Krupp 120 mm howitzer M1905

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The Krupp 120 mm howitzer M1905 is a German howitzer of the First World War .

history

As the name suggests, the M1905 was introduced to the Imperial Army in 1905. She was a very advanced model for her time and was very popular. The Krupp company always had a number in stock in order to be able to supply potential customers directly and to avoid waiting times. The customer countries included Turkey and Japan . The howitzer was used by the army's medium artillery throughout the war, although the structure of the weapon was already out of date by 1916. One of the most noticeable drawbacks was the very short maximum shooting range. It forced the crews of the M1905 into heavily covered positions near the actual front line. There they were exposed to counterfire from French batteries .

technology

As with most guns of its time, the howitzer was equipped without a protective shield. This exposed the operator to possible splintering effects. When the fronts of World War I froze in trench warfare in 1914 , the artillery was buried in fortified positions. This removed this disadvantage. The gun itself was in a tube guide that was mounted on a simple base plate. A single spar with an earth spade that dug into the earth when the shot was fired prevented the gun from slipping and having to be reoriented every time. The axle required for transport was also attached to the base plate with simple spoked wheels.

Technical specifications

  • Caliber: 120 mm
  • Weight: 1,125 kg
  • Elevation range: 0 ° to + 42 °
  • Muzzle velocity: 275 m / sec
  • Maximum range: 5,800 m

literature