The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
|
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| Bore diameter |
5.0" 127mm |
| Ammunition type |
Bagged nose-fused HE rounds. Incendiary shrapnel, illuminating, and antisubmarine rounds were also available. |
|
Projectile weight |
50.7 lbs 23 kg |
|
Velocity |
3002 feet per second 915 meters per second |
|
Maximum elevation |
55 degrees |
|
Range |
20,100 yards 18,400 meters |
|
Firing cycle |
6-12 seconds |
The 5"/50 dual-purpose gun was the standard
Japanese destroyer armament
throughout the war. It was a
powerful surface weapon, outranging the U.S. 5"/38 dual-purpose gun by
4000
yards, but
its rate of traverse was so slow that, while it was equipped with
antiaircraft
shells and directors, it was almost useless against modern aircraft.
An updated model with genuine antiaircraft
capability never got beyond the prototype stage.
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2009 by Kent G. Budge. Index
