Japanese Naval Ordnance

18.1"/45 caliber


(Battleship Yamato fitting out. Scanned from Campbell, "Naval Weapons of World War II")

The largest naval rifles ever mounted afloat, these guns were installed aboard the superbattleships Yamato and Musashi. The weight of their triple turrets exceeded 2,500 tons (the weight of a decent-sized destroyer).

Bore18.1 inches
Weight162.4 tons
Length OA831.9 inches
Weight Projectile3219 lbs.
Muzzle Velocity2559 ft/s
Max. Elevation+45/-5 degrees
Max. Range45,960 yards
Rate of Fire2/min