Krupp 105mm mountain howitzer

 

 

 

 

Bulgarian designation :

105м скорострелна планинска гаубица

German designation :

10.5cm Gebirgs-Hubitze L/12

Calibre :

105mm L/11.4

Weight of the barrel :

300 kg

Weight in action :

845 kg

Weight with shafts :

884 kg

Weight of the limber :

520 kg

Weight in marching order :

1404 kg

Barrel length :

1.260 m

Height of the line of fire :

900 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

            Shell

 

F.H.Schr. 16

weight :

15.89 kg – 448 steel bullets x 10 g x 13.8 mm

170/190 g of black powder

max. range :

4400 m

lg.F.H.Gr.

weight :

15.5 kg / 15.8 kg

charge :

2 kg Fp. 60/40

850 g Fp. 60/40 and 1.15 kg dinitrobenzol

max. range :

4900 m

Muzzle velocity :

253 m/s

Elevation :

+ 40° / - 7°

Traversing angle :

5° 25’

Recoil :

810 mm

Transport

gun :

8 loads : shield and axle = 115 kg; carriage – front = 119 kg; carriage – rear with wheels = 118 kg; trail spade with sight = 115 kg; cradle = 119 kg; sledge with shafts = 118 kg; barrel with brakes = 115 kg; jacket with breech-block = 117 kg

limber :

2 loads : frame with wheels = 115 kg; axle and shafts with fittings = 65 kg

Ammunition :

gun limber – 18 shells

ammunition load weighting 114 kg: 3 boxes with 2 rounds each 

Remarks :

Quick firing mountain howitzer. Originally it had a calibre of 10 cm L/12, but when it was adopted by the German Army it was rebored to use the standard German ammunition. This howitzer could also be drawn by horses: in this case it was attached to a limber with fork shafts or the shafts were attached to the carriage tail.

Krupp first delivered to the German Army 4 trial howitzers and, from June 1916 onwards, 32 series howitzers, but since its performance was inferior to the Skoda mountain howitzer, they were discarded. Therefore, the German Army received just two batteries, while two were delivered to Turkey and four to Bulgaria.

It was adjusted to use the same ammunition of the Krupp 105mm QF light howitzer M. 1898/1909 but without 7th charge.

 

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