First manufactured by Ansaldo in 1926, this gun was continually modified throughout the 1930s by both Ansaldo and Odero-Terni-Orlando (OTO). Fired separate ammunition and used horizontal sliding breech-blocks.
These guns in the twin mountings suffered from excessive dispersion which seems to have been the result of mounting the barrels too closely together. On later destroyers, a single 120 mm/50 (4.7") mounting was used to replace obsolete 120 mm/15 (4.7") star-shell howitzers and thus improved the ship's firepower.
| Designation | 120 mm/50 (4.7")
Ansaldo Models: 1926, 1936, 1937 and 1940 OTO Models: 1931, 1933 and 1936 |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | Battleships: Conte Di Cavour class
Destroyers: Navigatori, Dardo, Folgore, Soldati Maestrale and Oriani classes |
| Date Of Design | 1926 |
| Date In Service | 1936 |
| Gun Weight | 5.1 tons (5,552 kg) |
| Gun Length oa | 252.0 in (6.400 m) |
| Bore Length | 236.2 in (6.000 m) |
| Rifling Length | 195.2 in (4.958 m) |
| Grooves | about 36 |
| Lands | N/A |
| Twist | Uniform RH 1 in 30 |
| Chamber Volume | 920.1 in3 (15.08 dm3) |
| Rate Of Fire | 6 - 7 rounds per minute |
| Type | Separate |
|---|---|
| Projectile Types and Weights 1 | SAP: 51.3 lbs. (23.250 kg)
HE: 51.8 lbs. (23.245 kg) |
| Bursting Charge | SAP: 2.85 lbs. (1.295 kg)
HE: 3.59 lbs. (1.630 kg) |
| Projectile Length | N/A |
| Propellant Charge | 21.4 lbs. (9.7 kg) |
| Muzzle Velocity | 3,117 fps (950 mps)
Later reduced to 3,018 fps (920 mps) |
| Working Pressure | 20.0 tons/in2 (3,150 kg/cm2) |
| Approximate Barrel Life | N/A |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | Navigatori: 182 rounds 2 Others: N/A |
| Elevation | Muzzle Velocity | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 35 degrees | 3,018 fps (920 mps) | 19,900 yards (18,200 m) |
| 45 degrees | 21,430 yards (19,600 m) | |
| 3,117 fps (950 mps) | 24,060 yards (22,000 m) |
| Range | Angle of Obliquity (Degrees) 2a | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | 80 | 70 | 60 | 50 | |
| 15,000 m (16,400 yards) | 38 mm (1.50 in) | 37 mm (1.46 in) | 35 mm (1.38 in) | 31 mm (1.22 in) | <30 mm (<1.18 in) |
| 13,000 m (11,890 yards) | 45 mm (1.77 in | 44 mm (1.89 in) | 42 mm (1.77 in) | 37 mm (1.57 in) | 30 mm (1.18 in) |
| 12,000 m (13,120 yards) | 45 mm (1.77 in) 3a | 48 mm (1.89 in) 3a | 45 mm (1.77 in) | 42 mm (1.65 in) | 42 mm (1.65 in) |
| 10,000 m (10,940 yards) | 58 mm (2.83 in) | 56 mm (2.20 in) | 53 mm (2.09 in) | 47 mm (1.85 in) | 45 mm (1.77 in) |
Maximum Ranges at which given Thicknesses of Horizontal Armor (Homogeneous) can be Penetrated
X1 = Penetration @ maximum range of opening of fire under conditions of exceptional visibility.
X2 = Penetration @ maximum range of opening of fire under conditions of normal visibility.
X3 = Penetration @ typical combat range band, once engaged.
| X Number | Range | Armor Penetration |
|---|---|---|
| X1 | 15,000 m (16,400 yards) | 43 mm (1.69 in) |
| X2 | 13,000 m (14,220 yards) | 32 mm (1.26 in) |
| X3 | 10 - 12,000 m (10,940 - 13,120 yards) | 16 - 23 mm (0.63 - 0.91 in) |
Data in this table taken from a memorandum of 10 December 1939 by the Commissione Permanente per gli Esperimenti del Materiale di Guerra (Mariperman) [Permanent Commission for the Experiments of the Material of War (Mariperman)].
| Designation | Single Mounting
Soldati (1): Ansaldo 1940 Twin Mountings 1b |
|---|---|
| Weight | Ansaldo 1926: 19.92 tons (20.24 mt)
Ansaldo 1936 and 1937: 21.26 tons (21.60 mt) Ansaldo 1940: 11.81 tons (12.00 mt) OTO 1931: 17.37 tons (17.65 mt) OTO 1933: 33.46 tons (34.00 mt) OTO 1936: 22.44 tons (22.8 mt) |
| Elevation | Ansaldo 1926: -10 / +45 degrees
Ansaldo 1936: -10 / +40 degrees Ansaldo 1937: -10 / +42 degrees Ansaldo 1940: -10 / +45 degrees OTO 1931: -7 / +33 degrees OTO 1933: -10 / +42 degrees OTO 1936: -10 / +35 degrees |
| Elevation Rate | N/A |
| Train | about +150 / -150 degrees |
| Train Rate | N/A |
| Gun recoil | N/A |
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"Questioni Di Tiro: E Altre le Artiglierie Navali Italiane Nella Guerra Nel Mediterraneo"
[Questions of Fire: And Others for the Italian Naval Artillery in the War in the Mediterranean] by Giuliano Colliva
"Italian Warships of World War II" by Aldo Fraccaroli
"Italian Super Destroyers" article by Elio Andò in "Warship Special 2: Super Destroyers" edited by Antony Preston
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Memorandum of the Commissione Permanente per gli Esperimenti del Materiale di Guerra (Mariperman)
[Permanent Commission for Experiments of War Material (Mariperman)], 111/RP of 10 December 1939, "Dati circa gli effetti dei proietti su
bersaglio navale", diretto a Maristat [Data on the Effects of Projectiles on Naval Targets, addressed to Maristat]. Archive of the
Historical Office of the Navy [AUSMM], Artillery and Munitions Inspectorate fund [IAM], box 2, file 3, pages 7 and 8.
"Direttive e norme per l'impiego della Squadra Navale" [Directives and regulations for the use of the Navy]
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Marina Militare Press Releases
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Special help from Byron Angel
29 December 2007 - Benchmark
03 January 2022 - Converted to HTML 5, added photograph of Soldati class destroyer
16 August 2025 - Added Armor Penetration section and burster values