View source for 203 mm/50 model 1924 (203 mm)

[[File:203 mm 50 model 1924.jpg|thumb|x250px|Two types of the '''{{PAGENAME}}''' turrets]]
== Description ==
<!-- ''Write an introduction to the article in 2-3 small paragraphs. Briefly tell us about the history of the development and combat using the weaponry and also about its features. Compile a list of air, ground, or naval vehicles that feature this weapon system in the game.'' -->
The '''203 mm/50 Modèle 1924''' gun was developed in the 1920s for the French Navy's Duquesne-class cruisers, aligning with the Washington Naval Treaty limitations of the era. Initially deployed on the Duquesne and Suffren classes, the gun proved to be a consistent choice for French Treaty cruisers up to the Algérie, which utilised the Modèle 1931 variant. Plans were made to equip the Saint Louis class heavy cruisers with this gun in 1939, but the onset of the Second World War led to the cancellation of the project before design work was finalised. Throughout the Second World War, the 203 mm/50 was the primary gun of the French heavy cruisers.

French '''203 mm/50 model 1924''' was used by the French heavy cruisers during the Second World War. It came equipped with {{Annotation|SAP|Semi-armour-piercing}} and {{Annotation|HE|High-explosive fragmentation}} shells, with the latter having a very large explosive filler compared to the SAP shell but poor penetration, while the former having just slightly larger explosive filler than SAP but offering a contact fuse, which might be preferable under some circumstances. Lacking a dedicated AP shell, the gun would struggle to deal with heavily armoured cruisers.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===
<!-- ''List out vehicles that are equipped with the weapon.'' -->

* {{Specs-Link|fr_cruiser_suffren_class_colbert}}
* {{Specs-Link|fr_cruiser_suffren_class_dupleix}}

== General info ==
<!-- ''Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.'' -->
The 203 mm (or 8 inch) gun offers excellent damage against all soft targets, while firing rounds every 13 (base) to 10 seconds (top) from the first-stage rack, which allows it to deal with frigates, destroyers, or other manoeuvrable targets. With a horizontal targeting speed of 6 °/s, the turrets can easily keep up with the turn rate of the vessel itself.

=== Available ammunition ===
<!-- ''Describe the shells that are available for the weapon and their features and purpose. If it concerns autocannons or machine guns, write about different ammo belts and what is inside (which types of shells).'' -->
{{:{{PAGENAME}}/Ammunition|203 mm OEA Mle 1927 HE, 203 mm OPF Mle 1927 SAPBC}}

=== Comparison with analogues ===
<!-- ''Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.'' -->
Compared to its peers, the gun has an average muzzle velocity, average rate of fire, and above average horizontal targetting speed. Its biggest weakness is the lack of the dedicated AP shells, which makes the gun unsuitable to deal with any heavily armoured target, even some of the heavy cruisers, like the [[Admiral Hipper (Family)|Admiral Hipper-class]]. Explosive filler of the HE shells is also below average. Where the gun shines, however, are its SAP shells. Having by far the largest explosive filler among its peers, it's able to deal an outstanding amount of damage. This is done by having a lower penetration than most of the other comparable shells, but it's still able to penetrate the majority of the light cruisers 

==== HE ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Cannon
! rowspan="2" |{{Annotation|Sample Ship|Targeting speed and Sustained rate of fire depend on a specific mount, therefore a representative ship is taken as a sample}}
! rowspan="2" |Ammo
! rowspan="2" |Calibre<br>(mm)
! rowspan="2" |Muzzle Velocity<br>(m/s)
! rowspan="2" |Sustained rate of fire<br>(rounds/min)
! colspan="2" |Targeting speed<br>(°/s)
! rowspan="2" |TNT Equivalent<br>(kg)
! colspan="2" |Penetration<br>@ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
!Horizontal!!Vertical!!5,000 m!!10,000 m
|-
| [[File:France flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| '''203 mm/50 model 1924'''
| [[Colbert]]
| HE || 203 || 850 || 5 || 6 || 10 || 9.13 || 61 || 61
|-
|[[File:USA flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[8 inch/55 Mark 9 (203 mm)]]
| [[USS Northampton]]
| HE || 203 || 853 || 3.5 || 3.6 || 8 || 9.49 || 61 || 61
|-
|[[File:USA flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[8 inch/55 Mark 16 (203 mm)]]
| [[USS Newport News]]
| HE || 203 || 823 || 10 || 4.2 || 7 || 9.49 || 61 || 61
|-
|[[File:Germany flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[20.3 cm/60 SK C/34 (203 mm)|20.3 cm/60 SK C/34]]
| [[Admiral Hipper]]
| HE || 203 || 925 || 5 || 6.8 || 6.8 || 8.88 || 61 || 61
|-
|[[File:USSR flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[180 mm/57 B-1-P (180 mm)|180 mm/57 B-1-P]]
| [[Kirov]]
| HE || 180 || 920 || 5.5 || 6.8 || 8.5 || 7.9 || 60 || 60
|-
|[[File:Britain flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[8 inch/50 Mark VIII (203 mm)]]
| [[HMS Kent]]
| HE || 203 || 855 || 5 || 5.1 || 4.7 || 10 || 62 || 62
|-
|[[File:Japan flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[20 cm/50 3rd year type No.2 (203 mm)|20 cm/50 3rd year type No.2]]
| [[IJN Furutaka]]
| HE || 203 || 835 || 5 || 3.4 || 5.1 || 8.57 || 61 || 61
|-
| [[File:Kingdom Italy flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[203 mm/53 Ansaldo mod.1927 (203 mm)|203 mm/53 Ansaldo mod.1927]]
| [[RN Zara]]
| HE || 203 || 900 || 3.8 || 5 || 5 || 7.5 || 58 || 58
|-
|}

