5-Inch, 25-Caliber Submarine Deck Gun
NMUSN-5302: 5-inch, 25-caliber submarine deck gun, 2023. This artifact is awaiting to be transferred to the Naval History and Heritage Command’s Curator Branch, Collection Management Facility, at Richmond, Virginia. Official National Museum of the U.S. Navy Photograph Collection.
The Bureau of Ordnance began work on the 5-inch, 25-caliber deck gun for submarines in 1942. The guns were made of noncorrosive material to protect them from salt water. Spadefish received the first one in early 1944. The Pacific Fleet Submarine Force considered it the best submarine deck gun of war. Submarine crews used their deck guns against small Japanese vessels (junks or fishing boats) or unarmed merchant ships to save torpedoes.
| Projectile Weight | 65 pounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2.035 feet per second |
| Maximum Range | 8,000 yards |
| Rate of Fire | 10 rounds per minute |
The gun was on display in the museum's World War II exhibit, In Harm's Way. This artifact has now been transferred to the Naval History and Heritage Command’s Curator Branch, Collection Management Facility, at Richmond, Virginia.
NMUSN-5301: 5-inch, 25-caliber submarine deck gun, 2023. This artifact awaiting to be transferred to the Naval History and Heritage Command’s Curator Branch, Collection Management Facility, at Richmond, Virginia. Official National Museum of the U.S. Navy Photograph Collection.
NMUSN-5300: 5-inch, 25-caliber submarine deck gun, 2018. This gun was on display in the National Museum of the U.S. Navy’s World War II exhibit, In Harm’s Way. This artifact has now been transferred to the Naval History and Heritage Command’s Curator Branch, Collection Management Facility, at Richmond, Virginia. Official National Museum of the U.S. Navy photograph collection.
NMUSN-5299: 5-inch, 25-caliber submarine deck gun, 2018. This gun was on display in the National Museum of the U.S. Navy’s World War II exhibit, In Harm’s Way. This artifact has now been transferred to the Naval History and Heritage Command’s Curator Branch, Collection Management Facility, at Richmond, Virginia. Official National Museum of the U.S. Navy photograph collection.
NMUSN-1370: Weapons Display area, 1970s. 5” inch submarine gun along with the 5” .38 twin caliber gun on display. Original is a negative. National Museum of the U.S. Navy Photograph Collection
NMUSN-384: 5-inch, .25 Caliber Submarine Deck Gun, late 1980s. This photograph shows the gun in the Pacific section of the In Harm’s Way World War II exhibit. National Museum of the U.S. Navy Photograph Collection.
