Krupp 150mm heavy howitzer M. 1914

 

 

 

 

 

Italian designation :

Obice da 149/12 modello 1914

Calibre :

149.1mm L/14

Weight of the barrel :

870 kg

Weight in action :

2344 kg

Weight in marching order :

2814 kg

Barrel length :

2.090 m

Number of barrel grooves :

36

Shield thickness :

? mm

Shell weight :

 

Steel mine shell :

41 kg – charge : 8 kg Trotyl

rear percussion fuze M. 916

41 kg – charge : 7.93 kg Trotyl

fore percussion fuze M. 911

Cast steel shell :

36.75 kg – charge : 3.75 kg

fore percussion fuze M. 911

37.6 kg – charge : 3.7 kg

fore percussion fuze M. 911

Shrapnel :

41 kg – 1260 bullets x 16 g

fore time & percussion fuze

Gas shell :

40 kg – 5 kg

fore percussion fuze M. 911

38 kg – 6.2 kg

fore percussion fuze M. 911

Muzzle velocity :

300 m/s

Max. range :

6900 m

Elevation :

+ 43° / - 5°

Traversing angle :

5°

Track :

1.48 m

Height of the wheels:

1.3 m

Recoil :

1.25 m

Transport :

drawn by six horses, but adapted also for motor transport

Remarks :

Quick firing heavy field howitzers with hydro-pneumatic recoil system, wedge breech mechanism, traverse on pivot. It could fire with five different charges. It was equipped with a dial sight and panoramic telescope.

It was designed from the outset as an export product and was a slight update of the earlier M. 1906 commercial field howitzer which had been exported to Argentina (M. 1904) and Sweden (M/06). Bulgaria seems to have acquired some of her howitzers M. 1913 from Italy after the World War 1.