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Friday 8 December 2017

British giant naval guns already after a few shots unusable according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1892-1893 no. 3

HMS Victoria

An item referred to the Army and Navy Journal reporting that in a recently Belgian magazine an anonymous author -possible a high ranked British navy officer- stated that the British 110 tons guns were in fact useless. Tests made clear that after just 25 shots the guns were unusable. Yet these guns were the main guns on board of the British battleships HMS Benbow (1), Sans Pareil and Victoria. After no more of one hour was 50% probably unusable. This was an example how worse England was prepared for a war at sea.

Notes
1. Part of the Admiral-class, consisting of the Benbow, Collingwood, Anson, Camperdown, Howe and Rodney, preceded by the Colossus-class and succeeded by the Victoria-class. Laid down by Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company Limited, England on 1 November 1882, launched on 15 June 1885, completed in June 1888 and broken up in 1909. Main armament consisted of 2x1-41,28cm/16.25” breech loading guns.
2. Part of the Victoria-class consisting of the Sans Pareil and Victoria, preceded by the Admiral-class and succeeded by the Trafalgar-class. Laid down by Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company Limited, England on 21 April 1885, launched on 9 May 1887, commissioned on 8 July 1891 and sold to be broken up on 9 April 1907. Armament consisted of 1x2-41,28cm/16.25” breech loading guns.
3. Part of the Victoria-class consisting of the Sans Pareil and Victoria, preceded by the Admiral-class and succeeded by the Trafalgar-class. Laid down by Armstrong, Mitchell&Co, Elswick, England with yard number 490 on 13 June 1885, launched on 9 April 1887, commissioned in March 1890 and sunk in collision with HMS Camperdown on 22 June 1893. Armament consisted of 1x2-41,28cm/16.25” breech loading guns.