Difference between revisions of "Ordnance BL Tk. L11A5 (120 mm)"

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m (U38088265 moved page Ordnance BL Tk. L11 (120 mm) to Ordnance BL Tk. L11A5 (120 mm): Renamed in-game)
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=== Available ammunition ===
 
=== Available ammunition ===
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<!-- ''Describe the shells that are available for the weapon and their features and purpose. If it concerns autocannons or machine guns, write about different ammo belts and what is inside (which types of shells).'' -->
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{{:{{PAGENAME}}/Ammunition|Shot L15A3, Shell L31A7, Shot L23, L34}}
 
{{:{{PAGENAME}}/Ammunition|Shot L15A3, Shell L31A7, Shot L23, L34}}
  
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'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
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* The APDS round has high penetrating power, able to defeat all but the most heavily armoured MBTs it encounters.
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* APDS round has high penetrating power, able to defeat all but the most heavily armoured MBTs it encounters.
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* Has access to HESH ammunition, being capable of overpressuring and destroying lightly armoured vehicles in a single shot.
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* Has access to HESH ammunition, being capable to hull-break lightly armoured vehicles
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* The L21A1 12.7 mm Heavy Machine Gun can be used alongside with the main gun to accurately rangefind targets for the HESH due to the similar ballistic performance of both rounds.
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* The L21A1 12.7 mm Heavy Machine Gun can be used alongside with the main gun to accurately rangefind targets due to the similar ballistic performance of both rounds.
 
* Late vehicles (namely the Chieftain Mk 10) have access to APFSDS ammunition
 
* Late vehicles (namely the Chieftain Mk 10) have access to APFSDS ammunition
  
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== History ==
 
== History ==
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During the development stage of the main armament of the future FV4201 Main Battle Tank, several novel propellant systems were considered. One of those was most notably a liquid propellant compound which would have allowed the crew to vary the propellant amount for each shot and thus the ballistics of the projectile. However, this system was quickly found to be unfeasible after trials in 1953, and thus a bag-charge system became the favoured method. A 105mm gun using bag-charges was specified in 1954. At this time, the turret design of FV4201 allowed a limited amount of space, leading engineers to limit the length of ammunition components to 27 inches (68,58cm) as the maximum. This ruled out conventional one-piece ammunition such as usually found on contemporary tank guns like the [[20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm)]] or the Soviet [[D-10T (100 mm)]]. Separate bag-charge ammunition was chosen, dividing the ammunition up into three pieces: Projectile, Bagged propellant charge, and ignition primer in the form of a small magazine containing essentially blank rifle caliber rounds to ignite the propellant. From Chieftain to Challenger 2, this system was retained. Curiously, an attempt was made to achieve a proper seal in the gun breech using brass stub cases (as later used on the [[Rh120 L/44 (120 mm)]] and its US American derivative, the [[M256 (120 mm)|M256]]<nowiki/>m which are ejected after every shot automatically as the rest of the casing is combustible. However, this could not be made reliable or safe at the time. The British solution designed 100% of the propellant charge to be combustible, so that as soon as the breech opens, a new shell can be loaded. It was claimed that this system reduces loader fatigue, as each individual component the loader has to handle weighs much less than  the equivalent one-piece 105mm round.
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''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>.''
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The 120mm calibre was not set in stone from the start either. Twelve guns in calibres between 105 and 130mm were considered before 120mm was recommended for further development in December of 1955. This experimental gun, designated as 120mm X23E2/3 was estimated to be able to defeat 120mm of RHA at 60° at 2000 yards (The same layout as the glacis plate of the [[T-54 (1947)|T-54 Mod. 1947]] and 20mm thicker than on subsequent variants of the [[T-54/55 (Family)|T-54]] and T-55, all of which was yet unknown to the British before a T-54 could be gathered after the Hungarian uprisings in 1956). Using the HESH round, about 150mm of RHA could be defeated  at any combat range. By comparison, the NATO standard 105mm L7 derivative guns used on [[Leopard 1 (Family)|Leopard 1]] and [[M60]] could only defeat the NATO standard medium target ( a T-54) at 1.250 yards, and could not reliably defeat the NATO standard heavy target ( a T-10) at any range.
 
