Early variants managed roughly six to seven rounds per minute because their breech and loading arrangements slowed the crews. Contemporary British Tribal-class guns could manage about ten to twelve rounds per minute with shells of similar weight. The Italian guns traded firing volume for a muzzle velocity near 3,000 feet per second, promising penetration and kinetic effect when a shell landed. This choice prioritized making each hit count over putting the greatest possible number of shells into the air. It also matched an expectation of surface engagements in Mediterranean and Adriatic conditions that were generally more stable than the North Atlantic.
Chapter · 56:23-1:00:07
Italy's 120 mm choice: velocity over rate of fire
Italian 120 mm development favored high velocity and decisive shell effect for Mediterranean and Adriatic combat, accepting slower mechanisms and a lower practical rate of fire.