38 cm SK C/34 naval gun

38 cm SK C/34 naval gun
38 cm turret of Batterie Vara, Kristiansand, Norway
Type	Naval gun, Railroad gun and Coastal defense
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	1940–45
Used by	Nazi Germany
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Krupp
Designed	1936–39
Manufacturer	Krupp
Specifications
Mass	111 tonnes (109 long tons; 122 short tons)
Length	19.63 m (64 ft 5 in)
Barrel length	18.405 m (60 ft 4.6 in) L/52 (51.66 calibers)
Shell	separate-loading, cased charge
Caliber	380 millimetres (15 in)
Breech	horizontal sliding-block
Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic
Elevation	-5.5° to +30°
Traverse	up to 360°
Rate of fire	2.5 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	820 m/s (2,700 ft/s)
Effective firing range	36.5 km (22.7 mi) with 800 kg (1,800 lb) shell at 30° elev.

The 38 cm SK C/34^{[Note 1]} naval gun was developed by Germany mid to late 1930s. It armed the Bismarck-class battleships and was planned as the armament of the O-class battlecruisers and the re-armed Scharnhorst-class battleships. Six twin-gun mountings were also sold to the Soviet Union and it was planned to use them on the Kronshtadt-class battlecruisers, however, they were never delivered. Spare guns were used as coastal artillery in Denmark, Norway and France. One gun and one barrel is currently on display at respectively Møvig Fortress outside Kristiansand and Bunkermuseum Hanstholm, Denmark.
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