90mm Anti-Aircraft
Sault Ste Marie, Ontario

Two 90mm Anti-Aircraft guns are mounted outside the home Armoury of the 49th (Sault Ste Marie) Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This weapon system was the type used by the 49th (Sault Ste Marie) Medium Anti Aircraft Regiment from 1955 to 1962 before converting to its present role as Field Artillery.

Intended to meet the threat posed by aircraft capable of flying faster and higher, work on the 90mm began in earnest in 1938. The 90mm gun M1 was standardized in March 1940. An M1A1 version followed that added a small loading tray to the breech ring and included accommodations for a spring rammer to facilitate faster reloading. The updated M2 version of the ninety was standardized in May 1943 and sported a redesigned breech that mounted a fully automatic fuze setter-rammer. This improvement increased the 90mm gun's rate of fire to 20 round per minute.

General Characteristics

Caliber: 90 mm L/53
Total weight: 8,618 kg (18,999 lbs)
Barrel weight: 1,109 kg (2,445 lbs)
Length with the carriage: 4.73 m (5.5 ft)
Length: 4.60 m (15 ft)
Width: 4.16 m (13.64 ft)
Height: 3.07 m (10 ft)
Weight of the projectile: 10.61 kg (23.39 lb)
Rate of fire: 25 rounds per minute (at most)
Muzzle velocity: 823 m/s (2,700 ft/s)
Range: 17,823 m (20,585 yd)
Ceiling: 10,380 m (34,050 ft) (limited by 30 second fuse)
Elevation : +80 to -5 degrees
Traverse : 360 degrees.

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Photos and text provided by LCol L. Jensen and
Brian L. Brooks from ANTIAIRCRAFT COMMAND