French 100 mm naval gun
Encyclopedia
Modern French 100 mm naval guns are multipurpose artillery pieces (anti-air, anti-ship, ground), capable of a high rate of fire. Most modern French warships are equipped with one of its versions.
, the French Navy was equipped with numerous calibres, most of which were due for decommissioning. In 1953, the STCAN of Paris, under engineer Tonnelé, drafted the design of a polyvalent 100 mm gun. The gun was designed to be effective for
The first turret of the family, "modèle 53", was tested at sea on the escort Le Brestois in 1958 and the escort aviso Victor Schoelcher in 1961.
Rounds of ammunition are fed automatically; empty shell is ejected through an evacuation door on the front of the turret after firing. Cooling is provided by water circulating in layers of steel around the tube of the gun, and by an injection of air and water after every shot.
The turret can be used in three modes:
In manual mode, two crewmen serve the turret: the gunner, at the left of the gun, uses a joystick to point the gun, and optic ranging and aiming instruments to direct the fire; the observer monitors the operations from the back of the turret.
Aiming is performed by two electric motors, one for the elevation (left of the turret) and the other for the traverse (right of the turret). Two hydraulic systems feed the gun. The gun can also be moved manually for maintenance.
Since it is usually installed on the bow deck of warships, these turrets are often exposed to breaking waves and humidity. To prevent corrosion and mechanical problems, the turret is made water-tight by rubber joints. The gun itself is sealed by a rubber tampion
, which can be shot through in case of emergency.
The plexiglas viewbay used to manually aim the gun is usually protected by a steel cover.
s. The Charles de Gaulle, with her MBDA Aster
-only defence, is the main exception. Also, the future Horizon CNGF frigates should be equipped with the 76 mm Oto-Breda gun
. It is not yet known whether this is a general tendency to abandon the 100 mm gun, or only a special case for certain specialized vessels.
The 100 mm has been sold abroad, and is used by the navies of Belgium
, China
, Portugal
, Turkey
, Brazil
, Saudi Arabia
, Bulgaria
& Germany
(Mounted on Köln class frigates
and Hamburg class destroyers
. Both classes were already retired), and others.
Belgian Wielingen class frigate
s using the gun were sold to Bulgaria
in 2004-2008.
History
At the end of the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the French Navy was equipped with numerous calibres, most of which were due for decommissioning. In 1953, the STCAN of Paris, under engineer Tonnelé, drafted the design of a polyvalent 100 mm gun. The gun was designed to be effective for
- anti-air defence
- anti-ship combat
- ground shelling
The first turret of the family, "modèle 53", was tested at sea on the escort Le Brestois in 1958 and the escort aviso Victor Schoelcher in 1961.
Description
The most common version, modèle 68, features a completely automatic action and control. The ammunition is stored in a magazine underneath the turret, and fed to the gun by a lift regularly manned by two crewmen. A flexible pipe allows feeding the gun under any orientation.Rounds of ammunition are fed automatically; empty shell is ejected through an evacuation door on the front of the turret after firing. Cooling is provided by water circulating in layers of steel around the tube of the gun, and by an injection of air and water after every shot.
The turret can be used in three modes:
- Remote control by the main firing computer, from the Operation Central
- Remote control from a secondary firing computer
- Manual control by the joystick at the left of the gun (except the 100TR version)
In manual mode, two crewmen serve the turret: the gunner, at the left of the gun, uses a joystick to point the gun, and optic ranging and aiming instruments to direct the fire; the observer monitors the operations from the back of the turret.
Aiming is performed by two electric motors, one for the elevation (left of the turret) and the other for the traverse (right of the turret). Two hydraulic systems feed the gun. The gun can also be moved manually for maintenance.
Since it is usually installed on the bow deck of warships, these turrets are often exposed to breaking waves and humidity. To prevent corrosion and mechanical problems, the turret is made water-tight by rubber joints. The gun itself is sealed by a rubber tampion
Tampion
A tampion is a wooden plug, or a metal, canvas, rubber or plastic cover, for the muzzle of a gun. They can be found on both land based artillery and naval guns...
, which can be shot through in case of emergency.
The plexiglas viewbay used to manually aim the gun is usually protected by a steel cover.
