Used on cruisers and gunboats of the early 1900s. Some of these guns still served during World War II in coastal batteries and on small combatants. Used a horizontally sliding breech mechanism.
| Designation | 10.5 cm (4.1") SK L/40 |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | Grazelle, Bremen (1904), Königsberg (1907), Dresden and Tiger (Iltis) classes |
| Date Of Design | about 1898 |
| Date In Service | 1900 |
| Gun Weight | 3,428 lbs. (1,555 kg) |
| Gun Length oa | 176 in (4.475 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 | 15 rounds per minute |
| Type | Fixed |
|---|---|
| Complete Round Weight | AP: N/A
HE: N/A |
| Projectile Types and Weights | AP: 35.3 lbs. (16.0 kg)
HE: 38.4 lbs. (17.4 kg) |
| Bursting Charge | AP: N/A
HE: N/A |
| Projectile Length | N/A |
| Cartridge Case Type, Size and Empty Weight | Brass, 105 x 656 mm, N/A |
| Propellant Charge | World War I: 7.0 lbs. (3.18 kg) RPC/12
World War II: N/A |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,264 fps (690 mps) |
| Working Pressure | N/A |
| Approximate Barrel Life | N/A |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | Early Gazelle class: 100 rounds
Later Gazelle class, Bremen, Königsberg and Dresden: 150 rounds Tiger: 241 rounds |
| Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|
| 30 degrees | 13,340 yards (12,200 m) |
| Designation | Single Mounts
Grazelle (10): MPL C/97 Bremen (10) and Tiger (2): MPL C/00 Königsberg (12) and Dresden (12): MPL C/0 |
|---|---|
| Weight | N/A |
| Elevation | MPL C/97: -10 / +10 (?) degrees
MPL C/00: -10 / +30 degrees MPL C/04: -6 / +30 degrees |
| Elevation Rate | Hand operated, only |
| Train | 360 degrees |
| Train Rate | Hand operated, only |
| Gun recoil | 7.5 in (19 cm) |
- During World War I many of the older ships were disarmed and their guns then used for coastal defense. A few ships were rearmed with the more powerful 10.5 cm/45 gun during and after the war.
- Hilfskreuzer Prinz Eitel Friedrich carried four of these guns.
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"German Warships 1815-1945" by Erich Gröner
"Die Geschichte der deutschen Schiffsartillerie" by Paul Schmalenbach
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"Marine Rundschau, 1907," official statement of the RMA (Reichsmarineamt, Dept. W)
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Special Help from Peter Lienau
24 May 2008 - Benchmark
30 January 2009 - Added picture of Bremen and deleted picture of Undine
08 April 2012 - Added cartridge case size. Added pictures of casing from Königsberg
16 December 2013 - Added photograph of projectile from Leipzig
05 October 2020 - Updated to HTML 5 format, reorganized notes