France Miscellaneous 100 mm (3.9") Guns

France
Miscellaneous 100 mm (3.9") Guns

100 mm/45 (3.9") Model 1891
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100 mm/45 (3.9") Model 1892
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100 mm/26 (3.9") Model 1892
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100 mm/45 (3.9") Model 1893
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100 mm/45 (3.9") Model 1897
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100 mm/45 (3.9") Model 1917
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100 mm/34 (3.9") Model 1936

Updated 25 February 2012

This page is a collection of miscellaneous French 100 mm (3.9") guns, none of which were of much importance. As detailed information for these guns is limited, rather than creating a page for each one, I have decided to combine them into a single page.

100 mm/45 (3.9") Model 1891
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100 mm/45 (3.9") Model 1892
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100 mm/45 (3.9") Model 1893
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100 mm/45 (3.9") Model 1897
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100 mm/45 (3.9") Model 1917 .

These older guns differed from later versions in that they fired separate rather than fixed ammunition. Performance of all these guns was similar. SAP projectiles weighed 35.3 lbs. (16.0 kg) and had a muzzle velocity of 2,306 fps (703 mps). Guns reworked for various reasons before World War II had "T" suffixes added to their designations.

In the late 1930s, a shortage of new 100 mm (3.9") guns forced the re-use of these old guns on smaller warships.

Destroyer Bouclier
Photograph from the collection of Henri le Masson

Escort Sloop L'Impétueuse in 1941 showing her single 100 mm mounting
Photograph from the collection of Henri le Masson

100 mm/26 (3.9") Model 1892 .

100 mm gun on unidentified French ship
Bain News Service Photograph
Library of Congress Photograph ID LC-DIG-ggbain-26062

Actual bore length was 26.2 calibers. SAP projectiles weighed 35.3 lbs. (16.0 kg) and had a muzzle velocity of 1,673 fps (510 mps). Used on minor warships.

100 mm/45 (3.9") Model 1933 .

Not in service, this weapon was intended for the De Grase class cruisers as originally designed and for the "1,010 tonne" L'Agile class torpedo boats. This was to be used in twin base ring AA mountings. Weighed 1.48 tons (1.5 mt) and fired a 32.8 lbs. (14.9 kg) shell at 2,493 fps (760 mps). The mounting for L'Agile class would have been 29.3 tons (29.8 mt) with -10 / +90 degree elevation limits. The guns were to be individually sleeved, axes 25.6 in (65 cm) apart and each had a pusher hoist with mechanical loading.

100 mm/34 (3.9") Model 1936 .

A lighter weight gun intended for submarines of the Aurore, Roland Morillot and Emeraude classes, but only Aurore herself ever saw service. The gun weighed 0.98 tons (1.0 mt) and the gun and mounting together weighed 3.0 tons (3.05 mt). Recoil was 22.4 in (57 cm) and elevation was -5 / +30 degrees. The fixed round was 31.7 inches (803 mm) long.

Data from
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"Navies of the Second World War - The French Navy" by Henri le Masson
"Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia" by M.J. Whitley
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"The French Navy under Steam" picture essay in "United States Naval Institute Proceedings" Vol. 80, No. 7, July 1954

Page History

28 December 2008 - Benchmark
25 February 2012 - Added photograph of Bouclier