The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
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National Archive #19-N-76911. Cropped by author.
| Bore |
8" 203.2mm |
| Ammunition |
Bagged APC or HC shells |
| Weight of round | 260 lbs 118 kg |
| Velocity | 2800 feet per second 853 meters per second |
| Maximum
elevation |
41 degrees |
| Range | 31,860 yards 29,130 yards |
| Firing cycle | 18 seconds |
This gun was used on most U.S. heavy
cruisers
built before the war, as well as the Lexingtons.
By the time of the Okinawa
campaign, the fire
control systems of many heavy cruisers were modified to use a reduced
propellant charge that yielded a nominal muzzle velocity of 2150 feet
per second (655 m/s). This permitted more frequent use of plunging fire
during shore bombardment while greatly reducing barrel wear.
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2011 by Kent G. Budge. Index
