Krupp 87mm field gun M. 1880

 

 

 

 

Romanian designation :

Tunul “Krupp”, calibrul 87 mm, model 1880

Krupp designation :

9cm Feldkanone C/80

Calibre :

87mm L/24

Weight of the barrel :

450 kg

Weight of the breech-block :

38.5 kg

Weight of the carriage :

515 kg

Weight in action :

965 kg

Weight of the limber :

480 kg (empty) – 830 kg (loaded)

Weight in marching order :

1795 kg

Weight of ammunition wagon :

1925 kg

Length of the barrel :

2.1 m

Length of the bore :

1865 mm

Length of twist :

3915 mm – 45 calibres

Barrel grooves

number :

24

depth :

1.25 mm

width :

8.40 mm

Battering charge :

1.5 kg of black powder (Grobkörniges Art.-Pulver)

610 g of smokeless powder

Shell

length :

2.5 calibres

weight :

6.21 kg – charge: 210 g

muzzle velocity :

460 m/s

max. range :

6800 m

Shrapnel

weight :

7.1 kg – charge: 80 g of black powder

180 bullets x 15 g

length :

188 mm

muzzle velocity :

435 m/s

max. range :

5200 m

Case shot

weight :

6.7 kg – 82 zinc balls

max. range :

400 m

Length of the line of sight  :

1050 mm

Elevation :

+ 24° / + 8°

Track :

1.528 m

Transport :

drawn by six horses

Ammunition :

carriage – 1 case shot; gun limber – 20 shells, 10 shrapnel, 2 case shots, 35 charges; ammunition wagon – 55 shells, 30 shrapnel, 2 case shots, 90 charges

8 ammunition wagons for every battery

Remarks :

Slow firing jacket field gun (Mantelrohr), cylindro-prismatic wedge breech mechanism with an expanding steel obturation ring, traverse on pivot. It was fitted with a direct fire sight and aiming circle. It was modernised to use smokeless powder, but the rapidity of fire was not very great. Every battery was equipped with 5 binoculars and 5 range-finders “Le Boulengé”.