EOC 8 inch 45 caliber
| EOC 8 inch 45 caliber | |
|---|---|
| Type |
Naval gun Coastal artillery Siege artillery |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1896—1945 |
| Used by | Argentina Chile China Italy Japan Spain |
| Wars |
Spanish-American War Boxer Rebellion Russo-Japanese War Italo-Turkish War World War I World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Elswick Ordnance Company |
| Designed | 1894 |
| Manufacturer | Armstrong Whitworth |
| Produced | 1895 |
| Variants | Patterns: Q, S, U, W |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 19 t (19 long tons) |
| Length | 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in) |
| Barrel length | 7.8 m (25 ft 7 in) 45 caliber |
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| Shell | Separate loading bagged charge and projectile |
| Shell weight | 116 kg (256 lb) |
| Calibre | 203 mm (8.0 in) |
| Rate of fire | 2 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 790 m/s (2,600 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 18 km (11 mi) at 30° |
The EOC 8 inch 45 caliber were a family of related 8 inch (203 mm) 45 caliber naval guns designed by the Elswick Ordnance Company and manufactured by Armstrong for export customers before World War I. In addition to being produced in the United Kingdom licensed variants were produced in Italy and in Japan. Users of this family of gun included the navies of Argentina, Chile, China, Italy, Japan and Spain. This family of guns saw action in the Spanish-American War, Boxer Rebellion, Russo-Japanese War, Italo-Turkish War, World War I and World War II. In addition to its naval role it was later used as Coastal artillery and Siege artillery after the ships it served on were decommissioned.
The EOC 8 inch 45 caliber family of guns originated in 1894 from the Elswick Ordnance Company Pattern Q gun which was first produced for export in 1895. In addition to the Pattern Q there were S, U and W Pattern guns produced for export. Earlier Patterns A through P, R and T were shorter 35 or 40 caliber guns. While the Pattern Q, S, U and W were all 8 inch 45 caliber guns. The weights and dimensions of each Pattern of gun were similar and their ammunition, bagged charges and their ballistic performance were also similar.
The Armstrong Pattern Q was the first wire wound 8 inch EOC gun. I was constructed of an inner A tube, wire wound for 10.5 ft (3.2 m), with a jacket shrunk over the wire. It had a single-motion breech mechanism of cylindrical-conical style with five threaded and five smooth sectors.
The Japanese 20.3 cm/45 Type 41 naval gun was based on the Pattern S guns from Armstrong first installed on the Takasago in 1898 with licensed production beginning in 1902. Existing S, U and W Pattern guns were later classified as Type 41 naval guns in Japanese service. Type 41 guns were employed as Coastal Artillery during World War II after the ships they armed were decommissioned and disarmed. Pattern S guns also armed protected cruisers of Argentine Navy and Chinese Navy.
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