Difference between revisions of "15 inch/42 BL Mark I (381 mm)"
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== Description == | == Description == | ||
| − | + | The 15 inch/42 BL Mark I is the largest gun currently available in the game. | |
=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon === | === Vehicles equipped with this weapon === | ||
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'''Pros:''' | '''Pros:''' | ||
| + | |||
* | * | ||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
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* | * | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
| − | + | The 15-inch 42-caliber BL Mark I is not only the biggest gun ever built by Great Britain but one of the longest-serving large-caliber weapons in any navy. Entering service in 1915 and only being retired in 1959, this cannon played significantly in both World Wars. The story begins in January 1912 when Winston Churchill, then First Lord of Admiralty, ordered the development of this type of weapon for the planned ''Queen Elizabeth''-class dreadnoughts under the designation "14-inch Experimental". While normally the adoption of a new gun caliber would set back ship design for years, not ideal for a nation trying to remain on top during an arms race, the design for the 15-inch BL Mark 1 was based on the existing [[13.5 inch/45 Mark 5(H) (343 mm)|13.5 inch/45 Mark 5]] gun that previously entered service. This decision allowed for quicker development and the rush in the arms race led to it being ordered without prototypes. | |
| + | |||
| + | In order to cement their lead in the naval arms race, the Royal Navy followed the orders of the ''Queen Elizabeth''-class with the ''Revenge'' and ''Renown''-class dreadnoughts. When the ''Renown''-class were not ready in time when World War I began, they were canceled before being ordered again as battlecruisers finished in 1916. Seeking a need to shell targets across the English Channel after the war began, the Royal Navy ordered monitors that were with a single turret containing a twin-mount of the 15-inch BL Mark I design resulting in the ''Marshal Ney, Roberts'' and ''Erebus''-class monitors. While the Royal Navy had a comfortable advantage in dreadnoughts against their counterparts in the Kaiserlichemarine (Imperial Germany Navy), the same could not be said about battlecruisers. In response the ''Courageous''-class battlecruisers and [[HMS Hood|''HMS Hood'']] were ordered in response though the latter did not enter service until after the war. | ||
| + | |||
| + | While the BL Mark I 15-inch guns were first used to bombard Gallipoli, Ottoman Empire in 1915, they were more notable for their combat during the Battle of Jutland in 1916 where they showed themselves to out-ranging their contemporary German battlecruisers and set a record for long-range naval fire at 19,500 yards. By the 1930s however, the Royal Navy started to believe the guns were obsolete due to the age of the ships using the guns were almost 20 years old and the other nations had started catching up with more powerful guns. As the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 put a 10-year suspension on building new battleships, the Royal Navy decided to modernize the designs increasing the elevation from 20 degrees to 30 degrees and a new streamlined ballistic caps that had a range of 32,000 yards. However, the modernization was limited to the four ships and the ''HMS Vanguard'' which wasn't completed until after the war. The non-modernized ships were instead given supercharged ammunition that was as powerful as they could get without damaging the guns or mounting. The guns notably served on ''HMS Warspite'' during the Battle of Calabria in 1940 off the coast of Italy and recorded a 26,400-yard salvo against the Italian battleship ''RN Giulio Cesare''. Later the BL Mark I 15-guns on ''HMS Hood, HMS Valiant'' and ''HMS Resolution'' were used to sink the majority of the French Navy (Marine Nationale) docked at Mers-el-Kibér, Algeria later that year to keep them out of German hands as part of Operation Catapult. The guns were also used in the coastal defense role with guns in two batteries at Singapore and two more guns Wanstone Farm, Kent used for cross-Channel firing and remained in service until 1959. | ||
== Media == | == Media == | ||
| Line 36: | Line 42: | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:'' | ''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;'' | * ''reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;'' | ||
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.'' | * ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.'' | ||
| Line 41: | Line 48: | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | ||
| + | |||
* ''topic on the official game forum;'' | * ''topic on the official game forum;'' | ||
* ''other literature.'' | * ''other literature.'' | ||
Revision as of 02:57, 11 October 2022
Contents
Description
The 15 inch/42 BL Mark I is the largest gun currently available in the game.
Vehicles equipped with this weapon
General info
Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.
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).
Comparison with analogues
Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.
Usage in battles
Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.
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:
Cons:
History
The 15-inch 42-caliber BL Mark I is not only the biggest gun ever built by Great Britain but one of the longest-serving large-caliber weapons in any navy. Entering service in 1915 and only being retired in 1959, this cannon played significantly in both World Wars. The story begins in January 1912 when Winston Churchill, then First Lord of Admiralty, ordered the development of this type of weapon for the planned Queen Elizabeth-class dreadnoughts under the designation "14-inch Experimental". While normally the adoption of a new gun caliber would set back ship design for years, not ideal for a nation trying to remain on top during an arms race, the design for the 15-inch BL Mark 1 was based on the existing 13.5 inch/45 Mark 5 gun that previously entered service. This decision allowed for quicker development and the rush in the arms race led to it being ordered without prototypes.
In order to cement their lead in the naval arms race, the Royal Navy followed the orders of the Queen Elizabeth-class with the Revenge and Renown-class dreadnoughts. When the Renown-class were not ready in time when World War I began, they were canceled before being ordered again as battlecruisers finished in 1916. Seeking a need to shell targets across the English Channel after the war began, the Royal Navy ordered monitors that were with a single turret containing a twin-mount of the 15-inch BL Mark I design resulting in the Marshal Ney, Roberts and Erebus-class monitors. While the Royal Navy had a comfortable advantage in dreadnoughts against their counterparts in the Kaiserlichemarine (Imperial Germany Navy), the same could not be said about battlecruisers. In response the Courageous-class battlecruisers and HMS Hood were ordered in response though the latter did not enter service until after the war.
While the BL Mark I 15-inch guns were first used to bombard Gallipoli, Ottoman Empire in 1915, they were more notable for their combat during the Battle of Jutland in 1916 where they showed themselves to out-ranging their contemporary German battlecruisers and set a record for long-range naval fire at 19,500 yards. By the 1930s however, the Royal Navy started to believe the guns were obsolete due to the age of the ships using the guns were almost 20 years old and the other nations had started catching up with more powerful guns. As the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 put a 10-year suspension on building new battleships, the Royal Navy decided to modernize the designs increasing the elevation from 20 degrees to 30 degrees and a new streamlined ballistic caps that had a range of 32,000 yards. However, the modernization was limited to the four ships and the HMS Vanguard which wasn't completed until after the war. The non-modernized ships were instead given supercharged ammunition that was as powerful as they could get without damaging the guns or mounting. The guns notably served on HMS Warspite during the Battle of Calabria in 1940 off the coast of Italy and recorded a 26,400-yard salvo against the Italian battleship RN Giulio Cesare. Later the BL Mark I 15-guns on HMS Hood, HMS Valiant and HMS Resolution were used to sink the majority of the French Navy (Marine Nationale) docked at Mers-el-Kibér, Algeria later that year to keep them out of German hands as part of Operation Catapult. The guns were also used in the coastal defense role with guns in two batteries at Singapore and two more guns Wanstone Farm, Kent used for cross-Channel firing and remained in service until 1959.
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.
