Fredericksburg in Gillespie County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
5 Inch/38 Caliber Gun
Photographed By James Hulse, December 2, 2021
1. 5 Inch/38 Caliber Gun Marker
This 5 inch/38 gun on the Mark 21 open pedestal mount would have been used primarily on Attack Transports (APA), Attack Cargo (AKA), auxiliaries and armed merchant ships. The merchant ships would have a detachment of Navy Armed Guard to man the guns. Five inches describes the bore of the gun (the diameter of the shell) which is five inches or 127mm. The 38 refers to the barrel length in terms of the bore, 5 inches times 38 which equals 190 inches or 15 feet, 10 inches. Maximum horizontal range, with a 55 pound projectile, is 18,000 yards (10.2 miles). In the antiaircraft role, it had a ceiling of 37,200 feet at 85 degrees elevation.
This gun used semi-fixed ammunition. Each round consisted of a projectile, and a powder case. It used ten different types of shells and four types of fuzes. The type of target dictated the shell/fuze combination used in the gun.
The Mark 21 5 inch/38 required a crew of 15 men to effectively operate the gun.
Captions
Lower Right: "It is your duty during gunnery exercises, and in action, to keep the gun firing at the maximum rate of effective fire.
Photographed By James Hulse, December 2, 2021
2. 5 Inch/38 Caliber Gun Marker
this page online
- duties of the Gun Captain in The Operating Instructions for 5 Inch/38 Caliber Gun Crews.
Erected by National Museum of the Pacific War.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, World II.
Location. 30° 16.385′ N, 98° 52.04′ W. Marker is in Fredericksburg, Texas, in Gillespie County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of East Austin Street and North Washington Street. The marker is located in the northeastern sectional of the National Museum of the Pacific War. There is an entrance fee to visit inside the museum but this marker is located on the outside grounds by the entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 311 East Austin Street, Fredericksburg TX 78624, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Mark 15 Torpedo Tube (here, next to this marker); Main Mast from Destroyer USS Foote (DD-511) (a few steps from this marker); Twin 40mm Bofors: (a few steps from this marker); U.S. 105mm Howitzer M2A1: (within shouting distance of this marker); Ordnance QF 25-Pounder Field Gun: (within shouting distance of this marker); Fairwater of USS Pintado (SS-387) (within shouting distance of this marker); Franklin D. Roosevelt (within shouting distance of this marker); 75mm Field Gun, M2A2: (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.
Also see . . . 5-inch/38-caliber gun.
The Mark 12 5"/38 caliber gun was a United States naval gun. The gun was installed into Single Purpose and dual purpose mounts used primarily by the US Navy. On these 5" mounts, single purpose (SP) means that the mount is limited to 35° elevation with no provision for AA shell fuze setters, and is designed to fire at surface targets only. Dual purpose (DP) means that it is designed to be effective against both surface and aircraft targets because it can elevate to 85° and has on mount AA shell fuze setters. Source: Wikipedia(Submitted on April 28, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 28, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 162 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 28, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
