203 mm/50 Model 1924


The 203 mm /50 Model 1924 was an Italian 203 mm naval gun. Manufactured by the Ansaldo engineering company in the years before World War II for the Italian Navy, the use of these guns was limited to the Trento-class heavy cruisers and coastal defense batteries during the Second World War.

Construction

These guns were of built-up construction with a fixed liner, autofretted barrel, and a Welin breech block. The gun mounts had electrically powered training, elevation, hoists and rammers. There was no swinging arm, and shell hoists were of pusher type with loading at +15°. These guns suffered from dispersion problems, so the original muzzle velocity of was reduced to for armor-piercing shells. Shell weight was also reduced from to in an attempt to resolve these problems, but these efforts were only partially successful. The main reason for the dispersion problem was because the guns were mounted too close together on a common cradle, which together with a narrow ball track complicated loading of the guns.

Naval Service

This gun was limited to two superfiring twin-mount turrets forward and aft on the heavy cruisers Trento and Trieste during World War II.

Coastal Defense Service

One spare turret was used for coastal defense.

Ammunition

Ammunition was of separate loading type. The AP projectile was long with a single bagged charge which weighed.
The gun was able to fire: