Published on
October 27, 2009 in
Japanese.
This weapon is the 38 year type (1905) 15 cm howitzer mounted on a medium tank chassis. The chassis resembles that of the Medium Tank Model 2597 (1937), Special, described on page 8.1. The armor is riveted in the characteristic Japanese fashion, and on the chassis is of the same thickness as on the corresponding tank chassis, with a maximum of approximately one inch. On the superstructure, the gun shield has one-inch frontal armor and one-half-inch side armor.
The vehicle uses the standard V12, air-cooled, diesel engine, and the type 97 medium tank suspension, consisting of six dual rubber-tired bogie wheels on each side. The weapon mounted on this vehicle is the type 38 (1905) 15 cm howitzer, a very short weapon. It has an interrupted screw breechblock opening to the right, and uses a percussion primer. The rifling is 58 inches long and has increasing right hand twist. The maximum range of the field howitzer is reported as 6,500 yards. The maximum elevation is 30 degrees.
A self-propelled vehicle mounting a gun of 75 mm or 105 mm caliber, employing the same chassis and with a superstructure somewhat resembling the present vehicle has been reported.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Weight |
|
15 tons |
| Length |
|
18 ft. |
| Width |
|
7 ft., 6 ins. |
| Height (overall) |
|
93 ins. |
| Height of chassis |
|
47 ins. |
| Height of shield |
|
61 ins. |
| Ground clearance |
|
14 ins. |
| Tread centers |
|
6 ft., 7 ins. |
| Ground contact (approx.) |
|
160 ins. |
| Width of track |
|
13 ins. |
| Pitch of track |
|
5 1/8 ins. |
| Track links |
|
96 |
| Fording depth |
|
39 ins. |
| Theoretical radius of action: |
| Roads |
|
100 miles |
| Cross country |
| Speed: |
| Roads |
|
25 m.p.h. |
| Cross country |
| Armor: gun shield |
| Front plate |
|
1 in. |
| Sides |
|
1/2 in. |
| Armament |
|
15 cm Howitzer, Model 38 (1905) |
| Ammunition (Rds). |
| Engine |
|
V12, air-cooled, diesel |
| Transmission |
|
4 speeds forward; 1 reverse (high and low range) |
| Steering |
|
clutch brake |
| Crew |
|
probably 5 |
Japanese: p. 8.2 (August 1, 1945)
Published on
October 27, 2009 in
Japanese.
This howitzer was captured on Luzon. The emplacement, circular in shape and measuring 33 feet in diameter and 8 feet in depth, was camouflaged by a house on rails which was rolled back when the guns were to be fired. A small garden of banana trees was planted around the emplacement to add to the effect.
The howitzer tube is believed to be a built-up type. The liner is rifled with a uniform right hand twist, calculated to be one turn in 9.4 calibers. Two air flasks are mounted on the carriage for blowing out the tube after firing. Two equilibrators are mounted below the tube. The breech mechanism is an interrupted screw type having 8 segments of 20 threads. A percussion hammer firing mechanism is operated by a lanyard. A short cartridge case is used for obturation.
The upper carriage is a rectangular steel frame approximately 18 feet, 9 inches long, and 4 feet, 8 inches wide, fixed to a baseplate. The lower carriage is a truncated steel cone embedded in concrete approximately 6 to 8 feet under the ground. The upper carriage baseplate rests on a rail above a worm wheel, fixed to the lower carriage which engages a spur rack fitted to the base of the upper carriage.
The traversing handwheel is mounted in a horizontal position engaging a vertical shaft which terminates in the worm gear. The elevating handwheels, one on either side of the tube, are mounted on the carriage in a vertical position. A direct shaft from the elevating handwheel terminates in a spur gear which engages the elevating arc.
A panoramic sight is mounted on the right side of the gun.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Caliber | | 305 mm (12 ins. approx.) |
| Weight (firing position) |
| Length of tube and breech | | 16 ft., 6 ins. |
| Length of carriage base | | 18 ft., 9 ins. |
| Width of carriage base | | 4 ft., 8 ins. |
| Length (firing position) |
| Height (firing position) |
| Width (overall) |
| Length of bore |
| No. of lands | | 72 |
| Width of grooves |
| Depth of grooves |
| Width of lands |
| Muzzle velocity (shell) |
| Max. range (horizontal)—Trans. document | | 13,000 yds. |
| Max. range (vertical) |
| Rate of fire |
| Traverse | | 360° |
| Elevation, scale reading | | 70° |
| Depression, scale reading | | 3° |
| Length of recoil, scale reading | | 420 mm |
| Ammunition |
| Wt. of projectile—Trans. document | | 970 lbs. |
Japanese: p. 116.3 (August 1, 1945)
Published on
October 26, 2009 in
German.
The 10.5 cm Geb. H. 40, introduced into the German Army in 1942, is the companion piece to the 7.5 cm Geb. G. 36 described on page 118. Its design is basically the same as that of the 10.5 cm le. F. H. 18 (M). The weapon can be split into nine loads for transport.
The barrel, of monobloc construction, is fitted with a double baffle muzzle brake with wide side flanges; the breech mechanism is of the horizontal sliding block type. A hydraulic buffer is built into the cradle on which the barrel slides in recoil, and a hydro-pneumatic recuperator is mounted above the barrel.
The split trail carriage has trails of riveted box construction which are fitted with large detachable spades. It is mounted on wheels of cast light alloy with detachable rims and solid rubber tires. The wheels are mounted on stub axles fitted to the trail legs and remain parallel to the legs when they are opened. Internal expanding brakes, adjusted by a handwheel from the front, are fitted to both wheels. The traversing and elevating handwheels are located on the left and right sides of the carriage respectively.
There are two range drum scales: one in mils ranging from 0 to 1,250; the other in meters ranging from 0 to 1,500 for hollow charge ammunition and from 1,500 to 9,675 for high explosive shells, both with charge 6 in the lower register.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Caliber |
|
105 mm (4.14 ins.) |
| Weight (traveling position) |
|
|
| Weight (firing position) |
|
3,660 lb. |
| Length of piece |
|
10 ft., 4 ins. |
| Length (firing position) |
|
18 ft., 6 ins. |
| Height (traveling position) |
|
|
| Height (firing position) |
|
4 ft., 11 ins. |
| Width (overall) |
|
4 ft., 6 ins. |
| Width of trail spread |
|
|
| Length of bore |
|
9 ft., 5 ins. |
| No. of grooves |
|
32 |
| Width of grooves |
|
|
| Depth of grooves |
|
|
| Width of lands |
|
|
| Muzzle velocity |
|
1,870 f/s |
| Max. range (horizontal) |
|
13,807 yds. (Chg. 7) |
| Max. range (vertical) |
|
|
| Rate of fire |
|
|
| Traverse |
|
25°, 20′ left and right |
| Elevation |
|
70° |
| Depression |
|
-4°, 47′ |
| Length of recoil (variable) |
|
19.7 ins. to 49.2 ins. |
| Ammunition |
|
10.5 cm F.H. Gr. Al. (32 lb.)*
10.5 cm F.H. Gr. 38 Al.
10.5 cm F.H. Gr. Buntrauch (32 lb.)
10.5 cm 39 rot HL/A and HL/B (25.8 lb.)–Chg. 6 only.
10.5 cm 39 rot AL/C |
*A star shell is also reported to be fired with Charge 6.
German: p. 108.2
