German
35 cm/45 (13.78") SK L/45
Updated 23 December 2009
Planned for the never-completed Mackensen Class battlecruisers.  These guns were later employed at Flanders as field artillery.

The naval mountings for these guns were to use electric pumps to drive hydraulic elevation gear while the training was all electric.  These guns also would have had hydraulically worked shell hoists, rammers and breeches.
WNGER_14-45_skc14_Mackensen_Model_pic.jpg

Model of Mackensen at the Museum for Marine Science (Berlin)
This model was destroyed during World War II
Photograph copyrighted by Siegfried Breyer
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Gun Characteristics
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Designation 35 cm/45 (13.78") SK L/45
Ship Class Used On Mackensen Class
Date Of Design 1914
Date In Service 1917 (as Field Artillery)
Gun Weight
(see Note)		 about 162,000 lbs. (73,500 kg)
Gun Length oa 620.1 in (15.750 m)
Bore Length N/A
Rifling Length N/A
Grooves N/A
Lands N/A
Twist N/A
Chamber Volume N/A
Rate Of Fire 2.5 rounds per minute
Note:  The often-seen figure of 216,273 lbs. (98,100 kg) for this weapon actually includes the weight of the Weige (gun cradle).
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Ammunition
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Type Cartridge - Bag
Projectile Types and Weights APC - 1,323 lbs. (600 kg)
Bursting Charge N/A
Projectile Length N/A
Propellant Charge Main Charge:  N/A
Fore Charge:  N/A
Brass case for main charge:  N/A
Muzzle Velocity 2,674 fps (815 mps)
Working Pressure 20.0 tons/in2 (3,150 kg/cm2)
Approximate Barrel Life
(see Note 2)		 250 rounds
Ammunition stowage per gun 90 rounds
Notes:

1) These guns, like most large caliber German guns, used a "fore charge" which was propellant in a silk bag, and a "main charge" which was propellant in a brass case.  The brass case helped to seal the breech of the gun.

2) When used as Field Artillery at Flanders, one gun fired 578 rounds without exceeding its service life.
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Range
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Elevation For 1,323 lbs. (600 kg) AP shell
Range @ 16 degrees about 21,870 yards (20,000 m)
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Mount / Turret Data
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Designation Two-gun Turrets
   Mackensen (4):  N/A (Probably Drh LC/1914)
Weight  N/A
Elevation
(see Note)		 -8 / +16.0 degrees
Elevation Rate N/A
Train About +150 / -150 degrees
Train Rate N/A
Gun recoil N/A
Note:  Design discussions after Jutland (Skagerrak) included altering the elevation to -5 / +20 degrees, similar to other German ships.
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Data from
"Battleships of the World:  1905-1970" by Siegfried Breyer
"Große Kreuzer der Kaiserlichen Marine 1906 - 1918" by Axel Grießmer
"German Warships 1815-1945" by Erich Gröner
"Die Geschichte der deutschen Schiffsartillerie" by Paul Schmalenbach
"German Capital Ships of World War Two" by M.J. Whitley
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Special help from Peter Lienau
Page History

09 May 2006 - Benchmark
23 December 2009 - Added comments on turret powering, barrel life value and increased elevation note