Special
  • 1/350 Royal Navy 4.5" 8cwt QF MKI x2
  • 1/350 Royal Navy 4.5" 8cwt QF MKI x2
  • 1/350 Royal Navy 4.5" 8cwt QF MKI x2
  • 1/350 Royal Navy 4.5" 8cwt QF MKI x2
MM0065P

1/350 Royal Navy 4.5" 8cwt QF MKI x2

  • $9.20
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

1/350 Scale Royal Navy 4.5" 8cwt QF MKI x2 as used by the Royal Navy and Allied Navies. Highly detailed guns modelled from plans and many reference photographs.

  • 2x Mounts
  • Highly detailed and accurate parts, modelled from plans and photographic reference
  • Details include: Accurate Breech Loading mechanism, Shell Storage, Operators Seat and Controls, Rivets, Hex nuts and Sighting Apparatus
  • Comes with 2x bases with sheer for Fore and Aft MTB Decks
  • Barrel set at 5º elevation.


HISTORICAL DATA
This weapon had an interesting history. It was originally designed to replace the spigot mortar used on Churchill AVRE tanks. However, the Army selected a 6.5" (16.5 cm) cannon in its place and development of this short-barrel 4.5" (11.4 cm) gun was halted. Then, in May 1944, the Navy was looking for a more powerful gun than the 6-pdr 7cwt in order to increase the hitting power of the MTBs of the Coastal Forces. Eighteen each of the 4.5" 8cwt gun and the Army's 95 mm (3.74") howitzer were ordered and comparison tests were performed at Shoeburyness against targets representing R-boats, sampans, armored barges and merchant ships. In the official report, the Navy concluded that the 4.5" (11.4 cm) gun was clearly superior and it was selected for further development.

Unfortunately, the very low muzzle velocity of this gun gave it a rather short range, about half of what was really desired, and shipboard firing trials with it were not very successful. Nonetheless, it was approved, although it did not enter service until long after the end of the war, and was used on MTBs and MGBs for the next fifteen years.

Constructed of barrel, removable breech ring and vertical sliding breech block with semi-automatic operation. The original naval order was for three prototypes and 106 guns. In September 1945 the Navy agreed to accept all 98 guns that had been finished, even though the requirement at that time was only 60 guns. A total of 36 Mark I mountings were actually completed along with a very few Mark II mountings.

Postwar, the British tried to develop a stabilized mounting for this weapon, designated as CFS-1 (Coastal Forces System Mark 1). The weight of this mounting grew alarmingly with "improvements" and did not see service use.

Actual bore length was 18.88 calibers. All British 4.5" naval guns have an actual bore diameter of 4.45" (11.3 cm).

 

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