Used on Cold War Italian destroyers and frigates. I know how K-11 launcher looks like, but as for the original triple launcher in 1960s, any plans reliable?
On this triple launcher, was there an official name? I see there was shield or turret like thing covering some Menons, while other Menons did not have. Were they the same type?
From what I could find, they looks generally like single-barrel launcher, but with three barrel placed in triangle:
No data about the design, but apparently it operated just the same as single-barrel version - all barrels fired at fixed 45-degrees angle, range was set by gas valves, seven projectiles were automatically fed from ready supply.
Have a suspicion, that triple-barrel version could set range individually for each barrerl - but can't find confirmation.
No data about the design, but apparently it operated just the same as single-barrel version - all barrels fired at fixed 45-degrees angle, range was set by gas valves, seven projectiles were automatically fed from ready supply.
Have a suspicion, that triple-barrel version could set range individually for each barrerl - but can't find confirmation.
Used on Cold War Italian destroyers and frigates. I know how K-11 launcher looks like, but as for the original triple launcher in 1960s, any plans reliable?
On this triple launcher, was there an official name? I see there was shield or turret like thing covering some Menons, while other Menons did not have. Were they the same type?
Unfortunately, it is not clear to me if there was an initial number designation attached - perhaps because it was the first turreted ASW mortar system by Officine Menon?
Contemporary sources describe it the "Lanciabas lungo trinato tipo MENON" or "Lanciabas trinato tipo MENON" or just "Lanciabas trinato"
For the sake of context for other readers of the thread- 'Lancia bas' is just short for Lancia Bombe Antisom). The name 'Menon' comes from Officine Menon, originally founded by Carlo Menon in 1895 as Societa Menon di Roncade.
In WWII, the company became involved in the production of depth charge throwers. They introduced the Lanciabombe Mod. "M" (Alternatively known as the "Menon 42"), in 1942, initially fitted to the Ciclone-class escorts (6 per ship) and Gabbiano-class (8 per ship) corvettes before being refitted to existing ships. This was a fixed pyro-pneumatic thrower inclined at 39°, using a 180-gram FC4 charge in a 56mm cartridge, which would be inserted into a breech at the base of the system to trigger the throwing piston. The system allowed for a high rate of fire thanks to the two double roller magazines next to it, and weighed 450 kg empty (+190 kg for the adjacent magazine systems). The system launched charges of 430 to 450mm, which translated generally into the Italian BTG 100 (430mm, various types) or German W.B. "D" or "F" (450mm) - but the W.B. "D" was by far the most common. Sources disagree on their performance - one credits a range of 'approximately 60 meters,' another gives 100-140 meters.
The Lanciabombe Mod. "M" / Menon 42 was a popular weapon system, so much so that the Marina Militare would re-use it on post-war designs and refits.
Rebuilt ships of the late 1940s/early 50s include four each on the San Giorgio-class destroyer leaders (rebuilt Capitani Romani-class light cruisers), two each on the three surviving modern WWII destroyers (Maestrale, Carabiniere, and Granatiere) converted into fast frigates, and four each on the surviving Orsa-class escorts (Orsa and Orione). Many Gabbiano-class corvettes would retain or be re-fit with varying numbers of this system, post-war. They were also re-fit to the corvettes Vedetta (former American PC 1616) - four - and Alabarda (former British Larne) - also four.
New-build ships included the Indomito-class destroyers (four each), Centauro-class frigates (4 each), and Albatros-class corvettes (4 each).
The Lanciabas Trinato
First used on the Centauro-class destroyer escorts (reclassified as frigates in 1957), it is described by a fairly contemporary source (Bargoni & Gray, Esploratori, Fregate, Corvette ed Avvisi Italiani, 1970) as a triple long-barreled 305mm ASW mortar. Capable of throwing depth charges to a maximum range of 1,500 meters, it would fire in salvoes of up to three at once. Once these are fired, the system would elevate to 90° to be automatically reloaded. Fusing for the depth charges would be adjusted through the Anti-Submarine Fire Control system (via data from the attack sonar), and ranged varied by the power of the launch charge. The installation is described as "bulky" and enclosed in a traversing enclosed turret.
An alternative description, which exists on Navweaps but originally comes from Friedman's The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems 1991/92, dubs it only the 'Lancia Bas'; and describes it as "An earlier 3-barrel version... no longer in service. It fired a 21-round pattern in 70 sec, covering an area of about 80 x 180 yards." Alternatively, 3 charges every ten seconds, creating a pattern of 73 x 165 m.
I will attach some longitudinal cross-sections of the San Giorgio-class destroyer leaders and Indomito-class destroyers in spoilers below, which show the turret stalk and magazines, as well as the Centauro-class frigates.
Bargoni & Gray also describe the Menon K 113 in their section on the Bergamini-class frigates (or, as they call it, the Luigi Rizzo-class). It is called both the K 113 (in tables) and the Mod. 60 (in text).
In their description, it is a 'much more advanced weapon' than the triple-barreled system, with adjustable traverse and fixed elevation. The loading was automatic and continuous through an elevator that receives depth charges from a carousel in the magazine, at the base of the turret system. Range is adjustable via the launch charges, and can reach up to 1,500m. The rate of fire is up to 15 charges per minute.
Friedman's World Naval Weapons 1991/92 also contains an entry on this system.
"This single-barrel automatic-loading 305mm (12-in) mortar is fixed at a 45° elevation. Range is varied (400-900m | 440-980 yd) by adjusting gas vent valves on 3 powder chambers. The depth charge weights 160 kg (353 lb). The barrel, which is 4.6 m (181 in) long, loads automatically from a 7-rnd cylinder, firing a 7-rnd pattern."
Longitudinal cross-sections of the forward sections of the Luigi Rizzo and Alpino-class frigates, as well as the De Cristofaro-class corvettes, are in the spoilers below.
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