Updated 18 March 2010

Battleship Helgoland in 1915
The last class of German battleships with a hexagonal layout and no superfiring turrets
Photograph copyrighted by HDW

30.5 cm/50 (12") wing turret on Battleship Ostfriesland
Secondary guns are 15 cm/45
Bain News Service Photograph
Library of Congress Photograph ID LC-DIG-ggbain-17760

30.5 cm guns on SMS Thüringen

Grosser Kurfürst in November 1918
First class of German Capital ships with all turrets on the center line

30.5 cm/50 (12") guns on Battleship Kaiser
Bain News Service Photograph
Library of Congress Photograph ID LC-DIG-ggbain-25469

Comparison of 30.5 cm SK L/50 and 38 cm SK L/45
The propellant charges are only for the 38 cm
The sailor is holding a meter stick for comparison purposes

The following sketches are from this document

APC L/3,4 - Psgr. L/3,4

HE L/3,8 projectile with base fuze - Spr.gr. L/3,8 Bdz

HE L/3,6 projectile with base and nose fuzes - Spr.gr. L/3,6 Bdz u. Kz (mhb)

Base fuze for Psgr. L/3,4 and Spr.gr. L/3,8 Bdz

Base Fuze for Spr.gr. L/3,6 Bdz u. Kz (mhb)

Nose Fuze for Spr.gr. L/3,6 Bdz u. Kz (mhb)

Special Base Fuze

Main Charge - 30,5 cm Hauptkartusche

   Fore Charge - 30,5 cm Vorkartusche

27 December 2008 - Benchmark
18 March 2010 - Corrected typhographical error, modified some picture captions for clarity