1/350 Royal Navy 4.7" MKXXII x3 & 4" MKXVI x1 (Tribal Class)

1/350 Scale Royal Navy 4.7" MKXXII x3 & 4" MKXVI x1 as used by the Royal Navy and Commonwealth Navies on Tribal Class destroyers mid-to-late war. Highly detailed guns modelled from plans and reference photographs.

• 4x Mounts
• Highly detailed and accurate parts, modelled from the John Lambert plans and photographic reference
• Details include: Rivets, Hex nuts, open Sighting Ports, Training, Elevation and Sighting apparatus, detailed Breech Loading mechanism, training receivers and accurate footplate
• Barrels set at 5º on MKXXII Gun. Barrel on MKXVI can be elevated as desired.
  

HISTORICAL DATA
The 4.7" (12 cm) QF Mark IX was used on most destroyers built in the 1930s and 1940s. The almost identical Mark XII was designed for use in twin mountings and differed from the Mark IX in being slightly heavier and longer. Both Marks fired separate ammunition, otherwise they were similar to the preceding 4.7" (12 cm) BL Mark I. A wet-mount version of the Mark IX was developed for submarines, but only a few were in service and these were replaced by standard 4"/40 (10.2 cm) submarine guns prior to World War II.

The lack of a DP function for these weapons was keenly felt throughout the war as more British destroyers were sunk by air attack than from any other cause. What little AA capability that these weapons did have was hindered by a lack of a tachymetric (predictive) fire control system and the setting of HE time fuzes by hand. The last single mounting designed for these guns, the CPXXII, had a spring operated rammer, but all other single mountings were completely hand worked. The twin mounting had power ramming and used power training and elevation but no RPC gear was installed.

Mark IX was constructed of A tube, jacket 80 inches (203 cm) to the muzzle and breech ring. Mark IXA was of loose barrel construction with a removable breech ring. Mark IX* denoted differences in breech ring and semi-automatic breech, which were originally used for two-part wire wound experimental guns. A number of Mark IX* guns were used on destroyers built for Argentina, Brazil and Turkey, but not all of these were delivered. Mark IX** denoted differences in breech ring for CPXVIII mounting. Mark IX**A was for guns converted to loose barrel construction with a removable breech ring. Mark IX**B were new loose barrel guns which differed from Mark IX**A in the breech ring/jacket connection and removable breech ring.

Mark XII was generally similar to Mark IX except that it had a removable breech ring. Mark XIIx had no register on the rear of A tube and breech rings were machined to match. Mark XIIB was of loose barrel construction.

Both the Mark IX and the Mark XII guns could be operated in either Quick Firing (QF) or Semi-Automatic (SA) mode. In QF mode, the breech was manually opened after firing by moving a lever which also ejected the spent casing. In SA mode, the breech would open automatically after firing and eject the spent casing. During loading, the breech mechanism would partially close when the cartridge case rim hit the ejectors and then fully close when the loading tray was raised.

A total of 742 Mark IX and 372 Mark XII guns were manufactured, including all variants. Mark IX**B was one of the largest volume variants, with 183 being made.

Actual bore diameter of all British 4.7" guns was 4.724" (12 cm)

Click here for Historical Data regarding the 4" MKXVI Twin XIX Mount.

*STOCKED ITEM

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