15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze M 14
| 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze M 14 | |
|---|---|
|
An M.14 in the Heergeschlictes museum, Vienna | |
| Type | Heavy howitzer |
| Place of origin | Austria-Hungary |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1915-1945 |
| Used by |
Austria-Hungary Austria Czechoslovakia Nazi Germany Hungary Italy Romania Slovakia |
| Wars | World War I, World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Skoda |
| Designed | 1912-14 |
| Manufacturer | Skoda |
| Produced | 1914-1918 |
| Variants | 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze M 14/16 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 2,765 kilograms (6,096 lb) (M 14/16) |
| Barrel length |
2.09 m (6 ft 10 in) L/14 (M 14) 2.12 m (6 ft 11 in) L/14.1 (M 14/16) |
|
| |
| Shell | 41 kilograms (90 lb) |
| Caliber | 149.1 mm (5.87 in) |
| Breech | horizontal sliding wedge |
| Recoil | hydro-pneumatic variable recoil |
| Carriage | box trail |
| Elevation | -5° to +70° (M 14/16) |
| Traverse | 6° (M 14/16) |
| Rate of fire | 1-2 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 336 m/s (1,102 ft/s) (M 14/16) |
| Maximum firing range | 8,760 metres (9,580 yd) (M 14/16) |
The 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze M 14 was a heavy howitzer which served with Austria-Hungary during World War I.
It had two crew seats mounted on the gun shield. It broke down into two loads for transport. The M 14 was modified to improve elevation and range as well as to strengthen the carriage as the M 14/16. Postwar war modifications were common to make it suitable for motor traction and to address other issues.
M 14 and M14/16 howitzers captured by Italy during the war and received as reparations after the war, when they were put into service with the designation of Obice da 149/13. Some 490 were on hand in 1939 and weapons captured by the Germans after the Italians changed sides in 1943 were used as the 15 cm sFH 400(i). Surviving weapons were impressed into German service after 1943 as the 15 cm sFH 401(i). Czechslovak weapons were known as the 15 cm hrubá houfnice vz. 14 and 14/16.
References
- Chamberlain, Peter & Gander, Terry. Heavy Artillery. New York: Arco, 1975 ISBN 0-668-03898-5
- 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
- Ortner, M. Christian. The Austro-Hungarian Artillery From 1867 to 1918: Technology, Organization, and Tactics. Vienna, Verlag Militaria, 2007 ISBN 978-3-902526-13-7
External links
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