10.5 cm SK L/35

The 10.5 cm SK L/35 (SK - Schnelladekanone (quick-loading cannon) L - Länge (with a 35-caliber long barrel) was a German naval gun developed in the years before World War I that armed a variety of warships of the Imperial German Navy during World War I. In addition to the Imperial German Navy the 10.5 cm SK L/35 was used by the Royal Netherlands Navy, Ottoman Navy and Spanish Navy.

10.5 cm SK L/35
A 10.5 cm SK L/35 on a Vavasseur mounting.
Type	Naval gun
Place of origin	German Empire
Service history
Used by	German Empire The Netherlands Ottoman Empire Spain
Wars	World War I
Production history
Designer	Krupp
Designed	1891
Manufacturer	Krupp
Produced	1894
Specifications
Mass	1,270 kg (2,800 lb)
Length	3.6 m (11 ft 10 in) 35 caliber
Barrel length	3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Calibre	105 millimeters (4.1 in)
Breech	Horizontal sliding-wedge breech
Elevation	-10° to +30°[1]
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	7.5 rpm
Muzzle velocity	600 m/s (2,000 ft/s)[2]
Effective firing range	12 km (7.5 mi) at +30°[1]

Naval Use

The 10.5 cm SK L/35 was used as primary or secondary armament aboard corvettes, gunboats, pre-dreadnought battleships, protected cruisers, torpedo gunboats, and unprotected cruisers.

Ships armed with the 10.5 cm SK L/35 include:

• Brandenburg-class battleships
• Bussard-class cruisers
• Carola-class corvettes
• Irene-class cruisers
• Koetei-class gunboats
• Peleng-i Deryâ-class torpedo gunboats

Ammunition

Ammunition was 105 x 656 mm R and of fixed QF type. A complete round weighed 21.4 kg (47 lb). The projectiles weighed 14 kg (31 lb).^[2]

The gun was able to fire:

• Armor Piercing
• High Explosive^[1]

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

• 10.5 cm SK L/40 naval gun : Successor to the SK L/35
• 4"/40 caliber gun : American equivalent
• Canon de 100 mm Modèle 1891 : French equivalent
• Cannon 102/35 Model 1914 : Italian equivalent
• QF 4 inch naval gun Mk I – III : British equivalent

References

• Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.