Elswick Pattern "W" guns used on Italian pre-dreadnoughts as secondary weapons and as the main guns on Garibaldi class armored cruisers. Reused as coastal defense guns after those ships were scrapped.
These and similar EOC designs were also used on armored cruisers sold to other nations, including Chile and Japan.
These guns were partially wire wound and had screw breech blocks.
| Designation | 8"/45 (20.3 cm) EOC Pattern "W" |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | Italy: Regina Elena and Garibaldi Classes
Argentina: San Martin 1 |
| Date Of Design | N/A |
| Date In Service | about 1900 |
| Gun Weight | 19.1 tons (19.4 mt) including breech mechanism |
| Gun Length oa | N/A |
| Bore Length | about 360 in (9.144 m) |
| Rifling Length | N/A |
| Grooves | N/A |
| Lands | N/A |
| Twist | N/A |
| Chamber Volume | N/A |
| Rate Of Fire | about 2 rounds per minute |
- ^The guns on San Martin were Armstrong Serial Nos. 11414, 11415, 11416 and 11417.
| Type | Bag |
|---|---|
| Projectile Types and Weights | AP: 256 lbs. (116 kg) |
| Bursting Charge | N/A |
| Projectile Length | N/A |
| Propellant Charge | N/A |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,592 fps (790 mps) |
| Working Pressure | N/A |
| Approximate Barrel Life | N/A |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | N/A |
| Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|
| 30 degrees | About 19,700 yards (18,000 m) |
| Designation | Twin Mounts
Italy: Regina Elena (6) and Garibaldi (1) or (2) Argentina: San Martin (2) |
|---|---|
| Weight | N/A |
| Elevation | -5 / +30 degrees (?) |
| Elevation Rate | N/A |
| Train | about +150 / -150 degrees |
| Train Rate | N/A |
| Gun recoil | N/A |
| Loading Angle | N/A |
Campbell, John
- "Naval Weapons of World War Two"
- "The Battle of Tsu-Shima" articles in "Warship Volume II"
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"Navy and Army Illustrated Annuals, Volume VI - 1898"
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Marina Militare Press Releases
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Special help by Dave Perkins, George v. Rauch and Iván Dubaniewicz who provided information from the following sources:
- "Memorandum sobre Artillería" by B.P. Quiroga, 1899
- "Estudios de Armamento" by Domecq García, 1923
- "Catálogo de Granadas y Proyectiles" by Departamento Munición y Química de Guerra, 1958, p. 17-20
29 December 2007 - Benchmark
29 December 2023 - Converted to HTML 5 format
29 October 2024 - Minor changes
29 October 2026 - Added photographs of Argentine San Martin and reorganized Sources section