Spain
38.1 cm/45 (15") Model 1926
Vickers-Armstrong 15"/45 (38.1 cm) Mark B
Updated 18 February 2012
A Vickers-Armstrong design originally intended for the Brazilian battleship Riachuelo, which was cancelled in 1914.  Between 1929 and 1935, Spain purchased eighteen of these guns for use as coastal artillery.

A total of four guns still survived in 2005 with three of these in working condition.  These emplacements were then equipped with radar, infrared and laser range finders for fire control.  On 24 September 2008, the sole remaining gun in working condition was fired for the last time and then placed into inactive reserve.  Thus ended the era of large-caliber naval weapons.

Constructed of A tube, three B tubes, C tube and jacket with a short breech ring, shrunk collar and breech bush screwed into the jacket.
WNSpain_15-45_mkB_coastal_pic.jpg

Battery No. 3 at Paloma Alta, Spain in August 2004
This emplacement was placed in service in 1942
Photograph copyrighted by Javier Villarroya del Real
WNSpain_15-45_mkB_breech_pic.jpg

Breech of above weapon
Photograph copyrighted by Javier Villarroya del Real
WNSpain_15-45_mkB_engraving_pic.jpg

Close-up of breech engraving on the above cannon
Photograph copyrighted by Javier Villarroya del Real
WNSpain_15-45_mkB_last_shot_pic.jpg

One of the last shots fired by the 38.1 cm (15") gun on 24 September 2008
Photograph copyrighted by Javier Villarroya del Real
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Images at The Vickers Photographic Archive

See Spain Coastal and 4927

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Gun Characteristics
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Designation Vickers-Armstrong:  15"/45 (38.1 cm) Mark B
Spain:  38.1 cm/45 (15") Model 1926
Ship Class Used On Brazilian Riachuelo (cancelled in 1914)
Spanish coastal artillery
Date Of Design 1912 (?)
Date In Service 1929
Gun Weight 86.9 tons (88.3 mt) including BM
Gun Length oa 695.7 in (17.671 m)
Bore Length N/A
Rifling Length N/A
Grooves 76
Lands N/A
Twist N/A
Chamber Volume 21,655 in3 (355 dm3)
Rate Of Fire about 2 rounds per minute
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Ammunition
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Type Bag
Projectile Types and Weights APC - 1,951 lbs. (885 kg)
HE - 1,951 lbs. (885 kg)
Bursting Charge APC - about 40 lbs. (18 kg)
Projectile Length APC - about 55.9 in (142.0 cm)
HE - about 67.0 in (170.2 cm)
Propellant Charge 432 lbs. (196 kg)
Muzzle Velocity APC - 2,500 fps (762 mps)
HE - N/A
Working Pressure 19 tons/in2 (3,000 kg/cm2)
Approximate Barrel Life N/A
Ammunition stowage per gun N/A
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Range
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Elevation With 1,951 lbs. (885 kg) APC Shell
Range @ 40 degrees 39,390 yards (35,100 m)
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Mount / Turret Data
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Designation Single Coastal Defense Mountings
Weight 223 tons (227 mt)
Elevation -5 / +40 degrees
Rate of Elevation N/A
Train 300 degrees total
Rate of Train N/A
Gun Recoil N/A
Loading Angle Power-ramming:  +13 degrees
Hand-ramming:  +0 degrees
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Data from
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
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Special help from Javier Villarroya del Real
Off-Site Resources
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For information and pictures about the guns still in existence, please see this link:
The Coastal Defences of Cartagena
Page History

15 October 2008 - Benchmark
18 February 2012 - Updated to latest template