203mm/55 Modèle 1931 gun

The 203mm/55 Modèle 1931 gun was a medium naval gun of the French Navy. It used the same ammunition as the 203mm/50 Modèle 1924 gun, and were very similar except for the longer bore. It is believed that the guns were built from tubes of the older 240mm/50 Modèle 1902 guns.^[1]

203mm/55 Modèle 1931
Main guns of the Algérie
Type	Naval gun
Place of origin	France
Service history
Used by	France
Wars	Second World War
Production history
Designed	1931
Specifications
Mass	22 tonnes[1]
Barrel length	11.3 metres (37 ft)[1]
Shell	Separate charges and shell: APC M1936: 134 kilograms (295 lb)[1]
Caliber	203 millimetres (8.0 in)
Breech	Welin Breech Block
Rate of fire	4-5 RPM
Muzzle velocity	840 metres per second (2,800 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	31,000 metres (34,000 yd) at 45°[1]

Although commonly described as being used as the main battery of the heavy cruiser Algérie, mounted in four twin turrets,^[1] Algérie in fact used the same 203mm/50 Modèle 1924 as the rest of the French heavy cruisers.^[2]

In fact as written in French Cruisers 1922 - 1956 these guns did not exist.^[3][4]