15 cm Kanone 16
{{Infobox weapon
|name=15 cm Kanone 16
|image=15 cm Kanone 16 on display outside the Australian War Memorial in October 2016.jpg
|image_size=300
|caption=A 15 cm Kanone 16 on display outside the Australian War Memorial in 2016
|origin=German Empire
|type=Heavy field gun
|is_ranged=
|is_bladed=
|is_explosive=
|is_artillery=yes
|is_vehicle=
|is_UK=
|service=1917–45
|used_by=German Empire
Belgium
Nazi Germany
|wars=World War I
World War II
|designer=Krupp
|design_date=1917
|manufacturer=Krupp
|production_date=1917–18
|number=
|variants=15 cm K 16 im Mrs. Laf.
|weight={{convert|10870|kg|lb}}
|length={{convert|6.81|m|ft|sigfig=1}}
|part_length={{convert|6.41|m|ftin}} L/43{{Cite book |title=Heavy Artillery |last=Chamberlain |first=Peter|date=1975|page=23 |publisher=Arco|last2=Gander |first2=Terry|isbn=0668038985|location=New York|oclc=2143869}}
|width=
|height=
|crew=
|cartridge=separate-loading, cased charge
|cartridge_weight={{convert|51.4|kg|lb}} (HE)
|caliber={{convert|149.3|mm|in|abbr=on}}
|action=
|rate=3 rpm
|velocity={{convert|757|m/s|ft/s}}
|range=
|max_range={{convert|22000|m|yd}}
|feed=
|sights=
|breech=horizontal sliding-block
|recoil=
|carriage=box trail
|elevation=-3° to +43°
}}
The 15 cm Kanone 16 (15 cm K 16) was a heavy field gun used by Germany in World War I and World War II. Guns turned over to Belgium as reparations after World War I were taken into Wehrmacht service after the conquest of Belgium as the 15 cm K 429(b). It generally served on coast-defense duties during World War II.
Design
File:15 cm Kanone 16 LOC matpc 15119.jpg
The K 16 was a thoroughly conventional design for its day with a box trail, steel wheels for motor transport and a curved gunshield. The axle was suspended on a traverse leaf spring. For transport the barrel was generally detached from the recoil system and moved on its own trailer. In 1941 a small number of K 16 barrels were placed on 21 cm Mrs 18 carriages to become the 15 cm K 16 in Mrs Laf.
Ammunition
It fired 2 types of high-explosive shells, which differed only in which fuzes they could accept. It used a three part charge in its cartridge case. Charge 1 yielded a muzzle velocity of {{convert|555|m/s|ft/s}}. Charge 2 replaced Charge 1 in the cartridge case and propelled the shell with a velocity of {{convert|696|m/s|ft/s}}. Charge 3 was added to Charge 2 and raised the muzzle velocity to {{convert|757|m/s|ft/s}}.Hogg, pp. 82-3
See also
=Weapons of comparable role, performance and era=
- BL 6 inch Gun Mk XIX British equivalent
- Canon de 155mm GPF French equivalent
References
= Citations =
{{Reflist}}
= Sources =
- Engelmann, Joachim and Scheibert, Horst. Deutsche Artillerie 1934-1945: Eine Dokumentation in Text, Skizzen und Bildern: Ausrüstung, Gliederung, Ausbildung, Führung, Einsatz. Limburg/Lahn, Germany: C. A. Starke, 1974.
- 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}}.
- Hogg, Ian V. German Artillery of World War Two. 2nd corrected edition. Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997. {{ISBN|1-85367-480-X}}.
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.landships.freeservers.com/new_pages/15cm_K16_info.htm the K 16 on Landships]
- [http://www.passioncompassion1418.com/Canons/english_CanonsIndex_Nation.html List and pictures of World War I surviving 15cm K 16 guns]
{{WWIGermanArtillery}}
{{WWIIGermanGuns}}
Category:Field artillery of Germany
Category:World War I artillery of Germany
Category:World War II field artillery