Versions
Over the years, the 100 mm turret went through several improvements, notably bringing better automatisation and increased of the firing rate, new ammunition optimised to shoot down missiles, and compatibility with modern firing computers. Three main versions of French 100mm guns can be cited:- modèle 53: the first shell had to be fed manually, with subsequent shots taking advantage of recoil to load automatically, firing at up to 60 rounds per minute. Employs electro-mechanical fire control, with two manual command stations on the front of the turret. The modèle 64 is a direct offspring of the 53, with a 78 round/min rate of fire. This version can be connected to modern firing computers.
- modèle 68 In this model, the turret was lightened and can load the first round automatically, but rate of fire is reduced back to 60 rounds per minute. This version may operate unmanned with only one manual station remaining as a backup. This version was later improved to the CADAM standard (Cadence Améliorée, "improved rate of fire"), restoring the 78 rounds/min rate of fire. A derivative is the modèle 100 TR (used on the La Fayette class frigateLa Fayette class frigateThe La Fayette class units are light multi-mission frigates built by DCN and operated by French Marine Nationale...
s), mechanically similar to the 68, but with a stealth armour. The manual control has been removed.
- Compact: This weapon has only been exported to China (see also China's Type 210 100 mm naval gunType 210 100 mm naval gunThe Type 210 automatic single 100 mm naval gun is the Chinese modification of the Compact model of the French 100 mm naval gun. There are at least two variants, with both sharing similar characteristics with the French weapon.-Type 210:...
), Malaysia, Portugal and Saudi Arabia. It is even lighter than the modèle 68, at only 19 metric tons including gunhouse, deck and magazine. Later Mk 2 versions also fire faster, at up to 90 rounds per minute. However, it is also limited to firing short bursts of no more than 6 rounds.
Usage
The 100 mm gun has been used in the French navy on most warships equal or greater than avisoAviso
An aviso , a kind of dispatch boat or advice boat, survives particularly in the French navy, they are considered equivalent to the modern sloop....
s. The Charles de Gaulle, with her MBDA Aster
MBDA Aster
Aster is a family of surface-to-air missiles manufactured by Eurosam, a European consortium consisting of MBDA France, MBDA Italy and the Thales Group .-Overview:The Aster family was developed to perform three distinct missions:...
-only defence, is the main exception. Also, the future Horizon CNGF frigates should be equipped with the 76 mm Oto-Breda gun
Otobreda 76 mm
The Otobreda 76 mm gun is a naval artillery piece built by the Italian defence conglomerate Otobreda. It is based on the Oto Melara 76mm/L62 Allargato, which was bigger and heavier...
. It is not yet known whether this is a general tendency to abandon the 100 mm gun, or only a special case for certain specialized vessels.
The 100 mm has been sold abroad, and is used by the navies of Belgium
Belgian Navy
The Marine Component of the Belgian Army, formerly the Belgian Naval Force, is the naval service of Belgium.-Early history:The Belgian Navy was created as the Marine Royale in 1831. This force has operated in various forms throughout Belgian history.When after the Belgian Revolution, the country...
, China
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Bulgaria
Bulgarian Navy
The Bulgarian Navy is the navy of Republic of Bulgaria and forms part of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. It has been largely overlooked in the reforms that Bulgaria had to go through in order to comply with NATO standards, mostly because of the great expense involved and the fact that naval assaults...
& Germany
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
(Mounted on Köln class frigates
Köln class frigate
The ships of the F120 Köln class of frigates were the first major warships built in Germany after World War II.They were the world's first ships to feature a combined diesel and gas propulsion system. The ships received numerous refits during their long careers with new electronics and torpedo tubes...
and Hamburg class destroyers
Hamburg class destroyer
The Type 101 Hamburg class was the only class of destroyers built in post-war Germany. They were specifically designed to operate in the Baltic Sea, where armament and speed are more important than seaworthiness. They were named after the "Bundesländer" of West Germany.The German shipyard...
. Both classes were already retired), and others.
Belgian Wielingen class frigate
Wielingen class frigate
The Wielingen class is a class of four multi-functional frigates built for the Belgian Navy. The ships are named after sandbanks in the North Sea, not far from the Belgian coast, or sea routes. The lead ship is named after the Wielingen sandbank....
s using the gun were sold to Bulgaria
Bulgarian Navy
The Bulgarian Navy is the navy of Republic of Bulgaria and forms part of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. It has been largely overlooked in the reforms that Bulgaria had to go through in order to comply with NATO standards, mostly because of the great expense involved and the fact that naval assaults...
in 2004-2008.