==== SAP / AP ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Cannon
! rowspan="2" |{{Annotation|Sample Ship|Targeting speed and Sustained rate of fire depend on a specific mount, therefore a representative ship is taken as a sample}}
! rowspan="2" |Ammo
! rowspan="2" |Calibre<br>(mm)
! rowspan="2" |Muzzle Velocity<br>(m/s)
! rowspan="2" |Sustained rate of fire<br>(rounds/min)
! colspan="2" |Targeting speed<br>(°/s)
! rowspan="2" |TNT Equivalent<br>(kg)
! colspan="2" |Penetration<br>@ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
!Horizontal!!Vertical!!5,000 m!!10,000 m
|-
| [[File:France flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| '''203 mm/50 model 1924'''
| [[Colbert]]
| SAPBC || 203 || 850 || 5 || 6 || 10 || 8.88 || 123 || 97
|-
|[[File:USA flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[8 inch/55 Mark 9 (203 mm)]]
| [[USS Northampton]]
| SP Common || 203 || 853 || 3.5 || 3.6 || 8 || 4.61 || 99 || 68
|-
|[[File:USA flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[8 inch/55 Mark 9 (203 mm)]]
| [[USS Northampton]]
| APCBC || 203 || 853 || 3.5 || 3.6 || 8 || 1.62 || 277 || 190
|-
|[[File:USA flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[8 inch/55 Mark 16 (203 mm)]]
| [[USS Newport News]]
| SP Common || 203 || 823 || 10 || 4.2 || 7 || 4.61 || 95 || 66
|-
|[[File:USA flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[8 inch/55 Mark 16 (203 mm)]]
| [[USS Newport News]]
| APCBC || 203 || 762 || 10 || 4.2 || 7 || 2.21 || 289 || 207
|-
|[[File:Germany flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[20.3 cm/60 SK C/34 (203 mm)|20.3 cm/60 SK C/34]]
| [[Admiral Hipper]]
| SAPBC || 203 || 925 || 5 || 6.8 || 6.8 || 5.35 || 182 || 130
|-
|[[File:Germany flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[20.3 cm/60 SK C/34 (203 mm)|20.3 cm/60 SK C/34]]
| [[Admiral Hipper]]
| APCBC || 203 || 925 || 5 || 6.8 || 6.8 || 2.65 || 316 || 226
|-
|[[File:USSR flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[180 mm/57 B-1-P (180 mm)|180 mm/57 B-1-P]]
| [[Kirov]]
| SAPCBC || 180 || 920 || 5.5 || 6.8 || 8.5 || 7 || 161 || 120
|-
|[[File:USSR flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[180 mm/57 B-1-P (180 mm)|180 mm/57 B-1-P]]
| [[Kirov]]
| APCBC || 180 || 920 || 5.5 || 6.8 || 8.5 || 2.49 || 331 || 246
|-
|[[File:Britain flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[8 inch/50 Mark VIII (203 mm)]]
| [[HMS Kent]]
| SAPCBC || 203 || 855 || 5 || 5.1 || 4.7 || 5.2 || 209 || 153
|-
|[[File:Japan flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[20 cm/50 3rd year type No.2 (203 mm)|20 cm/50 3rd year type No.2]]
| [[IJN Furutaka]]
| APHEBC || 203 || 835 || 5 || 3.4 || 5.1 || 3.25 || 263 || 182
|-
| [[File:Kingdom Italy flag.png|link=|25x25px]]
| [[203 mm/53 Ansaldo mod.1927 (203 mm)|203 mm/53 Ansaldo mod.1927]]
| [[RN Zara]]
| APHEBC || 203 || 900 || 3.8 || 5 || 5 || 3.16 || 247 || 148
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==
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The gun is used similarly to other 203 mm cruiser guns. It can effectively engage cruisers and lighter vessels, but will have to rely on taking down crews from the exposed positions and fires to deal any damage against battleships and battlecruisers. Destroyers are particularly attractive targets for the gun, as a single shell can take down two separate main gun turrets or torpedo launchers.

