World War II
   APC L/3,4 - 892.9 lbs. (405 kg)
   APC L/4,9 - 915 lbs. (415 kg)
   HE L3,8 base fuze - 915 lbs. (415 kg)
   HE L/5 base fuze - 915 lbs. (415 kg)
   HE L/4,8 nose fuze - 892.9 lbs. (405 kg)

Special Coastal Artillery Projectile
   HE L/3,6 base and nose fuze - 551 lbs. (250 kg)

World War II
   APC L/3,4 - 25.4 lbs. (11.5 kg)
   APC L/4,9 - N/A
   HE L/3,8 base fuze - 59.5 lbs. (27.0 kg)
   HE L/5 base fuze - N/A
   HE L/4,8 nose fuze - 58.4 lbs. (26.5 kg)
   HE L/3,6 base and nose fuze - 32.0 lbs. (14.5 kg)

World War II
   APC L/3,4 - 40.8 in (103.7 cm)
   APC L/4,9 - 58.8 in (149.5 cm)
   HE L/3,8 base fuze - 45.6 in (115.9 cm)
   HE L/5 base fuze - 60.0 in (152.5 cm)
   HE L/4,8 nose fuze - 52.6 in (133.5 cm)
   HE L/3,6 base and nose fuze - 55.1 in (140 cm)

World War II (as of 1940)
   For APC L/3,4 and HE L/4,8 nose fuze
      Main Charge - 188.3 lbs. (85.4 kg) RP C/32
      Fore Charge - 91.7 lbs. (41.6 kg) RP C/32

   For HE L/3,6 base and nose fuze
      Main Charge - 188.3 lbs. (85.4 kg) RP C/32
      Fore Charge - 135.8 lbs. (61.6 kg) RP C/32

   Total main cartridge weight:  313 lbs. (142 kg)
   Silk bag for fore charge:  5.3 lbs. (2.4 kg)

After 1942 (see Note 3)
   APC L/4,9 - 268 lbs. (121.5 kg) RP C/38 (18/8)
   HE L/3,6  - 315 lbs. (143 kg) RP C/38 (18/8)

World War II
   APC L/3,4 - 2,805 fps (855 mps)
   APC L/4,9 - 2,789 fps (850 mps)
   HE L3,8 base fuze - 2,789 fps (850 mps)
   HE L/5 base fuze - 2,789 fps (850 mps)
   HE L/4,8 nose fuze - 2,805 fps (855 mps)
   HE L/3,6 base and nose fuze - 3,675 fps (1,120 mps)

1) These guns, like most large caliber German guns of this era, used a "fore charge" which was propellant in a double bag silk case and a "main charge" which was propellant in a brass case.  The brass case helped to seal the breech of the gun.

2) APC shells were painted blue, HE yellow and Training red.  A black painted nose indicated that the shell was armed.

3) I lack the break down between fore and main charges for the 1942 propellant charges.

4) Outfits were typically 70% APC and 30% HE.  Outfit for Derfflinger class was 65 APC and 25 HE per gun.  British post-war documents claim that the König class carried 96 to 100 rounds per gun and that the Kaiser class carried 98 to 103 rounds per gun.

5) Actual Projectile designations were as follows:

World War I
   APC L/3,1 - Psgr. L/3,1 (mhb)
   HE L/3,8 - Spr.gr. L/3,8 Bdz

World War II
   APC L/3,4 - Psgr. L/3,4 (mhb)
   APC L/4,9 - Psgr. L/4,9 (mhb)
   HE L/3,8 base fuze - Spr.gr. L/3,8 Bdz
   HE L/5 base fuze - Spr.gr. L/5 Bdz
   HE L4,8 nose fuze - Spr.gr. L/4,8 Kz
   HE L/3,6 base and nose fuze - Spr.gr. L/3,6 Bdz u. Kz (mhb)

Diagrams of some of these projectiles and their fuzes and charges may be found at the additional pictures link above.

1) All entries in this table are for coastal artillery batteries.  The range data for the 915 lbs. (415 kg) APC L4,9 shell is from two different sources, which may account for the large difference in range for only a slight change in elevation.

2) The APC L/4,9 shell had a significantly better ballistic shape than the previous ones.  It is noted as being "of longer range" than the older APC, which I take to mean that the newer projectile would have had a longer range when fired at the same elevation.

Single Coastal Artillery Turrets
   30.5 cm L/50 Kst.Drh.L.C/37

Coastal artillery:   -5 / +50 degrees

1) The mounting weight differences were mainly the result of thicker armor used on the battleships.

2) Run out was by compressed air.  Following the Dogger Bank action, German mountings were modified to improve flash precautions.  Double flap doors were installed at the beginning and end of the cartridge hoist and ready ammunition was removed from the gun houses.  Magazines were below shell rooms on the battleships.  On the Derfflinger class except for Hindenburg, A, B and C turrets had the magazines below the shell rooms, but D turret had the magazine above the shell room for reasons of space.  D turret also did not have the shell hoists broken at the working chamber as did all other 30.5 cm (12") mountings.  Hindenburg had all shell rooms below the magazines as in the battleships.  Hindenburg also differed from her half-sisters by having 7.7 m (25.5 foot) rangefinders on each turret rather than 3 m (10 foot) rangefinders.  The Helgoland, Kaiser and König classes had a machinery level directly below the gunhouse with a handling room below it.  Lower shell and projectile hoists came up to this room and the ammunition was then transferred over to upper hoists which ran up to the gunhouse.  Battlecruisers were similar except for Hindenburg in which the projectile hoists ran directly up to the gunhouse although the propellant hoists were still two-stage.

3) The Kaiser class were the first German battleships to have superfiring turrets.  This allowed them to have one less turret than previous classes (5 vs. 6) yet still be able to fire the same number of guns on the broadside.  The König class had all main guns on the centerline, giving them a heavier broadside than earlier ships.

4) Prinzregent Luitpold was modified just before and the other ships shortly after Jutland (Skagerrak) to increase the maximum elevation from +13.5 to +16.0 degrees.  A few sources claim that the maximum elevation was increased on all ships to 16.5 degrees rather than to 16.0 degrees.  Norman Friedman in "Naval Weapons of World War One" gives conflicting data for maximum elevations and ranges.  For that reason, I do not believe this source to be a reliable reference in this matter.

5) The recoil distance given above is the nominal figure.  The absolute, metal-to-metal recoil distance was 38.6 inches (98.0 cm).

6) Derfflinger had a crew of 70 men in C mounting and probably in A and B as well while D mounting had 80 crewmen.

7) The gun axes were (270 cm) apart.

8) Armor thickness given in "Naval Weapons of World War One" by Norman Friedman:

Battleships
    Face:  11.8 in (30 cm)
    Sides:  9.8 (25 cm)
    Rear:  11.4 in (29 cm) except Kaiser class:  10.6 in (27 cm)
    Roof:  3.1 to 4.3 in (8 to 11 cm) except Helgoland class:  2.8 3.9 in (7 to 10 cm)

Battlecruisers

    Face:  10.6 in (27 cm)
    Sides:  8.7 in (22 cm)
    Rear:  10.6 in (27 cm)
    Roof:  3.1 to 4.3 in (8 to 11 cm) except Hindenburg:  3.1 to 5.9 in (8 to 15 cm)