4.7"/45 (12 cm) QF Marks IX and XII
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4.7"/45 (12 cm) Vickers "E"
Pictures
Updated 15 December 2013
HMS Imperial in 1937
One of the many British destroyers built
during the 1930s with 4.7"/45 (12 cm) Mark IX guns
These are CPXVIII mountings which allowed
elevations of +40 degrees
4.7"/45 (12 cm) Mark IX gun in CPXVIII
mounting
This mounting was used on the pre-war
H and I classes and on most war-emergency destroyer classes
After the tray worker (on left farthest
from the camera) pushed the loading tray over, the rammer man (not in picture)
then hauled on the "T" handle to move the projectile and cartridge into
the breech after which the breech worker (on right) closed the breech.
After the gun fired, the tray worker reset the rammer head by pulling it
back to the rear of the loading tray. The net laying on top of the
counterweight normally hung down so as to slow the ejected cartridge case.
MoD Photograph
HMS Ursa in February 1946
This ship carried the last and best 4.7"/45
(12 cm) single mounting, the CPXXII
Note the raked-back front shield, which
was designed to allow higher elevations than those on earlier mountings
such as the CPXVIII above
Photograph from Allan C. Green collection
of glass negatives
State Library of Victoria Image Image
H91.108/2192
4.7"/45 (12 cm) Mounting Mark CPXXII
Note the differences between this late-war
mounting and the pre-war Mark CPXVIII shown above. Although this
mounting has major improvements over the earlier one, the difficulty in
working this gun at or near its maximum elevation of 55 degrees is apparent.
The tray worker is leaning over the fuze-setting machine, used for AA projectiles. The loading tray operation was automatic, but this required very careful adjustment in order to ensure that the rammer head tripped at the proper time. This mounting was nearly identical to the ones used for the 4.5 in (11.4 cm) Mark IV guns and they shared the same maintenance manual.
Another view of the Mark CPXXII showing
a round in the loading tray
Note ammunition being taken from a ready
locker and the crewman adjusting the AA fuze setter
IWM Photograph A 15896
HMS Napier in November 1945
4.7"/45 (12 cm) Mark XII guns in Mark
XIX mountings
Photograph from Allan C. Green collection
of glass negatives
State Library of Victoria Image Image
H91.250/1348
Closer view of the forward 4.7"/45 (12
cm) Mark XII guns on HMS Napier in November 1945
Photograph from Allan C. Green collection
of glass negatives
State Library of Victoria Image Image
H91.250/1344
4.7"/45 (12 cm) guncrew on HMCS Algonquin
cleaning up their 4.7"/45 (12 cm) Mark XII guns after firing at the Normandy
Beaches on 7 June 1944
Note that the crewman kneeling in the
rear is holding a 4.7" (12 cm) projectile
Library and Archives Canada Photograph
MIKAN no. 3223884
Note the Rammer Handle and Balance Weight
Sketch from The Gunnery Pocket Book, B.R.
224/45 (1945)
Used here by permission of Historic
Naval Ships Association
CPXVIII Mounting
Click on this sketch for a larger image
Sketch from The Gunnery Pocket Book, B.R.
224/45 (1945)
Used here by permission of Historic
Naval Ships Association
British 4.7" (12 cm) SAP Projectile
Image courtesy of Steve Johnson of Cyberheritage
Starshell for 4.7" (12 cm) guns
Picture courtesy of Bob Henneman
All
the World's Battlecruisers
4.7" gun from Argentine Buenos Aires Class
Destroyer
Photograph copyrighted by Georg v. Rauch
and used here by his kind permission
4.7" gun from Argentine Buenos Aires Class
Destroyer
Counterweight is missing from this gun
Photograph copyrighted by Georg v. Rauch
and used here by his kind permission
Argentine Destroyer Entre Ríos
Photograph courtesy of Georg v. Rauch
4.7"/45 (12 cm) Vickers "E" gun formerly
on Chilean destroyer of the Serrano class
Mounting now at Museo de Cañones
Navales in Bahia de Valparaíso, Chile
Photograph copyrighted by Carlos
Mey and used here by his kind permission
4.7"/45 (12 cm) Vickers "E" gun formerly
on Chilean destroyer of the Serrano class
Mounting now at Museo de Cañones
Navales in Bahia de Valparaíso, Chile
Photograph copyrighted by Carlos
Mey and used here by his kind permission
4.7"/45 (12 cm) Vickers "E" gun formerly
on Argentine destroyer of the Mendoza class
Mounting now on display at Museo Naval
de la Nación, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Photograph copyrighted by Carlos
Mey and used here by his kind permission
Off-Site Resources
Images at The Vickers Photographic Archive
For the Mark IX: 4.7
Mark VIII, Single
Mark XIII quarter and XXII
Notes: "Mark VIII" is a misprint,
the mountings shown here were actually Mark CPXVIII
For the Mark XII: 4.7
XIX
Although identified as 4.7" (12 cm) guns,
photographs 4797 and 5853 at the Vickers Archives are actually of 4.5"
(11.4 cm) twin mounts
For the "wet-mount" 4.7" (12 cm) Mark IX guns used on submarines: Thames deck gun
For the Mark IX or "E" Export Version:
Single
Mark IX Chilean and 4.7
Field Gun
Some of these photographs show weapons
with abbreviated shields and have a "1929" date. Although these are
identified as Mark IX guns, I believe that they are actually Vickers "E"
type 4.7" (12 cm) guns. Note in these photographs that although this
gun had high-angle capability, doing so meant that the loading apparatus
was below the gun deck level. This means that either these guns could
not actually be used at high elevations or that there needed to be a gun
well around the mounting.