Cannon 102/45

The Cannon 102/45 was a naval gun of the Italian Navy in World War II, which was later modified for shore based anti-aircraft and coastal artillery roles.

Cannon 102/45
The Cannon 102/45 was a licensed copy of the QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun shown here.
Type	Naval gun Anti-aircraft gun Coastal artillery
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1917-1945
Used by	Italy
Wars	World War I World War II
Production history
Designed	1913
Manufacturer	Ansaldo
Produced	1917
Variants	Schneider-Armstrong Model 1917 Schneider-Armstrong Model 1919 Schneider-Canet Model 1917
Specifications
Mass	2,327 kilograms (5,130 lb)
Length	4.7 meters (15 ft 5 in)
Barrel length	4.57 meters (15 ft 0 in)
Shell weight	13.7–16 kilograms (30–35 lb)
Caliber	102 millimeters (4.0 in) 45 Caliber
Breech	Horizontal or vertical sliding breech block
Elevation	See Table
Traverse	-360°
Rate of fire	7 rpm
Muzzle velocity	Schneider-Armstrong: 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s) Schneider-Canet: 888 m/s (2,910 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	Horizontal: 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) at +35° AA: 8,000 m (26,000 ft)

History

During World War I the United Kingdom delivered a QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun, serial No.974 to Italy to act as a template for licensed production by the Ansaldo Company. The Mark V was constructed of a tapered inner A tube, A tube, taper wound wire, full-length jacket and breech ring. It had either a horizontal or vertical sliding breech block, with semi-automatic action and used fixed quick-fire ammunition. There were three models produced: Schneider-Armstrong Model 1917, Schneider-Armstrong Model 1919, and Schneider-Canet Model 1917; each with differing mounts and elevations. Overall the 102/45 was considered a successful design and it was widely used on destroyers of the Italian Navy before and during World War II. The exception being the Schneider-Armstrong Model 1919 which was an unsatisfactory twin mount with both guns sharing a common cradle. The Model 1919 was later replaced by single mounts during the war. The 102/45 was in the process of being replaced by the Cannon 120/45 and 120/50 when World War II began. Starting in 1937 guns that were removed from ships were mounted on new dual-purpose shore mounts and used as anti-aircraft guns and coastal artillery until retired in 1945.

Interesting facts

• The reported muzzle velocities for the Schneider-Armstrong 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s) and Schneider-Canet 888 m/s (2,910 ft/s) are slightly different.
• The muzzle velocities of the 102/45 are higher than the Mk V 719 m/s (2,360 ft/s) implying greater working pressure. What effect this had on barrel life and accuracy is unknown.
• The rates of fire for the 102/45 (7 rpm) and Mk V (8-10 rpm) are different.

Types

Mounts	Model	Weight	Elevation	Naval Classes
Single Open Mount	Schneider-Armstrong Model 1917	4,600 kg	-5°/+35°	Generali-class, Palestro-class, La Masa class, Giuseppe Sirtori
	Schneider-Canet Model 1917		-5°/+30°	Mirabello-class, Alessandro Poerio class
Twin Mount	Schneider-Armstrong Model 1919	10,000 kg	-5°/+35°	Curtatone-class
Single Mount Dual-purpose	Model 1936		-5°/+85°	Anti-aircraft and Coastal artillery

Bibliography

• Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
• Fraccaroli, Aldo (1974). Italian Warships of World War II. London, England: Ian Allan Publishing. OCLC 834485650.
• Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.