Krupp 105mm field howitzer M. 1898/1909

German designation :			10.5cm lFH 98/09
Bulgarian designation :			105-мм гаубица Д-12
Calibre :			105mm L/16
Weight of the barrel :			365 kg
Weight of the carriage :			825 kg
Weight in action :			1225 kg
Weight of the limber :			1035 kg
Weight in marching order :			2260 kg
Barrel length :			1.625 m
Barrel grooves		number :	32
		depth :	1.25 mm
		width :	6.8 mm
Rifling		length :	1.25 m – 11.9 calibres
		twist :	progressive : 1 turn in 35 to 1 turn in 15 calibres
		inclination :	5° to 12°
Height of the line of fire :			1050 mm
Shield thickness :			4 mm
Cartridge		size :	110 x 92 x 129
		weight :	1.1 kg
		charge :	1st charge: 155 g of Würfelpulver + 10 g n.Gew.P. 71 2nd charge: 176 g of Würfelpulver + 10 g n.Gew.P. 71 3rd charge: 197 g of Würfelpulver + 10 g n.Gew.P. 71 4th charge: 226 g of Würfelpulver + 10 g n.Gew.P. 71 5th charge: 267 g of Würfelpulver + 10 g n.Gew.P. 71 6th charge: 308 g of Würfelpulver + 10 g n.Gew.P. 71 7th charge: 370 g of Würfelpulver + 10 g n.Gew.P. 71 8th charge: 420 g of Würfelpulver + 10 g n.Gew.P. 71
Shells
F.H.Gr. 98		weight :	15.7 kg – charge : 1.48 kg Granatfüllung 88
		max. range :	6300 m
F.H.Schr. 98		weight :	12.8 kg – 500 bullets x 10 g – 210 g Gew.P. 71
		max. range :	5600 m
F.H.Gesch. 05		weight :	15.8 kg. – 368 lead bullets x 10 g charge : 1.37 kg Fp. 02 – 200 g Gew.P. 71
			15.8 kg. – 400 lead bullets x 10 g charge : 970 g Fp. 02 + 400 g Fp. 60/40 – 150 g Gew.P. 71
		max. range :	5300 m
H.Gr. 14		weight :	15.5 kg
		charge :	300 g Fp. 60/40
		max. range :	6300 m
H.Gr. 15		weight :	15.7 kg
		charge :	1.4 kg Fp. 40/60
			350 g Fp. 60/40 (reduced charge)
		max. range :	7200 m (old T&P fuze)
			5000 m (new T&P fuze)
			6300 m (percussion fuze – for reduced charge shell)
F.H.Schr. 16		weight :	15.89 kg – 448 steel bullets x 11 g x 13.8 mm charge : 170 g / 190 g of black powder
		max. range :	7200 m (old T&P fuze)
			5000 m (new T&P fuze)
lg.F.H.Gr.		weight :	15.5 kg / 15.8 kg
		charge :	2 kg Fp. 60/40
			850 g Fp. 60/40 + 1.15 kg Dinitrobenzene
			1.41 kg Fp. 60/40 + 90 g picric acid (reduced charge)
		max. range :	7200 m (old T&P fuze)
			5000 m (new T&P fuze)
			6300 m (percussion fuze – for reduced charge shell)
Muzzle velocity :			302 m/s
Elevation :			+ 40° / - 10°
Traversing angle :			4°
Track :			1.53 m
Wheels	height :		1.23 m
	width		80 mm
Ammunition :			gun limber - 24, wagon - 62
Remarks : Quick firing light field howitzer, with hydro-spring recoil system, single-motion wedge breech mechanism, traverse on pivot. It was equipped with panorama sight, but it was not fitted for an independent line of sight. As in the case of the field gun, slight alterations to the elevation could be made by means of a corrector. The howitzer could fire with 7 different charges, an addition charge was added during the war to obtain an increased range (7000 m). It could fire also an incendiary shell (10,5cm Brandgranate) and a 12.5 kg star shell (Leuchtgeschoss L/3,3). At the beginning of the World War the howitzer was equipped only with the universal shell (F.H.Gesch. 05), since the H.E. shell and the shrapnel model 98 had been removed from the service in 1905. The Bulgarian designation of this howitzer refers to the length of the rifling, not to the length of the whole barrel.
German light field howitzers comparison