15 cm Autokanone M. 15/16
{{short description|Heavy field gun used by Austria-Hungary in World War I}}
{{Infobox weapon
|name=15 cm Autokanone M. 15/16
| image=15cm Feldkanone M15-16 in Vittorio. (BildID 15672863).jpg
| image_size = 300
|caption=A 15 cm Autokanone M. 15/16 at Vittorio Veneto in 1918
|origin=Austria-Hungary
|type=Heavy field gun
|is_ranged=
|is_bladed=
|is_explosive=
|is_artillery=yes
|is_vehicle=
|is_UK=
|service=1916—1945
|used_by=Austria-Hungary
First Austrian Republic
Czechoslovakia
Nazi Germany
Kingdom of Italy
|wars=World War I
World War II
|designer=Skoda
|design_date=1913—16
|manufacturer=Skoda
|production_date=1916—18
|number=44
|variants=15 cm Autokanone M. 15
|weight={{convert|11900|kg|lb}}
|length=
|part_length={{convert|6.0|m|ftin}} L/39.5
|width=
|height=
|crew=13
|cartridge=separate-loading, cased charge
|caliber=152.4 mm (6 in)
|action=
|rate=1 rpm
|velocity=692 m/s (2,270 ft/s)
|range={{convert|16000|m|yd}} (M. 15)
|max_range={{convert|21840|m|yd}} (M. 15/16)
|feed=
|sights=
|breech=
|recoil=
|carriage=box trail
|elevation=-6° to +45°
|traverse=6°
|diameter=
|filling=
|filling_weight=
|detonation=
|yield=
}}
The 15 cm Autokanone M. 15/16 was a heavy field gun used by Austria-Hungary in World War I. Guns turned over to Italy as reparations after World War I were taken into Italian service as the Cannone da 152/37. Austrian and Czech guns were taken into Wehrmacht service after the Anschluss and the occupation of Czechoslovakia as the 15.2 cm K 15/16(t). Italian guns captured after the surrender of Italy in 1943 were known by the Wehrmacht as the 15.2 cm K 410(i). Due to their unique ammunition, the Germans did not use them that much, and generally served on coast-defense duties during World War II.
Design
The M. 15 was a thoroughly conventional design for its day with a box trail, iron wheels and a curved gunshield. It was notable as being the first Austro-Hungarian gun to be designed for motor transport, towed behind the M 17 'Goliath' artillery tractor, hence the Autokanone designation. For transport the barrel was generally detached from the recoil system and moved on its own trailer. The original M. 15 weapons had a maximum elevation of only 30°, but an elevation of 45° was demanded early in the gun's production run, mainly to engage high-altitude targets in the mountains. 27 M. 15 guns were completed before production switched to the improved M. 15/16 with greater elevation in the first half of 1917. A total of 44 barrels and 43 carriages were completed by the end of the war.{{Cite web |title=15cm M15 - M15/16 AutoKanone |url=https://www.passioncompassion1418.com/Canons/Eng_AfficheCanonGET.php?IdCanonAffiche=794 |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=www.passioncompassion1418.com}}Ortner, p. 518-519
It seems likely that surviving M. 15 guns were rebuilt after the war to M. 15/16 standards. During the Twenties, guns in Italian service were relined and given new wheels by Vickers-Terni. In June 1940 Italy had 29 Cannone da 152/37 in service. By the time of the Italian capitulation this number had declined to 17.{{Cite book |title=Heavy Artillery |last=Chamberlain |first=Peter|date=1975|publisher=Arco|first2=Gander |last2=Terry|isbn=0668038985|location=New York|oclc=2143869}}
Photo Gallery
File:15cm autokanone m15-16 bw5.jpg
File:152-37 batteria.JPG
File:152-37 viberti.JPG
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- 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
{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222064253/http://www.landships.freeservers.com/new_pages/15cm_autokanone_m15_info.htm |date=February 22, 2012 |title=The Autokanone M 15/16 on Landships }}
{{Austro-Hungarian artillery of World War I}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:15 Cm Autokanone M. 15 16}}