380 mm/45 Modèle 1935 gun

The 380mm/45 Modèle 1935 gun was a heavy naval gun of the French Navy. It was the largest calibre naval gun ever fielded in French service.

380mm/45 Modèle 1935
Remaining gun under Recouvrance Bridge, Brest
Type	naval gun
Place of origin	France
Service history
In service	1935–1969
Used by	France
Wars	Second World War, Suez Crisis
Production history
Designed	1935
No. built	16 guns
Specifications
Mass	Turret: 2,476 tonnes Single Gun: 94.13 tonnes
Length	17.882 m (58 ft 8 in)
Barrel length	17.257 m (56 ft 7 in)
Shell	AP: 884 kilograms (1,950 lb) separate charges and shell
Calibre	380 mm (15 in)
Breech	Welin breech block, hydro-pneumatically powered
Recoil	132.5 cm (4 ft 4 in)
Elevation	6°/s
Traverse	300°, 5°/s
Rate of fire	1.8 /min
Muzzle velocity	830 m/s (2,700 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	41,700 m (45,600 yd) 35° elevation, streamlined shell

History

The built-up guns were used on the two battleships of the Richelieu class, Richelieu and Jean Bart. They were mounted in quadruple turrets, which allowed mounting all the main battery at the bow, and saved weight on turret armour in the context of the Washington Naval Treaty.

During World War II seven guns were captured by the Germans and three of these were taken to Norway. It was planned to install them in a coastal battery at Vardaasen (MKB 6./501 Nötteröy), using Bettungsschiessgerüst (Firing platform) C/39 armoured single mounts, but the war ended before the battery became operational. In 1949 the guns were returned to France (in exchange for 3 German 38 cm SKC/34 from Todt Battery) where they were then refurbished at the Ruelle Foundry.

Five guns remain: one is on display at the Arsenal of Brest, under Recouvrance Bridge; another at Lanvéoc at the École Navale; and a third gun survives at Gâvres, near Lorient.^[1] Two others are on display, at Ruelle and at La Spezia.^[2] The honour room of the École Navale also displays two 380mm shells and tampions.^[3]

• 
  Shell on display at the Musée national de la Marine
• 
  Battleship Richelieu en route to New York in 1943
• 
  One of the five remaining 380mm/45 Modèle 1935 guns of Richelieu, by the Penfeld river in Brest.
• 
  The gun of Lanvéoc at the École Navale, in front of the Orion building

See also

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

• 381mm / 50 Model 1934 naval gun : Italian equivalent
• 38 cm SK C/34 naval gun : German equivalent