EOC 4 inch 50 caliber

The EOC 4 inch 50 caliber was a British naval gun designed by the Elswick Ordnance Company for export customers in the years before World War I that armed warships of the Republic of China and the Greek Navy. These ships served in both World War I and later World War II.

History

The EOC 4 inch 50 caliber began life as a design produced by the parent company of Elswick, Armstrong Whitworth for export customers called the Pattern P. These guns did not serve aboard ships of the Royal Navy.^[1]

Construction

The EOC 4 inch 50 caliber was constructed of an A tube and wire wound with a protective outer jacket. It also had a horizontal sliding-wedge breech and fired fixed quick fire ammunition.^[1]

Naval use

EOC 4 inch 50 caliber guns armed coastal defense ships, destroyers and protected cruisers.

Coastal defense ships:

• Yongfeng class - Two of the four ships of this class Yongjian and Yongji were armed with a single bow mounted EOC 4 inch gun. While Yongfeng and Yongxiang were similar in configuration they carried a single bow mounted Krupp 10.5 cm SK L/40 gun instead.^[2][3]

Destroyers:

• Wild Beast class - The four ships of this class had a primary armament of four EOC 4 inch guns. One was bow mounted, one was amidships and two were at the stern.^[4][5]

Protected cruisers:

• Chao Ho class - Two ships of this class Chao Ho and Ying Swei had a secondary armament of four shielded EOC 4 inch guns on sponsons amidships. The third ship of the class named Elli was sold to Greece before completion and had a different armament scheme.^[6][7][8]

References

• Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.

Notes

External links