100 mm/45 (3.9") Models 1891, 1892, 1893, 1897, and 1917

These older guns differed from later versions in that they fired separate rather than fixed ammunition. Performance of all these guns was similar. SAP projectiles weighed 35.3 lbs. (16.0 kg) and had a muzzle velocity of 2,306 fps (703 mps). Guns reworked for various reasons before World War II had "T" suffixes added to their designations.

In the late 1930s, a shortage of new 100 mm (3.9") guns forced the re-use of these old guns on smaller warships.

100 mm/26 (3.9") Model 1892

Actual bore length was 26.2 calibers. SAP projectiles weighed 35.3 lbs. (16.0 kg) and had a muzzle velocity of 1,673 fps (510 mps). Used on minor warships.

100 mm/34 (3.9") Model 1936

A lighter weight gun intended for submarines of the Aurore, Roland Morillot and Emeraude classes, but only Aurore herself ever saw service. The gun weighed 0.98 tons (1.0 mt) and the gun and mounting together with the gun weighed 3.0 tons (3.05 mt). Recoil was 22.4 in (57 cm) and elevation was -5 / +30 degrees. The fixed round was 31.7 inches (803 mm) long.

Sources

"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"Navies of the Second World War - The French Navy" by Henri le Masson
"French Battleships of World War One" by John Jordan and Philippe Caresse
"Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia" by M.J. Whitley
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"The French Navy under Steam" picture essay in "United States Naval Institute Proceedings" Vol. 80, No. 7, July 1954

Page History


28 December 2008 - Benchmark
25 February 2012 - Added photograph of Bouclier
25 January 2024 - Converted to HTML 5 format, deleted Model 1933 gun data