USN Gun Mounting Designation List

[Tzoli]

This is a companion thread to the Gun Mark list here:

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/usn-naval-gun-designation-list.35754/

But here I list and wish to collect the various gun mountings the USN used and have a "Mark" number.
As you can see there are quite a few gaps especially in the post war section, any help or info is appreciated!

Pre-Cold War Gun Mount Marks:
Mark 41 - Twin Turret for the 5"/54 Mark 16 gun
Mark 40 - Wet Mounting for the 5"/25 Mark 17 Gun
Mark 39 - Single Turret for the 5"/54 Mark 16 gun
Mark 38 - Base Ring Twin Enclosed Mounting for the 5"/38 Mark 12 Gun
Mark 37 - Twin Mounting for the 3"/70 Mark 26 gun

Mark 35 - Single Mounting for the 3"/70 Mark 26 gun
Mark 34 - Single Mounting for the 3"/50 RF Mark 22 gun
Mark 33 - Twin Mounting for the 3"/50 RF Mark 22 gun
Mark 32 - Base Ring Twin Enclosed Mounting for the 5"/38 Mark 12 Gun

Mark 30 - Base Ring Single Enclosed Mounting for the 5"/38 Mark 12 Gun
Mark 29 - Base Ring Twin Enclosed Mounting for the 5"/38 Mark 12 Gun
Mark 28 - Base Ring Twin Enclosed Mounting for the 5"/38 Mark 12 Gun
Mark 27 - Pedestral Mounting for the 5"/25 Mark 10/11/13/17 Guns
Mark 27 - Twin Mounting for the 3"/50 RF Mark 22 gun
Mark 26 - Twin Mounting for the 3"/50 Mark 21/22 guns
Mark 25 - Base Ring Single Enclosed Mounting for the 5"/38 Mark 12 Gun
Mark 24 - Pedestral Mounting for the 5"/38 Mark 12 Gun
Mark 24 - Twin Mounting for the 3"/50 Mark 21/22 guns
Mark 24 - Twin Mounting for the 20mm/70 Mark 1/2/3/4 Guns
Mark 23 - Pedestral Mounting for the 5"/25 Mark 10/11/13/17 Guns
Mark 23 - Triple Mounting for the 20mm/70 Mark 1/2/3/4 Guns
Mark 22 - Base Ring Twin Enclosed Mounting for the 5"/38 Mark 12 Gun
Mark 22 - Twin Mounting for the 3"/50 Mark 21/22 guns
Mark 21 - Open Shielded Mounting for the 5"/38 Mark 12 Gun
Mark 21 - Wet Mounting for the 3"/50 Mark 21 gun
Mark 20 - Single Mounting for the 3"/50 Mark 20 gun
Mark 20 - Twin Mounting for the 20mm/70 Mark 1/2/3/4 Guns
Mark 19 - Pedestral Mounting for the 5"/25 Mark 10 Gun
Mark 18 - Pedestral Mounting for the 6"/47 Mark 17
Mark 18 - Wet Mounting for the 5"/54 Mark 9 Guns
Mark 18 - Wet Mounting for the 3"/50 Mark 18 gun
Mark 17 - Pedestral Mounting for the 5"/25 Mark 10 Gun
Mark 17 - Wet Mounting for the 6"/53 Mark 12/14 guns
Mark 16 - Twin Turret for the 6"/53 Mark 12/14 guns
Mark 16 - Single Mounting for the 20mm/70 Mark 1/2/3/4 Guns
Mark 15 - Quad Mounting for the 20mm/70 Mark 1/2/3/4 Guns
Mark 14 - Twin Mounting for the 4"/50 Mark 7/8/9/10 guns
Mark 14 - Twin Mounting for the 5"/54 Mark 7/8/9/14/15 Guns
Mark 14 - Single Mounting for the 3"/23 Mark 4/7/9/11/13/14 Guns
