Interesting Bill.

I would suspect that a tube of Krupp Laufstahl pre-WWI would be similar to the Nickelstahl version but info from the mid 1880s may provide some insight into crucible gun tube steel:

Swedish Ordnance Commission Steel component requirements:
Carbon – 0.35 to 0.45%
Silicon – 0.40 to 0.60%
Manganese – 0.40 to 0.60%
Phosphorus – under 0.06%

Swedish Gun Barrel Component requirements:
Carbon – 0.470%
Silicon – 0.443%
Manganese – 0.410%
Sulphur – 0.039%
Phosphorus – 0.083%

Royal Gun Factory, Woolwich – requirements
Firth – Carbon - 0.338 to 0.400%
- Manganese – 0.075 to 0.126%
Whitworth – Carbon – 0.300 to 0.417%
- Manganese – 0.240 to 0.312%
Vickers – Carbon – 0.272 to 0.240%
- Manganese – 0.225 to 0.216%
Cammell – Carbon – 0.143 to 0.194%
- Manganese – 0.341 to 0.248%

Krupp Cannon analyzed in Austria:
Carbon 0.405%
Cobalt & Nickel – 0.057%
Copper – 0.126%
Manganese – 0.184%
Phosphorus – 0.032%
Silicon – 0.191%
Sulphur – 0.023%
And of course Iron at 98.982 by subtraction

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse