| 15 cm Kanone 18 | |
|---|---|
15 cm Kanone 18 at a Military museum in Belgrade |
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| Type | heavy gun |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Rheinmetall |
| Designed | 1933-38 |
| Manufacturer | Rheinmetall |
| Produced | 1938-1943 |
| Number built | 101 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | Combat: 12,460 kg (27,469 lbs) Travel: 18,600 kg (41,006 lbs) |
| Length | 8.6 m (28 ft 3 in) |
| Barrel length | 8.195 m (26 ft 11 in) L/55 |
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| Caliber | 149.1 mm (5.87 in) |
| Breech | horizontal block |
| Carriage | box trail |
| Elevation | -2°to +43° |
| Traverse | 10° on wheels 360° on platform |
| Muzzle velocity | 865 m/s (2,838 ft/s) |
| Maximum range | 24,500 m (26,793 yds) |
The 15 cm Kanone 18 (15 cm K 18) was a German heavy gun used in the Second World War.
In 1933 Rheinmetall began development of a new artillery piece to fulfill a German Army requirement for a replacement of the aged 15 cm Kanone 16, with the first production units received in 1938. It wasn't much of an improvement over the older gun as it weighed more than two tons more than the K 16, but only had a mere 2,290 metres (2,500 yd) more range. The army was happy with the range, but not with the carriage. There was a special transport carriage for just the gun when traveling long distances. Putting it on its turntable took even more time to assemble. Around a hundred were built between 1939 and 1943. It was not popular in service as it was regarded as too much gun for too little shell. This caused its production to be terminated in August 1943. Many were used in coastal installations.
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