German Artillary

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...........................

The trident of the German Field artillery.

The 15.0cm sFH 18.

Firing the standard HE round with 6 propelling charges gave the sFH 18 a maximum range of 9,725 m, which was increased to 13,250 m when using a full 8-charge load. Later versions of the howitzer were equipped with a muzzle brake in an effort to reduce stress on the carriage – such examples are known as the 15.0cm sFH 18M – the M standing for Mündungsbremse (muzzle brake) - although I could not find any picture of it.

The sFH 18 usually required a crew of at least 5 to operate, with 2 of them acting as loaders since each standard high explosive shell weighed nearly 100 lbs.

Sources: http://www.angelraybooks.com/diewehrmacht/index.htm offline
15 Fotoalben mit über 1200 originalen Fotos ! bei eBay_de 1918-1945 (endet 16_08_09 185430 MESZ).

Cheers. Raúl M .

[John W. Howard]

Good thread Raul!!

[tigre]

Hello to all ; you're welcome John ...........and see below a picture of one sFH 18M (thanks to SOLIFERRUM) the first I've seen indeed.............Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...........................

The trident of the German Field artillery.

s 10.0cm K 18.

The s 10.0cm K 18, actually of 10.5cm caliber, was also one of the ‘18-series’ guns developed in the early-twenties and taken into German Army service in 1934-35. The German Army could not decide which design to approve; the result of it was the combined work of Krupp, who designed the carriage, and Rheinmetall, who designed the gun, the K 18 was the “long-arm” of the German artillery, having a much greater range than any of the other field artillery in general service of the Germany Army. The K 18 could fire a standard 15.14kg (33.38 lbs.) high explosive shell 19,075m – a considerable distance – although the 10.5cm shell was thought to be too underpowered for that range. The K 18 fired a number of different projectiles, including high explosive, armor piercing, and smoke shells. Along with its smaller brother, the 15.0cm sFH 18, the K 18 made up the backbone of the Army’s medium field artillery.

Sources: http://www.angelraybooks.com/diewehrmacht/index.htm offline
15 Fotoalben mit über 1200 originalen Fotos ! bei eBay_de 1918-1945 (endet 16_08_09 185430 MESZ).
Nachlass etw_120 x-Frankreich-Panzer-Geschütze !!!!! bei eBay_de 1918-1945 (endet 02_04_10 193513 MESZ)

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...........................

The trident of the German Field artillery.

s 10.0cm K 18.

When sK 18 entered service the Army was not motorized yet so the guns had to be pulled by horses teams. But the gun weighed too much for one horse team therefore the barrel and the carriage had to be towed as separate loads. Unlike the sFH 18, however, the K 18 was considered too large to be horse-drawn, and was therefore not found in the standard German infantry division until the divisional artillery regiments began motorizing in the middle of the war. By 1938 the 10 cm sK 18 batteries of the horse-drawn heavy groups were replaced by 15 cm heavy howitzers sFH 18. The artillery groups were now "purebred".

The 10cm sK 18 was hauled down into two main train loads. Thus, the gun tube was transported on its respective tube carriage (Af. 19).

Sources: http://www.angelraybooks.com/diewehrmacht/index.htm offline
15 Fotoalben mit über 1200 originalen Fotos ! bei eBay_de 1918-1945 (endet 16_08_09 185430 MESZ).
Nachlass etw_120 x-Frankreich-Panzer-Geschütze !!!!! bei eBay_de 1918-1945 (endet 02_04_10 193513 MESZ)

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; last part...........................

The trident of the German Field artillery.

s 10.0cm K 18.

In contrast, the artillery regiments of the panzer and motorized (later panzergrenadier) divisions had been motorized from the outset, and one battery of the heavy battalion of these regiments was equipped with four K 18 cannons for most of the war. The sK 18 was intended to be used mostly in counter-battery role; besides due to its large range it was more suitable to furnish fire support for the motorized/mechanized advance guards organized in this kind of units (motorized/armored divisions).


A battery in action.......................


"Ruhe in der Feuerstellung (P.K.-Aufnahme: Plenik)" - A battery of heavy s 10.0cm K 18 canons in position on the Eastern Front take a break from the fighting. The crew of the gun closest to the camera is enjoying the summer weather by relaxing in the sun. Cases of ammunition are stacked close behind the gun and ammunition trucks can be seen in the field in the background.

Sources: http://www.angelraybooks.com/diewehrmacht/index.htm offline
15 Fotoalben mit über 1200 originalen Fotos ! bei eBay_de 1918-1945 (endet 16_08_09 185430 MESZ).
Nachlass etw_120 x-Frankreich-Panzer-Geschütze !!!!! bei eBay_de 1918-1945 (endet 02_04_10 193513 MESZ)

It's all folks. Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more about the ammunition for the German field howitzers..............

The l FH 16.







Source: Handbuch die munition der deutschen geschütze und werfer. April 1943.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more about the ammunition for the German field howitzers..............

The l FH 18.













Source: Handbuch die munition der deutschen geschütze und werfer. April 1943.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more about the ammunition for the German field howitzers..............

The le FH 18 M.







Source: Handbuch die munition der deutschen geschütze und werfer. April 1943.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more about the ammunition for the German field howitzers..............

The sK 18.







Source: Handbuch die munition der deutschen geschütze und werfer. April 1943.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; at last..............

The sFH 18.













It's all folks. Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more about it..................

Poland - September 1939!


A horse-drawn battery of a light artillery group, equipped with le. FH 18, surpasses a motorized column stopped by the side of the road ................

The photo does not have great resolution but is demonstrative of how the crew was in the march...............

Source: http://www.odkrywca.pl

Greetings. Raul M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a pair of photos dealing with the sFH 18.....................

Poland - September 1939..................

Sources: Die SS Heimwehr Danzig Im Polenfeldzug. Rolf Michaelis. Wydawnictwo Militaria 195.
http://www.odcrywca.pl

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more.....................

Poland - September 1939..................

Source: Wir zogen gegen Polen.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more.....................

Poland - September 1939..................

Source: http://www.odkrywca.pl.

Cheers. Raúl M .