chase guns next to 8 27 cm guns. The three Océan-class ironclads each had four 24 C modèle 1870 in single barbettes next to four 27 c modèle 1870 in the lower battery.
On smaller units, the gun was used as main armament. The Vauban-class ironclads had four 24 C modèle 1870. This also applied to the Bayard-class ironclads. The La Galissonnière-class ironclad had six Canon de 24 C modèle 1870. The big ironclad Couronne got eight 24 C modèle 1870 guns when she became an artillery training ship.
Main article: Canon de 24 C modèle 1876The French Navy was also repsonsible for some coastal defense tasks that involved the use of coastal guns. For coastal defense, the navy also planned to procure the 24 C modèle 1870 gun. However, after the Franco-Prussian War, the navy had to hand over these guns to the army. The army then changed these guns to get a different breech and obturator. However, these guns also had a diffent overall length, so it seems they were different from the start.
Other nations
Denmark used a coastal gun that was comparable to the 24 C M 1870. The barrel of this gun was made at Finspong in Sweden.
Sweden used a coastal gun that was comparable to the 24 cm M 1870.
References
- De Cuverville 1881, p. 269.
- ^ De Cuverville 1881, p. 270.
- De Cuverville 1881, p. 273.
- De Cuverville 1881, p. 274.
- ^ Ledieu & Cadiat 1889, p. 93.
- ^ De Poyen 1878, p. 35.
- ^ Ledieu & Cadiat 1889, p. 208.
- ^ De Lanessan 1890, p. 30.
- Ledieu & Cadiat 1889, p. 211.
- Ledieu & Cadiat 1889, p. 96.
- De Cuverville 1881, p. 278.
- De Lanessan 1890, p. 28.
- De Lanessan 1890, p. 29.
- De Lanessan 1890, p. 31.
- ^ De Lanessan 1890, p. 32.
- Lami 1882, p. 171, 178.
- Ledieu & Cadiat 1889, p. 220.
- Ledieu & Cadiat 1889, p. 221.
References
- De Cuverville, C. (1881). "Progrès réalisés par l'Artillerie Navale de 1855 a 1880". Revue maritime et coloniale. Berger-Levrault et Cie, Paris, Nancy. p. 253.
- Lami, E.O. (1882). Dictionnaire encyclopédique et biographique de l'industrie et des arts industriels. Vol. II. Librairie des Dictionnaires, Paris.
- De Lanessan, J.L. (1890), La marine française au printemps de 1890, Berger-Levrault et Cie, Paris, Nancy
- Ledieu, Alfred; Cadiat, Ernest (1889), Le nouveau matériel naval, vol. I, Libraire des Corps Nationaux des Ponts et Chaussées, des Mines et des Télégraphes
- De Poyen, M.H. (1878). Renseignements sur l'artillerie de lamarine et sur l'artillerie de cote de l'Italie avec planches. Librairie pour l'art militaire, Paris.