10.5 cm leFH 18/40

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10.5 cm leFH 18/40
leFH 18/40 displayed in the Hämeenlinna Artillery Museum
Type	howitzer
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	1942-1945
Used by	Nazi Germany Finland
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designed	1942
Produced	1942-1945
Specifications
Weight	1,955 kg (4,311 lbs.)
Length	2.94 m
Barrel length	2.71 m

Shell	cased separate-loading (6 charges)
Caliber	105 mm
Breech	horizontal sliding block
Recoil	hydropneumatic
Carriage	split trail
Elevation	-6° to +40°
Traverse	56°
Rate of fire	6-8 rpm
Muzzle velocity	540 m/s
Effective range	12,325 m (13,479 yds)

The 10.5 cm leFH 18/40 (German: leichte Feldhaubitze "light field howitzer") was a German light howitzer used in the Second World War.

1 History
2 Description
3 References
4 External links
5 See also

[edit] History

The 10.5 cm leFH 18/40 supplemented the 10.5 cm leFH 18 and the 10.5 cm leFH 18M as the standard divisional field howitzer used during the Second World War. It was designed in an effort to lighten the weight of the 105 mm artillery piece and to make it easier to produce. Generally it did not equip independent artillery battalions until after the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943. Some were also exported to Finland, where they were known as 105 H 33-40.

[edit] Description

In March 1942 a requirement was issued for a lighter howitzer by the Wehrmacht that must also be ready as soon as possible and capable of rapid production. This requirement was met by mounting the barrel of the leFH 18M on the carriage for a 7.5 cm PaK 40 antitank gun. The new carriage used torsion bars running the full length of the carriage to suspend the wheels. The original wheels of the PaK 40 mounting were too small for use by the howitzer and were replaced by larger pressed-steel wheels with solid rubber tires. The new mounting increased the rate of fire as well as making the howitzer somewhat lighter. The leFH 18/40 shared the different muzzle brakes used by the leFH 18M.

[edit] References

Englemann, Joachim and Scheibert, Horst. Deutsche Artillerie 1934-1945: Eine Dokumentation in Text, Skizzen und Bildern: Ausrüstung, Gliderung, 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