The
7.7 cm Feldkanone 96 neuer Art (7.7 cm FK 96 n.A.) was a field gun used by
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
in
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
.
The gun combined a
barrelA gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
of the earlier
7.7 cm FK 96The 7.7 cm Feldkanone 96 was a field gun used by Germany in World War I. It was a thoroughly conventional gun, being a modernized version of Krupp's FK 73 gun, but failed to incorporate any recoil system other than a partially effective spade brake. Thus it was rendered obsolete when the French...
with a recoil system, a new breech and a new carriage. Existing FK 96s were upgraded over time. The FK 96 n.A. was shorter-ranged, but lighter than the French
Canon de 75 modèle 1897The French 75mm field gun was a quick-firing field artillery piece adopted in March 1898 after 5 years of research and secret trials. It saw widespread service in World War I including in the American Expeditionary Forces . It also served during World War II in various but more limited capacities...
or the British
Ordnance QF 18 pounderThe Ordnance QF 18 pounder, or simply 18-pounder Gun, was the standard British Army field gun of the World War I era. It formed the backbone of the Royal Field Artillery during the war, and was produced in large numbers. It was also used by British and Commonwealth Forces in all the main theatres,...
gun as the Germans placed a premium on mobility, which served them well during the early stages of WW I.
Discussion
Ask a question about '7.7 cm FK 96 n.A.' Start a new discussion about '7.7 cm FK 96 n.A.' Answer questions from other users |
The
7.7 cm Feldkanone 96 neuer Art (7.7 cm FK 96 n.A.) was a field gun used by
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
in
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
.
Description
The gun combined a
barrelA gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
of the earlier
7.7 cm FK 96The 7.7 cm Feldkanone 96 was a field gun used by Germany in World War I. It was a thoroughly conventional gun, being a modernized version of Krupp's FK 73 gun, but failed to incorporate any recoil system other than a partially effective spade brake. Thus it was rendered obsolete when the French...
with a recoil system, a new breech and a new carriage. Existing FK 96s were upgraded over time. The FK 96 n.A. was shorter-ranged, but lighter than the French
Canon de 75 modèle 1897The French 75mm field gun was a quick-firing field artillery piece adopted in March 1898 after 5 years of research and secret trials. It saw widespread service in World War I including in the American Expeditionary Forces . It also served during World War II in various but more limited capacities...
or the British
Ordnance QF 18 pounderThe Ordnance QF 18 pounder, or simply 18-pounder Gun, was the standard British Army field gun of the World War I era. It formed the backbone of the Royal Field Artillery during the war, and was produced in large numbers. It was also used by British and Commonwealth Forces in all the main theatres,...
gun as the Germans placed a premium on mobility, which served them well during the early stages of WW I. However, once the front had become static the greater rate of fire of the French gun and the heavier shells fired by the British gun put the Germans at a disadvantage. The Germans remedied that by developing the longer-ranged, but heavier
7.7 cm FK 16The 7.7 cm Feldkanone 16 was a field gun used by Germany in World War I. Surviving examples in German service were rebarreled postwar as the 7.5 cm FK 16 nA [new model]....
.
As with most guns of its era the FK 96 n.A. had seats for two crewmen mounted on its splinter shield. Guns taken into service by Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia upon independence in 1919 served until replaced during the Thirties.
Ammunition
- Feldgranate 96: a 6.8 kilogram (15 lb) high-explosive shell filled with .19 kg (0.45 lbs) of TNT
Trinitrotoluene , or more specifically, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, is a chemical compound with the formula C
6H
23CH
3. This yellow-coloured solid is a reagent in chemistry but is best known as a useful explosive material with convenient handling properties...
.
- FeldkanoneGeschoss 11: A 6.85 kilogram (15.1 lb) shell combining high explosive and shrapnel functions. It contained 294 10 gram lead bullets and .25 kilograms (0.55 lb) of TNT.
- A 6.8 kilogram (15 lb) pure shrapnel shell filled with 300 lead bullets.
- An anti-tank shell
- A smoke shell
- A star shell
- A gas shell
It mainly used the K.Z. 11 time fuze or the later L.K.Z. 16 contact fuze.
See also
- Ordnance BLC 15 pounder
The Ordnance BLC 15 pounder gun was a modernised version of the obsolete BL 15 pounder 7 cwt gun, incorporating a recoil and recuperator mechanism above the barrel and modified quicker-opening breech...
: British equivalent
- 3-inch M1902 field gun : US equivalent
External links