10.5 cm Feldhaubitze 98/09

The 10.5 cm Feldhaubitze 98/09 (10.5 cm FH 98/09), a short barreled (1625 mm) 105mm howitzer, also referred to as the 10.5 cm leichte Feldhaubitze (light field howitzer) 98/09, was used by the German Empire, Kingdom of Romania as well as the Ottoman Empire in World War I and after. It had a maximum range of 6,300 metres (20,700 ft).[1] German 10.5-cm. light field howitzer (l. F. H. 98/09), with ammunition

10.5 cm Feldhaubitze 98/09
A captured F.H. 98/09 in Sayabec, Quebec
TypeHowitzer
Place of originGerman Empire
Service history
Used byGerman Empire
Ottoman Empire
Romania
WarsWorld War I
Production history
DesignerKrupp
Designed1902-04
ManufacturerKrupp
Produced1909-1918
Specifications
Mass1,145 kg (2,519 lbs)
Barrel length1.625 m (5 ft 4 in) L/15.5
Width1.53 m (5 ft 0 in)
ShellSeparate loading cased charge and projectile
Caliber105 mm (4.13 in)
BreechHorizontal sliding-block
RecoilHydro-spring
CarriageBox trail
Elevation-13° to +40°
Traverse4°
Muzzle velocity302 m/s (990 ft/s)
Maximum firing range6,300 m (6,890 yds)
Men of the 4th Battalion, Coldstream Guards, looking at a German howitzer they captured on the outskirts of Houlthulst Forest during the Battle of Poelcappelle, 9 October 1917
German 10.5-cm. light field howitzer (l. F. H. 98/09), with ammunition
Sayabec's exposed F.H. 98/09 has received a well deserved restoration in the recent years including a new concrete pedestal, a new paint job and a different set of wheels. ( Uncertain about the historical accuracy of that change.)

History
Turkish gunners in action, 1917

It was originally built by Rheinmetall as the 10.5 cm Feldhaubitze 98, an old-fashioned, fixed-recoil weapon delivered to the German army in 1898; between 1902 and 1904, it was redesigned, by Krupp, with a new recoil mechanism and a new carriage.[2] However, it wasn't accepted for service until 1909, hence the ending designation 98/09. Existing weapons were rebuilt to the new standard. As usual, two seats were attached to the gun shield. There were 1,260 in service at the beginning of World War I.[3]

The 10.5 cm leFH 16 was introduced in 1916 as a successor to 10.5 cm Feldhaubitze 98/09, featuring a longer barrel and hence longer range.

Ammunition

The 10.5 cm used three different types of ammunition and the aiming instruments were marked with three different meter scales and a dial sight for both direct and indirect fire. Originally, it used 7 charges of propellant, but this was increased during the war to 8 in an effort to extend its range.[4]

See also

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

References
  • Jäger, Herbert. German Artillery of World War One. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire: Crowood Press, 2001 ISBN 1-86126-403-8

Notes
  1. 10.5 cm LIGHT FIELD HOWITZER MODEL 98/09- Retrieved 2012-02-29. Archived 2012-03-06.
  2. Transformation of the 10.5 cm Feldhaubitze 98/09- Retrieved 2012-02-29. Archived 2012-03-06.
  3. Jäger, p. 28
  4. Ammunition- Retrieved 2012-02-29
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