10.5 cm leFH 18/40

The 10.5 cm leFH 18/40 (German: leichte Feldhaubitze "light field howitzer") was a German light howitzer used in World War II.

10.5 cm leFH 18/40
10.5 cm leFH 18/40 at the Sapun Mountain memorial near Sebastopol.
TypeHowitzer
Place of originNazi Germany
Service history
In service1943–1945
Used by Nazi Germany
 Finland
 Romania
 Czechoslovakia
WarsWorld War II
Production history
Designed1942–1943
Produced1943–1945
No. built10,265[1]
Specifications
Mass1,955 kg (4,311 lbs)
Length2.94 m (9 ft 8 in)
Barrel length2.941 m (9 ft 8 in) (28 calibers)
3.271 m (10 ft 9 in) (with muzzle brake)
ShellSeparate QF (6 charges)
105 x 155mm R[2]
Caliber105 mm (4.13 in)
BreechHorizontal sliding-block
RecoilHydro-pneumatic
CarriageSplit-trail
Elevation-6° to +40°
Traverse56°
Rate of fire6-8 rpm
Muzzle velocity540 m/s (1,772 ft/s)
Effective firing range12,325 m (13,479 yds)

History

The 10.5 cm leFH 18/40 supplemented the 10.5 cm leFH 18 and the 10.5 cm leFH 18M as the standard divisional field howitzer used during the Second World War. It was designed in an effort to lighten the weight of the 105 mm artillery piece and to make it easier to produce. Generally it did not equip independent artillery battalions until after the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943. Some were also exported to Finland, where they were known as 105 H 33-40. The Romanian Army acquired a number of leFH 18/40 in 1943, to make up for the losses in artillery suffered during the Battle of Stalingrad.[3]

The leFH 18/40 on a fire mission on the Eastern Front.

Description

In March 1942 a requirement was issued for a lighter howitzer by the Wehrmacht that must also be ready as soon as possible and capable of rapid production. This requirement was met by mounting the barrel of the leFH 18M on the carriage for a 7.5 cm PaK 40 antitank gun. The new carriage used torsion bars running the full length of the carriage to suspend the wheels. The original wheels of the PaK 40 mounting were too small for use by the howitzer and were replaced by larger pressed-steel wheels with solid rubber tires. The new mounting increased the rate of fire as well as making the howitzer somewhat lighter. The leFH 18/40 shared the different muzzle brakes used by the leFH 18M. After World War II Czechoslovakia continued to use the leFH 18/40 under the designation M18/49. The M18/49 used pneumatic tires instead of solid rubber tires.[4]

See also

References
  1. Haubitzen und Mörser (in German)
  2. "101". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  3. Adrian Stroea; Gheorghe Băjenaru (2010). Artileria româna în date si imagini (PDF) (in Romanian). Editura Centrului Tehnic-Editorial al Armatei. p. 98. ISBN 978-606-524-080-3.
  4. Foss, Christopher (1974). Artillery of the world. London: Allan. pp. 10–11. ISBN 0711005052. OCLC 3241835.

Sources
  • Engelmann, Joachim and Scheibert, Horst. Deutsche Artillerie 1934-1945: Eine Dokumentation in Text, Skizzen und Bildern: Ausrüstung, Gliederung, Ausbildung, Führung, Einsatz. Limburg/Lahn, Germany: C. A. Starke, 1974
  • Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945. New York: Doubleday, 1979 ISBN 0-385-15090-3
  • Hogg, Ian V. German Artillery of World War Two. 2nd corrected edition. Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997 ISBN 1-85367-480-X
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