This was a Škoda gun used as secondary weapons on the last Austria-Hungary pre-dreadnoughts, the Radetzky class. Unusual in that there was apparently no date used in the official designation.
This weapon has been criticized on the basis that the shell splashes from the 24 cm shells were nearly the same as those from the 30.5 cm (12") main guns thus making it hard to spot correctly. However, they did perform good work during the shore bombardment missions during World War I.
Unlike Krupp 24 cm guns built for the German Navy which had an actual bore of 23.8 cm (9.37"), the bore diameter of all Austria-Hungary guns was 24.0 cm (9.45").
| Designation | 24 cm (9.4") G. L/45 |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | Radetzky class |
| Date Of Design | 1907 |
| Date In Service | 1909 |
| Gun Weight | 26.5 tons (26.9 mt) w/o breech
Breech 1,766 lbs. (801 kg) |
| Gun Length oa | 425.2 in (10.800 m) |
| Bore Length | N/A |
| Rifling Length | 323.1 in (8.207 m) |
| Grooves | (72) 0.094 in D x 0.272 in W (2.375 mm D x 6.9 mm W) |
| Lands | 0.138 in (3.5 mm) |
| Twist | RH increasing 0 to 1 in 25 |
| Chamber Volume | N/A |
| Rate Of Fire | 2.5 rounds per minute |
| Type | Separate |
|---|---|
| Projectile Types and Weights 1 | APC L/3.5 M08 2: 474.0 lbs. (215.0 kg)
SAPC L/4.1 M08 3: 474.0 lbs. (215.0 kg) |
| Bursting Charge 4 | APC M08 L/3.5: 5.3 lbs. (2.4 kg) TNT
SAPC L/4.1: 38.3 lbs. (17.4 kg) TNT |
| Projectile Length | APC M08 L/3.5: 32.3 in (82.0 cm)
SAPC L/4.1: 35.7 in (90.7 cm) |
| Propellant Charge | 154.3 lbs. (70.0 kg) 21/580 mm M97a RP |
| Cartridge Case Type, Size and Empty Weight 5 | Brass, 240 x 1121.5 mm, 74.0 lbs. (33.6 kg) |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,625 fps (800 mps) |
| Working Pressure | N/A |
| Approximate Barrel Life | N/A |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | 100 rounds 6 |
- ^
Actual designations for projectiles APC 24 cm bekappte Panzergranate L/3,5 M08 SAPC 24 cm bekappte Zündergranate L/4,1 M08
At the time of service introduction, these shells did not have ballistic caps. They may have been added during the war. - ^The 24 cm APC M08 (Model 1908) was a new design used exclusively on the Raderzky class. This had an AP cap but no ballistic cap as introduced into service and was produced under licenses purchased from the British firm Firth and Sons, Limited. This new 24 cm M08 was more expensive than the older 24 cm/40 APC L/3.5 (512 vs. 471 Kronen). The Navy continued purchasing the older APC L/3.5 shells and used them to supply the 24 cm L/40 guns until the end of the war.
- ^Like the new APC M08, the SAPC L/4.1 M08 was a new design used exclusively on the Raderzky class. Similar to the APC M08, this had an AP cap but no ballistic cap as introduced into service.
- ^Amatol was substituted for TNT during the war.
- ^Propellant was in two silk bags inside the casing, each bag holding 77.1 lbs. (35.0 kg) of propellant.
- ^Outfit per gun was 20 APC and 80 SAPC.
- The bourrelet diameter was 23.8 cm.
| Elevation | Range |
|---|---|
| 3.91 degrees | 6,560 yards (6000 m) |
| 8.83 degrees | 10,940 yards (10,000 m) |
| 12.18 degrees | 13,120 yards (12,000 m) |
| 20 degrees | N/A |
Range table went only to 12.18 degrees. It should be understood that the fire control equipment was unable to use the maximum range of these guns.
| Designation | Two-gun Turret: Radetzky (4) |
|---|---|
| Weight | 235 tons (239 mt) |
| Elevation | -4 / +20 degrees |
| Elevation Rate | Coarse Setting: 6 degrees per second
Fine Setting: 1 degree per minute |
| Train | +130 / -130 degrees |
| Train Rate | Coarse Setting: 6 degrees per second
Fine Setting: 0.2 degrees per second |
| Gun recoil | N/A |
| Loading Angle | +2.5 degrees |
Turrets were electrically powered.
"Naval Weapons of World War One" by Norman Friedman
"Austro-Hungarian Battleships 1914-18" by Ryan Noppen
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Original research by Mihály Krámli, author of "A Használhatatlan Lövegtornony Mítosza: Legenda Vagy Valóság?" [The Myth of the Useless Turret: Legend or Reality?] and
"Az Osztrák-Magyar Monarchia Csatahajói: 1904-1914" [Austro-Hungarian Battleships and Battleship Designs: 1904-1914]
{Link - Hungarian to complete book in pdf form and Link - English}.
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"Unterricht für die 30.5 cm und 24 cm Geschütz-türme - S.M. Schiffe Typ "Radetzky" (Genehmigt mit Eriaß P. K./M. S. Mr. 4243 ex 1912.) by Marinesektion, Pola 1912
[Information for the 30.5 cm and 24 cm gun turrets on the S.M. Ship Type 'Radetzky']
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Special help from Mihály Krámli
12 October 2013 - New datapage
19 March 2019 - Converted to HTML 5 format, added photograph of Radetzky turret
23 July 2020 - Added APC and propellant information
28 June 2023 - Added photograph of Zündergranate (SAPC) projectile
19 February 2024 - Changed comment regarding bore diameter and added ammunition data