Mark 13 - Casemated Mounting for the 6"/53 Mark 12/14 guns
Mark 13 - Single Mounting for the 3"/23 Mark 4/7/9/11/13/14 Guns
Mark 12 - Pedestral Mounting for the 5"/50 Mark 5/6 gun
Mark 12 - Single Mounting for the 4"/50 Mark 7/8/9/10 guns
Mark 11 - Single Mounting for the 3"/50 Mark 10 gun
Mark 11 - Wet Mounting for the 3"/50 Mark 17 gun
Mark 11 - Single Mounting for the 3"/50 Mark 2/3/5/6/8 Guns
Mark 10 - Single Mounting for the 6"/50 Mark 6/8 Guns
Mark 10 - Single Mounting for the 20mm/70 Mark 1/2/3/4 Guns
Mark 9 - Pedestral Mounting for the 5"/50 Mark 5/6 guns
Mark 9 - Pedestral Mounting for the 4"/40 Mark 1/3/4/5/6 guns
Mark 9 - Single Mounting for the 3"/23 Mark 4/7/9/11/13/14 Guns
Mark 8 - Pedestral Mounting for the 5"/40 Mark 2/3/4 guns
Mark 7 - Modernized Pedestral Mounting for the 6"/40 Mark 3 gun
Mark 7 - Pedestral Mounting for the 5"/40 Mark 2/3/4 guns
Mark 7 - Pedestral Mounting for the 4"/40 Mark 1/3/4/5/6 guns
Mark 7 - Single Mounting for the 3"/50 Mark 2/3/5/6/8 Guns
Mark 6 - Pedestral Mounting for the 6"/40 Mark 3 gun
Mark 6 - Pedestral Mounting for the 5"/40 Mark 2/3/4 guns
Mark 6 - Single Mounting for the 20mm/70 Mark 1/2/3/4 Guns
Mark 5 - Central Pivot Mounting for the 6"/40 Mark 4 gun
Mark 5 - Pedestral Mounting for the 5"/40 Mark 2/3/4 guns
Mark 5 - Single Mounting for the 3"/50 Mark 2/3/5/6/8 Guns
Mark 5 - Single Mounting for the 20mm/70 Mark 1/2/3/4 Guns
Mark 4 - Central Pivot Mounting for the 6"/35 Mark 3 gun
Mark 4 - Central Pivot Mounting for the 5"/40 Mark 2/3/4 guns
Mark 4 - Pedestral Mounting for the 4"/40 Mark 1/3/4/5/6 guns
Mark 4 - Single Mounting for the 3"/50 Mark 2/3/5/6/8 Guns
Mark 4 - Quad Mounting for the 40mm/56 Mark 1/2 Guns
Mark 4 - Single Mounting for the 20mm/70 Mark 1/2/3/4 Guns
Mark 3 - Central Pivot Mounting for the 6"/30 Mark 1 gun
Mark 3 - Central Pivot Mounting for the 5"/40 Mark 2/3/4 guns
Mark 3 - Central Pivot Mounting for the 4"/40 Mark 1/3/4/5/6 guns
Mark 3 - Single Mounting for the 40mm/56 Mark 1/2 Guns
Mark 2 - Muzzle Pivot Mounting for the 6"/30 Mark 2 gun
Mark 2 - Central Pivot Mounting for the 5"/40 Mark 2/3/4 guns
Mark 2 - Central Pivot Mounting for the 4"/40 Mark 1/3/4/5/6 guns
Mark 2 - Single Mounting for the 3"/50 Mark 2/3/5/6/8 Guns
Mark 2 - Quad Mounting for the 40mm/56 Mark 1/2 Guns
Mark 2 - Quad Mounting for the 1,1"/75 Mark 2 Gun
Mark 2 - Single Mounting for the 20mm/70 Mark 1/2/3/4 Guns
Mark 1 - Shifting Pivot Mounting for the 6"/30 Mark 1 gun
Mark 1 - Gravity Return Mounting for the 5"/31 Mark 1 gun
Mark 1 - Twin Mounting for the 40mm/56 Mark 1/2 Guns
Mark 1 - Quad Mounting for the 1,1"/75 Mark 1 Gun


