L45 (120 mm)

Description

Write an introduction to the article in 2-3 small paragraphs. Briefly tell us about the history of the development and combat using the weaponry and also about its features. Compile a list of air, ground, or naval vehicles that feature this weapon system in the game.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• K2

General info

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Available ammunition

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Comparison with analogues

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Usage in battles

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Pros and cons

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Pros:

Cons:

History

The L45 is a Dutch licensed version of a Swedish cannon. The original Bofors 12cm/45 Model 1924 was built for the Ehrensköld-class destroyer for the Swedish Navy during their interwar modernization of their destroyer fleet. The Royal Netherlands Navy would first use the design for their Admiralen-class destroyers laid down starting in 1926 based on the design of prototype British destroyers. The guns mounted on these destroyers were build under license by Wilton-Fijenoord. The L45 was variant with shorter barrel with five less calibers that after the war was designated the 12cm/45 Mark 8 and based on the earlier Bofors cannons built by Wilton-Fijenoord. The design was first used on the Gerard Callenburgh-class of destroyers intended to counter Japanese destroyers in the Dutch East Indies. When Germany invaded on May 10th, 1940, the ship was scuttled to keep it out of enemy hands, but it was salvaged by Germany and re-designated the ZH1 (Zerstörer Holland 1). and remained in service until the Kriegsmarine (Germany Navy) until they scuttled it in the English Channel during the Battle of Ushant on June 9th, 1944.

The only other ships to notably use the L45 was the K-class sloops the K1, K2, and K3. Designed to their aging Brinio-class gunboats, the K-class was still under construction when the Germans invaded in 1940 and the three ships still being built were captured and finished for the Kriegsmarine. The K1 was sunk near Arahus, Denmark, the K2 and K3 would survive the war, but K2 was sunk in port by accident and later scrapped while K3 was returned and successfully served in the Royal Netherlands Navy. The L45 guns used a Bofors tri-axial mounting in a double turret (though the ZH1 had a single turret gun also), a decision the Germans disliked for overloading the cross-level axis that had to support both the dredger hoists and the armored shield.

Media

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See also

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• reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;
• references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links

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