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The design of the X23 which in service became the [[L11A5 (120 mm)|L11]] offers a fascinating insight into tank design procedures: It was found that most loaders were right handed and preferred to load using their dominant arm. This meant they are best positioned on the left of the turret so gunner and commander would have to be on the right. This in turn meant that the sights would be offset to the right of the barrel's bore, and therefore the rifling of the barrel had to have a clockwise twist in order to compensate. A mechanised ramming system was also experimented with, however it was unreliable and added even more weight to an already [[Chieftain Mk 3#History|dangerously overweight vehicle]]. British Army loaders therefore resorted to "charge-ramming", using the bagged propellant charge to push the projectile all the way into the breech. Gunnery trials in July of 1962 impressed: At targets out to 2000m, the crews managed an 81% first round hit probability using APDS, proving the L11's accuracy. <ref>Taylor, Dick. ''Chieftain, Main Battle Tank, Owners' Workshop Manual 1966 to present.'' Haynes Publishing Inc., 2016</ref>
 
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
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== See also ==
 
== See also ==
 
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
−
 
 
* ''reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;''
 
* ''reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;''
 
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
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''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
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* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 +
* ''other literature.''
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{{Britain tank cannons}}
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[[Category:Tank cannons]]
 
[[Category:Tank cannons]]
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=== References: ===
 
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<references />{{Britain tank cannons}}
 

Revision as of 15:35, 14 December 2023

The Ordnance BL Tk. L11 (120 mm) on the Chieftain Mk 10 gun mantlet.

Description

The Ordnance BL Tk. L11 is a British 120 mm rifled cannon derived from the Conqueror's L1A2 120 mm main gun. This powerful gun was meant to be used in the Chieftain series Main Battle Tank, in-game this cannon is present on the Mk 3, Mk 5 and Mk 10 variants of this vehicle. At time of production, the L11, firing armour-piercing discarding sabot rounds (APDS), was one of the most fearsome anti-tank solutions present in an Armoured Fighting Vehicle and thus, fulfilled its purpose to defeat the 60s Soviet armour.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

General info

Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.

Available ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Shot L15A3 APDS 298 296 288 277 268 258
Shell L31A7 HESH 152 152 152 152 152 152
Shot L23 APFSDS 410 408 405 400 390 380
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Shot L15A3 APDS 1,372 7.48 - - - 75° 78° 80°
Shell L31A7 HESH 670 17.34 0.1 4 6.53 73° 77° 80°
Shot L23 APFSDS 1,535 3.89 - - - 78° 80° 81°
Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Screen radius
(m) 		Screen deploy
time (s) 		Screen hold
time (s) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
L34 670 17.1 20 5 25 50

Comparison with analogues

Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.

Usage in battles

Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • APDS round has high penetrating power, able to defeat all but the most heavily armoured MBTs it encounters.
  • Has access to HESH ammunition, being capable to hull-break lightly armoured vehicles
  • The L21A1 12.7 mm Heavy Machine Gun can be used alongside with the main gun to accurately rangefind targets due to the similar ballistic performance of both rounds.
  • Late vehicles (namely the Chieftain Mk 10) have access to APFSDS ammunition

Cons:

  • Slightly less accurate than smoothbore counterparts
  • HESH shells produce little spalling, making them impracticable to fight heavy vehicles

History

Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />.

Media

Images
  • 120 mm Ordnance BL Tk. L11 cannon.png

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

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

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Britain tank cannons
30 mm  L21A1
40 mm  QF 2-pounder
47 mm  Ordnance QF 3-pounder
57 mm  6pdr OQF Mk.III · 6pdr OQF Mk.V
75 mm  OQF Mk.V
76 mm  OQF 3-inch Howitzer Mk I · OQF 3in 20cwt · QF 17-pounder
77 mm  OQF Mk.II
84 mm  20pdr OQF Mk.I
94 mm  28pdr OQF · 32pdr OQF · OQF Mk.II
95 mm  Howitzer, Tank No.1, Mk.I
105 mm  LRF · Royal Ordnance L7A1
120 mm  Ordnance QF Tk. L1A2 · Ordnance BL Tk. L11 · L11A5 · L30A1
165 mm  ORD BL 6.5in L9A1
183 mm  QF L4A1
  Foreign:
25 mm  M242 (USA)
37 mm  M5 (USA) · M6 (USA)
75 mm  M2 (USA) · M3 (USA)
84 mm  kan Strv 81 (Sweden)
105 mm  Sharir (Israel)
120 mm  Rh120 L/55 A1 (Germany)
125 mm  2A46M-5 (Russia)
155 mm  M185 (USA)
  South Africa
20 mm  GI-2
76 mm  GT-4
90 mm  GT-2
105 mm  GT-3 · GT-7 · GT-8
155 mm  G6 L/45

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