1/144 Royal Navy 4.5”/45 (11.4cm) QF MKVI x1

1/144 Scale Royal Navy 4.5”/45 (11.4cm) QF MKVI x1. Highly detailed model created from plans and by using many reference photographs (taken at Priddys Hard Portsmouth) to make these the most accurate and detailed 4.5”/45 (11.4 cm) QF MKVI Guns available. Suitable for HMS Saintes, Lion Class (1945), Malta Class, Daring Class, County Class, Leander Class, Leopard Class (Type 41), Whitby Class (Type 12), Salisbury Class (Type 61AD).

• 1x Mount
• Highly detailed and accurate part, modelled from the John Lambert plans and photographic reference
  
• Details include: Rivets and Hex nuts, Venting, open Sighting Ports, Crew Access Ladder, Sighting Operators Position & Rear Access Door
• Barrels are printed separately and can be angled as desired.
  

HISTORICAL DATA
This gun was intended to correct the many deficiencies of British destroyer weapons of World War II and was extensively used on ships built after the war. Unlike previous types, this weapon was designed from the outset for high elevations, automatic aiming (RPC) and a fast rate of fire. The weapon had many novel features, notably a loading tray, with which the gun recoils, and a rammer, which is pushed clear of the gun’s axis by the vertically closing breech block. Ammunition was supplied by two magazines, each with a separate shell hoist, one for AA and one for HE/SAP. A third hoist supplied the cartridges.

The ramming mechanism proved to be overly complex and prone to faults. For this reason, the high rate of fire initially expected could not be realized in practice and most gun crews relied upon hand-loading in order to maintain a steady rate of fire. Despite this problem, these guns proved to be reliable in service and gave a good account of themselves during the Falklands War.

Service introduction was on the Australian “Modified Battle” class destroyers HMAS Anzac and HMAS Tobruk. In Britain, these weapons were first used on the Daring class destroyers, about which was said: “At last the RN had a modern destroyer with a longitudinally framed, welded hull, efficient and compact machinery, AC electrics and an effective dual-purpose armament. These ‘innovations’ were introduced a decade later than in the USN” - D.K. Brown RCNC.

Nomenclature note: In the 1950s the British weapon designation system changed from being per the gun itself to being per the mounting the gun was used in. At the same time, arabic numerals replaced roman numerals. Some confusion was created under this new system because older weapons were redesignated, even though the weapons and mountings themselves did not change. Under this new system, the combination of the 4.5-in Mark V gun as used in the Mark VI twin mounting was redesignated as the 4.5-in Mark 6 gun mounting. As could be expected, these changes have led to much confusion as to what weapons were actually used on any particular ship. For this reason, at the top of this datapage I show both the original per-the-gun designation and, in parenthesis, the per-the-mounting redesignations.

The Mark 7 was the never-built mounting intended for the Malta class carriers which would have used the same Mark V gun barrel as did the Mark 6 mounting. It has been speculated that the Mark 7 mounting might also have been used on the Lion class battleships.

This weapon had a loose barrel construction. The barrel was withdrawn to the rear and was held in place by retaining and locking plates attached to the breech ring. The breech block moved vertically, opened hydraulically and closed by spring operated racks. The breech ring was screwed and shrunk onto the jacket. About 300 guns were manufactured.

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