15 cm SK C/25
{{Infobox weapon
|name=15 cm SK C/25
| image=Bundesarchiv Bild 101II-MN-1405-07, Kreuzer "Nürnberg".jpg
| image_size = 300
|caption=15 cm SK C/25 in Drh LC/35 turret on {{ship|German cruiser|Nürnberg||2}}
|origin=Weimar Republic
|type=Naval gun
|is_ranged=yes
|is_artillery=yes
|service=1929–45
|used_by=Weimar Republic
Nazi Germany
|wars=Second World War
|designer=
|design_date=
|manufacturer=
|production_date=
|number=
|variants=
|weight= {{convert|11970|kg|lb}}
|length= {{convert|9.08|m|ft}}
|part_length= {{convert|8.57|m|ft}}
|width=
|height=
|crew=
|cartridge=separate-loading, cased charge
|cartridge_weight=
|caliber={{convert|149.1|mm|in}}
|action=
|rate=8 rpm (maximum)
|velocity={{convert|960|m/s|ft/s}}
|range=
|max_range= {{convert|25700|m|yd}} at 40°
|feed=
|sights=
|breech=semi-automatic, vertical sliding-block
|recoil=
|carriage=
|elevation=-10° to +40°
|traverse=360°
}}
The 15 cm SK C/25SK - Schnelladekanone (quick loading cannon); C - Construktionsjahr (year of design) was a German medium-caliber naval gun used during the Second World War. It served as the primary armament for the {{sclass|Königsberg|cruiser|4||1927}} and {{sclass|Leipzig|cruiser}}s. No surplus weapons of this type appear to have been used as coast-defense guns.
Description
This gun was the most powerful of the Kriegsmarine's {{convert|15|cm|in}} guns and was designed with a loose barrel, jacket and breech-piece with a vertical sliding breech block.Campbell, p. 239
= Mount =
The Drh. LC/25 triple-gun mount was the only mount used for this gun in the Kriegsmarine. The mount weighed between {{convert|136.91|-|147.15|t|ton}}, depending on its armor thickness; the {{ship|German cruiser|Nürnberg||2}}'s mounts had between {{convert|20|-|80|mm|in|abbr=on}} of armor while the other ships had {{convert|20|-|30|mm|in|abbr=on}}. Each mount was designed for full 360° of traverse, but was limited to much less than that by the ship's superstructure. The electrically powered hydraulic pumps had a maximum elevating speed of 8° per second, while train was a maximum of 6-8° per second. The maximum firing cycle was 7.5 seconds, or 8 rounds per minute, despite being hand-loaded and rammed. Ammunition was supplied by three hoists, one between the left and center guns and the other two between center and right guns at the rear of the mount.{{cite web|url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_59-60_skc25.htm |title=German 15 cm/60 (5.9") SK C/25 |date=20 November 2008 |access-date=2009-06-23 |author=Tony DiGiulian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815044426/http://navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_59-60_skc25.htm |archive-date=15 August 2009 |url-status=live }}
= Ammunition =
The SK C/25 had a number of different shells available.
| class="wikitable" border="1" |
| Shell name
! Weight ! Filling Weight ! Muzzle velocity |
|---|
| base-fused HE shell with ballistic cap (Sprenggranate L/4.5 m Bdz m. Hb)
| {{convert|45.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | {{convert|3.058|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | {{convert|960|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}} |
| nose-fused HE shell with ballistic cap (15 cm Spgr. L/4.4 Kz m. Hb)
| {{convert|45.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | {{convert|3.892|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | {{convert|960|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}} |
| base-fused armor-piercing shell with ballistic cap (Panzer-Sprenggranate) L/3.7 m Bdz. m Hb)
| {{convert|45.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | {{convert|.885|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | {{convert|960|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}} |
| illumination shell
| {{convert|41|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | Unknown | {{convert|650|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}} |
Footnotes
=Notes=
{{Reflist|group=Note}}
=Citations=
{{Reflist}}
References
- {{cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Naval Weapons of World War Two|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|year=2002|isbn=0-87021-459-4}}
- {{cite book|last=Gander|first=Terry|author2=Chamberlain, Peter|title=Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939–1945|publisher=Doubleday|location=New York|year=1979|isbn=0-385-15090-3}}
- {{cite book|last=Hogg|first=Ian V.|title=German Artillery of World War Two|publisher=Stackpole Books|location=Mechanicsville, PA|year=1997|edition=2nd corrected|isbn=1-85367-480-X}}
- {{cite book| last = Rolf| first = Rudi| title = Der Atlantikwall: Bauten der deutschen Küstenbefestigungen 1940-1945| publisher = Biblio| year = 1998| location = Osnabrück| isbn = 3-7648-2469-7}}
- {{cite book| last = Rolf| first = Rudi | title = A Dictionary on Modern Fortification: An Illustrated Lexicon on European Fortification in the Period 1800-1945| publisher = PRAK| year = 2004| location = Middleburg, Netherlands}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_59-60_skc25.htm SK C/25 on navweaps.com]
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:15 cm 5th cat SK C/25}}
{{WWIIGermanGuns}}
Category:World War II artillery of Germany
Category:Naval guns of Germany