This was the most-used Japanese submarine gun of World War II. Unlike the 14 cm/50 (5.5") bag guns used on surface ships, these submarine guns used separate ammunition.
Early guns were of built up construction but later ones had a monobloc barrel and breech ring. Used a horizontal sliding breech block.
| Designation | 14 cm/40 (5.5") 11th Year Type (Model 1922) |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | I.1-4, I.7-48, I.52-56, I.58, I.121-124, I.361-373, I.400-402 |
| Date Of Design | 1922 |
| Date In Service | 1924 |
| Gun Weight | 3.84 tons (3.9 mt) |
| Gun Length oa | 232.3 in (5.900 m) |
| Bore Length | 220.5 in (5.600 m) |
| Rifling Length | 183.8 in (4.668 m) |
| Grooves | (38) 0.065 in deep x 0.2765 in (1.65 mm x 7.024 mm) |
| Lands | 0.179 in (4.55 mm) |
| Twist | Uniform RH 1 in 28 |
| Chamber Volume | 915 in3 (15 dm3) |
| Rate Of Fire | about 5 rounds per minute |
| Type | Separate |
|---|---|
| Projectile Types and Weights | Common Pointed: 83.8 lbs. (38.0 kg) |
| Bursting Charge | 7.33 lbs. (3.3 kg) 1 |
| Projectile Length | 21.65 in (55.0 cm) |
| Propellant Charge | 15.1 lbs. (6.86 kg) 30 DC |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,297 to 2,313 fps (700 to 705 mps) |
| Working Pressure | 15.9 tons/in2 (2,500 kg/cm2) |
| Approximate Barrel Life | 800 - 1,000 Rounds |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | N/A |
- ^This projectile had a heavier bursting charge than did the Common Pointed projectiles used for the 14 cm/50 (5.5") 3rd Year Type, possibly because the lower muzzle velocity allowed the use of thinner walls and thus a larger burster cavity.
| Elevation | Range |
|---|---|
| 30 (?) degrees | 17,500 yards (16,000 m) |
| Designation | All except I.7 and I.8: Single Pedestal Mount
I.7 and I.8: Twin Pedestal Mount |
|---|---|
| Weight | Single: 8.46 tons (8.6 mt)
Twin: 18 tons (18.3 mt) |
| Elevation | Single: -5 / +30 degrees
Twin: -7 / +40 degrees |
| Elevation Rate | Manual operation, only |
| Train | about -150 / +150 degrees |
| Train Rate | Manual operation, only |
| Gun recoil | N/A |
| Loading Angle | Any angle |
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War" by Mark E. Stille
"Japanese Warships of World War II" by A.J. Watts
"The Japanese Warhips of the Pacific War" by Koku-Fan
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US Naval Technical Mission to Japan report O-19: Japanese Projectiles General Types
11 October 2006 - Benchmark
27 May 2012 - Updated to latest template
05 March 2015 - Added postwar photograph
03 January 2021 - Converted to HTML 5 format
31 July 2021 - Minor changes for clarity