7.5 cm light infantry gun 18
| 7.5 cm light infantry gun 18 | |
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| General Information | |
| Military designation: | 7.5 cm light infantry gun 18 |
| Manufacturer country: | German Empire |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Rheinmetall, Bohemian weapons factory / Habämfa |
| Development year: | 1927 |
| Production time: | 1932 to 1945 |
| Number of pieces: | ~ 12,000 |
| Team: | 6th |
| Technical specifications | |
| Pipe length: | 0.783 m |
| Caliber : |
75 mm |
| Caliber length : | L / 11.8 |
| Cadence : | 8-12 rounds / min |
| Elevation range: | −10 ° to +75 degrees |
| Side straightening area: | 11 ° |
The 7.5 cm light infantry gun 18 or leIG 18 for short was a light infantry gun used by the Wehrmacht during the Second World War .
Development and production
The Leig 18 developed Rheinmetall in 1927 in Dusseldorf . In 1932 the gun was put into service with the Reichswehr as a 7.5 cm light infantry gun 18 . Manufacturers were Česká zbrojovka in Strakonice and Habämfa in Halle u. Ammendorf .
description
The leIG 18 had a low structure with a simple box carriage and a relatively short drawn tube (24 trains). The hydropneumatic pipe return and retrieval system was in the cradle under the pipe. The gun had a tilt lock and was loaded similar to a shotgun. The end of the pipe was lifted using a lever.
To ensure stability when the gun is fired, the spar was provided with a ground spade. This dug into the ground when it was shot down. It was provided with a cannon shield to protect the crew. This shield only offered protection against fire from handguns and against fragmentation.
The ZE34 panoramic telescope served as a means of alignment. Due to the adjustable (shooting) angle groups, the 7.5 cm leIG 18 is to be classified in the area of the howitzers , since it was possible to shoot from both the upper ( steep fire) and the lower angle group (flat fire). The adjustment of the lateral directional range, from approx. 11 degrees to each side, was not done by turning the vertical weighing axis to the wheel axis, as with other guns, but by moving the gun cradle laterally parallel to the wheel axis of the gun. This was done using a handwheel and a rack integrated into the axle housing.
A structural differentiation between the guns arose from the type of transport. The gun for the drawn horse train had wooden wheels; the gun for the motor vehicle train had rubber-tyred metal wheels.
ammunition
The ammunition was so-called "separate ammunition". The projectile and propellant charge are separated from each other in the transport state and are only brought together (inserted) shortly before the gun is loaded. The bullet weight was 6 kg. The propellant charge consisted of five ring-shaped partial charges which were housed in a short cartridge (propellant charge case). As usual with large-caliber artillery, the gunners could use either all five ("5th charge" = highest firing range) or only one, two, three, etc. (1st to 4th charge), depending on the desired range or angle group The number of partial charges used had a direct influence on the projectile speed, which was 95 m / s at the muzzle for the "first charge" and "5". Charge "221 m / s. Just like the number of partial charges used, the set tube increase naturally also had an impact on the range. This was between 500 and 3500 meters. The partial charges that were not used were simply manually removed before the cartridge was attached to the floor For this reason, the gun crew received a basic artillery training: A well-drilled gun crew reached a rate of fire of 8-10 rounds / minute.
The effective fragment distribution of the high explosive grenade stabilized by twist was 20 meters on both sides, the effective fragment range approx. 60 meters from the point of impact. In the event of direct hits, field fortifications and coverings with up to one meter of earth coverage could be penetrated. There were two different versions of the HE grenade, the Ing 18 and the Ing 38 (Ing = infantry grenade). These differed in the actual charge. They contained either TNT / aluminum (90/10) or Amatol (40/60).
commitment
One of the experiences from the First World War was that the infantry benefited greatly from their own artillery equipment. This led to the development of light field guns that could perform this role. So the division artillery was relieved. The leIG 18 was used by the infantry gun companies of the infantry and rifle regiments, later also in the heavy companies of the infantry and later armored infantry battalions. Although the range of the gun was relatively small at 3,375 m, it achieved good results in the field and proved to be reliable. Despite the short tube, it could be used successfully against lightly armored targets such as armored reconnaissance vehicles at a distance of up to 300 m using HE shells. Shaped charge grenades were issued in the second half of the war for anti-tank use, with which up to 85 mm of armor steel could be penetrated. This was at least sufficient to get an acceptable chance of success against medium tanks.
Within the armored infantry units , the light armored personnel carrier 251/4 was used as a means of pulling a light infantry gun . This also transported ammunition and accessories as well as the gun crew. At the beginning of the war there were 2933 pieces available. During the war, 8266 pieces were produced. At the beginning of March 1945, 2594 guns were available.
One of the last missions of this type of gun took place on April 15, 1945 by parts of the Marine Grenadier Regiment 6 of the 2nd Marine Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) in the heavy defensive battles near Kirchboitzen in the Verden an der Aller area . After the last cartridge had been fired, the gun of this scattered part of the troops was made unusable by detonating them when the crew withdrew, so that it could not be captured by the enemy and possibly further used.
Version with wooden wheels for horse train
Gun operation with leIG 18
leIG 18 in firing position
Infantry Gun 18 in the Defense Technical Study Collection in Koblenz .
variants
Two variants that can be dismantled into partial loads were planned for use by the mountain troops and paratroopers .
The 7.5-cm-light mountain infantry gun 18 built for the mountain troops could be dismantled into ten (in crew transport) or six (pack animal transport) partial loads and could also be driven with a sled carriage.
Only eight pieces of the 7.5 cm light infantry gun 18F planned for the paratroopers were built and tested. By omitting the protective shield, a weight reduction of 75 kg was achieved and the gun was dropped in four drop containers with the parachute. Overall, it turned out to be impractical and production was abandoned in favor of the LG 40 .
literature
- Ian Hogg : 20th Century Artillery. Gondromverlag, Bindlach 2001, ISBN 3-8112-1878-6 .
- Terry Gander, Peter Chamberlain: Encyclopedia of German Weapons 1939-1945. Special edition, 2nd edition. Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-613-02481-0 , ( Motorbuch-Verlag special ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Source: Jakob Onkelbach, report by a former gunner of a gun operator
- ↑ Source: Jakob Onkelbach, eyewitness report of a former member of the division's gun crew, born in 1927, who took part in the fighting
