Main armament of large armored cruisers of the early 1900s. The Italians called these "battleships," but they were closer to being pre-dreadnought battlecruisers as they were well-armed and fast. The 1906 guns used on the Pisa class were Vickers Mark "D" and the 1908 guns on San Giorgio class were Armstrong/EOC Pattern "W".
The 1906 guns were constructed of tapered inner A tube, A tube, B tube, jacket and breech ring. Wire-wound from the rear end of the chamber to half-way down the bore. The 1908 guns construction details are not known, but they were probably similar to the Vickers guns and wire-wound.
A Note on Sources: "Naval Weapons of World War One" calls the Armstrong/EOC gun "1907" but "Italian Warships of World War II" calls it "1908." I have decided to use the "1908" designation.
| Designation | 254 mm/45 V (Vickers) 1906
254 mm/45 A (Armstrong/EOC) 1908 |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | 1906: Pisa class
1908: San Giorgio class |
| Date Of Design | 1906 and 1908 |
| Date In Service | 1909 and 1910 |
| Gun Weight | 1906: 35.34 tons (35.9 mt)
1908: 34.9 tons (35.46 mt) |
| Gun Length oa | 1906: 464.6 in (11.800 m)
1908: 468.8 in (11.909 m) |
| Bore Length | 1906: 450.0 in (11.430 m)
1908: 450.0 in (11.430 m) |
| Rifling Length | 1906: 370.12 in (9.400 m)
1908: 368.4 in (9.357 m) 1 |
| Grooves | 1906: N/A
1908: 60 |
| Lands | N/A |
| Twist | 1906: N/A
1908: Uniform RH 1 in 30 |
| Chamber Volume | 1906: 11,000 in3 (180.26 dm3)
1908: 11,000 in3 (180.26 dm3) |
| Rate Of Fire | 2.6 rounds per minute |
- ^A Note on Sources: "Naval Weapons of World War One" states that the Rifling Length of the 1908 was "268.4 in (682 cm) 35.84 calibers," an impossibly short value. I believe that this is a misprint and that the length given above is correct.
| Type | Bag |
|---|---|
| Projectile Types and Weights 1a | AP: 493.24 lbs. (223.7 kg)
Common: 488.86 lbs. (221.7 kg) |
| Bursting Charge | AP: 4.90 lbs. (2.22 kg)
Common: 15.84 lbs. (7.18 kg) |
| Projectile Length | N/A |
| Propellant Charge | 186 lbs. (84.2 kg) C |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,854 fps (870 mps) |
| Working Pressure | N/A |
| Approximate Barrel Life | N/A |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | N/A |
- ^As originally supplied, the 1906 and 1908 guns used different ammunition, but by World War I, both guns used the same ammunition.
| Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|
| 25 degrees | about 27,300 yards (25,000 m) |
| Designation | Twin Turrets: Pisa (2) and San Marco (2) |
|---|---|
| Weight | N/A |
| Elevation | -5 / +25 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"
Fraccaroli, Aldo
- "Italian Warships of World War II"
Friedman, Norman
- "Naval Weapons of World War One"
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Marina Militare
28 December 2008 - Benchmark
13 September 2011 - Added link to 3"/40 (7.62 cm) gun
24 October 2026 - Converted to HTML 5 format, added ammunition information, added Sources Notes and reorganized Sources section