=== Pros and cons ===
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.'' -->

'''Pros:'''
* Exceptionally large explosive filler of the {{Annotation|SAP|Semi-armour-piercing}} shells
* Above average horizontal targetting speed

'''Cons:'''
* Lack of dedicated {{Annotation|AP|Armour-piercing}} or {{Annotation|HE-TF|High-explosive with time fuse}} shells
* Below average explosive filler in the {{Annotation|HE|High-explosive fragmentation}} shells

== History ==
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The French '''203 mm/50 Modèle 1924''' gun was designed in the early 1920s for the Duquesne-class cruisers. Made to comply with the Washington Naval Treaty limitations, it featured a simple construction, with a breech block that opened upwards. Initially, it fired 123.1 kg armour-piercing shells and 123.8 kg high-explosive shells. Later developments in the late 1920s introduced lighter shells, and just before the Second World War, the significantly heavier armour-piercing capped ''Opf(K) RC Mle 1936'' was developed. To aid in identifying shell splashes during formation firing, in March 1939 a special dye was added that coloured the splashes. Duquesne used red, Tourville yellow, and Suffren used green dye.

The Modèle 1924 gun was mounted in twin turrets, each housing guns in separate cradles with individual toothed elevating arcs, allowing for independent or coupled elevation for salvo firing. The turrets allowed the guns to elevate up to +45 degrees and depress to -5 degrees, with loading conducted between +10 degrees and -5 degrees using catapult rammers. The shell rooms were located below the magazines, except for some forward magazine stowage on the same deck level as the shells. Ammunition handling involved dredger hoists and upper cage hoists, with shells transferred via swinging arms that locked to the guns for loading. While the designed firing cycle was 5–6 rounds per minute, the practical rate was somewhat less. In the mid-1930s, remote power control was added for training purposes.

This gun saw service on the Duquesne and [[Suffren (Family)|Suffren]] classes, with the submarine cruiser Surcouf using the Modèle 1929 and the cruiser Algérie employing the Modèle 1931 variant. The Algérie's guns, though similar internally to the Modèle 1924, had construction differences such as an A tube and jacket accommodating a liner with an internal diameter of 324 mm. Plans were made to equip the Saint Louis class heavy cruisers, designed in 1939, with the gun, but the outbreak of the Second World War led to the project's cancellation before design work could be completed.

=== Shells ===
* Initial shells, fired with 53 kg of BM13 propellant
** '''OPf Mle 1927''' - Mass: 123.1 kg, burst charge: 8.07 kg Mélinite, muzzle velocity: 850 m/s, maximum range of 31,400 meters
** '''OEA Mle 1927''' - Mass: 123.82 kg, muzzle velocity: 850 m/s, maximum range of 30,000 meters
* Second series of shells, lighter designs introduced in 1920s
** '''OPf Mle 19??''' - Mass: 119.07 kg
** '''OEA Mle 19??''' - Mass: 119.72 kg
* A heavier Armour Piercing Capped shell introduced in 1936, fired with 47 kg of BM13 propellant
** '''OPf Mle 1936''' aka ''Opf(K) RC Mle 1936'' - Mass: 134 kg, burst charge: 8.3 kg of Mn.F.Dn (Mélinite fondue dinitronaphtaline - roughly equivalent to British Shellite which has x0.94 multiplier for TNT equivalent, giving it a TNT equivalent of 7.8 kg TNT) muzzle velocity: 850 m/s

OPf stands for Obus de Perforation (Armour-Piercing Shell), OEA stands for Obus Explosif en Acier (High-Explosive Steel Shell).

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
* ''reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.'' -->
* [[wikipedia:203mm/50 Modèle 1924 gun|[Wikipedia] 203mm/50 Modèle 1924 gun]]
* [http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNFR_8-50_m1924.php <nowiki>[NavWeaps]</nowiki> France 203 mm/50 (8") Model 1924]
* ''Naval Weapons of World War Two'' by John Campbell, page 292
* ''French Cruisers 1922-1956'' by John Jordan & Jean Moulin, pages 48-49, 162-163
* ''Warship 2005'' - ''Duquesne and Tourville: The First French Treaty Cruisers'' by John Jordan, page 33 (largely the same facts as in the French Cruisers 1922-1956)

{{France naval cannons}}

[[Category:Naval cannons]]