Test of the 53mm Fahrpanzer in
On
24 and 26 June 1891 the firm Grusonwerk of Magdeburg made severe test in the
proving ground of Sofia in order to show the performances of the of 53mm Fahrpanzer
recently designed by major Maximilian Schumann. A similar test had been made
in The
gun was charged with Test
effected on 22 June (4 July) 1892. Fire at a range of The
ranging fire was hampered and slowed down by the low density of air, due to
the altitude of the proving ground and the high temperature (36°). It was
carried out firing two shot at every elevation and was judged very effective,
since it assured an exact observation of the fires without an appreciable
delay in ranging, thanks to the easiness of handling the gun, which enabled
to fire two shots within a brief interval. The
results of the fire were as follows : 1st
row : 12 lines hit by 25 splinters and 3 shells or shell-heads; 2nd
row : 39 lines hit by 312 splinters and 6 shells or shell-heads; 3rd
row : 33 lines hit by 201 splinters and 8 shells or shell-heads; Therefore
84 lines out of 120 were hit (70%) by 538 splinters or shells. The file of
the central row were so thoroughly minced that was quite impossible to count
the hits. Fire at a range of All
together 119 lines out of 120 were hit by 187 bullets, 448 splinters, and 40
shells, shell-heads or fuzes. Fire with case shot. The gun
fired at first 5 shots at ordinary fire, then two series of 20 shots each at
rapid fire, within an average space of 47 seconds. All the lines were hit by
1682 balls overall. Since the balls were Test effected on 24 June (6 July) 1892. Fire against shooters. The
target was a line of laying down shooters placed at intervals of The
range ( The
results were judged very satisfactory, since 46% of dummies of the first
line, and 30% of the support line were hit, although only few ammunitions
were assigned, and the target was not clearly visible, being hidden by
bushes. Fire against a field battery.
The target was a two guns field battery with 7 gunners each placed in open
ground, with the limber unhooked behind, both at an unknown distance. Guns,
limbers and gunners were represented by dummies. To appreciate the effect of
light calibres against field artillery, the gun, after the adjustment, should
fire 23 ring shells. The
range ( The
results were as follows : - right
piece : gun – 1 splinter and 12 holes, 2 gunners - 2 splinters and 12 holes,
limber – 2 splinters; - left
piece : gun – 1 splinter, 3 gunners - 2 splinters and 8 holes, limber – 4
splinters and 27 holes. Observation of fire. In
either way the observation of the burst of the shells and shrapnel at a
distance of |