GERMAN 10.5 cm SUBMARINE GUN
This gun was mounted on the deck of the German Submarine u98 during the First World War
German submarines were designed to sink as many enemy vessels as possible, both military and civil, so were armed with deck-mounted guns to engage unarmed merchant ships in order to save their torpedoes for warships. These guns were modifications of standard ship-mounted weapons and ranged from 5.1 cm to 15 cm in caliber. The 10.5 cm gun, a powerful, rapid fire, high velocity weapon was fitted to Germans submarines in the 560 to 900 ton classes.
Although some submarines sank many merchant ships with these guns, the introduction by the Allied of the convoy system in 1917 effectively ended their use.
The gun shown here was mounted on the German submarine U98 in 1917. This submarine took part in two operations in 1917 and four in 1918. It was surrended at the end of the war and was broken up in Britain during 1919-20.
Its 10.5 cm gun was deposited in this Museum by the Admirality in 1919.
Technical specifications:
CALIBRE: 4.1 inches (10,5 cm)
MAX RANGE: 7miles (12 km)*
*Because of the instability of both the submarine and its target, the gun would normally have been used at much closer range
WEIGHT OF SHELLS: 31 lbs (14 kg)
RANGE: 10,060 yards (9,198m)
RANGE OF FIRE: 8 rounds per minute