Post-WW2 Gun Mount Marks:
Mark 110 - Mounting for the Swedish 57mm/70 Mark 3 gun

Mark 96 - Bushmaster I Mounting for the 25mm/87 gun

Mark 88 - Bushmaster I Mounting for the 25mm/87 gun

Mark 83 - Mounting for the GAU-8 Avenger CIWS / EX-83

Mark 75 - Mounting for the 3"/62 OTO-Malera Gun
Mark 74 - Mounting for the 30mm/75 EX-74/Emerlec-30 gun

Mark 72 - Phalanx Mounting for the 20mm/76 and 20mm/99 M61A1 Guns
Mark 71 - Mounting for the 8"/55 Mark 28 and 32 Guns
Mark 70 - Mounting for the 8"/60 Gun?
Mark 69 - Mounting for the 8"/60 Gun?
Mark 68 - Single Pivot Mounting for the 25mm/87 Mark 38 MGS
Mark 67 - Mounting for the 20mm/86 Mark 16 Gun
Mark 66 - Twin Mounting for the 5"/54 Gun (Mark 21?)
Mark 65 - Mounting for the 5"/54 Gun (Mark 20?)

Mark 56 - Mounting for the 12,7mm/90 M2 Browning / GAU-16

Mark 46 - Bushmaster II Mounting for the 30mm/75 gun
Mark 45 Mod 4 - Mounting for the 5"/62 Mark 36 gun
Mark 45 - Mounting for the 5"/56 Mark 19 gun

Mark 42 - Mounting for the 5"/56 Mark 18 gun

Mark 39 - Mounting for the 5"/54 Mark 16 gun

Mark 16 - Mounting for the 7,62mm/73 M2 Browning / GAU-17

 

[TomS]

I think you're crossing up Mount with Gun Weapon System in several places (e.g., the Mk 46 mount was a combined .50-cal and 40mm GL from Vietnam-era riverine forces; the Bushmaster II Mk46 is a GWS number, not a mount number.) This is easy to get confused on; the Navy does not make this distinction clear at all, and doesn't really advertise the mount numbers for GWSs.

Friedman (US Naval Weapons) has a pretty extensive list of post-war mounts up to the mid-1980s from the Mk 43 (a twin 5-inch/54) through the Mk 84 (a lightweight mount for the M197 Gatling and various other weapons on the PBR Mk 3).

The Mk 39 is really a wartime mount, since it was installed on USS Midway, which commissioned just after the end of the war. Technically, so is the Mk 42, since it began development in mid-to-late 1944.

I'll add here that I think the references in US Naval Weapons to the Mk 69 and Mk 70 as 8-inch guns are a mistake. Those are probably 175mm/60 mounts.

 

[Tzoli]

Indeed but the after WW2 the guns were designated by their mounts hence I've used the Mark 39 and 42. I've even seen on some sites for post war ships using the numerous Oerlikon mounting designations rather one of the gun markings.

 

[TomS]

Indeed but the after WW2 the guns were designated by their mounts hence I've used the Mark 39 and 42. I've even seen on some sites for post war ships using the numerous Oerlikon mounting designations rather one of the gun markings.

My thought was that the Mk 39 and Mk 42 should go at the top of the Pre-Cold War list, since they are actually the tail end of the old system, while the new system begins with the Mk 43. It's a minor quibble, though.

 

[Colonial-Marine]

I need to add some of Friedman's books to my collection but in US Naval Weapons is there any more information on the Mark 43 gun mounting? I've not heard about it in other sources.

 

[TomS]

I need to add some of Friedman's books to my collection but in US Naval Weapons is there any more information on the Mark 43 gun mounting? I've not heard about it in other sources.

Basically nothing.

Friedman talks about the Mark 41, which was initially supposed to be a twin mount successor for the Mark 39 5"/54 for the Montanas and then evolved into a more compact form for proposed CLAA/DL designs. Then the Mark 42, of course. The Mark 43 is described as being "similar to Mk 41 but with reduced trunion height (1947)." And that's all.

(Personally, I suspect the Mark 43 is the more compact gun that the Mark 41 evolved into but I can't support that.)

 

[Colonial-Marine]

I need to add some of Friedman's books to my collection but in US Naval Weapons is there any more information on the Mark 43 gun mounting? I've not heard about it in other sources.

Basically nothing.

Friedman talks about the Mark 41, which was initially supposed to be a twin mount successor for the Mark 39 5"/54 for the Montanas and then evolved into a more compact form for proposed CLAA/DL designs. Then the Mark 42, of course. The Mark 43 is described as being "similar to Mk 41 but with reduced trunion height (1947)." And that's all.

(Personally, I suspect the Mark 43 is the more compact gun that the Mark 41 evolved into but I can't support that.)

From what I've read the Mark 41 was definitely the well-armored twin mounting intended for the Montana class, this would have worked much like the 5"/38 twins. Yet these loading arrangements for the heavier ammunition did not allow for the sort of sustained rate of fire the Navy desired. So by 1944 we see the idea for the more compact twin mounting with automatic loading you mentioned. This was intended to be used on the CLAA/CL-154 at the very least and the desired rate of fire was 18 rpm per barrel, which is about what the Mark 42 does when operating with just one drum. It seems likely to me that what became the Mark 42 was originally envisioned as having two guns each fed by one ammunition drum, but this was later changed to have the two drums feed one gun at twice the rate of fire.

By the end of 1945 the new CLAA was cancelled for good and by 1946-47 interest had shifted over to the Mark 42 single mounting, but there still seems to have been some interest in a twin automatic mounting as shown on the proposed "anti aircraft battleship" conversion of the incomplete BB-66 Kentucky in 1947-48. So maybe the Mark 43 was a twin automatic mounting with a different method of shell loading and handling? Otherwise why bother if the Mark 42 can achieve the same rate of fire with just one barrel?

Unfortunately I'd have to guess that the Navy disposed of whatever records or plans there might have been relating to it along with a lot of other stuff from the immediate post-war period.

 

[Tzoli]

So the Mark 43 was a somewhat modified Mark 41 apparently?

 

[TomS]

So the Mark 43 was a somewhat modified Mark 41 apparently?

That's only a guess. I haven't seen any documentary evidence for or against that theory